Partners in Design: Striking the work-life balance with Priyanka Khanna and Rudraksh Charan

In the buzzing world of design and construction, the duo of Priyanka Khanna and Rudraksh Charan emerges like a blockbuster script waiting to be told. Picture this: from their humble beginnings in the labyrinth of architectural academia, they rose, not just as real-life partners, but as the dynamic duo behind the super successful design powerhouse—42mm. Think of it as a charming rom-com meets architectural brilliance, with Priyanka’s meticulous eye for detail perfectly complementing Rudraksh’s flair for innovation.
But hold your popcorn, because there’s more! As spouses and design partners, they aren’t just battling blueprints and budgets; they’re navigating the rollercoaster of married life. Cue the drama: balancing dreams and deadlines, passion and pragmatism, love and labour—all against the backdrop of construction sites and client meetings.

Interestingly, their story isn’t just about buildings; it’s about the power of partnership in shaping destinies. It’s about how collaboration isn’t just about sharing tasks; it’s about sharing dreams. In the glittering world of design, where every line drawn
is a stroke of destiny, Priyanka and Rudraksh show us that the real masterpiece isn’t the building—it’s the bond between
two people chasing their dreams together.

FORGING A DESIGN ALLIANCE: FROM ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL TO CO-FOUNDING 42MM

Priyanka Khanna (PK): Well, Rudraksh and I met during our time at architectural school as batchmates. And, while there wasn’t a single defining moment that brought us together, it was our shared passion for design and compatible working styles that formed the basis of our connection. After gaining experience at different firms, we decided to combine our strengths and open our own firm to collaborate on projects.

Rudraksh Charan (RC): Our relationship played a crucial role in our professional collaboration. The ease with which we interacted due to our comfort with each other facilitated seamless communication. Despite our individual differences and diverse design sensibilities, effective communication allowed us to understand each other’s perspectives, which was instrumental in our decision to establish our practice together.

HARMONY IN PARTNERSHIP: NAVIGATING THE HUSBAND-WIFE DYNAMIC

RC: There was obviously a lot of flux, peer pressure, you know, husband-wife working together, how compatible it is, how compatible it’s not been, but I don’t think we’ve ever faced any challenges. You know, it’s been very smooth. We’ve been very clearly communicative with each other and, you know, it’s ultimately a relationship. It’s a relationship in terms of partnership in business and it’s a relationship in terms of partnership in life. So, yeah, I don’t think there were, well,
we didn’t face any challenges.

PK: I think it’s because of the relationship that we had that we could be honest about our point of views towards each other. So, the kind of personal relationship we have, we are honest and transparent about our point of view and the respect we have for each other. We take each other’s point of view also in a very healthy manner. So, it really strengthens the collaborative work relationship that we have, and it improves the creative environment in our office as well.

THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE STRUGGLE: UNABLE TO SWITCH OFF

RC: One of the most challenging aspects is that you cannot, even if you want to be insensitive towards an aspect of work, you cannot be because you cannot shut down. You cannot switch off, you know. There is never going to be a moment where I am going to be surrounded by people in my family who are not aware of my work and, you know, as a result that I could be in oblivion because Priyanka is always aware of my work.

PK: Even if Rudraksh was not really my life partner, but even then, as a designer, you are seeing life through a lens of design. So, it is never that when you come back from the office, you will switch off and you will not even think about your work at all. So, that is just one of the challenges that switching off, you must make a conscious effort to switch off and not discuss design or office related issues back at the dinner table.

COMPLEMENTARY DYNAMICS: SYNCHRONY IN PERSONALITY AND PROFESSION

RC: We are two different individuals. My personality, Priyanka’s personality is different, but they are compatible. And because they are compatible at a personal level, they are also compatible at a professional level.

PK: And, Rudraksh as a person or as a leader in our office would look at a bigger picture for each project. We have different sets of projects, but I would always take Rudraksh’s advice. I would use him as a critic for my design projects so that it can be evolved even further. And at the end of the day, Rudraksh also becomes a great knowledge resource for me because the lens that I use while I’m designing is very focused only on my clients. So, when it comes to technology and other aspects, I always look towards Rudraksh for the knowledge that he imparts.

BUILDING DREAMS WITH A TOUCH OF ROMANCE: CONVINCING THE BOSS TO HIRE YOUR BOYFRIEND

RC: So, we’ll talk about two things. First, it’s been 20 years of fun joyride. There’s a very interesting story. And second, this was probably our first project together. So, I started the company two years before Priyanka joined it because
we decided to get married, and we wanted at least one person to be in the job while we are married so that the money keeps on flowing in.

