Art is the process of creating something beautiful using technical proficiency, imagination and hardwork. Technological advancements have helped a wide array of art-based verticals to deliver better, faster and more innovatively. One such industry is Architecture and one firm that constantly endeavours to be counted amongst the best is Bangalore based architecture and interior design firm ‘Ostraca’.
Listen. Understand. Deliver. Be accountable. – this is Ostraca’s mantra. Guided by partners Vijaya Bhargav and Arnab Ghosh, the firm prides itself on delivering customer delight with its exceptional designs and work ethics. Its design philosophy is ‘to combine functional necessities with timeless aesthetics.’
A Dynamic Firm
Ostraca was founded by Vijaya Bhargav and Arnab Ghosh in 2008. Its team of architects and interior designers works in a diverse range of verticals such as IT, manufacturing, hospitality, education, and residential. Most of their marquee projects have been in corporate interiors – having had the privilege of working with global leaders in software and IT, such as Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Bosch, Wipro, Visa, and Uber, to name a few.
Ostraca’s Values
- Quality – design with passion and compassion
- Collaboration –a team player
- Environmental Responsibility –focused on sustainability
- Integrity – represents strong moral standards
Ostraca’s Vision
To use design as an effective influence in shaping a better environment for the future
Ostraca’s Mission
To provide innovative, efficient, sustainable design solutions through excellence in architectural design supported by exceptional client service and ethical practices.
An Inspirational Duo
Vijaya Bhargav holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arhictecture from JNTU, Hyderabad and has over 25 years of experience in the field of design and architecture. Besides architecture, her interests lie in Indian crafts and music traditions. She is an avid supporter of the handloom weaver communities who are helping keep alive the tradition of Indian handlooms.. She is also involved in various forums that help promote Indian classical music. She is also a niche jewelry designer and has held several boutique styled exhibitions.
Arnab Ghosh is an alumnus of CEPT School of Architecture, Ahmedabad. He was also part of a student exchange program with ETH Zurich, where he studied advanced architecture for a couple of semesters.
‘Walk the Talk’
The design of a space must satisfy both the functional and the aesthetic needs of the people that occupy the space. It is the primary responsibility of the designer to satisfy this.
“With this in mind, we begin our client engagement by listening, asking questions, and seeking clarifications until we truly understand their ideas and aspirations. In fact, we won our first large corporate account because of our ability to understand the architect’s vision of the exteriors and translate the design intent seamlessly into the interior space,” says Vijaya.
The firm believes in accountability. Many clients have indeed acknowledged it as one of its core strengths. The company’s high degree of involvement in every minute detail of the project, and collaboration with all stake holders results in top quality projects delivered on time.
A mantra that both partners practice is to never stop learning. “We keep abreast of product trends, innovations, and evolving client preferences by attending global fairs and conferences, engaging with manufacturers as well as competitors, travelling extensively and reading”says Arnab.
Never a Dull Moment
Arnab firmly believes that architecture is ‘art with purpose’. Following this line of thought, Ostraca strives to create functional art that is perfectly suited to each person that interacts with it.
Vijaya thrives on problem solving through creative ideas, which keeps her constantly motivated.
The ever-changing dynamics of the industry, evolving customer needs and preferences, and the versatility of design, material and products ensure that there never is a dull moment. Another powerful motivator is the company’s constant desire to be contemporary and relevant. It takes every opportunity to adopt new technology and concepts and is always working to improve the functionality and ergonomics of its designs. The immense sense of gratification comes from seeing clients happily inhabit the spaces the team has created and that in turn is the biggest stimulus to keep bettering itself.
Road bumps on the Way of Success
Attracting business has not proven to be a challenge for the company from the beginning. The challenges have instead been an outcome of Ostraca’s desire to keep growing by proving itself at every step.
Convincing clients that a design firm of its size can handle large projects was certainly a challenge initially. One such example was when Ostraca, then a team of 12 designers, responded to an RFP for designing a large campus for an IT major. Its competitors for the project were large design firms, some with a global presence. While the clients were a bit apprehensive before the job was awarded, they were very convinced about their decision once they saw Ostraca’s design proposals and the speed at which the design was translated into the construction documents. After this assignment there was no looking back as there was a precedence set.
