Living legends

Total number of pages 92

BV Doshi is an enduring inspiration to young architects and studentsdesign icon

Monika Correa’sWoven art

HVACClimate control

Review Fensterbau/frontale India

IDF 2013Design matters

spotlight

other living legendsCHARles CoRReACHRIstopHeR BennIngeR

Published by ITP Publishing India

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april 2013 ISSUE 1 VOLUME 5

LIVING LEGENDSDr BV DOSHIThe life story as well as the work of BV Doshi is an inspiration to young Indian architects.CHArLES COrrEACharles Correa has played a seminal role in India’s urban development. prOf CHrISTOpHEr BENNINGEr Christopher Benninger is driven by architecture that benefits people and the environment.

EVENT ‘Design Matters’ was the theme of the second edition of the Indian Design Forum in Mumbai.

prODUCT SpOTLIGHT New technologies make energy conservation possible for HVAC systems, while research continues for the use of renewable sources.

rEVIEWThe third edition of fensterbau/frontale India featured the best of the fenestration industry.

prODUCT CASE STUDY Foundation Botin speaks the language of old and new with American red and European oak.

INTErNATIONAL CASE STUDYThe newest flagship venue of Trader Vic’s at the Dubai Festival Centre, transports guests to an exotic ‘island gateway’.

fITTED OUTKonkan Cafe at Vivanta by Taj Mumbai serves up coastal cuisine in a traditional ‘wada’ house.

THE BIG pICTUrEMonika Correa’s latest exhibition of tapestries, Meandering Warp: Variations on a theme.

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To subscribe, please visit www.architectandinteriorsindia.com

volume 5 | Issue 1 | april 2013 | ̀ 50Ravi SaRangan – paRtneR, edifice

Edifice Consultants has beaten four international and eight Indian companies to win the master planning assignment by the MMRDA for the new Central Business District (CBD) at Wadala in Mumbai.

What will be the driving factors for this project?Our Urban Design team at Edifice focused on creating

an inspiring mixed-use environment at par with the world’s best planned CBDs, to help put Wadala and Mumbai more firmly on the map as a global business centre. With an extensive network of world-class public transportation at one’s doorstep, the goal was to build Wadala CBD as India’s first Transit Oriented Development, with a pedestrian-friendly environment and extensive use of public transportation. The Wadala CBD, for us, is about creating an interesting blend of uses: a business and commercial hub that is not an insular development, but is plugged into the rest of the city with the best the city has to offer in business, retail and entertainment, residential, education and healthcare facilities as a 24/7 urban environment. Our team of partners for this 36 mil sq-ft of urban development includes Cushman & Wakefield, Cisco, TCE, IIT and Townland; and we look forward to working alongside them over the next few months.

As a 21stC global business hub, Wadala should encapsulate all the best practices in Sustainable Development, and become a leading CBD that showcases the best that India has to offer in the application of Green Urban Development and Smart City Technology. Information Technology and Building Automation Systems are the two sides to a building, as per Cisco’s Smart Connected Communities Model. Ecological enhancements like nurturing the existing mangroves, building automation design to support and enhance sustainability, energy and resource management, recycling and waste management, introducing alternative energy sources and, last but not the least, a sustainable lifestyle for the inhabitants, will be crucial.

What can we expect from this new CBD as opposed to the existing models?Mumbai’s CBDs have taught us that the rate of infrastructural enhancements is critical to the wellbeing of such districts. Thanks to MMRDA and our government authorities, these are now a reality and have set the stage for the new CBD at Wadala. Originally, Mumbai’s lack of east-to-west connectivity, conservative FSI norms, and a lack of mixed uses within the existing CBDs, have proved to be the limiting factors of the past. Quality office space at a more affordable price than BKC, major infrastructure upgrades and a diverse mix of uses are the differentiating aspects for Wadala. The location alone makes it conveniently accessible for about 85 per cent of the city’s current workforce.

60-Second inteRview

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thrEE wisE mEntors This issue is dedicated to a league of extraordinary men, the pillars of India’s architecture and design community – our living legends: BV Doshi, Charles Correa and Christopher Benninger. While congratulatory messages and heartfelt appreciation for our March issue featuring 50 of the top gen-next architects and interior designers continue to flow in, we haven’t forgotten these stalwarts who have inspired the new generation during their most impressionable years and been a guiding light along their chosen path.

Each of them has been a subject of many articles and books over the years, but it is the work and words of wisdom of each of these doyens of Indian architecture that speak most tellingly of their genius.

BV Doshi is the most approachable of the three and is, invariably, a young Indian architect’s choice for the title of design icon. Doshi is an officer and a gentleman, having recently received the high honour of ‘Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters’ from the French Government. A pioneer of sorts, he forged new trails for himself as well as the country – whether by accident or by design. The story of how he travelled from his joint family home in Pune to strange and faraway places in search of his dream, is moving.

Charles Correa may be aloof, probably an attempt to guard his privacy; but that’s quite understandable for someone hailed as ‘India’s greatest architect’ by the British – who are, alas, still the yardstick by which we measure our worth. There’s no doubt about his legendary status, though… and even his detractors (yes, there are some) would agree that his contribution has been seminal. Since his work is now the subject of an exhibition at the RIBA headquarters in London, there’s one more reason to visit the seat of the ‘Raj’.

Christopher Benninger, American by birth, is intrinsically Indian in spirit. His quest has taken him via Ahmedabad to Pune, where he has settled down in an office cum residence designed by him and christened ‘India House’. Like Doshi, his avowed guru, he’s an institution builder and teacher who has been guiding young architects and equipping them with the knowledge and experience to become design icons of tomorrow.

Meeting all three of them and reading their books was an enriching experience for me… and there’s definitely a lot to be learnt from them about what architecture can do for the country.

I hope that the essence of their life and work, as distilled through my words and embodied in images of their work, will add value to this issue and inspire you.

Maria Louis, [email protected]

There’s a loT To be learnT from Them abouT whaT archi-TecTure can do for The counTry

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XYLEM INC., a global water technology company commemorated World Water Day by conducting interactive sessions in various schools in India. Volunteers of the company showcased an awareness campaign through animated films on the importance of water and appropriate usage of water. “While water is at the center of our business, it is also one of the most urgent challenges facing the world today,” said Angela Buonocore, Xylem’s Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer. “World Water Day, specifically this year’s theme of cooperation, presents an ideal opportunity to highlight Xylem Watermark’s ongoing focus on creating social value in collaboration with our valued partners as we work to bring safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to communities in need.”

