Meet Nandan Pemmaraju

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nandan Pemmaraju and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nandan, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Failing in grand/interesting ways (but always in a context I chose to do it in) has been a big part of my journey. I believe we should all craft our stage and formula for making mistakes and eventually learning from them. Doing this in cycles, the measure for how much you have learnt could be distilled from how uncomfortable your failure was. Staying fully true to this process is how I find joy and what I consider a big recipe for my success.

Another answer to this question—is to embrace being myself/yourself completely. It’s a bit cliché, but being true to who I am—quirks, confusion, and all, even in the toughest situations—has brought me the most satisfaction and I consider that a real win.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Coming from a country full of Engineers and Doctors, I chose Architecture. Architectural design became a lens to experience the world, and introduced me to a variety of other design disciplines. After graduating from architecture school, I launched my own design studio with two of my friends as partners, allowing me to define my approach to the field. Over three years, working on various residential and commercial projects, I understood that I thoroughly enjoyed three aspects of this domain of design—furniture & lighting, branding the space, and storytelling via developing scenographies. I chose to work on the same three things moving to LA, Artcenter College of Design.

I learnt a very different style of design after moving to the US. The first job I could set my foot into was at VITRA, Swiss furniture makers’ New York HQ—Surrounded by iconic work from Barber & Osgerby, Charles & Ray Eames, the Bouroullec Brothers, and Lord Norman Foster, I felt like a designer child in a furniture wonderland, constantly in awe. Vitra also led me to be invited by Shaumyika Sharma(Interior Design expert & Educator) to Parsons The New School, as a guest critic for the Interior Design Studio mid-term critiques. This rekindled my interest in teaching design.

I moved to LA last year to join Andrea Claire Studio as an assistant designer, where I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with esteemed design studios like Olson Kundig, Commune Design, and Rockwell, among other notable names. Assisting Andrea Claire, I immersed myself in the intricacies of detail, prototyping, and fabricating fixtures for highly specific client requirements. This role helped me stay in touch with my passion for space-making, skyrocketing my interest in interior architecture.

After seven years in the industry, I’ve developed a comprehensive approach to design, integrating graphic design, furniture, lighting, fixtures, interiors, and spatial storytelling. While I know there’s still much to learn, I’m looking everyday to push my ability to create versatile and personalized designs for each client.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For LA, go ahead and skip the typical pop culture spots. Start with Griffith Observatory(I promise that’s the only popular spot) to map the city from a height, then head to the Barnsdall Art Center/Park for a closer look at the city, definitely during dusk (thank me later). For food, try Wurstküche’s hotdogs, China Cafe at Grand Central Market, and finish the week with a (million) layered croissant at Fondry (though be prepared for a 30 minute wait in a line). If you like walking(I know you do!) neighborhoods like K-Town, Glendale, and Los Feliz are the warmest spots in LA for it. If you like to walk along the river, LA definitely has one (more like a canal), and your best access to it would be from Frogtown for coffee, breweries, and scenic bike trails. Rent a bike at Spoke Bicycle Cafe and if you’re around for lunch on a Thursday, come say hi!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Three things mainly shaped me, a habit, multiple places, and few people who were a part of my different milestones.

I inherited my escape habit from my father, who used to find solace in buying a movie ticket for a 6:30pm show and coming home late with a sleepy yet content smile. I started joining him as a kid and found comfort in the movies’ moving images and background music. When I had to face the world on my own, I remembered how my father dealt with challenges. So, I either went to the nearest movie theater or got my ipad screen to the fullest brightness with my Beats Solo Pro, grabbed samosas/pretzels, and a Diet Coke, and pushed myself in the thumping sound and vibrant screen. Movies provided a temporary escape and a fresh perspective. I rewatched BURNT for a million times, which follows Adam, a failed, two Michelin star chef’s story, standing back up for his third one. Did not count how many times I rewatched the first two seasons of THE BEAR, which normalizes anxiety, and were particularly comforting. Moving images have always helped me cope, so, thanks to Naanna (Dad in Telugu) and all the people who gave their blood, sweat, and tears to these films.

New York, and LA, have pushed me out of my comfort zone. These giant cities have been my stages for experimenting my new personality and the things I have learnt in the past few professional years. The most I have learnt was in New York, when I was left pushed around, standing in front of a subway station, not knowing which train to take back home. I truly felt like just standing there was home, in the middle of chaos, passion, anger, unfulfilled dreams, and a lot of stories. I was me, nobody disturbed the person I am, and I realized my fullest potential every second I spent in that city. Japan, a place I’ve never visited but always felt connected to, seems to hold a special part of me that feels intrinsically linked to its culture. An example of why Japan—whenever I see a Tabi(Japanese Sock), it takes me back to my non-existent past, when I was standing in an Engawa overlooking stone islands amid a sea of gravel ripples. Thinking about it almost makes me a different person who I want to be.

I have so many people to thank: Kash, Scott, Miao, Sravya Akka, Sashank, Abhi, Kiba, Barber & Osgerby, Oki Sato, Bouroullec Brothers, Imtiaz Ali, Tharun Bhascker, Jean Michel Basquiat, Oki Sato, Konstantin Grcic, Rene Redzepi, Momo, Fiete, Andrea, Al, and countless others who have been kind or challenging. These are friends, mentors, and influences who shaped my journey. And of course, none of it would have been possible without my Amma (Mom).

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nandanofdesign/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandan-siva/ 

Image Credits
Photographs – Alice Wibisono and ACSCA Renders and Editing – Nandan Pemmaraju