These architects-turned-entrepreneurs are building innovative products and solutions for architects
From VR products to documentation of work, these women entrepreneurs and former architects are helping others ensure growth in the industry.
Architecture and the building industry are one of the most essential industries as they fulfill the need of shelter for humans. Architects who have worked in the industry have pointed out several drawbacks and lack of tech penetration.
To help bridge the gap in the industry, these women architects turned into entrepreneurs to provide solutions for fellow architects and designers.
Here is a look at women who are creating innovative tech products and creative solutions to help architects grow in the industry.
Vijayadurga Koppisetti, Architude
Vijayadurga Koppisetti, an architect from Hyderabad believes greener solutions are not only important to safeguard the environment but also the health and wellbeing of occupants. In 2018, she founded Architude, an infra-tech startup to provide green buildings with solutions that are affordable and easily adoptable.
By leveraging new age technologies, Architude is developing products and services to help foster sustainability and reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint by providing green solutions. The Hyderabad-based startup has built an AI (artificial intelligence) product called KNOWYOURBUILD that suggests lists of suitable and sustainable materials tagged with time, cost, energy efficiency and maintenance information.
The virtual prototype models built using Architude products behave exactly like real buildings. The cost of the construction, time schedules, energy efficiency of the building and the data needed to maintain the building can all be extracted from these models.
Tithi Tewari, SmartVizX
Working in the industry for close to two decades, Tithi Tewari had witnessed several problems and situations while communicating design intent to clients through traditional tools and mediums that did little to aid their overall understanding. Despite the extensive use of 3D renders and walkthroughs, she realised that clients had trouble visualising the end-product.
Tithi and her husband Gautam Tewari’s startup launched , a fully-immersive VR product for the construction industry in 2018. The startup claims it is India’s first such product for this industry.
Trezi is a SaaS product, which transforms design communication in the building construction industry. It allows users to step into the virtual world with co-designers and clients to interact with their design, and each other, in real-time, within immersive environments and over desktop systems alike. It allows users to explore, review, and modify their designs at full scale and colour.
Minal Dubey, Spaciux
It was Minal Dubey’s childhood dream to become an architect. However, when she became one, she says people around her did not really understand what the work of an architect entailed.
Turning to entrepreneurial solutions, Minal identified that the key was to encourage architects and interior designers to document their work. Her startup creates content for an online community of architects and interior designers.
Realising the potential of documentation for architects and designers, she began to offer services to architects to document their work. After the documentation process, the startup makes the best of social media sites like Instagram, , Facebook, and YouTube to showcase their work and help architects connect with potential clients.
A major milestone has been producing a web series called Spaciux Incredible Architects which showcases various types of Indian architecture on Amazon Prime, which was released in the US and UK as well.
Tanya Khanna, Epistle Communications
With a background in the design industry and having worked with many firms as an architect, Tanya saw a gap in designers, their practice, and business communication. She realised that design and architecture firms were only focusing on their work, and not using communication to ensure growth.
Keen to bridge this gap, Tanya started Epistle Communications in 2011 from her home, a one-of-its-kind agency that offers bespoke strategic communication consulting for design, architecture, and allied industries.
The startup has more than 30 design and allied brands as clients. The list includes India’s top 10 architecture firms. It has helped clients get featured in over 1,800 online and 1,500 print publications and has helped small and big firms get global recognition and access to new business opportunities.
Edited by Rekha Balakrishnan