THE AQUAPRO DOMOTECH is a luxurious, intelligent bath system by The House of Isenberg that has made turning knobs obsolete. The system comes with an LED screen with simple touch controls for six independent water delivery functions, together with a 16-colour chromo therapy capability. Its thermostatic intelligence helps select the water temperature and keeps it consistent throughout the bath. The chromo therapy feature helps create the desired colour ambience to create a mind and body balance. The most crucial feature, considering that Isenberg is committed to conserving the planet, is the auto controls that ensure that water is used optimally and according to the need. It significantly reduces wastage, since the system stops when water is not needed.

THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION of America announced that The Lighting Science Group had to recall 5,54,000 LED bulbs sold under the brand names Definity, EcoSmart, Sylvania and Westinghouse because of danger of fire. Reports of LEDs overheating, with damage to light sockets, fixtures, rugs, carpets, floors, circuits or lamps has led to the LED light sources being recalled. The affected bulb models are A19, G25 and R20 (also known as PAR20) LED bulbs. The 6-watt or 8-watt LEDs were apparently manufactured in China, and some in Mexico. For the full list of 24 date codes, check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall notice published in the website www.cpsc.gov/en.

CONSTRUCTION CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (CCMA) organised the C3 seminar on ‘effective use of construction chemicals for enduring structures’ in Delhi on March 8-9. It was inaugurated by Dr Tushar A Chaudhary, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Government of India; and PP Shrivastav, Member, North Eastern Council. The seminar included international speakers from BASF, Sika, Chryso, MC-Bauchemie, as well as Indian experts. CCMA is planning to release a handbook on the ‘right usage’ in collaboration with Indian Concrete Institute.

DOW CORNING has announced the launch of its new range of solutions for the rapidly growing Indian construction market. The solutions include sealants for panel bonding, as well as fire-rated joint sealants and acrylic sealants designed

for internal perimeter of fire-rated doors and windows. One of the innovative introductions is a transparent silicone structural adhesive (TSSA), a new technology that eliminates the need to drill holes in glass for bolt fixation in spider fitted hardware within point fixed glazing systems.

ATS INFRASTRUCTURE’s recent project ATS Lifestyle is now open with sample flats for discerning buyers. The Mediterranean-style luxurious residential complex contains 3–4 BHK flats priced within an economic bracket of Rs60 lakh to Rs1.2 crore. Located on NH 22, just 9 km from Chandigarh border, it will be an enclave of luxury apartments with 1040 units spaced out in 14 towers of size variants measuring between 1,900sq-ft to 2,950sq-ft. The project is in its initial phase of booking, and would be available to the customers for possession by January 2015.

Industry data

INTERNATIONAL COPPER PROMOTION COUNCIL INDIA (ICPCI) along with copper artist, Gaurav Bharadwaj, held a practical workshop on Copper and Design for the students of Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture. The students explored the copper gilding technique and got hands-on experience in designing techniques. Bharadwaj shared a presentation showcasing his works covering mirrors, lighting, wall panels, doors, etc. There was also an interactive session on ‘Benefits of Copper and its Application in Architecture’. At the culmination of the workshop, students were presented with copper mementos by ICPCI for their participation.

BOFFI, a brand from Italy that is known for its kitchen, bath and storage system, is now available in the newly-opened Studio Creo. The studio, with an entire floor dedicated to Boffi, is located in New Manglapuri, Mehrauli. It will operate as a showcase for the latest interior design concepts, and a home to the comprehensive and evolving Boffi collections. Roberto Gavazzi, chief executive officer, Boffi said, “We are pleased to partner with Studio Creo in India, and are confident of making a mark in the Indian market with our path-breaking designs in the kitchen and bathroom space.” The studio, the newest venture from the Bhartiya Group, will offer some of the most iconic Italian brands.

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Architecture can change the way we look at our immediate natural

surroundings by connecting us to it rather than isolating us, and integrating the natural with the built.”

Tallulah D’silva,partner, architectureR/T

Time, money and effort has to be spent developing material that will

be viable for the future… materials that will harness solar and wind energy. It should also be accessible to the

common man.” aRun Balan,partner, Balan nambisan architects

An international social architecture award for female designers has been instituted by the Italcementi Group. The arcVision Prize is intended as a contribution to the development of a sustainability culture sensitive to women and to women’s specific approach to architecture, with special attention to people, the town and the environment. “With this award, we want to highlight the growing importance that female designers have been assuming in architecture in recent years and pay tribute to a “positive discrimination” in favour of women,” said Italcementi CEO Carlo Pesenti. Brazilian architect Carla Juaçaba has been named as the winner of the first arcVision Prize – Women and Architecture. The jury also awarded three Special Mentions, one of them to architect Anupama Kundoo from India for her skill in researching materials. The prize is a two-week research workshop at i.lab, the Italcementi Group R&D Centre in Bergamo, and an amount of € 50,000, part of which may be devoted to social projects, at the discretion of the winner. On completion of the workshop, the winner will have the opportunity to recount her experience in a lecture delivered at i.lab, during the Milan Design Week, as part of the new series of Italcementi Group ‘Millennium’ meetings with the world of Architecture.

After Chennai, Ozone has launched The Ozone Hub, its display cum training centre, in Bengaluru. These hubs are being created with a vision to impart technical knowhow, functionality and usage of each product. This centre, along with the company’s branch and operational office, is built on a 6,000sq-ft plot at SPD Plaza, Koramangala. It has the finest displays and working models of glass fittings, shower enclosures, kitchen hardware, stainless steel railings and an exclusive range of electronic safes. It boasts of a live demo of more than 25 types of glass and wooden doors using different hardware derivatives working on sliding or swing mechanism, and can be effortlessly operated manually, automatically or with remote control. “The centre is our commitment to offer customers an unparalleled shopping experience for all their hardware needs. It will also act as knowledge centres and provide a platform to architects, builders and consumers to take an informed decision on any product as per the need,” commented Alok Aggarwal of Ozone.

