Hello once again! I am so excited to bring you the next episode of Architecture, Coffee, & Ink! In today’s episode, we are going to be talking with Nitin Govila, who dives into a range of topics, from Tensile Architecture, to Fabrics, to Sustainability, to the Impacts of Acoustics on the Workplace, Mr. Govila shares his knowledge, and gives some great tips to those starting out in the industry. As the current Sr. Vice President-Asia Pacific + MEA, Executive Comex, Driving Transformation & Profitability for Serge Ferrari, he is based in Singapore. I am excited to have him on the show, where he shares his experience, discusses the firm he works with, and gives tips and advice you don’t want to miss. With that, please enjoy the interview.
The transcript is down below, and please catch the above YouTube video and newly released episode. Please enjoy wherever you find your podcasts!
TRANSCRIPT:
It’s been a while, but its finally time for Architecture, Coffee, & Ink.
20 second Intro song
Hello, this is Hollywood C. and you’re listening to Architecture, Coffee, & Ink. A podcast dedicated to introducing concepts, detailing out designs, and tackling the architecture you might not realize the meaning behind. I’m your hostess and I am here today to start introducing you to the designs that make you wonder why.
tag line: So, I ask you to brew your coffee, grab your sketch book and pen, and let’s begin.
Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Architecture, Coffee, & Ink, and I am here today with another episode. And if notice that this introduction is a bit different than normal, you are still on the right show. Today is our first ever episode that also posted on YouTube. So if you want to see the faces behind the show, and watch the zoom call, check out Architecture, Coffee, & Ink on YouTube-or the website, where I have embedded the video. In honor of this occasion, the audio from the YouTube is the same, however, in the future, individual content will be created for both.
With that said, I am excited to kick off with another Interview, with a Nitin Govila, the current Sr. Vice President-Asia Pacific + MEA, Executive Comex, Driving Transformation & Profitability for Serge Ferrari. Based in Singapore, I am excited to have him on the show, where he shares his experience, discusses the firm he works with, and gives tips and advice you don’t want to miss. With that, please enjoy the interview.
Interview Transcript:
Hollywood C.
So, thank you so much for coming on the show. So perhaps we could just kind of start off by diving a bit into your history, introduce you to my listeners. I know that they’ll be really excited to hear about some of the exciting new things that you’ve been doing lately. I saw that in your current role you were working across a pretty amazing range of Asia-Pacific, Oceania, Middle East. In Africa, could you just tell us a little bit about that?
Mr. Govila
OK, so, so my name is Nitin Govila. I’m based in Singapore. We’ve been living in Singapore for the last 15 years. So, and now I’ve been working with this French company for the last six years called Serge Ferrari. It’s a French company headquartered very close to Lyon. You know, and I’m based in Singapore, managing the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa business, which is the way we have structured our business to be divided in two parts. So, one person manages the business in Americas and Europe, and I manage based on the geography because it’s a big one, the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. So, and in my role, I mean I report directly to the CEO. So, it’s a general management role. Then I have a team being such a big geographical area, we’ve divided them into territories as we say. So, we have seven territories, which is Middle East and Africa, South Asia, Greater China, Korea, Japan, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. So, each of these territories are headed by general managers or key country managers depending on the geography or the group of countries they handle and yes, so it’s a, it’s a French Company, so all our manufacturing mainly is in France and in Germany. So, we acquired a German company also a couple of years back.
Now what is Serge Ferrari into? it’s, it’s a, it’s a world leader in composite and tensile materials. I mean we call it composite materials, but some somebody would call it membranes, somebody would call it fabrics, technical fabrics depending on each geography’s nomenclature, and we have multiple products for both interior and exterior applications and we are the only transversal company working across different market segments and that’s where we categorize our strategic market. Which we may say for interiors it would be say blinds. Then exteriors could be awnings or exterior screen products. Then if we go to tensile it would be façades, big structures, shading. So, something like when we talk about big structures could be airports, stadiums, and big walkways, amphitheaters or it could have just a small shading structure. Then we have tents and event ends and lodges. You know, the holiday resorts, those kinds of applications. And then we have furniture and marines. So, these are our classical strategic markets, but other than that we have products for industrial applications like biogas water storage, water liners, fish farming, so multiple products across different market segments.
Hollywood C.
I didn’t even think about fish farming. That’s like a very interesting one.
