Buildings that manufacture silicon chips, vaccines, medications such as insulin etc. require highly specialized, controlled environments, also known as cleanrooms, to prevent contamination and ensure product quality.
Resmi Menon, our next pathbreaker, works as Senior Architect at Exyte, an EPC- Engineering, Procurement and Construction firm headquartered in Germany.
Resmi talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her experiences as an architect, and the challenges of working on buildings for semiconductor manufacturing, bio-pharma and life sciences, data centers and battery manufacturing.
For students, construction is not just about design and drawings, but also about accomplishing the vision of the facility and serving the bigger purpose of being beneficial for our daily life and for human health respectively.
Resmi, what were your growing up years like?
I grew up in Cochin, Kerala. I am a Malayali and like many from Kerala has a connection with the middle east. My father worked for an airline company in the UAE. So some part of my childhood was also spent in the UAE. My mother was a homemaker. I had two brothers. I lost one of my brothers in 2018. It was a sudden death due to cardiac arrest. I am the youngest of the three. My oldest brother works in the US.
My school days were largely spent in Kerala even though I studied briefly in UAE and during the Gulf war period, I was admitted to Vidyodaya school in Cochin where I continued to study till my 12th standard. I lived with my mother, my brothers and maternal grandparents in Edappally, Cochin.
I was interested in sketching and painting; it ran in our family. My grandfather’s brother was the renowned artist K.C.S Paniker. My father’s brother is also an artist. His name is P. Gopinath. I also learnt Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music and the veena. During school days I participated in dance, music, drawing and painting events. Our school gave a lot of importance to extracurricular activities.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I studied Architecture for graduation- 5 years’ Bachelor of Architecture course. For post graduation, I chose to study Building Science at the National University of Singapore.
What were some of the influences that led you to a career in Architecture?
It was a self-made decision driven by my interest in designing homes.
When our own home was getting built in Kerala, I was fascinated by the building drawings made by the architect.
I wanted to be in the design line. I was interested in fashion design, jewellery design, interiors and so on. It was my Physics teacher who told me about NID (National Institute of Design). I attempted the NID entrance exam but I did not clear it. I wasn’t aware of how to prepare for the entrance while there were coaching classes available.
After my 12th I also wrote the state wise entrance exams for engineering and medicine. This was the year 1999 when there was no NEET and common entrance exams. On the basis of Karnataka entrance examination score, I got a call for admission to engineering courses. I opted for Architecture at M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore. Thus began my journey in Architecture. BArch is a five year course. In the last year, in those days a 6 months internship had to be completed. The format has slightly changed in recent years.
After completion of my degree I decided to look for jobs in my hometown Cochin, now called Kochi. I got a job at my artist uncle’s friend’s firm called Modarch. Here I worked on a few residential and school projects.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
In the year 2005, outsourcing of architectural services saw a rise. Foreign firms, primarily Middle Eastern and South East Asian architectural, interior and engineering consultancies, started setting up their support offices in Kerala. It must have started well before in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The format is like this- the main architects, designers or engineers send their design to the supporting offices and the drawings get prepared by these offices. A close relative and friend told me that a leading interior designing firm in Singapore was setting up their office in Kochi and they were looking for architects. I got that job. The firm specialized in the interior design of hotels rated five star and above. It was a different working experience. Working for an international firm made me familiar with CAD (Computer Aided Design) standards, quality checking process and so on.
In the year 2006, I got married. We moved to Hyderabad. My husband got admission for Master of Engineering in tool and die design at the Center for Tool Design. I found a job at a firm called OBrienAtkinsAsia. I worked on a multi-storied office building project in Hyderabad.
In the year 2008, my husband finished his masters degree and got placement at Godrej and Boyce, Mumbai. By then I had secured a seat for a Master’s degree at National University of Singapore. The course I chose was Building Science and the admission was based on merit- professional experience and academics. There was no qualifying exam for admission. I chose to study building science because I wanted to learn more about buildings- acoustics, building performance, HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning), sustainability etc. I returned to India in 2009. The job market wasn’t that good due to the global recession. But I managed to get hired by an architectural studio called Architecture BRIO. The studio worked on interesting projects. I was assigned to work on a holiday home project in Alibaug. Though the projects were interesting, I was looking for something bigger, having completed my Masters. My next move was to Tata Power as a consultant. They had internal projects like training centers, customer service centers, staff quarters and similar to work on.
I took a break from work during the last phase of my pregnancy in 2011. After the birth of my daughter, I joined back work in 2012. This time, at one of India’s largest and leading architectural firms called Architect Hafeez Contractor (AHC). The firm carries the name of its founder and principal architect, Hafeez Contractor.
The firm handles designs of projects of all types and that too of very large size. I got the opportunity to work on high rise residential projects and a landscape project.