Anupama Kundoo gets special mention by arcVision Prize

Ozone knowledge hub now in Bengaluru

On March 23, architects and designers gathered at Amanora Park, Pune, for the 16th edition of IIID Anchor Awards 2012. The event coincided with IIID Pune Chapter’s 25th year, and saw more than 800 people congregating to enjoy an evening which included the Regional and National Awards. After a performance by fusion group Indian Ocean, the winners were felicitated. The national winners were: Lab Language Architecture, New Delhi; Opolis Architects, Mumbai; Architecture and Beyond, Surat; Mahajani Shree Govind, Pimpri; and Artha Studios. Sonal Sancheti from Opolis Architects took home the national award in the Residential Multi-dwelling category. Alan Abraham and Amit Khonalkar, DIG Architects, were runners-up in two categories: Residential Multi-dwelling and Commercial Workplace - small. Runner-up in the Hospitality category, Shabnam Gupta from The Orange Lane, along with Sancheti and Abraham, were part of our iGen 2012. The winning entries will be featured in a year book to be compiled by IIID. The next cycle of the Anchor awards will include SAARC countries, announced IIID president, Nitin Saolapurkar.

Sanjay Puri Architects (SPA) hit another milestone after winning awards at the annual MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards 2013, held in France. The firm won the Best Leisure Building awards for ‘D Hotel’ at Lucknow, a commendation for office project ’The Street’ in Rajasthan, and a commendation in the Tall Buildings category. This was no small feat, since they were up against reputed global practices such as Foster+Partners, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Denton Corker Marshall, Bjarke Ingels Group, Kohn Pederson Fox, Rafael Vinoly, RTKL, SOM, Aedas, Woods Bagot and others. SPA was the only architectural firm to receive three awards at the the world’s largest architecture future project award programme, held at the world’s largest real estate convention.

IIID Anchor awards turns 16, celebrates in Pune

Sanjay Puri Architects wins 3 awards at Cannes

Jury members of arcVision Prize for women in architecture.

The obsession with icons has distanced architecture from any

social, cultural or historical relevance, and hence alienated it from the context within which it is situated - the city.”

Kapil GupTa,principal architect, serie architects

The display cum learning centre by Ozone provides a wide choice in hardware solutions

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Schneider Electric recently unveiled its ‘smart’ products for the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors. The ‘Home Anew’ series includes integrated audio-visual control, integrated security, dimmers, scene setting, multiple and central point control from touch screens, occupancy control, temperature sensors and much more. The sockets from the series come with RCD that adds ground fault protection, while the Kavacha membrane switch covers and socket covers give full-time protection from dangerous electricity leakages due to wet hands. The Argus occupancy sensors detect movement and turn lights on only when needed. ‘LifeSpace’ consists of automation and lighting control for energy cost savings in high-rise buildings, warehouses, restaurants, retail outlets and other commercial buildings. It includes KNX - the standard in interoperability; Dali - optimising individual control and centralised management; C Bus - the expert in ambience lighting; and SAE Series - standalone electronics.

After a successful opening in Singapore and Bangkok, W Hotels, a design-led lifestyle brand, is gearing up to branch out in three prominent Indian locations: Goa, Mumbai and Noida. “Asia is a rapidly-growing market, long known for exemplary, traditional service in hospitality,” said Paul James, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide, St Regis and The Luxury Collection. “With each new W Hotel opening, we are able to reinvent the luxury

The Colours of Asia (CoA) exhibition, held in Hong Kong, combined five bold and bright colours with the culture of 13 Asian regions to create a powerful cultural message. It was designed to be a singular antidote to the over-weaning power of Western culture and the fragile culture identity that some Asian countries have in the post-colonial era. “The primary objective of Colours of Asia was to create a wider awareness of Asia, and ‘Asian-ness’ – which is a way of thinking and doing, its many cultures and belief systems, its aesthetics and philosophies, and their relationship with one another,” said Ashwini Deshpande, core committee member of CoA and co-founder, Elephant Design, which represented India at the exhibition. Those who missed the event can benefit from the research papers related to the exhibition that is being prepared by the participating countries and will be uploaded by the Hong Kong Design Institute on their website (www.hkdi.edu.hk).

Schneider’s automation systems showcased

W Hotels coming soon to Mumbai, Goa and Noida

CoA: Reviving the colourful past

Godrej embarks on a new journey through its integrated campaign ‘Ideas that make life brighter’, focused on showcasing the breadth of fresh ideas from the brand to consumers. Tanya Dubash, executive director and chief brand officer, Godrej Group stated, “Through this campaign, we aim to communicate the ethos of our group.” Brand ambassador Aamir Khan, the face of this initiative, said, “Godrej is one of the most modern and innovative brands. It is a pleasure to associate with such a dynamic brand. Also, I love the creative idea of this campaign. It is challenging and full of fun and humour.” The campaign showcases a range of cutting-edge products from Godrej, that aim to give consumers access to a better lifestyle. The series of television commercials will feature eight products – from air-conditioners, burglary and fire-resistant safe to new Godrej Interio products. Follow the campaign on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ZindagiMuskuraye) and Twitter (@zindagimuskuraye).

Godrej’s bright ideas for living

Tanya Dubash and Shireesh Joshi from the Godrej Group.

Proposed design for W Hotel Mumbai, overlooking the sea.

A Schneider representative speaks about the company’s auto-mation systems, at an event held at their office in Gurgaon. Elephant Design represented India at CoA, held in Hong Kong.

hotel landscape offering cutting-edge design.” W Retreat & Spa. Goa, to be be located on Vagator beach, will open by 2015 and will offer 105 guest rooms. W Mumbai, overlooking the Arabian Sea and the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, will offer 25,833sq-ft of meeting and event space and 325 suites. W Noida, anticipated to open by 2016, will feature 581 avant-garde guest rooms, Wet pool, Away Spa, as well as an elevated restaurant and bar.

When it successfully contains the programme and adapts with it,

when it can survive the elements and co-exist with context, then design

becomes successful.” NiRANjAN DAs shARmA, founder, The Design Tree

Design is a rigorous process which includes: research to define the

problem, analysis to resolve the problem, and development to implement

the solution.” smiTA RAwooT,

principal, Perkins Eastman india

Architecture should make you have a reaction, feel an emotion. I

believe, the stronger the reaction, the better the building.”

NANDiNi sAmPAT, architect, somaya & Kalappa Consultants

16_18_ARC_April13_News.indd 18 04-04-2013 14:11:54

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With more Indians ready and able to spend hard-earned cash for peace, second homes are becoming ‘first class’

Pause célèbre

The urban dweller’s vital quest for solace is creating a welcome opportunity for developers and architects. Weekend homes, an antidote to the stress of city life, are in great demand with those able to make their

dream holiday home come true early in their career. They are easily lured by advertisements that offer glimpses of ‘a stylish eco-friendly country house’, ‘the perfect getaway’, an ‘avant-garde home perched on a lush slope amidst tall tropical trees’ – as promoted by developers dealing in second homes.

