Mistry Architects (C)
Looking Forward
Outlining his growth plans for the firm, Sharukh planned to focus on residential design. He was hopeful that his experiments with low-cost construction materials such as bamboo and mud blocks would yield good results for the goal of sustainability. He also hoped to engage in commercial and institutional design, such as resorts and leisure (e.g., wildlife safaris). As awareness about sustainable design practices increased, Mistry Architects also planned to leverage its strength in conservation, emphasizing conversion projects for existing buildings. On a larger scale, Sharukh had a vision not just for the industry but also for the country: he wanted to collaborate internationally to create business villages just outside major Indian cities that would showcase the products, technologies, cuisine, and art of a given country (for example, Italy or Germany). Locating these villages near major cities would keep them within driving distance of urban consumers without bearing the high land costs prevalent in the cities. Such a project would be a relationship-building exercise—finding people who owned the land, Indian businesses with trade partners in the select countries, international companies in those countries that wanted to showcase their products or services, and Indian consumers who would visit these business villages.
Sharukh recognized that his two older children would not join the firm. His son Umeed, a deep- sea diver, had given up an undergraduate program in oceanography to train and work as a full-time diving instructor on Lakshwadeep islands.1 Umeed’s award-winning photography focused on symbiotic collaboration and partnerships of deep-sea creatures that “live and let live” and “take no more than what they need.”2,3 His daughter Aarzoo, a recent graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, currently worked with her husband, Jackson, educating underprivileged children in India. Sharukh hoped to build on Jackson’s love of landscaping to partner with him on some garden projects in Bengaluru. The Mistrys also had three adopted children. The oldest, Veera, had just finished high school. She intended to major in environmental science at a U.S. university. The younger children, Zia and Zohan, were in the 4th and 5th grade, respectively. Sharukh described them as “the world’s biggest volunteers,” adding, “there’s very little business sense in the family.”
Questions:
1. What is the vision Sharukh and Renu Mistry have for Mistry Architects?
2. Who is the client for the tsunami villages being designed by the firm?
3. How should the firm respond the villagers request for a reinforced cement concrete roof?
Looking Forward
Outlining his growth plans for the firm, Sharukh planned to focus on residential design. He was hopeful that his experiments with low-cost construction materials such as bamboo and mud blocks would yield good results for the goal of sustainability. He also hoped to engage in commercial and institutional design, such as resorts and leisure (e.g., wildlife safaris). As awareness about sustainable design practices increased, Mistry Architects also planned to leverage its strength in conservation, emphasizing conversion projects for existing buildings. On a larger scale, Sharukh had a vision not just for the industry but also for the country: he wanted to collaborate internationally to create business villages just outside major Indian cities that would showcase the products, technologies, cuisine, and art of a given country (for example, Italy or Germany). Locating these villages near major cities would keep them within driving distance of urban consumers without bearing the high land costs prevalent in the cities. Such a project would be a relationship-building exercise—finding people who owned the land, Indian businesses with trade partners in the select countries, international companies in those countries that wanted to showcase their products or services, and Indian consumers who would visit these business villages.
Sharukh recognized that his two older children would not join the firm. His son Umeed, a deep- sea diver, had given up an undergraduate program in oceanography to train and work as a full-time diving instructor on Lakshwadeep islands.1 Umeed’s award-winning photography focused on symbiotic collaboration and partnerships of deep-sea creatures that “live and let live” and “take no more than what they need.”2,3 His daughter Aarzoo, a recent graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, currently worked with her husband, Jackson, educating underprivileged children in India. Sharukh hoped to build on Jackson’s love of landscaping to partner with him on some garden projects in Bengaluru. The Mistrys also had three adopted children. The oldest, Veera, had just finished high school. She intended to major in environmental science at a U.S. university. The younger children, Zia and Zohan, were in the 4th and 5th grade, respectively. Sharukh described them as “the world’s biggest volunteers,” adding, “there’s very little business sense in the family.”
Questions:
1. What is the vision Sharukh and Renu Mistry have for Mistry Architects?
2. Who is the client for the tsunami villages being designed by the firm?
3. How should the firm respond the villagers request for a reinforced cement concrete roof?