Mr. Govila
Yeah, fish farming is interesting because you know what is happening now, either because of pollution and to protect the marine habitat. There’s a there’s an element how you actually catch the fish and, you know, grow, and let them. You know, develop. So basically, now underwater fish farming is becoming a very key application. I’m talking here mostly the Northern Europe part of the world where it’s more advanced, so you make big diameter. What we call fish cages, which are put under water and the way it works is the excreta of the fish-you are able to remove it through a certain process, and that’s where fabric helps because you are able to maintain that purity of the water. Under which the Salmon or other fish can grow, and the output can increase and also the quality.
So, and you’re able to protect the marine habitat also. So, it’s a, it’s a late innovation. We’ve been there for a few years but last few years we’ve been able to, you know really develop some good applications and get some good projects. We have in the pipe around 10 big fish cages. I’m, I’m talking about nearly 50 Buildup meter or 25-meter dia so you can imagine and it’s a huge one. So, the kind of fabric you need which cannot corrode with the ocean, water, salts, and everything. So, it becomes very key and even on land you can make those you know containers with fabric so that you are able to protect and manage the waste in the right way so that the quality of the fish is still good, and the output of the fish is still good.
So, so it’s, it’s a, it’s a very interesting growing market and the same thing is like biogas because. Of the renewables and the sustainability aspect. It’s growing a lot because again the ammonia or the gases which comes, you don’t want the material to be degraded. And that’s where having a certain kind of technical fabric which does not degrade and maintains the output in the right way and the gases don’t go into the environment also and you are able to either connect it to the electricity grid or you can convert it to a biofuel where for motoring of vehicles depends on that. So, so yes, a lot of things are coming and as a leader we really invest nearly 4% of our R&D To develop products to, you know, to be obviously in the forefront of innovation.
Hollywood C.
Oh, wow. So, congratulations on your acquisition in Germany to your company. But do you get to travel throughout the region a lot?
Mr. Govila
Yep, yes, I mean that’s part of my job obviously two years or 1 1/2 years during COVID times. We managed it remotely and actually the fact that we have local feet on the ground helped us to be able to manage our businesses and you know, still maintain our market positions. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult at the same. Time now, now. Obviously before COVID and after last year, last year, October or November of 2021 I’ve been able to again regularly travel. There are few countries obviously, still, I’m not able to go like China or Japan because of various restrictions. But other than that, yes, travels have begun.
It’s very necessary also in my position to be in the market to meet the local team and the local customers. To understand how the market is evolving, how things are changing and then I act as a bridge between the local markets and head office, R&D, managers and our head office key management to you know to also give feedback how things are happening or what we need to do for the future because this German acquisition actually came through that market study because it was for a company in a certain market where most of the business comes from my region. Which is the big structures and in that we realize that we are missing out on a certain product category. So having presented all the market analysis and the future the way market is shifting, we realize that we need to do acquisitions. So actually, there were two. We acquired a small company in Taiwan first, that was in January of February 2020 and then we acquired the second big competitor of us in Germany, which was in June 2020. So, at the peak of COVID, we were still investing to for the future as a company.
Hollywood C.
I was just thinking that would be right at the peak, so it must have added an extra dimension of hardness to it.
But could you explain a little bit more about the company itself? I would love to hear more about some of their goals as well as maybe a bit more about the four sectors that they covered. I know you mentioned some of them, but I know that my listeners would absolutely love to talk about it. Especially I noticed you have like 4 pillars I think. I I’m not really sure what you would call them, but. Like solar protection, modular structure, tensile architecture, and then of course furniture and marine, which I’m a bit of a geek for.
Mr. Govila
OK. So, as I mentioned, so as a company, in fact 2023 will be a 50th year of existence. So, we are established in the belt, which is close to Lyon, that whole belt, which is a mix of France, Italy, and Switzerland, has been historically known for fabrics, if I may say so. Oh, or cloth. And then it has evolved, so there is all the necessary, I would say, ecosystem which exists in that part of the of the of Europe. So, we are very close to Leon, 30 minutes from Lyon and it’s a family company or if it was, it is still the family owns a bigger part of the shareholding, but it’s now listed on the Euronext in Paris and the and the way we are the only company in this industry, which we do end to end. Meaning even the yarns we make ourselves. Unlike some other companies who might source yarns from different raw materials or different parts of the world and just do the weaving and the coating, we actually control the whole process. And through that then whatever innovation we are able to do or whatever technology we are able to bring and to develop these products which. If you do, a stadium can even last 25-30 years or our big structures, it’s like a permanent material. We are able to do so. So, so that’s a key element.
