Having spent his 20-year career in healthcare design and at EYP Architecture & Engineering, as well as serving as past president of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health, Tushar Gupta now balances dual roles in management and design. As managing principal, design principal, EYP, Houston, he is charged with fostering company morale and business development, as well as leading projects. Still, he finds time for cooking and all things music (including a garage band with his kids).
What was your first healthcare project?
The DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center entry and lobby at the Texas Medical Center. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 flooded the medical center and the project was shelved. Fourteen years later, I had the privilege to lead the design on a new home for the DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, now located at Houston Methodist.
What lesson did you learn on that project that you still carry with you today?
That a patient’s journey is like vignettes starting the moment they approach a building. Architects can thread a series of enriching experiences with articulation of space, materials, daylight, and more to help humanize and personalize it.
What challenges about your work keep you up at night?
In my current role, I wear two hats of management and design. I’m constantly thinking about how we can foster our office culture in these virtual times. Business development is a close second.
Outside the office, we’ll likely find you …
Hanging out with family in our kitchen or by the pool. I also love taking long walks and biking with my twins along the Houston bayous.
If you weren’t an architect, you’d be …
I’m a foodie and would love to be a chef. Not so much the shopping and cleaning aspects, but the preparation, cooking, and eating—that’s my happy place.
Favorite …
Quote “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”—T.S. Eliot
Movie character Lt. Col. Frank Slade in “Scent of a Woman.” The visual impairment of the character is overcome by his emotional intelligence, compassion, and even his Tango moves.
What’s a new hobby you’ve picked up since the coronavirus pandemic?
I started a garage band in our living room with my 10-year-old twin boys. It’s been a blast!
Three healthcare projects you’ve worked on in the last year and your role
1 Houston Methodist Hospital, Centennial Tower, Houston, principal in charge and design principal.
2 UNC Health surgical tower, Chapel Hill, N.C., design principal.
3 UCHealth Longs Peak Medical Center, Longmont, Colo., design principal.
Morning person or night owl?
I’ve evolved into a morning person. Balancing work and family led to this change.
Coffee or tea?
Chai first, always—but I love coffee, too!
How did you make your first dollar?
Chopping vegetables at a café.
First album you ever bought?
“Hysteria” by Def Leppard.
Cocktail of choice?
Margarita or gin and tonic.
App/website?
Tesla. The company’s excellent customer experience is present in the physical manifestations of its cars but also its website and app.
Last game you played?
My boys’ favorite card game, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.
