Ruchira values experiential journey in architecture and believes that an architect is the jack of all trades. For her, style and process are crucial aspects of design.

Ruchira Bhanawat is an architect by profession. She hails from Jaipur from where she completed her schooling and bachelors in architecture. Currently, she is practicing as well as teaching architecture at Mohan Lal Sukhadia University in Udaipur.

Ruchira belongs to a family of academicians where her grandfather was a professor in Hindi Literature. Her childhood has been among articles, books, literary tools, stationery, and a home library encompassing more than fifteen thousand books. Growing up in an environment of literature lovers her career choices were highly inclined towards creative fields. However, like every other 80s youth, she tried her luck in engineering and did IIT coaching, only to realise her calling for architecture. Henceforth, Ruchira completed her five years bachelor in architecture and realised that every building is an experience in itself. Later, she felt something missing and wanted to add more to her creative abilities. It is when she decided to pursue masters in theory and design from CEPT, Ahmedabad.

Ruchira cheerfully shares the invaluable experiences at CEPT that influenced her as a designer. She was exposed to discussions with eminent national and international designers, participations in interesting programs across universities, learning about different design ideologies of Juhani Uolevi Pallasmaa, Italo Calvino, among others. Moreover, she travelled to Singapore and Thailand as part of her bachelor’s program.

According to Ruchira, every building offers a particular experience, such as Jawahar Kala Kendra of Jaipur, designed by the Indian architect Charles Correa. She is immensely enthralled with the designs and style of Charles and tries to infuse them in her work process. Ruchira attained a higher degree of architectural and design knowledge while doing her masters. For her master’s thesis, she interviewed some prominent designers of Bangalore and completed it with insightful details.

Ruchira values practical experience more than just theory in the creative stream of architecture and design. In her view, travelling to various places, observing different types of buildings, meeting and interacting with designers, and creating one’s own stories helps an architect to communicate well with their clients and understand their needs. She feels that clients need to be taught about the design process just like students. Moreover, her work profile includes apartments, residences, homestays, an eco-tourism project in the Kalandri village of Sirohi district, and a developmental project at the Seva Mandir Dr M.S. Mehta Training Centre KAYA.

Ruchira has had quite a different experience of the covid with her projects flourishing the heights of success and only a few on hold. She advises travelling, reading, getting hands-on experience, and creating a practical profile for aspiring architects.

Ruchira feels inspired by the support of her husband, parents, and in-laws. She feels greatly indebted to the guidance and suggestions of her mentors that have helped her shape her thought process. Her achievements include the feedback and praises of her students, the real-life output of her designs, and the happiness of her clients. If she gets a time machine, she would like to travel back to her college days and improve her work and designs. Furthermore, she likes to sketch, dance and spend quality time with her son in her free time. Her favourite quote that she believes in is, “Always think in a larger perspective.” She is a positive, calm, composed, and environmentally aware being who believes in taking a pause, living to the fullest, enjoying every moment, and planting more trees!