Interview with:

Ar.Chitra Tibrewal

• What is architecture for you? How have you seen it collaborating with other fields?
  Architecture is passion for me. Good architecture can set your life style and boom your business also. On the same time, result can be reverse.
• As a young woman, who or what had an influence on your way of thinking? Your work?
  Can’t say. But when I read or hear any biopic of successful person and their struggle, I feel inspired.
• What are the reasons that made you want to study architecture and pursue your career as an architect?
  My father is an excellent architect. His way of working and his moral values and the respect he used to get in society as an architect promote me & attract me in this field.
• Tell us about yourself, your journey into this industry, and your source of inspiration?
  My father, who is also an architect and my mother who used to keep encouraging me to work – silently, firmly and honestly are my source of inspiration.
• ‘Self-selecting out’ – Do women practically disappear either after marriage or children in this profession?
  Yes. It’s true that many of us have to leave the field due to family peer pressure of handling family responsibilities. But I was very clear about my career and had cleared it to my would be in-laws also that time. Though I had to face lot of family issues that time, they hardly had confidence on me and my work. They used to recommend other architects to give projects to other relatives and friends. Now, all are happy and supportive after seeing positive result and my work too is flourishing more.
• Does gender inequality still persist?
  Yes, it is true that few years back it was male dominating field. But now a day’s scenario has changed. Even in colleges you can see more admissions of female students than male. Though all the network of execution team is male dominating, they have been accepting female designer leaders now-a-days.
• Almost 47 per cent of women claim that men get paid more for the same work, and almost two-thirds believe the building industry has yet to accept the authority of the female architect – comment.
  Industry has started accepting female architects authority. But people still think that interior is field of females and architecture, civil work is for males. But payment to professionals is still difficult for both the genders by clients. As they think professionals doesn’t have to work much and they charge more than they deserve actually. But the reality is far different.
• Is safety an issue for female architects?
  Yes, I agree with this point. Safety is still an issue with female architects as many times sites are in remote areas. I personally recommend to schedule visit with your group of execution team. It becomes easy to communicate with all on site problems and keeps you safe also.
• How did you get your first project? What were the challenges you faced then. Share for our readers.
  I had to struggle a lot for getting my first project. I had to convince that their project won’t be affected as it is in the hands of a lady architect. It was a bungalow. I had a new born baby that time. It was really challenging to handle both my baby i.e. my son and my project, equally. But now it’s easy as my son has grown up and my practices too.
• What advice would you give your women architects to invest in their career?
  I would advise to my friends to work hard with dedication. So that after marriage it’s easy for them to handle any kind of work due to earlier experiences. Because it’s really difficult to start from zero in an unknown city.
• Architecture over the years – then and now: Elaborate.
  Architecture is always a creative field from Eras. Now a day’s commercial aspect is dominating the field more.
• What is missing in architecture today?
  Architecture
• Any last words that you would like to share with my readers and other female friends?
  To my entire female friend….never loose courage and hopes.