Ar Krishnarao Jaisim, the former chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects, Karnataka, has been in the labyrinth of architectural creations for over 5 decades now. He completed his university education in 1966 from Madras University and worked with the architectural firm of LM Chitale & Son for the next 4 years.
In 1970, he established his architectural practice, “Jaisim-Fountainhead,” inspired by Ayn Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead. The firm saw an exponential growth rate since the inception and won a National Competition for the Cochin Stadia, Presidents Nomination for the Small Industries Pavilion, and the ‘TAJ Fisherman’s Cove’ in its first 5 years only. Under the firm, Jaisim has created and recreated innumerable homes, institutions, and commercial enterprises, and soon by 1975, it began to work overseas including Muscat, Oman, etc.
The architect advocates strongly in favor of eco-friendly, cost-effective, and energy-efficient approaches through his practice. Jaisim considers his first independent signature project to be his own house, Ego (1969-70), inspired by Mies van der Rohe's minimalism and Ayn Rand's Fountainhead romanticism. One of the architect's favorite projects to date remains the Tirupati University Auditorium (1969) during his early career with LM Chitale & SonIt.
In 1992, he won the J K Award– Architect of the Year followed by the ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Interior Architecture–Durian Society Interiors Design Award’ in 2004. In 2007, Jaisim was awarded the International Gold Star Millennium Award –2007 as well the Life Time Achievement Award 2007 for Outstanding Performance in the field of Architecture awarded by PAA.