Interior designer Shabnam Gupta observes, “There are two genres of buyers: those who want to get back to nature, and those who want luxury at its best.” It’s the latter category that’s growing by the day, remarks Gupta, pointing to the growing trend of people not differentiating between their real homes and weekend homes. “There is a set of people who are dividing their time equally between working hard and partying hard. They work, complete a couple of assignments and take off. The fine line between raw appeal and luxury has diminished. As people get exposed to good design while travelling, they tend to relive their fantasies in resort-like weekend homes.”

Initially, a weekend home was primarily a place to escape to the countryside; but Gupta observes that it is now actually a second home, far from the original concept of a small village-like retreat. “It’s not like going to a farm on weekends. Stress levels and pressures have increased, and everyone feels the urge to escape reality for a while. What used to be a luxury for the rich and famous, is now affordable to the upper middle-class; and the need to get away is growing stronger by the day.”

The latest trends not only give prominence to location, but also demand architectural masterpieces that are fully equipped with luxurious amenities. Buyers are looking at homes that

1. A four-bedroom villa with lagoon, designed by Seema Mullan of Seza Architects.

2. Architect Seema Mullan

3. Nish Bhutani, Saffronart

4. This weekend home designed by Krupa Zubin of ZZ Architects brings the outside inside.

5. Architect Krupa Zubin

6. Designer Shabnam Gupta

7. Santosh Naik, Disha Direct

offer privacy, fewer residential units and the best amenities. In many instances, the homes are sold furnished. A step above gated developments is the ready-to-move-in designer homes, which are usually one-off examples that are never replicated. Nish Bhutani, chief operating officer, Saffronart, says, “The biggest preference of buyers is that they do not want something that is cookie-cutter. It needs to stand out and be different.”

Design challengesArchitect Krupa Zubin of ZZ Architects observes, “The re-quirements for weekend homes have definitely become more elaborate than they used to be. Today’s second homes are well equipped for the owners to work there during the week. They serve as getaways from our busy city lives, without needing us to completely cut off from work. In addition to this, they have all the leisure facilities incorporated into them.”

Some clients want total exclusivity in their weekend homes. For instance, in one such home designed by ZZ Architects, maximum advantage was taken of the plot located on a rocky site that was highly contoured with two large trees. “The design concept was to enclose all spaces in small courtyards, which eventually open into a large central space and, hence, participate in the passive climate control strategy. The large trees were retained, and the design has been circulated in order to make natural use of the same,” explains Krupa Zubin.

Weekend home designs are becoming complex, maintains architect Seema Mullan. “People would like their weekend home to give them everything that their city home cannot pro-vide. They want to feel one with nature, and explore every pos-sibility – such as a huge cantilever, massive plunge pool, larger windows, etc – so it does become more complicated at the time

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021 of construction. One can stretch one’s imagination in a 1,000sq-ft living-room, as opposed to half that size in a city home.”

Security and maintenanceMaintaining a weekend property is no longer as difficult as it once was. Santosh Naik, MD of Disha Direct, says, “We take the utmost care in providing and/or advising our clients about the best maintenance techniques. We have a team of competent people, including security personnel, cleaners, gardeners, etc, to keep the project environs and individual plots/houses in good condition. We hire maintenance managers who see that the roads within the complex are maintained properly; electricity supply is looked after (we often provide diesel generators); water supply is regular; and the homes are cleaned before the owner arrives. We advise people to have inverters and water pumps in areas where these amenities are in short supply.”

Krupa Zubin feels that the security aspect has always been a concern for weekend spaces. “Most of these homes are wired with IP-based cameras – so the spaces can be monitored from anywhere. In case of individually developed properties, there are assigned agencies to handle security. There is also a preference of gated communities among buyers, to facilitate maintenance and security.”

the road aheadTo simplify the search for prospective buyers, Cushman & Wakefield and Saffronart have introduced Prime Properties Monsoon catalogue and two other annual catalogues. “Our service provides high-end buyers with an opportunity to choose tastefully-designed homes in some of the country’s most-sought-after in-city and holiday locations. The market in

India is fragmented, so one doesn’t know quite where to start. Accurate information is hard to come by, and the process is painful. In addition, no one who shares their sensibility has gone out and screened properties to eliminate those that are not up to their standards or suited to their needs,” adds Bhutani.

Om Ahuja, CEO – Residential Services, Jones Lang LaSalle India, explains that the demand for second homes is wired into the country’s economic performance; and has a lot to do with the belief that two homes are better than one, and that the sec-ond one should provide what the first cannot. “In urban India, there are insurmountable limitations on space. The price tags on residential properties near business districts are extremely steep, and the lifestyle quotient is low in most cases – especially in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru,” he adds.

With cities continuing to grow and become dense, the need for weekend homes is here to stay. A&I

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In the process of designing the built environment, no element can be designed in isolation. A collaborative platform is essential to achieving both aesthetic and performative goals. It is the crossover of disciplines that

will generate successful designs, which in turn will culminate to interresponsive building components. A successful building will have all of its components singing in harmony.

In the design process, the disciplines of engineering and architectural design must come together to ensure harmony of both active technologies and passive designs. It is only through such synchronisation that a building can push the limits of en-ergy efficacy. While it is important to look at the entire building systems matrix within the context of the built environment, the building skin represents the greatest potential energetic gain or loss – as much as 50 per cent in the building sector – and thus offers the greatest opportunity to address overall energy effectiveness of the matrix of building systems (Xu,Van Dessel, 2007). Without addressing the performance of the building envelope, no active building system alone will suffice in opti-mising the overall energy efficiency of the building.

The natural path to energy optimisation starts with energy use reduction, followed by optimised usage through efficient active systems and, finally, on-site generation of power (obvi-ously through renewable technologies involving minimal or no carbon emissions). In every one of these progressive design steps, the building envelope remains of foremost importance.

As mentioned above, the heat gain/loss through the building envelope contributes heavily to peak loads through conductive, convective and direct/indirect radiation transfers. A well-designed building skin with appropriate use of materials will mitigate such loads and help reduce energy consumption. In addition to heating and cooling loads, optimised fenestration will enhance daylighting and reduce lighting loads. Passive design strategies such as solar shading, optimised window-wall ratios, high-performance glazing, elimination of thermal bridges or enhanced insulation can achieve much of this.

