In an industry where visually striking renders often dominate the importance of genuine comfort, Varun Tandon prefers to ask a quieter question: Can you actually live in this space?

As the Principal Architect and Designer at Fairbuild Design N’ Build Studio, Tandon has built his practice around one clear belief: Architecture must be practical before it is beautiful. And if it manages to be both, that’s when the magic happens. His journey into architecture didn’t begin with grand declarations. It began in the midst of uncertainty, like many modern careers,

When the World Paused, He Started Building

During the COVID lockdown, while much of the world slowed down, Tandon began experimenting with 3D renders for architects and clients. What started as freelance creative exploration soon became something more serious.

“That’s where I got the knack for doing my own thing,” he recalls.

Instead of waiting for stability, he built momentum. Experiences with firms like Rajinder Kumar Associates and CitySpace82 gave him a foundational understanding of the profession, but it was the freedom to interpret design in his own way that pushed him to launch Fairbuild in 2021. The response was encouraging. Clients connected with his approach, and the studio established its foundation.

Learning Architecture the Old-School Way

A graduate of the prestigious School of Planning and Architecture, Tandon describes his education as grounding in the truest sense. While architecture globally has moved heavily toward digital systems, his training began with manual drafting, hand-drawn sheets, and understanding structure from first principles.

“You start from the real base,” he says. It was an education that blended traditional rigour with emerging tools: AutoCAD, BIM, and Revit. That balance continues to shape how he works today: rooted in fundamentals, open to evolution.

A Day That Begins on Site

Unlike many designers who prefer the studio desk, Tandon’s day often begins at construction sites. Mornings are reserved for site visits, a deliberate choice. “That is when you can actually tell the team what to do, and they can be productive all day,” he explains. Being present early ensures clarity, alignment, and fewer errors later. Afternoons shift to design reviews and drawing approvals. Every plan, every modification passes through his scrutiny before it reaches the client. It’s a workflow that reflects responsibility, a hands-on leadership style that refuses to disconnect from execution.

And what part does he enjoy most? “All of it,” he says without hesitation.

But if pressed, it’s the final reveal, when a client steps into their completed home for the first time, that stays unmatched. Watching someone see their lifestyle translated into space is, for him, the real reward.

Recognition That Came Organically

Winning the Young Architect Award at ACE Tech Delhi was a milestone, but not one he chased. The award came organically, recognizing a project that both the jury and the client deeply appreciated. For Tandon and his team, the recognition reinforced belief in their process rather than validating ego.

“Rather than chasing awards, getting it organically is a separate satisfaction,” he says. The win strengthened team confidence and affirmed that their approach, rooted in practicality, had an impact.

Design That Works Before It Wows

At the heart of Fairbuild’s philosophy is a simple yet often overlooked principle: functionality sustains design. Tandon describes his approach as human-centric and practical. A space might look visually stunning, but if it doesn’t support daily life, it eventually fails the person living in it.

“How long will he be able to sustain in that space?” he asks, referring to homeowners.

This thinking naturally extends to one of Fairbuild’s key focus areas, retrofit facades and renovation projects. Instead of encouraging clients to demolish and rebuild, the firm specializes in transforming existing structures. Retrofit, for Tandon, isn’t just renovation. It’s responsible architecture. It’s about upgrading lifestyles without unnecessary disruption.

The Real Challenge: Renovating Without Disturbing

Working in dense urban environments like Delhi NCR comes with its own realities. While clients today are open to modern design ideas, the real complexity lies in execution, especially in renovation projects. The goal, he explains, is to redesign homes without heavily disturbing families living inside them. Aligning construction timelines with comfort, beauty, and efficiency becomes a delicate balancing act. That balance, rather than dramatic design gestures, defines how he solves problems each day.

Every Home Is a Biography

Tandon firmly believes architecture tells stories. Each project, he says, is a narrative of the client’s life,  their journey, achievements, habits, and aspirations. Spatial planning becomes storytelling. Lighting reveals mood. Materials echo personality. As you move through a home designed by Fairbuild, you are meant to understand who lives there.

It’s not about imposing a signature style. It’s about translating someone’s life into built form.

Technology: Tool, Not Replacement

Fairbuild has been recognized for smart lighting and facade innovation, and Tandon is fully aware that technology is reshaping architecture at breakneck speed. AutoCAD, Revit, and BIM are now standard tools. AI, however, is the new frontier. The studio has begun experimenting with AI, particularly for aesthetic suggestions. Elevations and renders are sometimes run through AI systems to gather alternate perspectives. If something meaningful emerges, it’s discussed and evaluated for practicality.

But he’s clear about one thing. “It needs the human touch.”

AI can suggest. It cannot feel. It cannot understand lived experience. Architecture, ultimately, is about people.

Advice Rooted in Humility

For young architects, Tandon’s advice is refreshingly simple: stay curious, stay humble, and never stop learning. He emphasizes learning not just from professors or senior architects, but from everyone, even the janitor in a mall. Because those are the people who use spaces daily and understand their flaws better than anyone else.

If you’re not curious, he believes, you cannot be an architect.

Building With Responsibility

In just a few years, Fairbuild Studio has grown steadily, carving a niche in retrofit transformations and practical design thinking. But growth, for Tandon, is not measured in square footage completed; it is measured in satisfaction delivered. His work reminds us that architecture does not need to scream to stand out. Sometimes, it simply needs to work beautifully for the people who call it home.

For Varun Tandon, architecture is not about making statements. It is about making life easier, smoother, and more meaningful for the people inside the walls he designs. And in that unwavering responsibility lies the true measure of his work.

-Interview Conducted By Shivani Solanki