So obviously in in a business like this when we call composite materials. How the yarns are made, which raw material you you’re using, how do you do the weaving and then the coating process, it obviously varies if a for a fabric in furniture is different in the way we do the weaving and coating the service fabric which we are using for blinds or for big structures. So, it’s. It’s very technical. In that sense, people may obviously sometimes say a tarp may be in use. In the US you use the word tarp. In fact, sometimes we still get people who would use this word even for a big structure. Sometimes you feel bad when people use that word because a tarp would mean a very low-end toppling kind of thing. But you can understand how the evolution has happened because. That was the basic fabric and then it has evolved. But now obviously, if you take the example of Dubai Expo, which happened last year, nearly 19 pavilions were done by our product. Qatar World Cup or the Football World Cup which is going to happen in a couple of months’ time. Out of seven stadiums, 5 are of fabric and all the five are 100% using our materials. So, so, so that’s that makes it very interesting and I’m sure we are working on some interesting projects in US because the next World Cup is going to happen in US, in after this US and Mexico. So, so that’s the background of the material because of the technology aspect we’ve unlike other companies we’ve not kind of outsourced or done our manufacturing in other parts of the world to maintain our, you know, the intellectual knowledge and everything. So, we manufacture everything in France, OK. The yarns we may be doing in Switzerland and the later part of the process we do in France and similarly in Germany, the company we acquired, they also work the same way. So, Taiwan was our first acquisition, but Taiwan is obviously very well protected in that sense in terms of copyrights, in terms of rules and laws. So, it helped us to do so. So that becomes very key and that’s where you are able to differentiate from a very cheap material which you know that. Then you can say that. OK. How do you trust that? Do you have historic data to say that? OK, I built this structure. It lasts for 25-30 years. Do you have examples or not? So, so that’s what the company is in.
And then as I mentioned earlier in that we are the transversal company, but obviously we have defined these four pillars or strategic markets, meaning these are the markets which are very key. For us, we will never lose or let go our positions in this market. So, the way we define our vision is that we want to be occupy our market leadership in these markets. So, when we talk about solar protection, I mean as the word says to protect against sun, so we are talking about interior and exterior, lines or pergolas, now you see that a lot in US in Boston or New York, everywhere I went had outdoor eating. So, so you need to cover that you know so you could do with pergolas or motorized or fixed ones and then the classical awnings, so that’s what we define as solar protection. Then modular is more like the classical event structures. Meaning why we call it modular because they are standard designs, but you can obviously after the event is over after two days you can collapse them, you can store them and again use it for another event but there I also, evolution happening in that obviously very high end events require a very high end of fabric and other technologies and then there is related to now lot of holiday resorts and lodges are coming in different parts of the world. You know when you go for Safari or in very exotic locations? So, they make these fabric lodges and hotels and rooms. So that’s that is what we call as modular and also the big now because either of heat of extreme temperatures you need to cover a tennis court or a basketball court. So, you can do that with the with the fabrics. So that’s what we define as modular.
Then the third part, tensile as I mentioned, is always big structures, so whether you’re doing airports, stadiums. Amphitheaters, big walkways, or shading structures, that’s what we define as tensile and marine and furniture’s. So, furniture is classical one, which you can use for upholstery or sling like if you go if you’ve ever been say on a cruise, it’s exposed to extreme climate, so the chairs which are besides the pool or outside, they would need a fabric which does not degrade fast. So, we are into that kind of applications also and at the same time Marine is also extreme weather, so for yachts, for small boats or for cruises that it’s and that you’re able to protect the equipment and you’re able to protect the furniture on that. So, these are our classical or very strategic markets where we put most of our efforts in and develop new products and want to maintain our market leadership and then we have the other application which I mentioned about what we call as fish farming, biogas, even in automotive market we have these solar screens in cars where you can open the screens on the on the roof of. So, those kinds of things also we have which are what we say, adjoining markets or the supplementally markets where we still have interesting products, but as of now we don’t, I mean kind of devote too much of effort, but in certain countries definitely they contribute a lot. So, as I mentioned, fish farming in Northern Europe, biogas is very strong in classical Continental Europe and in some parts of Asia now including India. So, so then then once we have the market then we start focusing on that.