Dynamic design, either through mechanical or chemical processes, have also been applied to mitigate external loads impacting the building skin. We have seen examples that utilise

Varun Kohli Principal, Merge Studio

nitin Killawalla

mechanically operated louvers as well as phase change materi-als (PCMs) with high thermal lag. All passive strategies should be analysed for a given climate to assess its impact on energy savings. Past projects have shown that a passively optimised building envelope can reduce energy consumption by as much as 20 per cent, as compared to code-compliant building design.

Often, building skins are centric to advanced active systems design. This part of the process is best described through a wonderful project example: the Deutsche Post tower in Bonn, Germany (Murphy/Jahn Architects, 2003). The building utilises floor plates that maximise daylight penetration and employs a double skin façade to control and pre-condition fresh air intake. The double-skin façade (a passive component) works in tandem with perimeter induction type units (the active compo-nents). The two components work together in harmony, where conditioned fluid circulates through these units, and the entire fresh air requirements are achieved through the building skin.

This system design eliminates the need for any vertical and horizontal ductwork, which saves on both space and capital construction cost. No ductwork also means no fan-power to push the air through the building. Since fans contribute a large percentage of mechanical loads, it adds up to energy savings.

The final step is generation of on-site power through renew-able technologies. There are numerous examples of technolo-gies integrated with building skins. BIPVs (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) are now available as a standard applied product to some curtainwall systems. Façade designs have utilised solar thermal tubes as solar control devices, providing solar shading and generating hot water for internal use. Future technologies are looking at dynamic systems as part of the façade, which not only increase energy efficiency, but also respond to a multitude of issues including daylighting, thermal control and ventilation.

The future of integrated and performative building design is bound to include façade design and technology as a core com-ponent. The building skin, which negotiates the boundaries of internal and external environments, is also naturally situated to host the active technologies that not only condition the internal space in the most efficient manner, but also generate energy to support the loads of the building. A&I

The Soapbox iS an opporTuniTy for each of our adviSory board memberS To expreSS Their opinion on an imporTanT induSTry iSSue. ThiS monTh, varun Kohli reflecTS on how a SucceSSful marriage of Technology wiTh The aeSTheTicS of The building SKin giveS birTh To a harmoniouS indoor environmenT

Skin Sync

adviSory board

C.n. raghavendran

Karan Grover

namita Singh

nitin Saolapurkar

niranjan hiranandani

Bijoy Mohan

Sanjay Puri

Conrad Gonsalves ashok Butala

Mustansir DalviBo Boje larsen

Manit rastogi

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Ask India’s young architects to choose their design icon, and BV Doshi’s is the name that invariably crops up

My close encounters with the legendary BV Doshi have left me even more in awe of his spirit than I was before I met him. An unassuming personality, both in the way he dresses neatly

in traditional Indian attire and interacts humbly with his peers and juniors, he displays none of the flamboyance that characterises those who have achieved just a fragment of his success. His life, and his work in the realm of natural materials, energy-saving techniques and interpretation of traditional Indian architecture in a contemporary vocabulary, have been an inspiration for generations of architects, and will be for generations to come.

So, I was delighted by his promise when, in September 2011, I met him at Sangath – his masterpiece of an office in Ahmed-abad – soon after he received France’s highest honour for the arts. “I’m going to give you a book. It has the whole story of my life,” he declared. And he kept his promise, generously handing me the first issue that arrived at his office and making me the proud owner of a signed copy of Paths Uncharted (his recent book, based on notes from his diaries).

The ‘Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters’, equivalent to the Padma Bhushan award in India, was conferred on Padma

Shri Dr BV Doshi by the French consul general Jean Raphael Peytregnet at a gracious function hosted at CEPT, Ahmedabad, by the Alliance Francaise of Ahmedabad. The choice of venue was apt, considering that he is the ‘founding father’ of the Cen-tre for Environmental Planning & Technology (CEPT). The title recognises Doshi’s association with France’s master architect Le Corbusier and his contributions to facilitating relations between the two countries in the field of architecture and art.

“If you are highly motivated, your thoughts about your aspirations and dreams travel, reach out and, eventually, the cosmic forces create situations for them to happen really.” One of the brilliant gems contained in Paths Uncharted, this is the most probable explanation for the incredible events that led Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, born in 1927 as the son of a furniture maker in a joint family in Pune, to the atelier of Le Corbusier in Paris (1951-54) – and thence, thanks to “a series of seemingly disparate coincidences,” to oversee his guru’s projects in Ahmedabad.

Doshi set up his own studio, Vastu Shilpa Consultants, after he returned in 1955. His experience in Paris was a stepping stone to accomplishments such as working closely with Louis Kahn when the American architect designed the campus of the

the path-breaker

1. Dr BV Doshi: an officer and a gentleman

2. Doshi’s office: Sangath, Ahmedabad

By MArIA LouIs

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3. CEPT, Ahmedabad

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, CEpT, AHMEDABADA young architect we interviewed recently, maintains that anyone who passes through the portals of CEPT is either already an

architect or vows to be one – the ultimate tribute to Doshi’s genius! Built in 1966-68, the School of Architecture was the first stage in a much more ambitious understanding of an entire multidisciplinary campus that would include further studios, a library, an exhibition area and facilities for painting and sculpture; the whole, to be called the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT).

A simple structure of parallel, load-bearing brick walls with concrete beams and floors added up to an extendable system to house multipurpose studios and teaching spaces. The emphasis was on maximising airflow through the building while minimising the impact of the sun. A north-south orientation of parallel bays offered the best solution.

The climate control features include deep overhangs shading southward-facing openings; minimised openings to east and west; thick walls doubling up as insulative and structural elements; overlapping sectional volumes and double heights for convective cooling; north lighting for glare control; lush greenery and landscaping.

Conceived as a free-flowing space with no compartmentalisation or segregation, the campus encourages interaction, both between students and faculty; an epitomisation of the notion of the ideal institution in which teaching and learning could happen anywhere, at any time, with an unfettered exchange of ideas actualised by interacting individuals. The built and the unbuilt harmonise by means of gradually increasing or decreasing senses of enclosure, light and scale. Transitions are also effected by the animation of the ‘in-between’ spaces by interlocking platforms and steps/plinths of various scales and sizes, shaded or otherwise, for large/small group gatherings or individual contemplation.

The efforts towards designing an educational campus of international standard has been infused with local contextual flavour, as evident in the long and narrow main corridor leading from the entrance to the library, interspersed with flights of steps overlooking balconies and bridges, recalling the spatial experience of the ‘pols’ or traditional residential areas of Ahmedabad. This ‘street’ terminates in the large court or square, whi ch takes on the multipurpose function of larger gatherings, playground, activity, etc.

