Welcome to Samvaad, where art meets conversation, and inspiration knows no bounds. Here we engage in insightful conversations with eminent personalities from the art fraternity. Through Samvaad, Abir Pothi aims to create a platform for thought-provoking discussions, providing readers with an exclusive glimpse into the creative processes, inspirations, and experiences of these creative individuals. From curating groundbreaking exhibitions to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, our interviews shed light on the diverse perspectives and contributions of these art luminaries. Samvaad is your ticket to connect with the visionaries who breathe life into the art world, offering unique insights and behind-the-scenes glimpses into their fascinating journeys.
In this Samvaad Ruby Jagrut, the esteemed founder of Abir India Charitable Trust and an accomplished artist, engages in a conversation with Pankaj Pukhan, a prominent architect at Pankaj Phukan & Associates in Ulubari, Guwahati. With a legacy spanning back to 1995, Pankaj’s firm has earned a sterling reputation for delivering exceptional experiences to its clientele, rooted in a steadfast commitment to customer satisfaction. Throughout this engaging discussion, we look into Pankaj’s remarkable journey, from his family background to his illustrious career experiences in the northeastern city of Guwahati. We will discover the intricacies of studying clients and Pankaj’s unique work process as he shares invaluable insights garnered from his extensive experience in the industry. We will also look into the deep bond between Pankaj and his work as he shares heartfelt experiences, such as the endearing “Dadaji story,” that demonstrate the significant impact of art on his life. Examine Pankaj’s viewpoint on the mutually beneficial interaction between the people of Assam and the art world as well as his motivational advice for ambitious young designers.
Ruby: Hello and welcome to Samvaad at Jaquar. Today, we have a very special guest who’s going to talk to us. His name is Pankaj Pukhan. In this part of the country, who doesn’t know Pankaj? He has completed more than 300 projects, including Hospitality projects, some large stadiums, and IT parks. He does not need a lengthy introduction from me, but we are very excited to have an interesting and enriching conversation with him. So, Pankaj, welcome to Samvaad. We are thrilled that you have chosen to spend your birthday with us and have given us your time to talk to us. Thank you so much. You mentioned that you studied in Delhi and practised for some time with a senior architect there. Then, you were torn between returning to Guwahati or staying in Delhi. Eventually, you came back to Guwahati. What was going through your mind during that process? Why didn’t you feel like you belonged in Delhi and why did you want to come back to Guwahati? What made you ultimately decide to return to Guwahati?
PP: There are many factors that made me feel like coming back to Guwahati. First and foremost, my family is from Guwahati, so at the end of the day, I wanted to be with my family. Whether it’s about my profession or anything else, family always comes first, and I believe in that. Around 1999-2000, I felt the urge to come back to Guwahati. I wanted to explore the city, and at that time, I saw a lot of opportunities here, especially since I’m originally from Upper Assam, specifically a place called Duliajan. I was born and brought up there; it’s an oil town. During that time, I was able to get involved in some work with Oil India Limited, which gave me confidence that I could establish myself here and start my own venture. The feeling of entrepreneurship came to my mind right at that moment. That’s why I felt that I would face less struggle in Guwahati compared to Delhi. So, this is the reason that brought me back to this place, rather than staying in Delhi.
Ruby: Yes, instead of having more opportunities in Delhi, there was a comfort level in Guwahati. I also wanted to work for my own region, and I saw a lot of potential in Guwahati. Over the last 20 years, I’ve witnessed the evolution of the new Guwahati, the changes, and the transition. What major changes do I see today compared to when I started? Well, when I started, there was a focus on entrepreneurship, and in architecture school, they don’t necessarily teach you how to be a professional. So, I’ll address both questions together to avoid interruptions. What are the things I had to adopt from being a young architect student to becoming a professional in architectural practice, particularly in the context of Guwahati?
PP: Yeah, if you compare the people of Guwahati with those in other metros or cities of other states in India, you’ll notice that development has often happened later in the northeastern part of the country. We must accept this reality. However, whatever development has occurred here is the latest. The infrastructure and development that happened in Delhi, the technology adopted to construct those structures, now the same technology is being used in this part of the country, albeit in a more advanced version. This is happening because we have access to better and better technologies regularly. Another immediate change I noticed is the awareness among clients. When I started my career in Guwahati back in 2000, very few people knew about the architectural profession. Importantly, since at that time, the northeastern part of the country didn’t have any architectural institutions, architects had to come from outside the state. This meant that we had to educate people about architecture. It was initially a hindrance for us because most designs were done by civil engineers who are capable of handling structural designs, but there’s a core aspect of architecture that only architects can handle. We had to make people understand this distinction. Convincing people, making them aware, educating them was a challenge. However, over time, as we matured, we learned how to convince people. Making them aware and educated became less of a challenge as we gained experience. So, making people educated about the need for an architect was a challenge, and somehow, we could feel it.