Hollywood C.
Yeah, no, it’s good to hear that you’re starting to branch into sustainability and it’s a very impressive all of the different areas, that the company gets to handle and you, yourself.
Mr. Govila
Like even in sustainability, I missed the point that even in now in solar protection we also have PVC free or water-based program. So, so if people are buildings which we want to maintain a certain kind of LEED rating. They want to ensure that they have the right product to ensure that they have the right number of stars or lead approval. So, we have water based or PVC free products because generally classically the fabrics are made of polyester yarns and coated with PVC. But we have now a very good strong PVC free range in that sense. We are also working on specific sustainability to recycle our current products range. So that’s a, I would say a startup concept we’ve created. We’ve hyped up a company and that’s working on that, creating a container concept. So, you need a container. The unit is there. Where you have a fabric, you can now use that unit to convert the fabric 2 yarns which are Class A, meaning good quality yarns which again they can you can reuse to make a fabric. So, we are creating a modular concept in that we hope to launch it early next year and then. What will happen is anybody, any part of the world if says, oh, I want to do this? OK, you we send the container module, you put it in your backyard, I mean backyard, meaning if you have an industry yard, and you put it there and you can do it, so it makes it much closer to you. Unlike in the past where we used to work with a company in Italy and Switzerland where obviously the material has to be brought over. To do the recycling. So now it’s we are coming closer to you so we can be in every country and that’s a very key step we’ve taken and as a as a leader in this industry felt that we need to take that direction and so we’ve invested on that and it’s going to be launched. So, it’s already operational in certain markets. We are doing the testing and everything and then for the whole world, it will be launched next year.
Hollywood C.
Oh, wow, so I’m. I am. I’m going to change topics just a little bit because uhm. You did mention this, and it made me think of it when you’re talking. About people thinking in America, it’s a tarp or something. And we do have a lot of students that listen that are going to be starting up school or already have. And I’ve had several requests for episodes on building materials, construction, and design, maybe teaching them that it’s not a tarp. And as that’s going to be a real core focus for a lot of their classes this semester. And since you are really knowledgeable about some of the pretty innovative concepts, so would you care to share some of your experiences with that a little bit, maybe diving into like building façades and fabrics or so?
Mr. Govila
Yes, so that’s a very interesting part. In fact, this is also we have been discussing internally you know that how to educate because it’s still. Even though you would see structures around, but the knowledge is still in a very nascent phase. It may vary from country to country, but there’s sometimes either still a hesitation to use membranes or people don’t know much because there is a there’s a science behind it and there is an engineering behind it. In fact, people who enter this industry. Who do the fabrication because we just make the fabric in rolls. Then you have to work with, uh, another company which has the technical software which designs the loading, the design of the building and based on that the type of fabric to use. And after that then you have to do a form finding. You have to do the cutting and the welding and then the installation. So, there is a whole science and engineering behind it. There are institutes in Europe which offers Two years or four years of degree courses on that. So, and some architecture institutes or design institutes have started including it as a course. So, my recommendation to people who are or the young students who are entering obviously the classical architecture design, they will have all those subjects. But if they can take out time to go in this direction of tensile or composite materials I may say, because that’s what it is known as really. They will, they will expand their understanding because fabric is becoming the fifth element, you know, so we have bricks, stones, and everything, but it’s becoming the fifth element of construction. Obviously when you have a stadium which can be there for 25, 30, or 40 years. You know that it’s, it’s a, it’s a kind of a permanent structure and laws have changed in certain countries where they have started, you know, calling even a tent or a backyard warehouse as a permanent structure because in the end the benefit it provides. So, I would say we are also trying to work with some architect institute in certain countries that if a course can be introduced. We do sometimes sessions or education sessions with a group of architect or architect associations in different countries. So, if people have time or students have time and the motivation, I would suggest they should try to take these courses if it’s offered or if it’s not offered they can do it remotely or you know. Through online courses because that will really expand.
