Begin: An Interview with Pavan Iyer of eightvillage
BEGIN is a new interview series aiming to spotlight young professionals in the field of architecture. I am focusing on those working for themselves or in leadership positions in their organizations. Though all the work is impressive, I'm interested in learning how people got to where they are. The decisions they made, the paths they forged, the skills they acquired and maybe the leaps of faith they took in order to get where they are.
Pavan Iyer
Pavan is the founder/CEO behind eightvillage, a place-based design consultancy in Atlanta.
Age: 26
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
School: Georgia Tech
Degree: M.Arch
Job Title: Owner and Founder
Employer: eightvillage (self-employed)
Tell me about eightvillage. I'm interested in the story of becoming. Not so much the great work you're doing, but how you positioned yourself to be able to do the work you want.
eightvillage is driven by educating the future placemaker. I believe progress happens between generations, and making sure our future designers and placemakers experience and learn that they can make a difference is important. The myth that they can make a difference is a reality, and if the next generation of difference-makers knows that, they are better motivated to do so once they become the current generation.
How did you start it?
I have personally been passionate about using my skills as an architectural professional to make a positive impact on our planet. In order to do this, I wanted to be a part of a design firm that created and fostered places and existing context. In conjunction to that, I love my city (Atlanta), as there is so much potential in the city to grow and to do so meaningfully, and I wanted to be a part of that. I realized though that, in my opinion, no design firms here were doing the hyper place-based approach that I thrived in, and particularly in Atlanta, I felt no firms fit my checkbox of what I wanted to be a part of. That lead me to realize that the only way I could carry out my own passions was to start my own consultancy. Basically, I wanted to position myself to be in charge of my own destiny to follow my dreams or not.
“These things helped me with something I have always grappled with: confidence.”
how did you know HOW to start it?
I was fortunate enough while I was in school to get my first full project (designing and building my mom’s medical office) and getting a part-time gig with Ryan Gravel, the brain behind the Atlanta Beltline (one of the most impactful urban infrastructural projects in the world) and a personal hero, now mentor, of mine. These things helped me with something I have always grappled with: confidence. My mom’s office I was acting as both a designer and contractor, meaning I at least had to act like I knew what I was talking about when engaging my older subcontractors (architecture 101). Then my experience with Ryan gave me the confidence to think as much outside the box as possible, and that it was okay to do that. Having someone like Ryan encourage and validate my thought process was not only inspiring, but motivating for me to keep going as my own self.
How do you start consulting right out of college?
As I started to gain more and more confidence in school through working and trying my best to be a leader in my studio, I realized that I couldn’t work for anyone. It was already difficult for me to find a place with the ethos and culture I wanted to join, but it was even harder for me to accept that I wouldn’t be in charge of my own destiny. So during my final year of college, I hustled as much as I could to start to build a client base and reputation. I did this so as to put myself in a position to go full steam the moment I graduated. My confidence gave me the ability to hustle, and my ability hustle was crucial to becoming an entrepreneur.
What do you actually do at eightvillage? What's a typical work day?
Owning your own business means you have a lot of stuff to do outside of the actual projects. I do not work typical 9-5 days, there is a lot of variation. More than 3/4 of my time is spent answering emails, getting work, and doing accounting work for the business. The other 1/4 I get to actually do the projects (I am a one man show at the moment). That being said, I absolutely love all the logistical stuff and the hustle of growing the business (about as much as the design work itself). I have had just as much fun being a salesman trying to sell my project to a potential investor to designing a baseboard detail for an interior partition. I think a big reason I enjoy it so much is it’s a lot like being in school at times, where every day feels different and you are doing something different every day.
“My past experience and portfolio only got me so far in terms of having credibility with clients.”
Did you work other places first?
My first job was at a small healthcare firm, Harris Fritz & Associates, just outside Atlanta. It was a firm of 5 that got hit hard by the recession, so I got exposed to a lot very quickly early on in my career. The founder of the firm, Tony Fritz, a mentor and friend, was very insightful on teaching me the inner workings of how an architecture firm actually functioned. My next job was at Lake Flato Architects in San Antonio. Lake Flato is reputably one of the best design firms in the country, and there I got the experience of working with some amazingly talented designers. The energy there was contagious, and I got involved in any and every type of project I could. Everyone there loved there job and were constantly trying to improve their craft, and that culture was something I wanted in any future job I would have.
With your experience and skills (and license) are you going to include actual design work, or maybe even design-build projects?
We will (and already have) done traditional architecture projects, including a design-build. However, I am using my technical skills as an architect to do other types of placemaking projects, as well as bring new ideas to design education. I think sometimes we as design professional forget just how broad our skillsets are. We have the ability to distill and re-present information multiple ways. We also have that very important lens of safety and sustainability, which makes projects I have been a part of, like a recent public art installation, for example, stronger. Architecture is still at the heart of eightvillage, but I am attempting to give it a broader term.
Tell me about getting licensed. Why did you decide to get licensed?
Having the license means you are officially an architect, and officially being an architect means you get the respect as one. Being younger with your own design consultancy often means that you do not get the respect or reputation you may deserve. My past experience and portfolio only got me so far in terms of having credibility with clients. Having my license actually gives me credibility and has already led to getting more projects after only a couple days of having it.
Was this important for your current job or future goals?
By far it was the biggest hump I knew I was required to cross, but I knew I had to do it. I have a lot of ideas that I want to incorporate into eightvillage, and having a license is a big thing to check off that will fulfill those ideas.
When was your first ARE exam?
August 21st, 2018
When was your last?
December 31st, 2018
Any advice for those currently in the exams?
Take them as quick as you feel you are confidently able to and do not feel anxious if you do not have a lot of professional experience. The biggest keys to passing these exams, for me, was study strategy and test taking strategy. Study in a way that works best for you to retain information. During the exam, my best strategy was to strikeout what didn’t matter, highlight what did matter, and eliminate the answers I knew were incorrect. A big part of these tests are just reading comprehension, so the more you can do to mitigate that, the better.
What are you reading, watching, listening to?
Recently, I would highly recommend anyone in architecture, candidate or otherwise, to read Architect and Developer. I think all architects need to learn and take charge of our own destiny as designers and placemakers, but to do that, we need to understand the other side of how things get built (money). Architect and Developer is a great, quick read highlighting keys for being an architect and a developer, as well as interviews with current A+Ds. It’ll make you want to go out and buy some land, just like it did to me!
Tell me about something crazy you did
Other than passing the ARE, me and a couple friends drove from London to Mongolia (about 1/3rd of the Earth). Couple that with our flight back to Atlanta going east through South Korea, we technically circumnavigated the world.
Another great interview in the Begin series here with Adriana Camacho