Ankit Kumar, Editor at Archidust, shares insights from his interview with Architect Manish Sharma, a prominent figure in the field of architecture as the Principal and Founder of Opame Architects.
Q. Which type of difficulty you have faced when you started your carrier as Architect and why you choosen your carrier as Architect ?
At that time, basically, I didn’t want to pursue architecture. I wanted to pursue aeronautical engineering. However, when I went into it, I achieved a really good rank in both engineering and architecture. So, I decided that pursuing architecture would be more creative for me since I was good at sketching and creating paintings as well. When I looked at the entire curriculum from a different perspective, I found it to be more interesting. I decided that it was okay to pursue a career as an architect. Actually, I always had a choice because I had a good rank in both categories in AIEE. So, I went into it, and I really liked the atmosphere, culture, and the kind of activities we had. That first year of my education made me fall in love with architecture, and from that moment, I never looked back. I just wanted to become an architect. Difficulties may come when you are choosing a particular field, and I think it is the time when you are in 11th grade and deciding your subjects.
I don’t know how many competition examinations occur now for both categories, but during our time, there was only AIEEE for both categories. After giving the exam, confusion still remains for some people because they choose things based on their preferences. I was really blessed that I actually pursued something that I had decided on and am still pursuing it now. From 2015 to 2020, there was a boom in architecture education, but after that, the scenario changed, and people started to prefer diplomas and began their practices. That is something happening more nowadays. That was my journey, and the difficulty was only during the decision-making time after 12th grade. But once you have started something, there are no more difficulties.
Q. Can you please explain more about your family background and is family background really helpful in it ?
Actually, I was the first person in my family to take science and mathematics and pursue architecture as a career. There is no family background in this field; no one in my family history has pursued something like this. So, one thing I knew for sure was that there would be a lot of difficulties while pursuing architecture as a career because if you have an established family background in a particular field, there would be a bit of ease in the market. I kept telling my family that I didn’t want to be in architecture before entering the field, but once I started, I told them that this was something I really wanted to pursue as a career.
Q. Which type of difficulty you have faced in COVID time and how you have managed all those difficulty ?
Honestly speaking, I didn’t face any difficulties during COVID. It was the best time for my business because despite some struggles, I have a long education background, and after establishing my practice, there were many unsatisfying moments when I wasn’t getting what I deserved, not only in terms of payments but also projects based on my education before COVID. The concept of someone not giving more attention to their project and then people looking for someone else actually helped me out. Many big architects, who were maybe busy or not taking care of their projects, helped me out, and at that time, I ran a campaign and got many leads. I was working to my full capacity, and it helped me a lot. I hired more people, and the concept of work from home also helped me a lot. People were working for me from their homes, and I took lots of projects from different areas, not just in Jaipur but also nearby districts of Jaipur, and my reach extended to Kharagpur and Hyderabad as well. That was the time I expanded, and it is working well for me, contributing to my reputation and the fame I am currently gaining in my practice.
Q. How do you typically source and select products and materials for your projects?
All the design firms have different business models, which depend on the types of projects and clients they work with. Some firms only provide design services, while others offer design and execution services. There are also firms that only provide design and material suggestions, while the actual manufacturing is done by other companies, which are commonly referred to as “boutiques”.
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