The School of Architecture, which combines the plain brick walls of Doshi’s own house and the concrete cantilevered overhanging slabs and verandahs of the Institute of Indology, shows evidence of the influence of Louis Kahn as well as that of Le Corbusier.

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. In 1958, he was a fellow at the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. “I got this fellowship because I happened to meet Dr Sigfried Giedion, the Swiss architectural historian and critic, in Corbusier’s office, just a few days before I left Paris,” says Doshi matter-of-factly.

Soon after, came his formidable achievements as an educa-tor and institution builder – the first founder director of the School of Architecture, Ahmedabad; first founder director of the School of Planning; first founder dean of CEPT (Centre for Environment Planning and Technology); founder member of the Visual Arts Centre, Ahmedabad; and first founder director of the Kanoria Centre for the Arts, Ahmedabad.

Doshi’s work is at once modern and traditional, his archi-tecture interpreting the Indian vernacular in a contemporary idiom. Among the significant institutional campuses that he has designed are IIM, Bengaluru; Madhya Pradesh Electric-ity Board, Jabalpur; NIFT, New Delhi; CEPT, Ahmedabad;

and Yashwantrao Chavan Development Academy, Pune. His urban scale projects include the planning for the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai; development of the Kharghar node, Navi Mumbai; and the proposal for the new city of Jaipur, Vidyadhar Nagar. Doshi’s mastery over housing is evident in Aranya, Indore – a slum redevelopment township, for which he received the international Aga Khan Award in 1996.

Winning national and international awards has become almost second nature to him now. Indeed, the young ‘Bal’ has come a long way from the time when he gave up his share of his ancestral property in Pune for just enough money to survive in London, where he headed at the invi-tation of a friend [Hari Kanhere, his senior at the JJ School of Architecture, Mumbai].

In 1951, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge took him to Hoddesdon for the eighth Conference of the Interna-tional Congress of Modern Architecture (CIAM), which he managed to attend against great odds after persistently

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4. Young architects formed a major part of the audience at the book reading and launch of Paths Uncharted, held at Studio X, Mumbai.

5. IIM, Bengaluru

6. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad

calling up Cadbury Brown, then the secretary of CIAM.Since he was neither a member nor a full-time architecture

student [but studying independently for the RIBA examina-tion], he had to use all his persuasive skills. “Even today, I often wonder about this bold and courageous act of calling him up, considering that I was quite shy and could not converse prop-erly in English,” says Doshi, who went on to become a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for his “lifetime contribution to Indian and international architecture” and has been on the selection committee for the Pritzker Prize, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

A chance meeting with German Samper from Bogota, Colombia, who was working with Le Corbusier on the master plan for Chandigarh, prompted Doshi to write to the French master asking if he could work with him. At the time, he knew almost nothing about him; though he learnt later that Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, whose work impressed him, had been influenced by Le Corbusier. “Cosmic forces” must have been at work, for the aspiring young Indian architect received a reply immediately: “You would not be paid for eight months. If you want to come, come,” was Le Corbusier’s terse rejoinder.

That was enough for Doshi to leave for Paris, with his meagre savings, on a boat from Dover to Calais. “Thus I began another chapter in my life, in another strange city, just as in Mumbai and London earlier,” recalls the 86-year-old architect six decades after that momentous decision. The language bar-rier and having no acquaintances outside office took its toll. “I kept asking myself: why did I come? Lonely, exhausted and nervous, I would go to the hotel, drink some milk and cry.”

What kept Doshi going was the advice that his “dada” had given him: “Bal, don’t leave anything halfway because, if you do, you will regret it all your life, think of it as a failure and, chances are, you will never take another risk. Determination to go on is very crucial for excellence and success.” Today’s young architects do not have to contend with the problems faced by this living legend (they have their own), but they could learn a lot from this advice – just as they will from his work.

While Doshi’s projects are lessons in architecture, Paths Un-charted is a must-read for the promise of a life well lived… even for those who are not students of architecture. A&I

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Known for his sensitivity to local climate, Charles Correa has defined post-Independence Indian architecture

He may have shut down his office in Mumbai, but Charles Mark Correa is still the talk of the town. At the India Design Forum held in the city last month, news about the gifting

of Correa’s archive of over 6,000 drawings to RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) spread like wildfire, thanks to the international architects and museum representatives present. The announcement came later. Hailing Correa as ‘India’s greatest architect’, RIBA declared that it will be presenting the first major UK exhibition showcasing the work of renowned Indian architect, Charles Correa.

Although he was born in Secunderabad, 83-year-old Correa is the quintessential ‘Bombay boy’, having studied at the St Xavier’s College in the city and established his professional practice here in 1958, after his further studies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1949–53) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge (1953–55). The architect and urban planner is known for adapting Modernist tenets to local climates and building styles. In the realm of urban planning, he has displayed an admirable sensitivity to the needs of the urban poor.

Over five decades, Correa has displayed immense fore-

sight in the planning of Navi Mumbai to decongest Bombay (now Mumbai), pioneered low-cost housing, championed the protection of built environments by setting up the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI), sensitively designed the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad as a memorial to Ma-hatma Gandhi, and created numerous symbols of progress.

As recognised for his land-use planning and commu-nity projects as he is for his adaptations of Modernism to a non-Western culture, Correa’s efficient use of space, atten-tion to natural ventilation and prudent use of traditional materials and available resources has won him countless laurels, among them the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. More recently, in December 2011, on the eve of the Golden Jubiliee of Goa’s Liberation, this ‘son-of-the-soil’ (who returned to a life of retirement) was bestowed with Goa’s highest civilian honour – the Gomant Vibhushan.

Earlier, in 1994, Correa received the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture – an arts prize awarded since 1989 by the imperial family of Japan on behalf of the Japan Art Asso-ciation. The citation for the award states the reason for the choice: “His designs for low-cost public housing for various city and state housing bodies showed a rich awareness and

The Visionary

1. Charles Correa: always open to the sky

2. British Council, Delhi

by MarIa LouIs

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3. British Council, Delhi

4. Permanent Mission of India, New York

5. Gandhi Smarak Sangraha-laya, Ahmedabad

London CaLLing ‘india’s greatest arChiteCt’The forthcoming exhibition at the RIBA headquarters in London, UK (from May 14 to September 4, 2013) will display the drawings, plans, photographs, models and films behind Correa’s projects. Among the buildings that will be showcased are the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Museum (Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, also known as Sabarmati Ashram), Ahmedabad; the MIT Brain and Cognitive Science Centre, USA; the InterUniversity Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune; and the Champalimaud Centre for the Study of the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. The exhibition also features Correa’s designs for housing and cities, looking closely at climate change, affordable housing and improvement of cityscapes, including his urban masterplan for Navi Mumbai.