Ruby: So, you had to, first, you know, make an awareness with the client that there is a need for an architect. In spite of having a civil engineer on board or in spite of having a structural engineer on board, you need an architect because you need to create that flow of spaces and also services, and other essential parts of the architecture. And then, now, you said the clients are aware, and they come up, of course, and they have your profile to go back to. Yeah. So, when I’m going to Pankaj, I would do research, and I know what he’s capable of, so I’m going with the expectation. So, when you have a practice which has lasted 20, 25 years of experience, people come with a lot of expectations, and then we do say that architecture is the mother of all art forms, but you are not an artist. You have to, you know, comprehend the end users first, keep in mind the end user and the budget and the builder and the expectation and the aspiration of a client. Okay. So, as an architect, you have absorbed, and learned, and your experience is so vast to create a new design keeping all this in mind and also deliver something new all the time. So, how do you manage to come up with something fresh that belongs only to that project and creates a unique value out of that project? So, how do you manage to do that after so many years?
PP: It’s a big question. Firstly, whenever there’s a new job that comes to me, I first study the character of the client. By character, I mean how they perceive architecture. I need to check whether they are coming to my office just to get a drawing done, or if they genuinely value the architect’s input. I accept jobs, even if they don’t specifically request Pankaj Pukhan, but just any architect, to run my show, not just my profession. Once I confirm that they are coming to me because of me, then I put my whole effort into it, of course. I fully study them, even trying to visit their office, workspaces, and houses to understand their likes and dislikes. I compare these aspects with the site, including its topography and needs, and then I try to create something that never disturbs the natural flow of the site. I always go with nature, as the nature of each plot differs. Consequently, the design has a unique value and evolves differently every time.
Ruby: Yes! So, you know, because I’m an artist, and there was a very famous artwork where one artist put a banana on a wall and taped it with silver tape and said, “It’s my art,” and nobody would fight or argue with their artist. But architecture is always contextual, and it has a purpose. When an architect is designing, he or she has their philosophy and process to it. So, what is your process? If I give you a piece of paper which says, “This is the size of my plot,” and I just give you one brief that I want to create an Institutional building here, but it is a blank space for you, and then you would have to design the service, the functionality, the end user, whatever. So, what is the process? Can you just take us through the process of getting the size of the plot, studying the FSI, and ground up the building? What is the process, how do you see it? I don’t want to know about you told about you; you already shared that. Client and client philosophy, I mean clients’ likes and dislikes. I’m talking about your philosophy. I’m not talking about the client aspect of it. I’m talking about Pankaj because you said very interesting things that people are coming to my firm, which is an architectural firm. They just want drawing; they just want to get out of the project and earn money out of it. Some people believe in your philosophy, who have seen your work somewhere before and said, “No, we want our project to be designed by Pankaj,” and they are coming to you. So, Pankaj has his way of looking at design, his own philosophy, his virtue, his strength to deliver that. What is that?
PP: Before doing any sketch work or anything, I first visit the site, okay? Along with the client, okay? Whatever feedback the client has to give, I take the feedback right at the site. I just compare his feedback and visibility with the site physically. How the site is behaving, whether his expectations will match…
Ruby: “No, again I’m coming back. I’m sorry to interrupt. When I say philosophy, let me put it in another way. So, there are two ways of addressing a project. One is skin to soul. That means surface services, space planning, and then structure. That is, skin to soul, which is outward to inward. The other way of designing a project is from inward to outward. So, that is how the architect, a one-on-one architect, approaches the design. So, first, the space planning, then the services, and then the aesthetic, and then the skin and the structure, everything like that. So, the chronology of your process is outward to inward or inward to outward, and why? That was what I was asking. That was the thing I wanted to get out of, you know?”
PP: See first, then, uh, outward to inward. I come from inward to outward. Yes, that’s what. So, first, I visualise the building.
Ruby: Yes okay! That’s what I wanted to hear.
PP: First I visualise the end product on day one.
PP: Oh, so from day one, you know the end product. I know the end product. I stick to that. I try to achieve that thing without compromising the functionality of the building, or the requirements of the client. So, this is my basic thing.
Ruby: So, do you invert to outward? Yes. So, when you work in a team, when you work in a team of consultants, what is your single goal? What is your single online message or instruction to your other collaborators and why? And is it always the project first or the design first? What is your take on it?
PP: It’s both the design and the project.
Ruby: But you can’t achieve both all the time.
PP: This is your expertise.
Ruby: Okay that’s when Pankaj comes in the picture.
PP: That is your expertise, and I have already told you, your client shouldn’t suffer. That means the client will not suffer when the service part of the building is okay. You will see a lot of good buildings with bad plumbing, with bad air conditioners. So, that’s where the architect has to know, at least not 100%, at least 50% of those service designs, of course. So, once you are confident about the service designs because all the consultants who will be working with you, look to you, they look upon you. You have to guide them because you cannot let them work however they like. You have to give them a framework. You have to give them guidelines, and those guidelines should be practical. That means they need to be practical and precise. You have to have good knowledge about their services.
To continued…