And then adding to that, as you mentioned the building facades is an evolving industry. So, we are obviously used to the classical brick buildings or concrete. Glass has come obviously in the last many one or two decades and it’s evolving also. But in the end, what people don’t realize is, and that’s where the aspect of façades comes. One is the element of aesthetics on façades. OK, what’s the design of a building? It’s an iconic building. Every architect wants a signature building under their name so that they are always. Remembered, but at the same time now the sustainability aspect which we just talked about. Are those designs helping on that now? Sometimes we always when we talk about façade, so we have a what we call a façade mesh, which is obviously cannot be used as the first skin. I mean, you cannot replace a glass or a wall, but if it can be used as a second skin. So, what you do is then you really manage the heat load or the air conditioning load in the building because once the sun hits the wall or the glass, the heat is already inside the building. So, you may have blinds. It does protect you in your room, but the heat is already there. So, you would need a certain level of air conditioning load. But if you are able to block, imagine 85% of the heat outside the building. Imagine how much saving you’re able to bring, and even if you block it outside and you’re not changing the aesthetics of the building, you are able to still connect from the inside to the outside. Meaning the view through is still good, so you still feel connected to the nature outside, but at the same time you’re able to manage glare. Heat, thermal, all other elements in the building which can make it comfortable. Now this is, I would say, very, very nascent stage, not so well understood. Obviously companies like us have to play a role. So, we participate in lot of façade conferences and make presentations to educate the façade. So, we participate every year now nearly into 12 to 15 façade conferences throughout the year across the world. This is an initiative I started taking a couple of years back and now we do it across the world, so people are also getting educated on that, but definitely this is also a field were: how do you manage the heat and energy in a building? I would rather instead of saying façade itself, which is one element of that if the students can look at that element, and then façade would be one of the categories to help you in understand or go in that direction would really help because more and more it’s becoming key. More and more people are looking at not only material, but also how the load of that building is in terms of electricity consumption and other elements it’s becoming very key. So, these are few things definitely I would say other than the classical subjects which any architect, institute or college will teach you. If students can take this initiative in that direction would be a really great help when they finally come, whichever field they made, they may start their own company, or they may work for another company or as part of an architect firm, it will always be very helpful.
Hollywood C.
OK. And this is just a quick, I thought of it while you were speaking. So, if there are engineering students cause, I do have a couple of those listeners in, that are really interested in the fabrics and they were the ones kind of pushing for kind of moving into this direction, Do you have any advice for them getting started in the field or?
Mr. Govila
Yeah, engineering, so engineering I think by default for them. To get into tensile engineering, is a very interesting field. I would say it’s a very technical field. So, if they want to specialize also depending on whether that institute offers or not, they can go in that direction or then take an additional one year or two years masters. I have I’ve known people who’ve done that. In fact, yesterday I interviewed somebody for our Middle East, there was a position there. I mean Lady had done architect course, I mean a four year or five-year degree course and after that she did a two-year Masters in tensile architecture. So yes, if it if it is offered as part of their, they should take those subjects definitely and even if they are not going in that direction. And they are part of civil or mechanical, maybe mostly civil or construction engineering then these elements that how to manage the sustainability, sustainability of the building? How to manage the energy load of the building? There are there are many sciences behind that now. We ourselves have developed a software where we cover nearly have data for 80 to 100 cities, where if you put the data of that city along with the type of glazing of glass which has been used and if you use a fabric inside, on the outside, you can actually calculate the heat or the OR the cooling load in the building. So there’s lot of sciences which have come in that direction and like BIM like softwares I think. Uh, as part of their engineering course. If they can take electives in this direction, it will really add their value when they come out in the market or in the job market going forward, definitely. I mean these are the fields I would really recommend for people to for young students to look at as electives or take as extra courses.
Hollywood C.
Oh well, thank you so much. So, what, I would like to get just a circle on back to sustainability, but maybe in a different way, but focusing it on in the workplace because you’ve obviously gone to multiple locations and so you probably know a fair bit about sustainability in the workplace. So, we kind of gloss over that I feel like a lot of in. Just in life in general. Also, what does sustainability even mean in this context?
