As urban dwellers, we spend 95% of our time indoors, but how much of that time is spent truly connecting with the space around us? Understanding this interaction was the turning point for Indu Varanasi, design director and founder of Dubai-based IRD Design. 

Having trained as an architect in India, Indu came to the UAE in 1994 and quickly fell in love with interior design. Her passion led to the creation of ‘Design Consciousness’, her firm’s philosophy of not just making spaces beautiful, but also building environments that shape how people feel, work, and connect.

Today, with a portfolio of more than 250 projects in 17 countries across the world, IRD Design has left its mark on a diverse range of projects. These include Julphar Avenue Mall in Ras Al Khaimah; Times Square Mall in Dubai; the CRDB Bank Headquarters in Dar es Salaam; Amity University Dubai; the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s Auditorium; and the Novo Cinema at Festival Mall Dubai. Each project is a testament to IRD’s belief that architecture and interior design are about crafting environments that evoke emotion.

At the heart of the company’s mission is Archicad. The flagship BIM software platform of Graphisoft – a Nemetschek Group company – Archicad has been IRD Design’s core platform since 1998.

The company has developed a digital ecosystem that accelerates project delivery, eliminates errors, and deepens stakeholder engagement. At its core is a single Archicad model serving as the source of truth, generating plans, elevations, renders, and specifications with live updates across all documentation. Integrated with D5 and Enscape, the same model produces high-quality visualizations, aligning design vision with technical execution. Their BIMx file-sharing system replaces static drawings with interactive 3D models accessible on tablets and smartphones. Contractors measure, verify, and understand spatial relationships directly, while clients explore immersive environments – ultimately, reducing site queries, construction errors, and costly change orders.

This integrated approach directly contributes to IRD’s industry-leading project metrics including a 100% stakeholder approval rate, 100% on-time and on-budget delivery across more than 200 projects, and a 95% reduction in design revisions. The seamless process has also contributed to an 87% client retention rate by ensuring clear communication and accurate project delivery throughout the design journey.
 

For Indu, the evolution of technology in design has been nothing short of transformative. Archicad’s continuous innovation – with each version introducing more powerful capabilities – has allowed firms like IRD Design to stay at the forefront of the industry. The recent addition of AI-powered features is also opening new creative possibilities for designers.

Indu’s vision for the future is one where the lines between the virtual and physical world continue to blur. She imagines a day when a complete virtual model can be projected in 3D directly onto a construction site, allowing clients and teams to experience the space before construction even begins. It is the blending of cutting-edge technology with human creativity that, she believes, will continue to shape the built environment for decades to come.