Positive Impacts: Safdie Architects’ Charu Kokate on Being Open-Minded, Learning on the Job, and the Ripple Effects of Good Design
By Kate Mazade
Charu Kokate is a Partner at Safdie Architects and the Director of the firm’s Singapore office. She leads the global design firm’s efforts in Asia and is an advocate for civic-minded design. A graduate of University of Pune in India and Pennsylvania State University, Charu has spearheaded ground-breaking projects including Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, Sky Habitat Residential Towers, and Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. On behalf of Safdie Architects, she is a two-time recipient of Singapore’s President’s Design Award for the firm’s work on Marina Bay Sands (Design of the Year, 2011) and Jewel Changi Airport (Design of the Year, 2020).
In her interview with Kate, Charu talks about the collaboration required to design and build projects that will one day become icons, as well as seeing ourselves as part of something bigger.
KM: How did your interest in architecture first develop?
CK: It began with the house that I grew up in. My parents owned an apartment in the city, and then we moved to the suburbs. My dad's friend was an architect, and my dad took me to his office. I was so mesmerized by the colored pencils and the physical models—particularly the model of our house. Moving into our new house changed our lives in the sense that it was a different spatial experience that shaped how our family interacted.
That big change was not lost on me, and it was the seed of my interest in architecture. When I had a choice to go to school and join architecture as a profession, I was very happy doing it because I knew it would be fun.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Photo by MBS Visual Media. Courtesy of Safdie Architects.
Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore. Photo by Timothy Hursley. Courtesy of Safdie Architects.
What did you learn about yourself in studying architecture?
I learned about myself on the job—in practicing more than studying architecture. Every project is a new lesson and has allowed me to learn another specialty, another skill or way of interacting with people.
Because of the projects that we do, I’ve been very fortunate to travel around the world. You get exposed to brilliant minds—amazing consultants, artists, and craftsmen. They all have contributed to my growth and who I am. I have a flair for working with people and am good at resolving conflicts.
Having lived and worked around the world—including the United States, India, and now Singapore—I have a unique perspective in terms of understanding people. Architecture is all about people, and my exposure to different cultures, and workstyles helps me to connect with people everywhere.
Can you walk me through your career steps chronologically?
My first year of architecture school, I started working in a young architect’s one-room office. I learned drafting and printing. After I graduated, I worked in a 30-person firm, the Office of Michael Rosenfeld, in the suburbs of Boston. They did residential projects and schools. They were nice sized projects, not very big but something that could be controlled from a design and quality point of view. Michael was very generous in terms of educating me, exposing me to clients and people, and teaching me the importance of well-designed buildings.
I worked there for seven or eight years, and then I worked for a couple of years at Shepley Bulfinch, a healthcare firm. I was impressed to see so many women as project managers.
Then I got a job offer from Safdie Architects. They had an amazing project, the Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, and I thought, “Wow, that would be a great project to work on,” because Bush has just declared war on Iraq. If there was going to be a war, I might as well work on a project about peace. I never worked on that project; instead I started working on Marina Bay Sands. And here I am in Singapore.
“You can’t design an icon. We aim to make the buildings special and unique. Once the building creates a positive impact, it becomes an icon.”
That’s a very interesting journey. What does it feel like to undertake such a massive project like the Jewel Changi Airport?
We won the project in a design competition. Right from the beginning, we knew it had to be more than the shopping and parking requirements the client had given us. We needed to attract the local Singaporeans, as well as the travelers and tourists.
After we won the competition, the real challenge began because it was something no one had done before, especially at an airport. It was outside everybody’s comfort zones. We were trying to create a forest valley with a big waterfall, mimicking nature in a man-made built environment. It had to be a unique experience where you could forget yourself, forget where you are, forget your tensions and stress about flying. If you are in a natural forest, all you see is planting and paths. You feel comfortable because you’re outdoors. You have air and light. We were trying to create that within this concrete building.
It was extremely humbling because we tend to take nature for granted—trees, plants, waterfalls, sunlight, rain, and humidity. Creating an environment that both supports natural growth and is comfortable for human beings was a very fine balance.
Every single day was challenging. I had to motivate a team and push the contractor to do something that they’d never done before. When I go there now, I look at the people enjoying it and the smiles on their faces. Passengers extend their stay just to spend a day or two at Jewel. When I see that, I think every challenging minute was worth it.
What does it mean to you to have multiple projects that have contributed so much to the identity of a place? Like Marina Bay Sands and Jewel that are now icons in Singapore?
Clients often say, “We want an iconic building.” But you can't design an icon. We aim to make the buildings special and unique. Once the building creates a positive impact, it becomes an icon.
In my TEDx talk, I say that when I came to Singapore, one of the first things I noticed was how congested it is. The land is scarce. Buildings are so prominent, and they make a permanent mark. They have to be built with a lot of understanding—with good design and good construction—because their impact goes on.
It’s like a stone falling in a pond. There are ripples. If it’s a good building, it will create positive ripples. These ripples will spread beyond the building site, to the neighborhoods, to the city, to the other countries in the world. I think our buildings have improved the quality of life for people.