Mr. Govila
Well, I think in the end when you look at in workplace, obviously depending on which building your part of, you know, how do you manage the classical things of electricity, air conditioning? I mean these are these are all key things to be to be considerate of how you design their own office spaces. But many times, unless you are a very big company who can invest to make construct its own building, sometimes you’re really dependent on what is the rental cost of the space or the building which exists. So, there’s not so much elements you can. Control in that building. Other than that, you design your own space workspace, which I would say more than sustainability comes to the element of the well-being of the workplace. So, meaning that at least inside, can you manage the glare, can you manage the heat? Can you manage the light? And more importantly, I’ve also started talking a lot about how do you manage the acoustics and sound because it’s becoming more an open space working nowadays as a new concept. So not so many people or designers are yet focusing on that, that all the three elements they look at, light, glare, and heat is a classical thing now many look at. But acoustics is really a much more specific science which is still not looked at and if we can that can be added also. That can make a very nice, comfortable workplace, which then leads to good. Uh, you know, environment and feeling for the employees. Uh, so I would more talk about on that sense on the workplace well-being sustainability is, is really dependent now big companies like maybe Google, Apple, or any other companies, I mean they have a lot of money, they’ll build campuses, and they are putting energy and time and money to build really sustainable campuses and a good workplace. But smaller companies who just have five employees or 10, and they want a space that’s of their own. They would not be able to do too much on that. But yes, I mean within the office, OK. What kind of material you use for these things? How do you manage your waste now? Whether it’s a coffee machine for example. Are you collecting those capsules and using it for recycling? Uh, do you have, you know, water vending machines or do you use. Uh, plastic water bottles. So those are things I think the awareness is already catching on also in terms of now in even in our company, in our headquarters, we are exploring when we look at rental vehicles. Can we move in the direction of hybrids or electric vehicles and negotiate good contracts which can run across a country like USA or for that matter across Europe? And then we contribute in our own way because people, salespeople or marketing people still have to go and meet customers. But can we help in that direction to use the right kind of vehicle to, you know, in terms of protecting the environment also? So, so that’s that. Those are key steps which are at least as a company we are looking at and taking and then as a mix of both sustainability and a workplace well-being.
Hollywood C.
OK. See, acoustics is something I think that we don’t really think about a lot. In particular, I think you were totally right when you said that you always think about it was at the office too hot, too cold, where my position to the sun can I have plants, can I not? But you really, I mean, when you’re trying to have a meeting and everybody is talking around you, you just can’t do anything, can you?
Mr. Govila
True, true and I differentiate it by saying that between good sound and bad noise. So, we are not talking about acoustics like your recording place you know where it’s a different need you have to avoid all kinds of ambient noise. But in an open space, what you need is that at least, or in a restaurant, so many restaurants, I’m sure the part of the country you are in, or I was in New York last week, you enter, I mean, you want to go to a space or a restaurant to be able to talk to someone or who’s sitting across you, but there’s so much of noise that you can hardly hear somebody even across the table. This is something you’re not saying to make a soundproof environment, but at least you can have a good sound. You can hear each other and not a bad noise where you get lost and in the end when you come out of that dinner or the team. I think you’re so much heavy in your head and everything, so I think. This is key. But then you need sometimes some help you also need to understand OK? You don’t need to plaster your walls with heavy, you know, material or whatever. And we actually have two kinds of fabrics in acoustics where you can use them as blinds, you can use them as ceilings, you can use them as covering of the lights that you would not even know that there’s a material there but you will feel the effect of that when you’re sitting in a meeting room or an open space so you could do it even furniture you know in that sense so it there are many ways to do that which will not hit your eye. You will not even know it exists, but it will create a comfortable space for you.
Hollywood C.
Wow, that’s really, that’s a very smart way to do it, especially the lights. I was just thinking like I may need to order a couple of those in here, but uhm. Let’s see. So, uhm, as many of us have been heading back into the office. Uhm, what would your advice be for as an individual? What can you do to create even just like better relationships with your coworkers? Or how would? You let me actually, let me rephrase that ’cause. I think I phrased that pretty poorly, but as somebody who goes to multiple locations and is talking with the people on the teams and the grounds, do you have any advice for like more effective ways to communicate with each other. Good ways to do it, especially since you did it acquisitions through COVID.
