Itty Zachariah, founder of Zachariah Consultants, and one of the top architects in the City, believes structures are less about constricting and more about opening up. The firm’s credo — to elevate the most mundane thing into an exquisite experience — owes it all to Itty, who moved to the City from Mumbai in the late 1960s to set up the firm. Itty was recently honoured with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the Karnataka Chapter of the Indian Institute of Architects.
“My father was a central government employee, so when I told him that I wanted to be an architect, he was rather amused but encouraged me to go ahead. I’ve always wanted to do things that aren’t that common. That’s how I ended up being an architect,” Itty tells Metrolife
as he takes a sip of hot black tea at his exquisitely designed office.Itty says that the City being reduced into a concrete jungle had him thinking about reclaiming open spaces. “There was a time when one could look out of the balcony and see a lot of greenery but now, that has been replaced by concrete structures,” he observes.
He recollects that he grew up amidst lush greenery and went to schools that had large open spaces. “When I moved to Mumbai, I was searching for green patches and my search for them continues in Bangalore even today. I am used to being in open spaces and that is something I replicate in all the structures that I design. I insist that there must be some lung space,” he says.
Itty feels that there isn’t really any space in the City where people can meet and spend time, apart from malls and coffee shops. “The government may have envisioned a ‘Smart City’ concept for Bangalore but no ‘Smart City’ is complete without its fair share of green belts. When we design, we never begin work with a pre-fixed notion. We first look at the site and work from the inside,” explains Itty.
He says he never compromises on the principle of designing buildings with ample natural light and open space. “What we are seeing at present is a radical growth of the City. It always helps to work from the centre outwards. It’s easier to plan and ensure that there’s a good balance between concretisation and green spaces,” he shares.
Itty thinks that although the system cannot be changed, he wouldn’t waste time cribbing about it. Instead, he would do his bit towards making the City a cleaner and greener place.
“My teacher once told us that on one of his visits to the Hyde Park, he saw a man throw a chocolate wrapper on the ground. Another person quickly picked it up and put it in his pocket. I wonder how many of us would actually do that today? Not many I think,” he signs off.