Giving a digital touch to architecture

What does a start-up in Hyderabad have to do with the restoration of a heritage structure in Michigan, US? Quite a lot, it appears.

Arth Design Build, the start-up in question, is providing the latest building engineering services to the project. It involves laser scanning of a courthouse in Wayne County to create a digital model, which reveals years of modifications in the structure.

Based on the model and findings, precision drawings are recreated and the representation then used by architects to do the necessary additions. Such modelling also gives contractors a good idea on how to reduce errors and delays in major renovation job.

This technique is called Point Cloud and Arth Design specialises in it. “We can use it for industrial buildings, large hotels and other structures,” says Swapnil Sahu, Director.

In Saudi Arabia, the firm is working on its biggest project – 27 floors, 6.5 lakh sq ft mixed use Olaya Tower in Riyadh. Here, the platform used is Building Information Modelling (BIM), which is a process to develop digital representation of a project in 3D. It has a one-on-one mapping with the elements and their properties in the actual project. The generated models allow for ease of documentation and finally become legal documents. BIM increases the efficacy of all stakeholders in the construction process and Arth has the required expertise, says Swapnil.

Started by four architecture graduates from IIT-Kharagpur, Arth Design is working on a range of residential, commercial and high-end structures. Arun Choubey, Kailash Chandola, Thumu Karthik Reddy and Swapnil Sahu, from the 2010 batch of IIT-Kharagpur, were pursuing their own career paths for three-four years. They converged in Hyderabad, worked on the concept and the nitty-gritty of a start-up in 2013 and incorporated Arth in early 2014, according to Swapnil.

The venture got a shot in the arm when management professional Srinivas Tirupati invested ₹4.1 crore of which ₹3 crore was for a 30 per cent equity in the venture. Tirupati is a strategic advisor to a few major mining companies and a managing partner at STEM Mineral Resources LLP, a mining firm.

The idea to float a venture took root during their interactions when they were studying in Kharagpur. Kailash and Swapnil worked for a few years with Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate services firm, while Karthik was with Bharti Realty. They moved to Hyderabad and invested their savings in the venture, recounts Swapnil. The core business focus and work commitment is towards sustainability and the belief that design is one of the most powerful strategic tools for securing lasting competitive advantage. The company’s turnover last fiscal was ₹3.3 crore and its target is to reach ₹21 crore with the new projects in a couple of years.

The Arth team has taken up a niche activity as well. It helps start-ups in the design of offices. As architect consultant, the idea is to provide suggestions for designing offices and workplaces that are economical and efficient. The company designed the entire work place and offices of Mysmartprice.com, a Hyderabad-based e-commerce firm.

According to Sulakshan, one of the founders of Mysmartprice.com, “The Arth team gave professional interiors and office design and delivered on time with good quality work for our office.” The other start-ups whose design and office structures bear the mark of Arth are Ziffi, Zommo, Infratab, urbansky, travel triangle and tradelabs software, all in the South.

The Arth team has completed at least half a dozen high-rise villa and housing projects so far. It has designed a villa in the heart of Hyderabad that runs completely on solar energy and is in the process of completing two malls.

The company has tied up with HIB (high identity buildings), a Spanish major and global leader in lab market projects to get access to business opportunities in Europe and West Asia. Similarly, plans are being firmed up to forge collaborations with senior alumni of IIT-Kharagpur, who are licensed architects in the US or work for or own companies in Dubai, says Swapnil.