Mr. Govila
Yeah, I think the key part would be I’m more and more, you know, I see that that one needs to be curious and respectful, so curious means I think curious is a very unique word. I would say it encapsulates everything, because if you’re curious, obviously before going, you will also, if you’re going for the first time, say a XYZ country would obviously read a little bit. Try to understand the cultures, behaviors or if you can find. Anything to read or talk to people so that comes. From that then when you land or when you come, you observe, you walk around. You look at people you know and see and get a feel of it. And then obviously when you’re interacting with your coworkers, taking that knowledge which, you’ve gathered through your curiosity. Again, when you’re interacting, trying to, you know, listen, and then ask more questions. To understand more and give them a chance, you know, rather than just saying, OK, I’m the boss here, so you have to just listen. So, I think it all starts from curiosity and in cross cultural elements. I used to do some cross-cultural sessions long time back when I was working in France. Asking questions, being curious about different cultures, trying to understand the logic that divides this habit or this way of working. There’s always a reason in any country or culture to do things a certain way, you know, rather than being just judgmental. OK, these people are like that or these people are always like that. You know, there’s no kind of generalization. It’s very important to do so and then also taking out time to be in the city, wherever you are, you know, just walk around. Just observe. See what you see. You know, sometimes even in workplace you may not get a real feel of the background why people behave like that, right? So, when you walk around in the city and you see normal people the way they lay or you go to a supermarket or whatever, that’s also gives you a flavor of things, and then you become sensitive to that and that sensitivity when you carry to your workplace, it helps you a long way because then people will respect you. You understand there. I mean you will respect certain things to be said or not said or how to say that. So, I think this is key. This is key. I mean the element of observation, the element of asking questions, the element of listening. It’s, it’s. Very important, very important.
Hollywood C.
No, it’s definitely very important.
Mr. Govila
And then I always, you know, you know, kind of summarize it by saying it’s a, it’s an element of mutual trust and respect because it’s both ways. And when you have that spirit as a value as a professional, then it always holds you in good stead in your interaction.
Hollywood C.
Well, now your background speaks to an incredibly strong understanding of the building and strengthening teams and businesses. Could you tell us how, maybe how you got into this, like what drew you into the idea of building teams?
Mr. Govila
Yeah, so the build entering into a building material was, I would say, more accidental. I mean, when I started work in India, I started with a paints company. So, I did work for food and dairy industry, but that was for a short time, two or three years then when I moved to France for my MBA. After that I started again in the home automation industry and then moved to roofing and now to technical fabrics. So, by default it’s just moved in that direction. So, I’ve been mostly in B to B, but also sometimes in B to B to C, those kinds of sectors. So now then coming to my part of the role which I was in a certain geography, obviously very diverse geography. Unlike Europe or whatever you may say, OK, there’s a certain level of similarity and continuity, even though different cultures it’s very different. French or Spanish or Italian or German, they’re very different, but there is still a continuity in certain practices of businesses and everything, whereas if you come to Asia, I mean even if it’s you come to Southeast Asia cluster between Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, or you go to say, Australia, New Zealand or North Asia, China, Korea. I mean, each country is very unique. There’s a difference of culture, there’s a difference of history, language, and the ways of doing business. So, what then becomes very important is when you are growing businesses or establishing business in these parts of the world, very key is to have a local person on board trust that rather than, you know, just saying, OK, I’m a French company or European company, I only trust expats, meaning I send my nationality people to these countries I’ve never believed in, that. If there are good people in every part of the world, in every country, you just need to find them. And when you do that, then with the level of accountability and responsibility you give them, then you obviously get the best. Performance and results and then how the business grows. You develop your team, ensuring that you bring the right people with the right skill set, giving the right environment to share, share with each other, talk to each other and also encouraging interactions between countries, which is what in a small company like ours. It’s very important to do because you know we don’t have, we’re not a billion-euro company or dollar company that we have. Within each country we will have different hierarchies so people know how they will grow and evolve. Sometimes as business grows, our organization evolves to make it interesting for people to stay and remain with us. We have to keep on making things interesting, giving them chance to even interact with professionals from other parts of the world or other countries and they learn. So that’s a that’s an environment I’ve always encouraged for, and I continue to do so. A lot of cross sharing, lot of troubles between countries. When new people join, I prefer to send them to other countries to learn and that way then there’s a lot of strong bonding and working together.
Hollywood C.
Oh, that’s a pretty good tip. Especially with like sending them to other areas like. That’s something I don’t think you think a lot about. You always think you’re going to train in one location. That’s a really, really good tip. Now of course my last question that I always like to ask is one silly question. Regardless of if you’re a designer, architect, engineer, I always like to ask if you had an unlimited budget and a client who is willing to give you free reins over scope and parameters of a project, what would you design and? How would you do it?
