Akhtar Imam

“A true leader trusts the people on his team and should allow them to follow their own ideas.”, says Akhtar Imam, from Genesis Planners Pvt. Ltd.

Akhtar Imam, Director of Genesis Planners Pvt. Ltd. became an architect because of his father. Akhtar’s father was a civil engineer and di’t want him to become a civil engineer like himself; instead, he asked him to become an architect, and Akhtar followed his dad’s wishes and got into an architecture school. However, things got difficult for him, when his father, the sole breadwinner in his family, died during Akhtar’s second year in school. He was suddenly pushed out into the real world and had to work multiple shifts during his college days to pay for his college fees. But Mr. Imam recounts how those experiences benefited him, as he got to learn many practical skills, that later helped him ahead in his life.

Mr. Akhtar Imam believes in designing and constructing for the future, as buildings are not built every day. According to him, architects should focus on designing something that will stay robust for the unforeseeable future. The earth is dealing with numerous environmental issues, and a building that is not futuristic will risk the lives of people. One must focus on sustainable options and other things that will benefit the environment and the end user.

According to Mr. Imam, Architects need to talk to vendors and contractors, to properly understand industry requirements and boost their overall efficiency.

The world is dynamic and changes at a very fast pace. That is why, to keep some workload off the shoulders of the employees, executives in leadership positions should dedicate a day just for the employees where they can do things that they are passionate about. It will keep the employees loyal to the firm, and it will have a positive impact on their efficiency as well.

Besides this, aiding employees in taking care of their physical and mental well-being must be facilitated by an organization as well. This will help them feel connected and be loyal to the company.

Akhtar advises taking deadlines very seriously, and if a professional promises their client that they would deliver by a certain date, then they should take that as a duty. Word of mouth is very effective. Taking care of client commitments must be a priority on the list.

A lot of contractors and vendors and even, architects themselves, feel reluctant to use precast off-site, factory-made building elements, whereas it is normal in other countries. Mr. Imam believes that it is necessary to keep up with new technology to allow for both personal and professional growth. Without adapting to these changes, your business may bite the dust.

Our esteemed speaker urges architects to ask as many questions related to the project as they can and build a questionnaire, tailored to the client’s expectations. The biggest challenge is to be clarify these expectations and align what you can do, to your client’s vision — this is because sometimes clients are not very vocal with their expectations and ideas. A building has a soul, it has a language to speak and by understanding the expectations of your client, you can expect to deliver the best results. A religious institute should not feel like an educational institution, so be sure to ask for the purpose, target audience, and design expectations.

Entire construction industry is a teamwork. An architect makes the design; however, the results are in the hands of the builder. Often, builders should not use inferior products or products other than the ones recommended by the architect, to save money. An architect needs to make things very clear about the design intent and the construction to the builder, or else it can ruin the whole design.

It is very challenging to keep all the materials in check, considering there are multiple stakeholders involved. If the materials are not available in the right amount and the right quality, it will not only ruin the design but can also augment the budget of the building. It is important to promote local building materials.

Clients want true value for their money, and thus, they want you to build at a minimal cost. Architects know ways to save money. You can save money on materials and design without compromising the quality of the building. That is why it is essential to include architects into the process from the very beginning while making crucial decision of the project to finalize location, size, type and land parcel.
Carpet area may be maximized by minimizing the common area and non-usable area. Cost of construction may be optimized by minimizing the wastage of materials through right design.
Learning about New Trends, Designs, and Ideas

According to Akhtar, those who don’t follow the pace of the world are left behind. The business world is dynamic, and one should keep on educating oneself to sustain in the market. His prime sources of knowledge are people — he loves interaction, and in his experience, a lot of things can be learnt from the experiences of people.
Besides people, social media, print media, and seminars are some of his learning sources. He believes that social media is heaven for those who want to learn, if they can consume good content that benefits them.

Akhtar recalls the biggest turning point of his career as the time, he had to leave behind a stable business with his senior, to support his wife who was working in Bangalore. From being a recruiter, a boss, or an employer, he had to start learning from scratch and work as an employee in Bangalore — the experience truly changed him.

He states that the journey of becoming an employee from being an employer had to be the defining moment of his life.

Mr. Akhtar Imam feels students in colleges should pay attention to their mental and physical health and should not get involved in immoral activities. He advises that one should prepare oneself for the future and taking care of one’s health is the beginning of corporate life. Many smart employees leave their job as soon as they start because they are not able to cope with the pressure, as they are not very disciplined and healthy. Thus, pay attention to your health always. You’ll be able to work, only if you have a healthy mind and body.

According to our esteemed speaker, even after five years of college and completion of the B. Arch degree, freshly minted architects are not ready for the professional life as they don’t have any practical knowledge. To become a true professional, one has to go beyond the syllabus and truly understand the architecture.

It is essential to maintain transparency between the various key stakeholders involved.

Builders are the primary reason behind an aesthetical and well-built buildings; architects can only design it, but the real craftsman is the builder. They must know ways to deliver an impeccable building under a controlled budget. And to do that, they must ensure that the resources are used in the right way and that there is no wastage.

In India, builders and contractors are still focusing on past methods of construction. Today, we have advanced technology, yet only a few know its usage. Akhtar insists that we need to immerse ourselves into the construction business, then only can we match the standard of western construction methods.

Builders can help architects as well; by exploring and ready to use new construction materials and technology.