The UTS Bachelor of Architecture graduate always knew she wanted to run her own business — but even she was surprised by how quickly the path to success appeared.
In 2022, only three years after graduating from UTS, Shruti co-founded Curio Homes, a Sydney-based architectural and interior design firm.
“I always had a desire to start my own architectural and interior design business where I could have the freedom to express my creativity and create unique designs,” she says.
“Working in a field that I’m passionate about is incredibly fulfilling.”
In pursuit of a global architectural mindset
Originally from Nepal, Shruti came to Australia looking for a qualification that would equip her with a global mindset.
Back home, there are architecture degrees, but I wanted a more global view.
Australia is usually a very popular country for Nepalese students. They come here and study a bachelor’s degree and they find good career pathways.
As a UTS student, she found herself immersed in hands-on creative work — drawing concepts, making models and presenting her ideas for critique.
She also participated in a Global Studio, a short-term international study tour. Along with her UTS Architecture peers, she travelled to Bali to explore the use of bamboo in construction.
It was a unique insight into the limitless possibilities of an architectural career.
“It really opens up your mind and you get to see beautiful buildings and construction techniques in person. That’s something that really stands out when I look back,” she says.
Where theory meets practice
Towards the end of her degree, Shruti landed an internship with a construction company that specialised in alterations and renovations.
That experience, which she found through the UTS Career Hub, gave her hands-on experience with the realities of the construction industry.
It also connected her with a wealth of architecture, interior design and building professionals.
After graduating, she leaned on this network as she started building a freelance portfolio, starting out with small-scale jobs and slowly working her way up.
“My first job was a bathroom and laundry renovation, but I was really happy, even though it was really small,” she says.
“Over time, the scope of the projects grew from bathrooms to kitchens and then from kitchen renovations to whole-house projects — and it hasn’t stopped.
“I’m working on new builds and complex heritage extensions located in the heart of Sydney, so those experiences have really helped me to be where I am right now.”
Residential architecture at every scale
Curio Homes draws together the diversity of Shruti’s architectural and design experiences — academic, practical, professional — in a single enterprise.
Together with her business partner, a UTS Mechanical Engineering graduate, Shruti is making a name for herself in the residential architecture and interior design world. To date, the pair have completed more than 60 projects.
Recent work includes the renovation of a mid-century modern home in Turramurra, a suburb on Sydney’s north shore, and the extension of an 1850s terrace house located within a conservation area in the inner-city suburb of Woolloomooloo.
As the work gets more complex, Shruti’s love for her chosen career grows as well.
“There are always new things to learn, and I don’t find this learning curve boring at all,” she says.