Mr. Govila
Well, you’re asking that question to a wrong person, because I’ve been always on the other side of the table talking to designers but not doing design myself. But if I had to do so, I mean, it again, depends. What kind of building or things I want, but whether it was a home or an office or anything I would try to look at, you know, and this is. I would say I my eyes have opened up to this having worked with European companies, because I think European companies have been quite ahead in terms of managing and looking at Sun and managing nature in the way they design the buildings. So, I would say that this this is really a new thing captured over the years that OK. OK, you can design the best of the buildings, but how do you manage everything to light, you know? Can you take the natural light which is available and play it to the best? So, we use the minimal of construction materials. So obviously you need to construct a wall or something. But then can you play with glass? Can you play with? Shading to ensure that at different times of the day you’re using the light, which is already available for you, but at the same times you are able to use fabrics or other materials to play on the protection to play on extreme heat. Or other times of the day. So, after that then the creativity elements depend on each birth personal choice, whether they want a classical rectangle, box kind of building or a morph free flowing shape. It depends on each person interest, but more importantly for me would be how I am able to take the advantage of the natural light which exists around me and play with that in the design of the building. If it’s a residence, if it’s an office, then it depends in which country or territory or area you are or a block you are of that city. Then how you have to play on the aesthetics on the outside and everything and if it’s then a I would say a sports or another area, then it depends OK, what’s the expectation and how you can make it unique but at the same time useful, you know, because sometimes we can go too much into unique, but then sometimes you wonder when you see the building from outside, what’s the real usefulness or what was the real logic behind? It it’s nice to have this, but is it really useful for the people who stay inside? So, I think it’s all depends on the person who’s going to use it. That’s really the starting point and after that how you play on the natural light. I think it’s very key because if you are able to manage that element then I think all the other elements of sustainability and the kind of material they automatically follow with that aspect. That how you how you use the natural light.
Hollywood C.
Well, thank you so much. So, thank you so much for coming in. Where can anybody find you or your firm if they’re interested in following up and hiring you guys?
Mr. Govila
I’m, I am. So, I’m on LinkedIn. You can for me with my name, Nitin Govila. You can message me there and I can reply back giving my e-mail, or you can go to our website if you want to know about our company, which is Serge Ferrari https://www.sergeferrari.com/. Uh, and so these are two ways you can find me anywhere, and just message and I can come back to you whoever wishes to talk more or, you know, have a separate chat to understand more.
Hollywood C.
Well, thank you once again for coming and I’ve really enjoyed having you on the show. It’s been very enlightening.
Mr. Govila
Oh, thank you. My pleasure. And it’s great speaking with you. Thanks a lot and thank you for taking our time on a Saturday morning. I know it’s been difficult to set up the timings, but since we were in the same time zone, East Coast, so I think it’s been easy that way.
Hollywood C.
No, it has. But please tell your daughter think I hope she enjoys college so much. And then I hope you guys, if you ever come down to Philadelphia, please look me up. I’ll be happy to show you some cool stuff, OK?
Mr. Govila
Why not? I mean, I’ve heard a lot about it. I’ve never been. Maybe I’ve been once long time back just transiting through the city, but beyond that, no. So, I would love to definitely come over, yeah.
Hollywood C.
Alright, have a great have a great rest of your trip.
Mr. Govila
Thanks. Yeah, thanks. Yes, you do. Thank you.
A big thank you once again, I am so excited to kick off this new chapter of Architecture, Coffee, & Ink with a wonderful interview. And if you are interested in speaking on the show, whether it’s yourself, a firm, or just a topic that you are particularly passionate about. Don’t hesitate to reach out to either the website or email address. While both are included in the show notes, both are now architecturecoffeeandink, all spelt out. So that’s architecturecoffeeandink@gmail.com and https://architecturecoffeeandink.com/ But once again a big thank you to all my listeners! Please rate, review, and subscribe.
Before we end the show, I have had a pretty large request for a biodiversity, biomes based episode, so if you have a question that you want answered, please send those in before September 6th, and I will do answer as many questions as possible. The cover art for the show, will be updated soon, so please keep an eye out a fresh new look for Architecture, Coffee, & Ink, where ever you subscribe to your podcasts. And until next time,
May your coffee mugs be full, and your ink wells never run dry.
60 secs end song re-looped.
