Nov. 10-25
Insights from the Founder and namesake of Bangalore-based Gaurav Roy Choudhury Architects on questioning norms, pursuing honesty in design, and creativity born at the intersection of extreme criticality and extreme optimism.
As part of our Indian Design in Focus series, we spoke with Gaurav Roy Choudhury, Founder and Principal Architect of Bangalore-based Gaurav Roy Choudhury Architects (GRCA), about design as a process of inquiry—one that challenges assumptions, questions inherited systems, and searches for honesty in form and intent.
During our conversation, Choudhury reflects on architecture born from plurality and complexity, grounded in community and craft, yet unafraid to confront the pressures of modern aspiration. He discusses how GRCA’s work emerges from deep introspection—where design becomes less about statement and more about self-awareness.
He also shares why education must resist prescriptive thinking, how bold ideas often arise from clarity rather than rebellion, and why the magic of design happens at the intersection of extreme criticality and optimism.
When asked about approaching a project, he told us, “We believe a project is only as good as the questions it asks and the largesse of the world it is conceived. Most of the work we do is on ourselves.”
India is a place of great plurality; with different regions, languages, traditions, and histories. It is also a place with a large demographic of poor. Indian architectural design grows its roots from this soil of plurality and complexity.
As designers, we have to revel in our space, temper our aspirations, and be true to who we are, and be careful not to pander to the feudal and escapist forces. We have some great, honest work coming out of India, and I believe we will soon see India define a new age of design.
Traditional Indian design is an inspiration to us designers as they showed us how architecture was developed as community systems of craft and local materials. The scale of their spheres were small and local. The echo chamber of knowledge refined and rebounded within the walls of these small spheres for centuries.
Traditional Indian design is an inspiration to us designers as they showed us how architecture was developed as community systems of craft and local materials.
Today, all these local spheres have dissolved into an all-encompassing global world. As designers today, we need to rekindle these spheres and hone ourselves to hear the faint murmurs of the past. It is also equally important for us not to romantise the traditional, but filter and refine it for today’s context, so it may continue further, just like it did in the past.
We are programmed all our lives, by our parents, by our society, by our education, and by the overwhelming media that surrounds us constantly. Dreams and aspirations have been embedded so deeply into our bones that we unknowingly become slaves to them.
Our philosophy, as designers and individuals, is mainly two-fold; one is to train our senses to feel as much, and the second is to question everything we feel.
Our philosophy, as designers and individuals, is mainly two-fold; one is to train our senses to feel as much, and the second is to question everything we feel. We give ourselves a lot of time for this ‘soak’. So, each project emerges from a stew of deconstructed intent, politics, insecurities, aspirations, and motives.
We believe a project is only as good as the questions it asks and the largesse of the world it is conceived. Most of the work we do is on ourselves.
When we break things down and tell the stories again, our ‘bold’ designs usually seem like the most obvious things to do, for us and for them. We make sure that we do not mystify or aggrandize any design, but only look at them as opportunities to take a step into a world we would like to belong in.
When we break things down and tell the stories again, our ‘bold’ designs usually seem like the most obvious things to do.
We do not make any designs to please anyone or to get a project. This itself makes them bold. We believe in process and not ‘talent’.
We ask our clients to tell us everything; the more they give us, the more we have to work on. We do not see our design as a statement but only as a mirror of who we are.
I think ‘freedom’ is also an attitude. If someone sees something as restrictive, it will restrict them. Our designs usually come from a seemingly difficult intersection of extreme criticality and extreme optimism. This is where, I believe the magic happens.
I think there is a huge problem with the systems we have created to provide ‘education’. Criticality is being constantly suppressed for prescriptive learning, in an ode to create products for an increasingly ‘feudal’ world. Presentations and production are being given more importance than process. Marketing is constantly being given more importance than content.
A siphon of sorts has been created, making education just a means to an end. This is highly problematic and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, especially with AI looming over our world ominously.
Agency is constantly being diminished as the pyramidal structures of power are getting larger. Professionals are plugging to systems much like factory workers did a century ago.
Also, technology and the internet should have ideally opened up individuals to the world, is unfortunately having the opposite effect, making people retreat into smaller bubbles. A siphon of sorts has been created, making education just a means to an end. This is highly problematic and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, especially with AI looming over our world ominously.
Scaffold House is especially important to me. It was a very bold design and a very difficult project to execute. I had to make a choice after I had completed it, either to be more cautious and careful or to continue to push design as much as possible.
The design of the project shone through the challenges and was the only thing that made the project worth it. So, I chose to keep pushing….
Fatehpur Sikri should be seen as space created by an emperor that speaks of his benevolence in engagement with his subjects.
I would have loved to work with or collaborate with Charles Correa. I adore his architectural balance and the things his architecture touches.
I love watching indie local films, which are slowly coming out. They speak in a voice very seldom heard.
To see more, visit grca.co.in
All images provided by GRCA.
To see the photographic work of Niveditaa Gupta, go here,
and for Tina Nandi, go here.
