Hip, haute & hyper!

This architect from Bengaluru has a passion for working out and has introduced the first hyper gym in India

She’s an architect by passion and an entrepreneur by accident. We speak to the dynamic director Soul Space Projects, architect Chrysalis Design Studio and founder, The Hood, Shruti Choudhari, who has worked on some key projects across the country.

The savvy lady with a bachelor degree in architecture from Minneapolis was born into a construction family and was always passionate about design and architecture. “I completed my architecture, landscape architecture and art degree from the University of Minnesota, and Sushant School of Art & Architecture, New Delhi. After a stint at architecture and internship in Delhi, the entrepreneur in me kicked in and after my move to Bengaluru, I started my real estate development and design firm. This year, my passion for fitness led me to co-founding India’s first hyper gym, and now there’s no looking back.”

Sharing how she was inspired from her time spent in college, Shruti says, “My architecture studio at University was a melting pot of cultures. We had students from Asia, Netherlands, Egypt, Cambodia and Philippines, while our head professor was Greek. It gave me a refreshing perspective to design influenced by different cultures. I was offered an architect position there, however had to come back to India due to personal reasons. Bengaluru gave me the right opportunity to dabble with entrepreneurship in the true sense.”

The lady with grit and determination also likes to keep fit and strong and believes that travel broadens one’s horizons. “When I discovered Crossfit, it taught me to loose all inhibitions and bring out the best of me. I also love running. When one finds their purpose, they should follow their passion. Also, travel has played a big role in my career path and every place visited, every cuisine tried and cultures exposed to influence my thought process and reflects in my work. Travel is the best education in my field of line. Turkey, Portugal and Spain top my list of favourite places. The inspiration for the interiors of The Hood came from my visit to Portugal. I was inspired by the graffiti filled street wall art and trams of Sintra. The colours used in the interiors are an ode to the vibrancy of the city,” shares Shruti.