#OnTheCover: Design Principal at Architect Hafeez Contractor Karl Wadia believes “The future is vertical”

“Minerva is officially the tallest building in India,” says architect Karl Wadia, Design Principal at Architect Hafeez Contractor, as he strides in with an air of laidback confidence. “It’s 300.6m tall,” he corrects one of us as we get the dimensions ever so slightly wrong. Precision, I guess, comes naturally to an architect so passionately involved in his work. Karl Wadia joined AHC as an intern in 1999, and since then, has played a significant role in defining the built identity of the nation. We met him at 25 South, yet another prestigious project that stands testimony to the city’s economic and socio-cultural growth. We are on the 47th floor, and as we stand in awe of the unsurpassed skyline of Mumbai, Karl reiterates, “The future is vertical.”

Known for his culturally modern and sophisticated, yet often playful and colourful approach to architecture, Karl Wadia is now recognized as one of India’s most renowned architects. On earning his Master’s degree from Columbia University, New York, and gathering four years of precious work experience at KPF London, Karl returned to India to set up his design studio under his long term mentor, Padma Bhushan Shri Hafeez Contractor. Through sheer hard work and his philosophy of empowering talent at the workplace, he now heads a design studio of over 150 young and exciting designers.

His repertoire includes the world’s third largest net zero energy building at Manipal University in Jaipur; India’s tallest building at 300+ metres; the 135-acre re-imagined IIM Calcutta campus with a 2036 Zero Carbon Road Map; the National Maritime Museum at Lothal, Gujarat; the Island City Centre Towers in Mumbai; several university campuses for BITS Pilani; the sensitive Dharavi Redevelopment; and many more. His work is ecologically mindful and advanced in technology and innovation. In an in-depth interview with Architecture + Design, Karl Wadia gives us a peek into his prolific career, his design philosophy and his experience working with the legend of Indian architecture, Hafeez Contractor. Here’s an excerpt:

Seema Sreedharan (SS): You joined Architect Hafeez Contractor in 1999. You are now a Design Principal at the firm and head a team of more than 100 architects. You are a name to reckon with, not just at AHC but also in the industry. Can you take us through your career trajectory?

Karl Wadia (KW): First and foremost, I started in very different circumstances. I was only in the 2nd year of architecture school, and for some reason, I had to sit out for a term. At that point, architect Hafeez Contractor was kind enough to offer me an internship in his office, and since then, I don’t know how the time has flown.
My association with architect Hafeez is by birth; he is my paternal uncle. But my association with the practice is for over 25 years now. Under his tutelage, so many of us have had the opportunity to flourish and express ourselves. To put it metaphorically, he is like a big Banyan tree, under which the whole forest flourishes unlike many other trees! That is architect Hafeez Contractor for you! It’s not just the number of people or the number of projects; it’s the spirit and the happiness that we get working with him, working for the city, for the country and for the future—it’s exhilarating.

SS: You had an inspired childhood. Did architecture come as a natural choice?

KW: I really don’t remember what steered me to become an architect, but subconsciously I always wanted to be one. When I was in school (my alma mater is St. Mary’s ICSE, Mazgaon), my father sent me to Mr. Contractor’s office to do a summer internship in my 8th Grade. At the time, my only interest was in savouring the yummy biscuits dipped in milky coffee. However, I did pick up my love for line geometry and art of glass tracing. There were no computers back then, and so I suppose working with hands made me subconsciously develop the love for architecture. I’ve never considered an alternative profession, but never say never. So yes, it did come naturally to me.

SS: No other architect has penetrated the common man’s psyche as architect Hafeez Contractor. For us, he is an enigma! Tell us about your experience working with him. How has your association with Hafeez Contractor changed your approach to design?

KW: It might sound clichéd, but the only constant about Hafeez Contractor is change! He doesn’t conform to any style, nor does he lose sleep over any architectural philosophy. That’s what rubs off the most on the people who work with him. Life is too short to be stuck up with one ideology and I suppose that is my biggest learning from him. We learn to be flexible and evolve with time. And time itself has changed the way we dress, the way we consume our food, the way we live on this planet. Humans used to live in a very unsustainable way, but now we are mindful of everything we do. That’s the basic rule of evolving with time, and the same holds true for architectural design practices. Our cities and urban centres need different solutions; we need to respond to that need as architects.

SS: What is your design philosophy?

KW: My only design philosophy is to approach each project in a unique way and not have any predetermined notion or approach to solving for design. As architects, we are blessed as we are able to express our creativity through our day-to-day work. Not many people have that privilege. And to that end, I believe your own work must inspire you to be constantly creative and if work ever ceases to be fun or mentally stimulating, for a person like me, I’d rather stop and do something else. I suppose my curiosity ensures that I’m never sitting still!

SS: What inspires you?

KW: Big question! But honestly, everyday life inspires me. I thoroughly enjoy the challenges that life throws at me. We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to work in every field of architecture possible, be it Institutions, Hotels, Workplaces, Museums, Residential, Hospitals, Public Infrastructure, etc, and I think the ability to deal with the different complexities of projects that have different demands is exhilarating. I think that’s what keeps me inspired and seeking for more.

SS: How do you respond to so many unique challenges simultaneously? How do you compartmentalise and channel your thoughts in the right direction?

KW: I suppose, subconsciously, we all compartmentalise, and in an architectural studio when you are dealing with different projects on the hour / every hour, trying to find the right design solutions, your mind is automatically and continuously switching and jumping scales. There’s no manual that teaches you how to do it and it only comes with years of practice, doing and more doing… I believe it’s important to develop that ability for every architect. Often, we could be debating the selection of a door handle for over two hours, and minutes later, we could be sketching out ideas for a project as humongous as 25 South or even Dharavi. That’s the fun part, isn’t it?

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