In this edition, we introduce our readers to one such persona – Geeta Arya – noted Architect and interior designer and Founder of Geeta Arya and Associates. The firm crafts exclusive designs that blends art and architecture, light and shadow, texture and colour to add value to the project by creating an ambience that projects the image of the client. It create spaces considering functionality & form to achieve aesthetics to satisfy the requirement of the project. The design integrates the cutting edge technology with discreet use of eco-friendly materials. Geeta Arya talks more about the journey and the exclusive services of the company.
Kindly brief us about yourself, your initial journey since the beginning of your career?
Myself an Architect and interior designer by profession having a strong passion about connecting different creative ends of society in form of Art curator.
It’s been 15 years that I’ve been in the field of designing. The journey so far has been amazing. My family was very supportive. I have studied in School of Planning and Architecture New Delhi. After my graduation I worked with lot of big names like Hafiz contracter, Prem nath and Associates and SOM but after marriage I started my own studio. fortunately my in-law’s were also very supportive and never said no for my career ambitions.
What drives you every day to work? Or what is your motivation which pushes you to enhance your performance?
More than a livelihood earning profession, designing is something I feel, is the flesh and blood of my life. Since my childhood itself, I was more than sure that I wanted to be creator, a creator of beautiful spaces.
When your simple moves are converting your environment into such meaningful outcome it gives immense motivation to perform again.
How does your family contribute to your success? Talk about your family values, the culture which has strongly impacted your professional journey?
When I think back, my father was an engineer so One of the favorite time spent for us was making toy scale models of aircraft or maniquins with wood, metal sheets along my father and siblings. When I started to plan my career, I think those experiences were at the back of my mind. Even though my mother didn’t pursue her carrier after marriage but she gave us that confidence-“to be whatever we wanted to be”. That was an incredibly formative experience in my youth.
Without any second thoughts, my husband. He has also been a mentor and a great guide. He is the one who saw my potential in the field of designing and he not only motivated me to take the bold step in the field of entrepreneurship but also inculcated in me the wisdom to continue in the professional world. I entered into this field at the young age and today, after fifteen years of that, I can proudly say that I owe all my success to him for I have never felt alone in my journey so far and have always found him by side, be it a success to celebrate or a challenge to look at. Without his belief in my talent and his constant encouragement, I could not have reached the place I am in today.
Please mention the challenges, issues you have faced in your professional journey and your efforts or solutions you have identified to overcome the challenges.
Nothing is easy for a complacent person and nothing is tough for a hardworking one. The moment one decides to take things in control and become an entrepreneur, that very moment, the word ‘difficulty’ is replaced by the word ‘opportunity’ in a person’s life. Being an entrepreneur is what completes me and this feeling of self contentment is the best I could have asked from life. Though being a self made person ensures a lot of hard work, perseverance and strength, leaving you with very less time to enjoy the luxuries of life but you don’t feel left out because the gratification you feel after every day’s work is more overwhelming than those little raptures of life. So personally, I don’t think it is difficult to be a woman entrepreneur as it you yourself who enjoys this experience of being a self made person after all.
Apart from stirring such a high-end profile, who is Geeta Arya on the personal front?
No matter how professionally successful you are by end of the day as a women you are responsible for each and every aspect of family.
I believe in giving my hundred percent to everything role I take on, so be it the role of an entrepreneur or that of a housewife, I never find myself at cross roads. You are multi faceted in different aspects of your being, so why not utilize it for creating a complete harmony in your life. For such kind of a balance, it is very important to have complete clarity in your own mind about priorities at different point of times and it is also about loving your life in every character. For example, when I am at home, I just love looking after my family, my house and I enjoy my role of a home maker, while, the moment I step into my car for a business meeting, I am a strong entrepreneur and nothing else. I love both my roles and hence I am able to strike the right chord of balance midst my personal and professional life.
Kindly describe in detail about Geeta Arya and Associates and its unique services and products.
Geeta Arya and Associates is branched in two companies Geeta Vaibhav design studio Pvt Ltd. -purely architecture and Interior consultancy firm and Ishwatham- Designer furnishing and Art work.
Ishwatham brand has focused on the ‘Make in India’ ideology since its inception in 2008. It is part of Prime minister Narendra modi’s campaign for make in India by creating an “Enchanted India” look through the lens of art in the contemporary. Now instead of sourcing art work from Milan, Venice or China with the help of talented Indian artists we are splashing colours and luxury of details within India. We have a team of talented artist from different parts of country for hand crafted Murals, metal art, canvas paintings etc. We are now known for bridging the gap between craft and luxury.We are vastly inspired by our roots, traditions, culture, and our history. We take in all the influences around us for our visuals from historical references and put it all together on a mood board which are set onto our products. It just complements all our Architectural sites into piece of Art.
Brief us about the industry scenario from your perspective.
Designers and Architects are basically conceptualisers- they can visualize the whole quite clearly in their mind s eye, much before the first brick is placed. Personal skills come in when they have the talent to be able to seamlessly blend together many disparate elements. This is where intuition, an educated eye and experience come into play. For this creative Industry Sky is a limit.
What would you advise to the budding entrepreneurs?
I would say that… you have to keep working hard and hard work is the key to success. There is no excuse for it. And the most important thing is, they need to be dedicated and focused. They need to have a goal to achieve.
Share with us the noted milestones, accomplishments of your journey along with highlighting the company’s achievements under your leadership.
Sure. I worked in a number of offices before started my venture. I got a wonderful exposure of working for a planetaurium over volcano Roden crator at Arizona. Redesigned Haryana Vidhan Sabha with Prem Nath ji .I did a variety of projects: shopping malls, hospitals, schools, university, Naturopathy centers and some commercial work. I gained diverse experiences, but now I’m more focused. We are into creating luxury either by Architecture and Interiors or Furnishings.
State your passions, aims, and goals.
Enjoying your job is really important. It’s great for you and great for the people around you. In the end, even our clients and consultants are happier if they enjoy what they are doing. I just want to see Joy in the eyes of our designers, Artists, sculptures and most important our clients.
How are you foreseeing the future in terms of expansion of your business, the advent of new technologies and increasing tech-enabled players in the market?
From my perspective, the most important thing is empowering people around. Also, I’m very interested in being part of the design and technical development. I also find that with these projects, you really need to know what’s going on. But at the same time, you really need to trust the people on your team. My goal has been to learn to work with the senior designers and the senior technical people, and also to engage the members on our team as much as possible — to fully understand what we are doing, why, and what the client’s goals are. I am a very hands-on, detailed person, but my goal is to optimize my trust in the team and to create strong collaborative relationships — with our team, our consultants, and most importantly, with our clients.
Geeta Arya – Blending Art, Architecture, and Technology
