Thanks to the fact that he came from a family in the construction business, Rajiv was always around beautiful buildings. He was drawn towards the design aspect of the business. His love for design made this graduate of KRVIA Mumbai change career paths from Engineering to Architecture and, after a brief stint of working at Kapadia Associates in Mumbai, he found himself at the Architectural Association, London. A great place for design research and exploration, visiting faculty and tutors here included Zaha Hadid, Ben Van Berkel and Patrik Schumacher. After completing his Master’s degree in Architecture, Rajiv joined Rafael Vinoly Architects and worked on a landmark project at Manama Bay, Bahrain – which gave him global exposure. This was followed by a stint at BLDA, a premier design practice based out of Chelsea – where he worked on some of the most prestigious homes in London. Armed with this work experience in diverse geographies, scales and typologies, the architect and urban designer founded his own practice in 2010. In the first year of its inception, Khushalani Associates became the only Indian firm to have featured in the prestigious EVOLO Skyscrapers Competition for its project ‘Poro City’. The firm’s portfolio includes a range of projects in diverse disciplines – mass housing, standalone private villas and bungalows, interiors for high-end residential, corporate and hospitality spaces - spread across India, the Middle East and Africa. Rajiv Khushalani Founder, Khushalani Associates “LuxeBook is a quintessential guide for all things luxury” Rinki had always harboured a fascination for architecture. Perhaps that is why, after she graduated from the IES College of Architecture, Mumbai, she quickly gave up being an employee of an architecture firm in favour of starting one of her own. Along with her partner and spouse Mihir Kotak, she established 4th Dimension in 2003 – an architecture and design firm known for the dovetailing of skill sets such as attention to detail, the belief in making a difference in every space and impeccable execution. Their 40 sqft office with a work force of two has now burgeoned into a sprawling 2,000 sqft office with a staff of over 36. The firm’s portfolio showcases a variety of projects spanning scales, styles and typologies: from low-cost housing to private villas; boutique offices to corporate workspaces; educational institutes to hospitality projects; and apartments to sprawling campuses. Part of their meteoric rise to success can be attributed to Rinki’s “old school” approach to acquiring wisdom – reading books to imbibe and assimilate information about her chosen profession. The duo pride themselves on nurturing long-term client relationships, and that’s evident from their repeat collaborations. “We believe in the process, creativity and client satisfaction,” declares Rinki, who insists that luxury is a state of mind – being free and able to select according to one’s choice. She feels that quality materials, attention to detail, comfort and convenience can create a luxurious space. Rinki Kotak Principal Architect, 4th Dimension “Luxury is a state of mind, being free and being able to select as per your choice” | 39 | 38
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