David Adjaye, architect and designer of the RIBA exhibition, says: “Charles Correa is a highly significant architect, globally and for India. His work is the physical manifestation of the idea of Indian nationhood, modernity and progress. His vision sits at the nexus defining the contemporary Indian sensibility, and it articulates a new Indian identity with a language that has a global resonance. He is someone who has that rare capacity to give physical form to something as intangible as ‘culture’ or ‘society’ – and his work is, therefore, critical: aesthetically; sociologically; and culturally. This exhibition has presented us with an exciting opportunity to engage absolutely with his work, and to think how the exhibition design can communicate the key messages. It has been an enriching experience that will feed into my own practice.”

Curator Dr Irena Murray says: “Correa is brilliantly inventive in his deployment of certain timeless themes in Indian culture and philosophy: journey, passage, void and the representation of the cosmos. He uses them as a means to create ambitious new spaces and structures. His deep understanding of the implications of climate, demographics, transport and community life has a universal quality, and has helped structure the thematic arrangement of the exhibition.”

The landmark exhibition will be accompanied by the ‘Out of India’ season of talks and events. Highlights include a public lecture by Charles Correa on May 15, an in-conversation event on art, architecture and metaphor with David Adjaye, Stephen Cox and Dr Irena Murray on June 11, and a special ‘Last Tuesday’ on Mumbai on June 25.

For more information, visit www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/RIBATrustProgramme/CharlesCorreaOutofIndiaSeason.aspx

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6. Kanchanjunga, Mumbai

7. Vidhan Bhavan, Bhopal

8. InterUniversity Centre for Astronomy and Astrophys-ics, Pune

bolising Bindu – the energy centre of the Cosmos. The next nodal point, located in the main courtyard, is centred around another mythic image: the traditional Islamic Char Bagh. The third nodal point is a European icon, inlaid in marble and granite, used to represent the Age of Reason, including the mythic values of Science and Progress.”

With Kanchanjunga, Correa scaled the heights in his ex-periments with adapting vernacular architectural principles to high-rise living. Which Indian architect has not doffed his imaginary hat to the genius who visualised such an interlocking of four apartment typologies varying from three to six bedrooms each? The building is a 32-storey reinforced concrete structure with 6.3m cantilevered terraces. Using displacements of level to differentiate between the external earth-filled terraces and the internal elevated living volumes, the subtle shifts enabled him to effectively shield the high-rise units from the effects of the sun and the rain. This was largely achieved by providing the tower with relatively deep garden terraces, suspended in the air.

Correa’s architecture has always been open to the sky, as can be seen in his courtyard houses and office complexes. The ‘hanging gardens’ of this condominium are a modern interpretation of a feature of the traditional bungalow: the verandah. In this iconic ‘skyscraper’ of the 1980s, this living legend has ingeniously adapted age-old principles to con-temporary living – as only a visionary could. A&I

use of vernacular styles and methods; this and the designs’ sensitivity to the socio-cultural environment into which they would be projected, related in a spiritual sense to the large-scale cultural and administrative buildings he has designed since the 1980s. As both architect and cultural diplomat, Cor-rea has played a vital role in developing strategies for urban development in the poorer countries of the world.”

While Correa’s architectural masterpieces have impressed people in different parts of the world, closer home it is the British Council headquarters in New Delhi (1987-92) and the Kanchanjunga luxury terrace apartments in Mumbai (1970-83) that have inspired the new generation. These are stunning examples of his conceptual skills and his ability to design a space to suit its climate.

The shadow of a huge banyan tree rendered in black (Kadappa stone) and white (Makrana marble) by the British artist Howard Hodgkins, stands out against the pink stone used for the British Council building – a brilliant integration of art and architecture with nature. The elements that make up the building (its library, auditorium, offices and art gal-lery) are arranged in a series of layers that recall the historic interfaces that have existed between India and Britain.

Elucidating his ideas in the comprehensive monograph of his work, Charles Correa (pub. 1996, with an essay by Kenneth Frampton), the conceptual artist points out: “At the furthest end is the axis mundi of Hinduism, a spiral sym-

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He may be American by birth, but Christopher Benninger is more truly Indian than most Indian architects

Having a conversation with Prof Christopher Charles Benninger is like sitting at the feet of your favourite philosopher and being illuminated by his brilliance. He studies each question carefully

and answers them all thoughtfully, though many of them may have been posed to him many times before. So, it is only fitting that we tell the story of this quiet American, who has become a living legend in India, in his own carefully-chosen words.

Who or what sparked off your initial interest in architecture and design?As a boy, my aunt presented me with a copy of The Natural House by Frank Lloyd Wright. I was lured by Wright’s truth and read it from cover to cover in one sitting, turning pages through the night until the early morning. From the moment I awoke the next day, I was an architect. I suppose I’ve never put that book down!

Which are the iconic structures that have inspired you, and why? Did any of them influence your career choice?‘Falling Water’, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a testa-ment to the integration of nature within our lives, and within our built environment. It lit up my imagination and began a passionate search for that magic spark of beauty that lay

deep within me. I think what I call my ‘career’ is that search for beauty born out of ‘organic truth’. By that, I mean a truth embedded within the plasticity of nature; a truth expressed from natural materials; a truth that makes space out of light; a truth that makes a structure and a function one whole; a truth in solving real problems and not running after the mirage of ‘styles’ and fashions.

Which architect or designer do you consider your role model? Please tell us why.Frank Lloyd Wright was my early role model because he led a legendary life and he ‘lived the legend’, which inspired me. Within his persona, I could envision the person I wanted to be-come. I drew courage from the reality that there could be such a man! I wanted to be that man, yet from his life I learned that I could not be him. I had to be my own man; I realised that the lesson is to know and to live my own intrinsic self. I think, in the end, being my true self is what I learned from Frank Lloyd Wright. I started to yearn to be, and not to seem.

