Love Choudhary

As the founder and creative director of AND Studio, Love Choudhary is the very backbone and leading hand of the company. He is responsible for creating various designs which are then molded by the very charismatic individuals in the studio. These are later envisaged at various locations in bricks and mortar. Unquestionably, Love’s expert knowledge and creativity are the building blocks of all the projects handled by the company.

AND Studio is an architectural design studio founded and established in New Delhi, India. It aims to fulfill the needs of its clients using a pragmatic approach in devising various radical, innovative, and sensitive ways of reshaping the environment. Focusing on its beliefs and ideas, AND Studio consistently has engaged itself in providing more appropriate, green, and affordable architectural solutions. Aspiring to serve the community for a timeless, sustainable space, AND Studio works towards dissolving the global boundaries in architecture and infrastructural designs.

It’s an unmatchable excitement to witness your hard work turning into a recognized, valuable, and useful worth. Winning the TITAN Property Awards 2021 is a similar experience. We’re extremely thrilled and honored. It not only provides the requisite satisfaction for our efforts as a team but also is an encouragement for what we stand for. This recognition and praise have made our path clearer and our vision much more focused than before.

Having located in Bombay, India, the entire inspiration and idea of the project were because of its historical context and value. We bridged the gap between its age and relevance of usage by retaining the old and introducing the new in a very feasible and efficient manner. The restaurant bar space beautifully stands for its context and also maintains its cultural inheritance. This project holds extreme relevance and significance in the country’s architecture because of its blend between modernity and tradition. It depicts how all the new developments are entwined around our very history and rich cultural heritage. It not only takes us closer to our past but also throws some light on how the future can be.

The main challenge was around the constraints of its structure. Being an old site of historical importance, it became a project of heritage intervention and retention. For any decision to be taken, it was mandatory to weigh all the pros and cons and then only proceed with it. Be it regarding the structure, or the vault painting, every design decision was made keeping in mind its sentimental worth and consequences. It’s always good to play without rules, but here it was necessary to have some. However, it was quite an exciting, learning experience to mold all things around them.

Well, it is a validating sense of achievement, even from a professional point of view. What it does is that it somewhere makes our design philosophies more justifiable and presentable, as a statement for those working with us or for those who look up to us as inspiration. The recognition that it provides, simply makes us more focused and goal-oriented in our direction.

The answer lies in the very question itself. While all the three can cooperatively coexist, creativity and value can also go hand in hand. It is crucial to acknowledge the importance and significance of all the elements. Here, you’re creating a future in the present, by learning the past; for someone is paying you in the present for something which will define their future. Being open to all its past, present and future aspects is what helps in this coexistence.

There’s no specific design style approach that we wish to conquer. In fact, for us, it’s more narrative. The idea starts with a brief which is the whole heart and soul of the project. We wish to provide people with what they don’t have but aspire to be. It’s like offering answers to questions which they don’t have by creating a design that they consciously wish for.

The thought that a small idea on paper can be transformed into something which lives through decades is quite an overwhelming feeling. It’s great to think of how a structure that you build manifests over time and becomes a part of history, reflecting its usage and different forms. It can in a way define the various eras or timelines with its physical existence.

Sophistication and class are depicted in an expression of minimalism. The one where it does not look exclusively designed and yet is. The ease with which a user can be manipulated and yet feels relatable to the choices is something really powerful as well as beautiful.

The success mantra that we believe in is the hunger to thrive and celebrate our losses equally as our wins. This is something that keeps us grounded and consistent. We earnestly believe that the art of listening is the key step to create an art of living.

What makes India special is that it is like a world within itself. Its diversity and variety are surprisingly unique and appealing. You travel a few miles and you’ll find that the entire way of life changes, from architecture to language. It widens one’s horizons with so much more information and diversification. Moreover, India has been at the forefront of the world when it comes to history and culture. We live among its traditions every day and weave our future around it.

Definitely, yes. Dwelling deeper in the question, it has impacted the very process and experience of growing up as humans. It may sound absurd or astonishing to many, but here we have everyday dialogues that might be a sensory overload for many. It builds your sense of emotions on movements of cultural impacts and many more things which transform our design language. That is why many insist on visiting India to experience the integrity of such diversity and variety.

India is one of the top emerging economies in the world. We not only are at the forefront of democracy but also want to achieve the same on the lines of development as well. For years we’ve been coexisting with nature. This is something very important and significant that our industry should look into. For example, our temples were carved into stone maintaining the local conditions of the region using materials that are more superior and valuable than most of the man-made ones. India’s designing techniques are documented and studied throughout the world.

Professionally speaking, Pritzer Laureate B.V. Joshi has been the one who I look up to. The simple smile and the aura that he carries around himself reflect a very respectable and honorable picture of him in my mind. Undeniably, it has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to share my work background with someone like him in the field of architecture. His office to me is like a temple of architecture, which sets all the standards and way of my perspective. That is what I aspire to achieve. Moreover, all my past experiences, be it the offices I’ve worked in, or the people I’ve worked around, I stand today as a mixture of all those learnings. I’ve had my share of takeaways and the whole idea of creating my studio is that I would combine all of these. Incorporating all my previous learnings and creating an environment in which those working here today, and in the future, will cherish. The broader idea behind the concept is to give back to society, everything I was blessed with, and be fruitful in doing so.

The key to success, according to me is constant learning. Success may be a small, seven-letter word but it doesn’t come overnight. There are a set of challenges and failures which are inevitable to it. But the best part about these failures is that ultimately you know what worked for you and what didn’t, you know the right approach. In terms of designing, there may be a thousand ways to approach any problem and the thousandth one may be the answer to it. But the entire journey of trying out those thousands is what adds uniqueness to it. You live the entire story and create your narrative. Finally, when the next time you face the same problem you know what to do and what not to. In the long run, these failures bring you closer to success and you realize that it’s not just about being successful for a day or two, but it’s more about gaining a position and consistently being there because of your work.

As an Indian Architect and Designer, there is this one last thing I would like to add. India is still considered to be a developing nation, but I believe that the amazing amount of heritage, culture, and tradition that this land offers is overwhelmingly beautiful. Any architect or designer who has been born and brought up in this country of massive diversity has a lot to offer to the world owing to the essence of variety that we hold inside ourselves. It may be thought the other way around, but Indian designers have the capability of working much better on an international or global forum as well. This is why I’ve set up these ecosystems and offices located in several other countries with multi-lingual people, coming from different backgrounds and cultures. Architecture is a universal language and promoting and representing this language globally is what I dream to do. Breaking boundaries, I want to put it out in the world that we have a lot to offer if given the right opportunity and that I’m proud to be an Indian.