“I’ve followed the work of Indian Architect Raj Rewal forever, and the India Habitat Centre is my favorite building that he designed. He’s played a major role in my architecture career, and I draw inspiration from his designs. As an undergraduate student, I interned under his nephew, Arun Rewal.”

Meet the Team | Atika

The opportunity to contribute her expertise to a variety of projects attracted Atika Jain to KMB architects. With 10 years of experience practicing architecture, including six years as a licensed architect in India, Atika found that she truly enjoys every type of project. She believes that architecture is a continual practice of learning, and she’s constantly seeking challenges to keep growing and evolving.  

Atika began her architecture career in India where she worked for established firms in the capital city, Dehli, primarily focused on hospitality projects. At SPA Design, a firm headed by a French Architect, Atika contributed to her favorite project thus far in her career, the Franco-German Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which was a collaborative effort between the French and German governments to co-locate in a building designed to represent their synergies as political and economic forces in modern Europe. She traveled to Bangladesh monthly to oversee construction of the highly secure facility.

“It was a fun ride. That project was my baby. After a certain point, you must decide where you want to go in your career. I earned my architecture license in India, so I was faced with starting my own firm or going back to school for my master’s degree. I decided I wanted to challenge myself to grow my design skills and began applying to graduate schools.”

Atika applied to Clemson University because of the program’s focus on design-build, and she was accepted. During her graduate program, she gained confidence in her design skills, and she researched cross laminated timber (CLT), which culminated in her thesis on a CLT building.

Atika’s commitment to growing her education and skills makes her a confident designer who executes her work impeccably. Currently, she is studying for licensure in Washington and looks forward to learning another important element of practice — representing the firm by interviewing for project pursuits.

While completing her master’s, Atika got married, and her husband was working for Amazon in Seattle. Once she finished her graduate degree, she relocated to be with him. Atika loves Seattle, especially because the hustle and bustle of a city life is where she feels closest to home. Since arriving in Seattle, Atika and her husband have bought a house and had their first child. With all this change, she’s looking forward to a return visit to India to see her family and indulge in all her favorite vegetarian cuisine.