I completed my Bachelor of Architecture in 2016 from University School of Architecture and Planning (IP University), New Delhi. I was confident then that I want to specialize in the realm of Interior Design. In 2019, I joined Berlin International for MA Interior Design. I graduated in the midst of the pandemic last year. I presently work at Hungenberg Sieber in Berlin. We primarily plan and design office and workplace and also offer project management and relocation services. As an interior designer, it is more common to work at a design studio that caters to the hospitality industry – hotels, restaurants, and showroom design. However, I have always been keen on studying workplaces, which was reflected in my paper for Research Colloquium during Masters. It is interesting to be working in the middle of a dynamic environment, as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an evident shift to home office and desk sharing- “the new normal”. This has led to a reformed face of New Ways of Working (NWOW).
The best part about my Master’s Program at BI was that everyone I met had to a different educational background – product design, interior design, architects. Therefore, each student brought something unique to the table. I made some really good friends and design partners at BI. We would sit for hours, usually at a café, sometimes on campus, and we would present our designs to each other. We challenged each other in design thinking. This not only helped us refine our design and graphic skills but also polished our presentation skills.
At Hungenberg Sieber, we are presently working on New Work SE offices in Vienna and Hamburg. Our scope of work includes design conceptualization, office planning, project execution, and management. We are also working on DB Tower in Berlin, where our scope of work includes office planning, project, and relocation management. We are excited to be reaching the completion of the project at Vienna soon. You can go through our published projects here.
Experiment as much as possible. Don’t play it safe – break that symmetry! University is the time to make mistakes and learn from them, with a minimum risk of lawsuits from clients. Also, keep developing your software skills, but create a comfort zone within. Every office uses different software, so you should be open to learning and picking up new skills while you work.
As architects, we are programmed to protect the building, usually taking a conservative route, especially with historic buildings. While as an interior designer, one needs to contemplate whether a building serves the purpose of the atmosphere you want to create or not and what happens if a part or the whole of the building doesn’t exist. During my Masters, detaching myself from a building presented a key challenge. As my design projects progressed, I learned to think more about the space and not only the structure. I also understood how to play with X, Y, Z Axis to create different spatial experiences. For example, lowering the ceiling height (Z) in order to create an intimate space within an expansive room without erecting walls (X, Y). It also helps shifting the camera angle from an aerial view to the human-eye level – zooming into every nook and corner. It helps you focus on the impact of colors and materiality on the quality of a space.
My workday starts between 8.15-8.30 AM with a mandatory COVID test at the reception desk, carried out twice every week. The team takes their morning coffee together while catching up on personal and professional fronts – briefing each other on family and projects. Since it’s a small office with 6-7 people, we are all like a close-knit family. When you present your work, your speaking skills are as important as your graphic skills. It is important for you to be able to sell your ideas. HOT TIP We then move to our respective workstations to commence the day’s work. Our projects involve a lot of coordination between clients and our team, and the day usually goes by brainstorming, planning, designing, and putting together a presentation. I often get to design art installations to add a “wow factor” to our projects. Work never really gets monotonous here; there’s always something new and interesting every week. Home office days are often sprinkled with online team meetings. My workday usually ends at 4.30-5 PM.
