TEAM BUILDING

RAVI SARANGANI AND SANJAY SRINIVASAN MAY BE THE FIRM’S KNOWN FACES, BUT THEY INSIST THAT THE CORE TEAM MUST TAKE CREDIT FOR THE EDIFICE THEY BUILT

- Maria Louis

Integrity is integral to the partnership that Edifice was founded on in 1990, and it is evident in the way the founders insist on giving credit where it is due. Armed with their degree from Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai-based Ravi Sarangan and Sanjay Srinivasan were consumed by a burning desire to practice architecture in a manner distinct from the norm. Their vision for the Edifice they wanted to build, was a “creative hotspot which encouraged collaboration and contribution and questioned tradition. We wanted to be a large format practice,” they recall. Three decades later, they handle projects across different scales — from urban design to architecture and interior design.

Idealism has been one of their long-standing companions; and the duo who maintain that people are their best resource, is grateful they have a team that has stayed and grown with them. With offices in eight cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kochi), they see themselves as a collective that believes in sensitivity, sustainability and simplicity, relying on common sense.

In the illuminating interview that follows, the partners throw light on their design journey and the Edifice they built…

Who or what sparked off your interest in architecture and design? Why did you decide to make a career of it?

Ravi Sarangan (RS): Although I had a flair for drawing and painting since my boyhood days, I had not originally intended to study architecture. In the early 80s, Engineering and Medicine were the preferred disciplines for students of Science. Those who were unsuccessful in making it into either, opted for either Architecture or Dentistry. Ultimately, I was convinced by my older cousin – Ranganayaki Parthasarathy, who was then studying architecture – to take a shot at this academic path; and since then, there has been no looking back...