Breathing Life Into Spaces

AT THE HELM OF BENGALURU-BASED ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE WDA SPACES, JATIN HUKKERI'S WORK IS ALL ABOUT CREATING AN EXPERIENCE

- VARUNI MOHAN

Jatin Hukkeri is not your typical architect. Through his Bengaluru-based firm, WDA (Wicked Design & Architecture) Spaces, his work blends functionality with aesthetic appeal, always with a personal touch. For Jatin, architecture is a way of life, and his practice is a pursuit of this passion. “Design and creativity are the pivot for me, so the commercials are a by-product of this process,” he says, reflecting on his commitment to the merit of design, over mere profitability. Growing up in a family of civil engineers, Jatin’s introduction to construction began early. “I had exposure to construction in bits and pieces, with it largely ingrained in my subconscious mind,” he recalls. Summers spent in Mumbai with his uncle, a civil engineer and builder, further fuelled his interest. It was his uncle who first suggested architecture as a path, and Jatin tells us, “One day, I asked him what it would take for me to settle down in Mumbai, because I truly loved the city. His answer was crystal clear: to become an actor, which I clearly couldn’t. So, he suggested that I become an architect or a lawyer,” Jatin laughs. “ Architecture ha