Woman’s Day 2020 – Architect Himani Ahuja

The slogan of this year’s Woman’s Day is #SheInspiresUs. A Journalist Reveals found this Architect Himani Ahuja and her work has been inspiring. Over to her:

How were you inspired to take up this field?

Architecture is a comprehensive field that has numerous divergent maneuvers beyond designing liveable spaces and implementation of structures. Such a potent stream of architectural communications is hardly conferred to professionally, owing to the presumptions enveloped around it. It thus becomes an imperative step to establish ‘architectural communications and journalism’ as a mainstream option for architects or students of design. Architectural communications and journalism involve the genesis of pathbreaking presentation ideas that would create more relatable content for the naïve and the experts. I intended to bring these two contrasting fields together and create a domain that encompasses the best of both worlds.

What inspired you to start your own company?

Pivoted around detailed research of latest construction techniques, current trends of building materials, specialized services, the coverage of architectural seminars/conferences/features/forums and comprehensive analysis of existing/upcoming structures: architectural journalism extends its boundaries to every niche of design. Such a schematic procedure of conception has to be developed through a legitimate process and that was my inspiration while translating this idea into a company that is dedicated to architects, interior designers and allied product brands. Today, One Digital is a team of Architects, Designers, PR Professionals and Ex-Googlers serving the ever-growing AEC Industry. Communications play a crucial role in establishing a well-designed project on a global scale and we incorporate an abundant exchange of architectural viewpoints with designers and design brands across the country to widen the boundaries of traditional patterns and contribute to celebrate and acknowledge their visions.

What are your future plans regarding your company?

Since Architecture is an art that has its own limitations of marketing, One Digital aims to make a world of its own through strategies targeting the profile building of a firm, aiding them to stand out from the crowd and be known. Being the founder of One Digital, India’s top 360 degrees Architectural Communications and PR firm and leading a team with holistic design background, our focus is on the built environment – practitioners, designers, clients, brands and the wider community – contributing to celebrate and acknowledge their visions with brand stories, share it with the world through web design, print, and digital publications, award strategy and speaker events. One Digital is aimed at pushing recognition and exposure due to architecture and interior marvels. The future holds exciting prospects for us and we intend to encash each one of it to the best of our abilities.

Any message for women who would want to step into the entrepreneur world?

The first thing women need to understand is that there are no shortcuts to success. With sincere efforts and hard work, they can achieve their goals, no matter how big they are. They can fathom any depths with sheer willpower and determination and fulfill every dream. My message for women who are stepping into this domain is that they should avoid seeking validation from society and just take the big step. Their self-belief should be unprecedented and any negativity that they are subjected to should be completely ignored. Confidence is the key and unless they believe in their knowledge and efforts, it will always be hard to convince others for the same. The task looks daunting at first, but with perseverance and due diligence, anything is possible. It takes courage to take the first step but after that, the process becomes organic and women are highly capable of enduring any obstacle that comes their way.