Ramya was born and raised in Bengaluru in Southern India. She remembers as a child being fascinated by the drawings her father worked on as a civil engineer. She liked the colours and the intricate lines. She often visited building sites with him during the weekends. At school, she didn’t consider herself as a very technically minded person. She was inclined towards creativity and even won a jewelry design competition by crafting earrings and necklaces from dried fruits.
‘In my family you either become a doctor or an engineer. So, I found architecture as an acceptable compromise between technical training with cultural and creative expression.
She finished her five years bachelor’s with a thesis on the sustainable transformation of an abandoned stone quarry pit just outside Bangalore, that is being used as a waste dump. In her proposal the site would not only have a waste separation plant and a composting works but would also have an educational center. The issue is of particular concern for her family as her grandparent’s own farmland is contaminated by chemical leakage from the waste site.
She longed to see more of the world and entered a master’s program in building technology at TU Delft. Her main interest went to the use of technology to drive architectural design and the materials side to technical engineering. She graduated with a thesis on engineering recycled plastic for architectural façade component.
‘But I really wanted to be part of the design process, to be closer to the practice of building.’ That is how she found ZJA to be the right place to pursue her interests. She loves the devotion to innovation and going the extra mile she finds there.
In her spare time, Ramya loves to go on long walks and spends time exploring new hobbies.