Leveraging Technology for Growth
“It is imperative for every organization to keep up with the advancements in the industry and we are no different,” says the team. With the recent adoption of Virtual Reality (VR), Ostraca is able to generate and share digital representations of physical and functional characteristics. While visuals and 3D renders are now a common form of representation employed by most firms, Ostraca takes it a notch above by ensuring the highest level of personalization.
This conveys to the client their sincere involvement and dedication to each project. The company’s turn-around times (TATs) in the design development phase have vastly improved thanks to advancements in 3D modeling and walk-through tools.
The company looks forward to being able to experiment with more technological design tools and also construction processes. Aim is to continuously upskill their technical expertise to keep in step with technological advancements in the industry.
Sustaining during the Pandemic
The pandemic certainly slowed the pace of growth for a short period. However, the company continued to guide and work with its clients to create COVID-ready offices through the retrofit of existing offices and the creation of isolation centers.
The team at Ostraca also brain-stormed options and scenarios for a post-pandemic workplace. They also utilized the time to focus on designing residential projects, which had taken a back seat due to the company’s corporate design commitments.
Knowing that this was a phenomenon that completely altered the world -the financial discipline and operational acumen that Ostraca had practiced all along meant that the company was able to retain all its employees without salary cuts through this period. This has been a source of immense satisfaction and pride for Vijaya and Arnab.
The firm balanced safety and productivity through a disciplined work and communication routine, which it continues to follow even now.
The Voice of Experience
“No one teaches you the business and management aspects of running a design firm. I would like to advise budding architects and designers to practice their marketing skills during their design submissions in college. Treat the jury as a client and tell them the story behind your design,” expresses Vijaya.
“Welcome the practical questions that the experienced jury member or evaluator asks because these are mock drills for real-life situations that you will face in future. Also, don’t be rigid in your views. Always explore new things and experiment in the right proportions. In addition, always keep upgrading your skills. Never be complacent or have a know-it-all attitude. Success is a journey and learning is a process,” adds Vijaya.
“When you are young and new to the industry, it’s not uncommon to be in a situation where you have self-doubt about your capability to deliver on your promise to a client. But don’t doubt yourself. Instead, no matter how challenging the task, work twice as hard to prove that they have made the right decision by choosing you. Overcoming a challenge can be a great confidence booster and spurs you to aim higher. Never underestimate yourself,” says Arnab.
“Hard work inspires you and others to have faith in your abilities. Further, I would encourage everybody to travel. There is no greater learning in our field than to travel and experience the best of architectural wonders around the globe,” adds Arnab.
Envisioning the Future
Ostraca aims to be the best at what it does. It has gained recognition from many clients and leading organizations because of its principles, and it aspires to continue this as it scales its operations to even greater heights.
The team believes that design goes far beyond aesthetics. Good functionality is what a client appreciates, and when paired with timeless aesthetics that may or may not suit fleeting trends, the result is a holistic space that works perfectly. This approach to design is what the firm wishes to bring to the limelight.
“Our immediate objective would be to diversify the team. We believe that bringing in young designers with an array of talents, interests and passions would infuse fresh perspectives in the team. We believe that harnessing the collective intelligence and untapped potential of the team yields great results. In addition, this allows us as partners to revitalize our design ideas and processes,” state Vijaya and Arnab.
What Ails the Industry
“Unfortunately, we believe that in India, design is looked at as just another commodity rather than a specialized skill that brings a great deal to the success of a project. We are forced to compete on price without looking at the value we bring to the table by creating great design or through value-engineering. The commoditization of design has resulted in lower realizations, thus leading architects and interior designers to diversify from their core competence. Besides, such an attitude forces designers to hasten the iterative design process, which should in reality be the highlight of the entire exercise so as to bring the highest value,” conclude Arnab and Vijaya.