By the last quarter of 2013, we moved to Hyderabad. My husband got a job in Hyderabad. I was searching for a job once again. With the reference provided by the Senior Associate at AHC, I got a job at his architect friend’s firm in Hyderabad. In this office, I worked on a landscape project, a motel, hospital interior and an art and crafts village. I wasn’t really happy with the way my career was going. MNCs like Atkins were looking for architects with Revit experience. Revit is a Building Information Modelling tool (BIM). I decided to learn Revit. I took a course in Revit. Coincidentally during that time, I got a call from the MD of a company called eLogic that specializes in CAD and BIM outsourcing. They were looking for a Project Manager. Towards the end of 2015, I joined eLogic. I would call this job a turning point in my career. I gained hands-on experience on Revit extensively and got the chance to work on international projects.
The work at eLogic was different from my previous works because it required understanding of construction types and building materials used in the US. Majority of clients were from the US. Concrete Masonry Units (CMU), dry walls or gypsum walls, EIFS walls (Exterior Insulation and Finishing System), TPO roof (Thermoplastic Olefin) are some of the wall and roof types commonly used in the US. Most projects used BIM, and the BIM tool used was Revit. There were clients who used ArchiCAD, SketchUp etc. BIM in simple terms is modelling all systems of a building- the structure, architecture, mechanical, electrical and plumbing services and embedding data into each element of the model.
The data for example could be the product information (make of the door, window, curtain wall, sanitary fixture, furniture and so on), cost of the product, fire rating, heat conducted by the wall or roof, phase of the construction- present or future etc. The data extracted can be used for quantification, costing, calculation of energy consumption, construction sequencing, facility management etc.
I worked on high rise residential, hospital projects, car washes, rail road projects to name a few.
In 2019, I got a call from an ex-colleague that the firm M+W was looking for a senior architect. I gave it a try and was hired. M+W is now known as Exyte. Exyte is an EPC- Engineering, Procurement and Construction firm headquartered in Germany. I slowly got exposed to the world of Exyte. Exyte specializes in the engineering and construction of semiconductor manufacturing buildings, bio-pharma and life sciences buildings, data centers and battery manufacturing buildings. I continue to work at Exyte. Over the years at Exyte, I have worked on the buildings of world’s leading manufacturers of silicon chips, vaccines, insulin etc. I enjoy what I do and have come to the realization that this is where I belong, to the world of semiconductors and life sciences.
How did you get your first break?
The first break could be my job at eLogic. My role was that of a project manager. I learnt to manage a team and different aspects of a project from estimation to delivery.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Challenge 1: Projects are not just about design and drawings. The budget is very important. Clear understanding of client’s requirements and finding timely solutions helps in keeping projects within budget.
Challenge 2: Delivering quality. Setting up and tracking a project right from the start is very important. It may be too late to correct the issues later.
Challenge 3: Gaining the trust of the client. Clear communication and delivering quality help to gain client’s confidence. Never send half baked cookies to clients.
Where do you work now? What problems do you solve?
I work for Exyte India in Hyderabad. I design solutions that involve coordination with all engineering disciplines.
My position at Exyte is Senior Architect and my role is that of an Architectural lead. Semiconductor and Pharma manufacturing require spaces that have high air quality which means that air should contain very few particles of a particular size. This is achieved by unidirectional air flow and using materials that emit less particles into the air. Cleanroom wall, floor and ceiling are made of materials that emit less volatile particles and cleanroom layout facilitates air flow in a desired way. Initial challenges of the job were many – understanding the building codes and standards of the region the project is located in, classification of cleanrooms, efficient laying out of cleanrooms, coordination with all disciplines and meeting the expectation of the Exyte offices we work with in different regions.
I travel very less- either for site visit or for project kick off. My role does not require long term deployment at project location. I have a counterpart in the Exyte offices I work with.
What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills?
Experience in industrial design. It is a gradual process. I worked on all tasks and projects assigned to me, even if they were small. There is something to learn from everything.
What’s a typical day like?
Reporting to the office, going through all the emails, checking what needs to be delivered on that day and getting it done.
What is it you love about this job?
Getting buildings constructed. The processes and engineering solutions required to achieve this.
How does your work benefit society?
The buildings that I work on are used for manufacturing semiconductors or for making medicines. Both products are beneficial for our daily life and for human health respectively.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
A vaccine manufacturing facility in Germany that really helped me to use my skills. I was able to contribute significantly to the success of the project.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Make yourself aware about different career choices and the courses available. Try to identify your interests. Employability is crucial for staying in a job. Just subject knowledge isn’t sufficient. Being proactive and finding solutions is very important. Be honest and ask questions.
Future Plans?
To learn more about the type of buildings that I work on. Become a subject matter expert in the field.