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Interview with an Architect: Abhinav Goel

In our latest interview, we sat down with one of RMJM Milano’s rising stars, Abhinav Goel. Having joined RMJM at the beginning of 2020, his first year with the team was a decidedly unique experience. He spoke to us about the projects he has been most proud of over the last 12 months and what one year in the industry has taught him.

What was the most exciting part of your first year?

A: The most exciting part of my first year was being able to explore the various fields of architectural design through a number of competitions. These competitions gave me the opportunity to improve my design understanding as well as introducing me to new perspectives through our collaborations.

What project are you most proud of contributing to?

A: All the projects that I had the opportunity to be associated with were unique in their programmes and scales. So, choosing one over the other is quite a hard task. Certain aspects of each of these projects do stand out though, particularly the conceptualising and design developments were my personal favourite elements of the projects.

What has your biggest challenge been at RMJM? How did you overcome it?

A: My journey with RMJM corresponded with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s been a challenging year working from home, across time zones. This would not have been possible without the support of my colleagues as we collaborated and adapted to this new normal and the results of the collaboration have been quite rewarding.

What makes the RMJM Milano team unique?

A: As a global organisation with firms in multiple locations, one expects a highly corporate atmosphere. However, working at RMJM Milano is an unexpected and exciting experience as it has an incredibly intimate atmosphere that allows close collaborations with the team over various projects.

What was the most interesting thing you learnt last year?

A: As mentioned previously, the pandemic resulted in a completely new working method. It was interesting to learn how to adapt to a completely distant work environment and collaborate globally.

What skills have you developed the most in the last year?

A: Over the past year, I have worked on developing and improving my skills to lead the team for the design competitions that we have taken part in. Communication has been a key skill I’ve found I developed far more than I had anticipated.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

A: As 2020 has taught us all to challenge ourselves and rise to any situation, I am curious to see what’s in store this year for me as an architect and how I could contribute to the global community.