PK: I was extremely passionate about that project because it was a metal structure. It was a complete glass pyramid that they were making. And eventually, I got to know that the person who was taking the building is planning to open a nightclub.

RC: So she basically convinced her boss to get her boyfriend on that interior project.

A COMICAL TURN OF EVENTS: SOURCING ABROAD WITHOUT A PARTNER IN CRIME

RC: So this is I think sometime between 2008-2010, we were finishing a house, and this is one of our flagship projects.
A fantastic house. We decided to get the furniture from Italy, and I decided I’m going to fly the clients to Milan, and we’re going to go and buy furniture and do the entire house. And the clients and their entire family and everybody was all set to scoot and cut to four days before we were supposed to leave. I was playing tennis; I had a fall and broke my arm. And now I cannot go. And I’m like Priyanka, why didn’t you take them? And she’s like, what?

PK: The thing is that me and Rudraksh, we don’t work on one project together. So, I was clueless about what was
going on with that project, what were the design lines, what kind of furniture they had shortlisted. And here there’s the full family along with their small kids all set to travel to Milan and Rudraksh is nowhere there in the picture. So, I took the whole family, I think seven, eight people, for four days. And I’m selecting furniture on Rudraksh’s behalf. So that was also quite a fun trip I had.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE: A MYTH IN THE WORLD OF DESIGN

RC: So yeah, work-life balance. The simple answer is we don’t. There is no work-life balance at a level. It’s been a long time
and I think now, since we’ve been recognized as a big brand, people have a different temperament towards us. But it’s very interesting. Earlier years, we were talking about women bias. So yeah, somehow everybody thought that Priyanka is an interior designer. And somehow everybody thought that Rudraksh looks at architecture. I don’t know why.

PK: It’s been a struggle. But I don’t think we fear the struggle. I think the struggle is pretty much natural for us now, for me now, and for her also. Obviously, there are systems in place. We are a very sorted, systematic company now, so that releases a lot of pressure.

DESIGN DYNAMICS: LEVERAGING INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS

PK: So I think when it comes to Rudraksh, he’s technically very, very strong when it comes to other aspects of any of the projects. So, the whole studio, including me, would fall back on Rudraksh when it comes to the technical know-how of any stage of the project. He is more like a resource, a knowledge resource for the detailing work, any procurement that needs to be done, any material or any project strategy.

RC: So, like our personalities, we also have a different set of skill sets. If I talk about Priyanka, she’s very, very focused. If we need to crack a design in seven days flat, and if I tell her that if we have a deadline, she will crack it. It’s as simple as that. Whereas I will not be able to crack it in seven days because I will not be able to dedicate focused time to it because there are a hundred other things that I need to be able to do.

SYNERGISING DESIGN PROCESSES: A TANDEM APPROACH

PK: Design as a field is not a linear process. So, there can never be just one solution to any design problem. We are always, whenever we are doing a design resolution, we always try and present two different schemes to our clients. And, while my scheme would be more design-oriented, the scheme that Rudraksh would present would have more to do with the context and other finer aspects as well. So, we don’t really see it as a challenge, but I see it as part of the process and bringing a different perspective altogether in a project.

RC: Projects are process-driven, they are very long. As a policy, me and Priyanka are going to be part of all projects when the core design is happening. Once we are out of the concept design, one of us is going to take the project through. The aspect where one of us takes the project through is because our intervention reduces. We have a huge team. We have very senior people in the company who are going to step in and there is the structure engineers, there are MEP engineers, there are project managers, there are senior architects, there are consultants. Everybody comes in and it’s like machinery. It goes through and then at the end of the project, then both of us come in again because that’s the final touch of the project, the handover stage where what we have conceived a year or two years ago has completely come to shape and now we need to garnish it perfectly to be able to present it to the client.

THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: FOSTERING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

PK: My advice to aspiring couples who are in the design industry would be to have patience and trust. Also, the key to a successful partnership would be communication. Don’t be afraid to have difficult conversations. If there are certain
personal goals which are not aligned with the other partner, have that conversation, sort it out. It’s essential that you communicate your goals to your partner so that there is, for long-term association and long-term partnership and happiness, I think that is something that I would advise on.

RC: Yeah, because there is definitely going to be a lot of, I would say… Friction. At work, at home. Yeah, so communication is very, very important because you need to know what the other person is thinking and talk it out. You need to either convince the other person or get convinced. And if you are not aligned, then the partnership’s not going to work. You might have a different point of view. Your partner might have a different point of view. And both the point of views might be correct in their subjectivity in the context that is there. I think it needs to be talked out. You need to be able to come to a collaborative compromise. And live happily. And one more thing. I think they should take time in nurturing their relationship outside the professional goal as well. Because that’s also essential that you’re not just professionally insane.