Diana Kellogg: Creating a Marvel in Desert New York-based Diana Kellogg, Founder, Diana Kellogg Architects has designed the oval shaped Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl's School--one of three buildings of Gyaan Center, in the midst of the rural Thar desert of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The school is a stunning example of sustainable architecture.
By Priya Kapoor
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
"When I was about 7 years old, I worked with my grandfather in his woodshop and I always loved it. The transformations that contractors, builders and architects made, it seemed like magic and I knew I wanted to make those same magical structures and creations," reminisces New York-based Diana Kellogg, Founder, Diana Kellogg Architects, who has designed the much talked-about Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl's School, one of three buildings of Gyaan Center, in the midst of the rural Thar desert of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
The school is a stunning example of sustainable architecture. It has oval-shaped structure that promotes the curvilinear circulation of air within its chambers, keeping the school pleasant even if the desert is heating at 50˚C. The structure has no roof, pooling natural light into the vast courtyard. On the side edges, a roof-top solar panel canopy has been set up as a cooling system.
On asking if there is any magic formula that increases her odds of a creative breakthrough, Kellogg says, "It would be great if there was a formula. I am the most creative in the morning, and if I'm lucky, I have worked out a perplexing design issue while asleep. When I wake up, I can formulate these ideas. Generally speaking, when I'm sketching or at my computer a breakthrough doesn't come –this is when I discover the issues. When I'm doing another activity such as walking, yoga, swimming, driving, etc., or any time my mind is allowed to wander, this is when solutions come. It's imperative that I have a lot of quiet alone time to get lost in my head."
For Kellogg, inspiration comes from everywhere, but most often from art, nature or vernacular architecture. "I'm interested in addressing the conditions of the soul, and if I also achieve something aesthetically pleasing then I've managed to pull off something magical. Something clicks and you know you have done something beyond yourself," says Kellogg.
Kellogg identifies the needs of her clients by asking them to do a stream of consciousness writing exercises that can include anything from whether they like to read in sunny open spaces or dark cozy spaces.
"I also ask people to tell me what their favorite objects are in their house, not the things they think are most valuable, but the objects or artwork that nurtures them. Also, when choosing colors I ask clients to look at colors in the closet of the clothes they always wear, not the things they think they should like but again what they gravitate to. Ultimately, once we start the design process and really show them in concrete ways what we think they will like and we see the excitement this generates is when the real designing begins," shares Kellogg.
Kellogg handles the business herself but would love to have a partner. "I would love the luxury of handling the creative aspects and having others do all the administration and negotiating." Mostly involved with residential projects in the USA, Kellogg is looking forward to some institutional projects too.
"I have loved residential work but at this stage, I would like my work to affect more people than a single individual or family. I have many projects in development in India which I am very excited about. My next couple of projects are in Zimbabwe, Mongolia and Morocco. I can't wait to delve into the various cultures and promote the heritage of the location as I did with the Gyaan center," says Kellogg.
For people who are creative but can't think scale, Kellogg advises them to imagine how they would like their life to be. "Feel the textures of that life, the ebbs and flows and above all go with your instinct. It's the only thing that will truly guide you. The projects you avoid are most likely not the projects to pursue, even if they are enticing and lucrative," Kellogg concludes.
FACTSHEET
No. of people employed: US: 4, India: 7
Year of Inception: 1992, two years after graduating from Columbia architecture school.
Key customers: People who believe in justice, healing and the communal good, who also give us the creative license we need, the freedom to explore.
