As we were meandering through the journals to find an inspiring and influencing personality for our “Influencers of Jaipur” section, we came across Mr. Madhur Bumb, the Principal Architect of the firm MB Consulting.
The role of an architect is to take the needs and wants of the client, comprehend them and then prepare a concept that is followed by construction. The architect needs to go through a fully accredited training and accrue relevant field experience to be successful in his or her area or specialty. As mentioned in the article below, Architecture is an art and needs devotion of utmost sincerity.
We had him answering a few questions for us. Read forth what it is like knowing such a persona!!
Tell us something about yourself. Also, when did you start MB Consulting?
I am a Xavierite from St. Xavier’s School, Jaipur where I was a General sports captain and also had the honour of setting a national record in swimming for Rajasthan and my school. Among other things, this is the place that taught me the most important lesson in my life; nothing can beat hard work and dedication.
I studied architecture at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom and then I went on to do my masters in Construction Project Management at the University of Manchester where I led the class and was awarded a Gold Medal for academic excellence.
My aim had always been to come back to my hometown, so after working for a few years, I returned to Jaipur and set up MB Consulting in 2015.
What inspired you to pursue Architecture?
“The Power to create”. It is one of the most impactful tools that enable and exemplify the growth of a society, an economy and a civilisation as a whole. In fact, that’s what inspires me every day to create iconic buildings that will signify the times that we live in. My work is my contribution to the people of my city, and perhaps someday people around the globe, which will continue to stand even long after I am gone.
You are the first architect in your family. Was your family supportive of your choice of career?
Well, of course, it’s a noble profession as old as civilisation. They were, in fact, encouraging, especially my father.
How were your initial days as an architect, what hurdles did you face?
Transitioning from the UK to India, struggles were to understand the Indian style of working. So I had to start with analysing the pros and cons and replacing the cons with more pros. Today I have a wonderful team comprising of junior architects, civil engineers, project managers, site managers, contractors, consultants who have swiftly adapted to a new, organised and more productive style of working, all dedicated to meet our common goals. And well the rest is history; we are creating some phenomenal buildings in record time and budget.
We’ve read that your firm practices ‘Lean Construction’. Tell us something about Lean Construction? How does it differ from Green Design?
Green Design and Lean Construction are two completely different things!
The underlying focus of Lean Construction is to maximise value and minimise waste. In my opinion, it is a field of study that has revolutionised construction on many levels and we are proudly the only firm in Rajasthan employing the principles of Lean Construction. The emphasis is on extracting maximum value from the resources at hand whether it’s material, time, manpower, machinery or space. In fact, I have written a book on Lean Construction as well and had the honour of meeting Mr Lauri Koskela, the father of Lean Construction, to discuss prospects of collaborative research in the field.
Green Design has become an umbrella term encompassing several broad and abstract topics, mainly bearing an ecological connotation. While a green design may be achieved in several ways, the methods of lean construction enable it, amidst other goals, through a more focused deployment and utilisation of social, financial, technological, environmental resources and TIME!
I believe it to be a path-breaking field. We live in a wasteful society with limited resources. Everything must be accounted for – every brick, every litre of water, and every hour!
What challenges do you have to face due to the changing trends in architecture?
Being one of the firms bringing about the change in architecture, I firmly believe that it is coming about for many reasons that are in fact essential and fruitful for all of us.
The challenge lies in the resistance to that change due to lack of knowledge, awareness and to some extent a myopic vision. I want to bring about that awareness, give the people of the city more than they thought possible. Therefore, one of my major goals has always been to change how the city perceives architecture.
While fortunately every client has been enamoured by our designs, the first instinct is ‘Oh! That looks expensive, it must be expensive.’ People need to understand that a good design is not expensive; it is a bad one that costs! We are fortunate to have our clients who are embracing our works with open arms and minds.
That is also one of the reasons why we majorly take on ‘Design and Build’ responsibilities to not only ensure that our designs are brought to life immaculately but also to train the local workmen to understand technicalities of their work that they never before did and quite frankly who have never been engaged in anything like this.
The aim is to ultimately build cities that are smart, humane and well, happy.
What is your design philosophy? Also, how do you perceive architecture?
My design philosophy rests on the classical Vitruvian Principles of utilities firmitas venustas (function, quality and delight). In order to achieve it, I religiously follow, what I call, The Process.
One has to consider 360 degrees and all planes, be attentive and intuitive to the needs and desires of the client and study the surrounding built environment. When I finally sit down to design it always begins with a pencil sketch and is further built upon using state of the art 2D and 3D software. We pride ourselves on the exactitude of our digital visualisation which ultimately is brought to life on site to perfection and with precision.
Architecture is an art, a science and everything in between. It is an extremely powerful tool impacting every person of the society whether it’s the user, the architect, the workmen building it or even the passers-by. Its effects ripple through all realms of existence – personal, psychological, social, cultural and economic.
Would you like to tell us some of your prominent projects?
To be honest, all of our projects are prominent to me regardless of type or scale. While our villas are redefining luxury living with their aesthetics and exclusive character, our commercial buildings and hospitality projects have been instrumental in enhancing business opportunities and the brand image of our clients. Years ago, I created a design for micro-housing for the city of Prato in Italy to meet the needs of heavy migration and space scarcity in urban areas among other challenges. We are excited to be implementing a similar design philosophy for township plans under the “Housing-for-All” scheme of the government. We are quite certain that they will truly be one of their kinds, holistic townships in Rajasthan, promoting well-being and social integration.
How do you see the changing and growing architectural designs and infrastructure of India?
It is a mixed emotion; a sigh of relief with a hint of disappointment sometimes. It’s encouraging to see our society embracing the change and evolution but I believe that the empty glass boxes, which supposedly identify with contemporary architecture, do no justice to it. Contemporary architecture is so much more than that and I think the people deserve to be introduced to it and experience it.
What has been your life’s ‘Mantra’?
Well, it has always been to work harder than I did yesterday.
What are your future plans for developing your firm?
We are an integrated consultancy for architecture, interior design, project management, lean construction and construction financial advisory. In a nutshell, our work stretches to all aspects of a real estate project. The plan is to definitely keep up with this and continue to cater to a large and diverse clientele. Further, we are also planning on expanding to development work of our own, a products line and a few other avenues that we can discuss the next time we talk.
Any piece of advice you want to give to the young and budding architects?
Studying architecture and practising architecture are two entirely different ball games. While creating new buildings is an absolutely enthralling experience, it is a work of grave responsibility faced with innumerable challenges. Architecture is not an isolated discipline; students must, therefore, study and expand their horizons beyond simply designing.
Most importantly, as a student of architecture, one believes that the sky is the limit when it comes to innovation in design and I want them to know that with well-rounded knowledge and constant learning that is actually true. I aim to lead by example.
Taking motivation from his life’s Mantra, “Work harder than you did yesterday”, Mr Madhur Bumb truly is an inspiration for all the young and budding architects. Following his visionary directions can help a lot these architects in order to achieve the best results.
For any queries related to MB Consulting or Mr. Madhur Bumb reach them on http://www.mbcon.in/contact/
This was the first article in the series – Influencers of Jaipur, If you feel that you know any influencer worth knowing or featuring on JaipurCityBlog.com – Email us on info@jaipurcityblog.com