Marina Bay Sands is a great example of this ripple effect. Around the world, it is a symbol of Singapore. It has demonstrated how architecture can be a catalyst for growth and development. It’s taken this piece of reclaimed land and created a dynamic part of the city itself. It was already a mega project, but it has become much bigger than what it is physically.
I think that’s what good buildings and design do. They create places that matter to the users, neighbors, people, and community. That is what makes a building iconic.
Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore. Photo by Jino Lee. Courtesy of Safdie Architects.
Altair Residences, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo by Space80. Courtesy of Safdie Architects.
That’s incredible. What do you think about when you see the projects that you have completed? You talked a little bit about when you go back to Jewel. What do you think when you see Marina Bay Sands?
I was just at Marina Bay Sands this afternoon, and there was this group of people walking in and admiring every single thing. They were saying, “This project is 10 years old, but doesn’t feel like it. Look how beautiful that is.” It is satisfying to see that people enjoy it.
When you design such big projects, you want people to feel comfortable walking around. You want them to be impressed, but more than that, you want them to not be confused. That’s one thing that I feel very happy about when I see Marina Bay Sands. It’s a complex project, but we made it simple to navigate. Everything is in sync.
That’s great. Would you like to talk about where you are in your career today and something you’re working on at the moment?
Our firm tries to make sure that in every single project we create something for the community. That could be a public park or space where people can enjoy themselves. Currently, I’m working on the headquarters for a large local company. We have created numerous buildings, five to six stories high, with real gardens inside that are open to the public.
In terms of my career, I’m a partner at Safdie Architects, and I lead development across Asia, including current projects in China and Sri Lanka. I’m known as someone who can work with multicultural teams on extremely complex projects. The minute that someone says a project is iconic, it means the quality has a very high standard. It is challenging to set such high goals.
“Moshe said to me, ‘As a woman in this field, there’ll be a lot of people putting limitations on you. Don’t limit yourself.’”
What is your biggest career highlight and your biggest career challenge?
My biggest career highlight—I think it’s yet to come. It could be in the form of a building. It could be something else in architecture or in the profession. I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to it.
That's a great viewpoint. I like to think the things I haven't done yet are the most exciting.
My biggest career challenge—when you start as a young architect, you’re walking around with the drawings, and you’re in control. But when you get to the construction field, that’s not true. When you go to construction, you are so small. You are just one part of something very big. The design is not yours. It belongs to the users. Everybody—architects, consultants, and contractors—is working towards that goal.
The design only adds up to 10-15% of the project. The rest is people—clients, consultants, contractors, and subcontractors. During construction, anything you disagreed about is going to become visible on the building. Things can be missed due to pride or through arguments. One of the biggest challenges is convincing people to believe in your dream and your design, to make sure we are all walking in the same direction. It is important that everyone believes that we are working to create something new and special, that we have the same goal. As a woman in this male dominated industry, motivating a full jobsite to follow a vision is the most challenging task. It can become an everyday job.
You don’t seem intimidated by that.
I realized that this is much bigger than me—as a human, as a designer, as an architect—it is not about me. When the building opens, no one cares that I put four years of my life, day and night, into the building. It is not about that. It is about creating an experience.
It frees you from saying, “It’s mine. It’s mine. It’s mine.” It’s not yours. It’s not I. It’s we. When you start looking at it like that, you find a better way of doing things.
Charu Kokate on site at Jewel Changi Airport. Courtesy of Safdie Architects.
Charu Kokate and Moshe Safdie looking at model of Jewel Changi Airport. Photo by Sonny Soh. Courtesy of Safdie Architects.
Who do you admire in the industry right now?
I’m easily inspired. I don’t have one hero. I admire a great building or a great space. I think, “Wow, that's really great. How did they achieve it?” I see a good movie or show, and I wonder how the director did it.
Every time I go on site, I admire the construction workers who sit in the hot sun and complete the building. Jewel was so complex. They would sit on the structure in the harness, fixing glass panels. That’s why it’s so much bigger than who I am or what I do.
And in the last two years, I have been in total awe of all doctors and nurses—particularly now with the third phase of the pandemic. My sister is a surgeon, and I’ve seen what they are going through. I truly admire them. There’s something within them to take care of other people without thinking about themselves.
That’s wonderful. What is the kind of the impact that you’d like to have on the world?
My goal—I wrote this on the first day of the year, and I try to write this almost every year—is to create a positive impact wherever I go and in whatever I do. This goal relates to everybody, to people around me, to my team. I want my team to be in a better place in their lives—their careers, their personal lives—before they move on to the next thing. When I talk to young designers, I want them to think about the community that they are designing for and not just about the program that their clients want. I want to inspire people to do better. And I think we can.
As I get more experience, I try to mentor young architects and students, especially young women architects. I have learned so much from them. I want to push both my own boundaries and theirs.
When you are mentoring people starting out in the career, what advice do you give them?
To be open-minded. I have been very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. But I made the most of what I was offered. I take every opportunity that comes to me and am open to it. That has led me to really good projects and good people. Be ready to take on challenges.
We don’t have to restrict ourselves. Early on when I was working on Marina Bay Sands, I didn’t want to work on a casino. Moshe said to me, “As a woman in this field, there’ll be a lot of people putting limitations on you. Don’t limit yourself.”