Architects cope up with design flaws of the economy

By Ubaid Parkar

The real estate industry has suffered during the recession. The consequent ripple has been felt within its allied activities. Bricks and mortar is one thing, laying the stone is under the planning purview of the architect, is another. Today when the real estate industry claiming that there are sights of recovery, the architect fold is still reeling and is left behind.

One of the few examples of the current scenario is Niteen Parulekar Architects Pvt. Ltd. Sources have claimed that Mr Niteen Parulekar has felt the impact of the slowdown. This backdraft has led to a lot of attrition within the organisation on both voluntary and involuntary fronts.

Niteen Parulekar admits that times are tough. “Some people were consciously let go due to non-performance.” He denies that he has reduced any pay or deferred salaries for that matter. When asked about prorogued payments from developers struggling financially he said, “We cannot ask them to cough up the money. We have to follow a particular pattern in dealing in such cases.” He went on to add, “Projects have stalled but one has to gather one self. It’s a ‘help you to help me’ situation.”

Similar scenarios has echoed around in the fraternity of architects. Even Hafeez Contractor, a renowned architect, confirmed that there have been a wage rate reduction of its employees as a way of cost cutting. Although the quantum of effort remains the same. “We have had a few hiccups over the last year or so. During the boom salaries understandably went through the roof. Now there has been has a slight cut in salaries,” admits Hafeez Contractor. “We have to understand market conditions and have to adapt accordingly,” he added.

There have been reports where projects stalled due to lack of funding and this has taken its toll. The effect cascaded down to a lot of other industries allied with real estate. Says Shabbir
Khambaty, an architect, “Builders are delaying payments but there should be no delay in paying employees. No one is stuck with one builder or developer. All well to do architects have more than one client.” Rationalising the notion he added, “Employees have to deal with profits as well as liabilities in circumstances like these.”

The underlying statement should be especially to procure liabilities as special consideration. Although some architects have diplomatically played down the impact in fear of losing out on their deferring clients, most have broadly affirmed that the slight upward trend in the real estate market needs to be substantiated before it succeeds and trickles down to them.

“All architects are affected very badly, even interior designers. Approximately ninety per cent of architects as per my understanding have either resorted to reducing staff or involved in salary cuts. I have had two employees who went out to look for greener pastures” says Shashi Sharma, an architect. He further animadverted, “The staff should be well informed and aware as to what is happening. There should be no ‘foul play’ from the employer.