Looking back, which have been the significant land-marks on your professional journey? How did they affect your growth as an architect?I have often said, “There is no good luck, except the good

The philosopher

1. Christopher Benninger: eternal seeker

2. Bajaj Science Education Centre, Wardha

IntervIewed By MArIA LouIs

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3. Alliance Francaise, Ahmedabad

ABOUT ccBA (cHRISTOPHER cHARLES BEnnIngER ARcHITEcTS)Born in 1942, Christopher Charles Benninger grew up in the USA. He studied Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Architecture at Harvard University under Spanish architect Josep Lluis Sert, where he was later a professor of Architecture at the Graduate School of Design.

A Fulbright fellowship brought him to Ahmedabad in 1968, and he returned as a Ford Foundation advisor to set up the School of Urban Planning in 1971, jointly with Padma Shri BV Doshi. Later, he founded the Centre for Development Studies in Pune (1976), which involved him in teaching, rural development and poverty alleviation work.

Fifteen years ago, Benninger gave up a thriving academic and United Nations consulting career to start an architectural studio. Headed by Benninger along with his partner, Akkisetti Ramprasad, Christopher Charles Benninger Architects (CCBA) functions as a studio that only takes up projects involving study, analysis and the exploration of visual, spatial, formal, social and technological ideas and concepts related to architecture, urbanism and human settlements.

Development Studies and Activities [CDSA] – a larger cluster of integrated structures, all bound together in a common ge-ometry and language of honestly-expressed local Basalt stone, Mangalore tiles and exposed concrete. Like the AF, CDSA is a lesson in honesty and simplicity. Yet, from a simple isolated structure emerged a complex, interrelated cluster of functional units. What seems simple, is shaped into a kind of mystery, a conundrum. The puzzle moves from a simple study of the holism of materials, structure and space within an individual structure, on to the integration of many structures within a unifying geometry and holistic language – to make a unified campus. I used the lessons from these two experiences to fabricate and choreograph the Mahindra United World Col-lege of India [MUWCI], which is a much more complicated and larger design confabulation. From 2,750sq-ft at the AF; to 20,000sq-ft at the CDSA, I had to bring together 1,50,000sq-ft at the MUWCI. This progression of problem solving was a great learning sequence for me. It has enabled me to solve large urban design and campus planning puzzles, and to transform puzzles into things of beauty.

Frank Lloyd Wright stated, “Every architect must be a great original interpreter of his time… ” How do you interpret your own ‘time’? My time has been one of transition, change and ‘displacement’. We have seen the total displacement of the Indian ethos and of our primordial spirit by centuries-long experience of foreign invasions and colonialism. We were then displaced by adopted, alien concepts of socialism, ‘progress’ and the mediocrity of the PWD Raj. Now, that is swept aside; and we have the net of glo-balisation thrown over us. From local materials, we suddenly had ACP cladding from China and imported glass to wrap our buildings with. My struggle, in this, is to find an ‘Indian architecture’ which is at the same time also ‘cutting edge’ in terms of our local technology and new functions. That is an internal search, not one sought out in the pages of magazines or on the Internet. First, globalisation brought glass boxes; then, 3

luck of having great teachers!” Great teachers lead us to look within ourselves and to see in ourselves the good that can be nurtured and grown. My good luck began with my college teachers at the age of 17 and, like stepping-stones over the messy waters of life, I continued to have good teachers. I had Josep Lluis Sert and Fumihiko Maki at Harvard, and Kevin Lynch at MIT. I taught design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design as a youngster, with masters like Gerhard Kallmann, who designed Boston City Hall; and Jane Drew, who lived in Chandigarh with her husband (Maxwell Fry), bringing Le Corbusier to lead their team. My journey contin-ued here in India with Balkrishna Doshi by my side. These masters led me to a lifelong search that became a mental exploration, as well as a physical sojourn, travelling across the world to meet inspiring people, learn from the humble people I met along the way, and see great architecture.

Which was the first project you handled independently? What did you learn from it?My first major project was the tiny 2,750sq-ft, Alliance Francaise (AF) in Ahmedabad. At that time, I thought it was a ‘major project’ because it was a public building where people meet and learn together. Making public domains is where archi-tects are creating civilisation. Ironically, this month, the AF in Ahmedabad will move into a new building about ten times as large, leaving my little structure a lonely shell. The AF is a lesson in the integration of space, light, structure, materials, function and an urban context. The structure and the materials can all be seen transparently, and are honestly expressed. For me, this was a great achievement; for any architect, this should be their goal in place making.

Which is the one structure that you find yourself going back to for inspiration?My journey began with the Alliance Francaise and, naturally, advanced further into my own campus for the Centre for



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globalisation brought us LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), telling us that glass boxes are not so good. But it also told us that we could do the wrong thing, and get extra points for doing the wrong thing a little better! So we were taught to cheat, and then how to be forgiven through a system of confessions and bonus points. Most Platinum LEED buildings look like ugly boxes, cramming people into mentally unsustainable cubicles. As architects, we have to rebel against such imported disruptions.

How has the field of architecture and design in India changed since you began your career? Is it a change for the better or worse? Why?As I have noted, we are being driven to change in an alien direction by external forces, and we are not moving in a planned way toward a better future. Architecture, urban planning and urban design are supposed to lead society forward to a better tomorrow. On the contrary, our profession seems little more than a handmaiden of market forces, consumerism and branded fantasies. This fantasy is a nightmare for the vast majority of In-dians who are looking up to us to solve their housing, transport, schooling, recreational and health facilities problems. We are let-ting down those without a voice, who think we are there to cre-ate a better tomorrow – when, in fact, we can only make leisure homes on the seaside, second homes in the hills, and holiday places for the idle rich! We are becoming experts at packaging consumer products purchased through the unearned incre-ments of an imbalanced economy. We cannot even learn from the tragedy of the automobile in America. We are creating urban sprawl, congestion and strip development along our roads, as if they are Indian inventions! We are blindly following imported models and trends, just because they are foreign. Over centuries of disruption, we have been brainwashed into automatically thinking that anything foreign is better.

What is your opinion of the development of architecture as a field that must benefit people? What are you doing about it?

4&5. Aerial view of the bridge at IIM Kolkata that connects the academic and residential areas.

6. India House, Pune: The courtyard is used for cultural activities and events.

Architecture must benefit the man on the street. As a commu-nity of designers, we have the capability to plan efficient and hygienic cities; to make affordable shelter systems; to design colleges and schools that will transform our human resources and increase awareness levels; to create health care facilities that make people feel cared for and secure.

Architects and urban planners have a wonderful calling. We can create the facilities that enhance a functioning democ-racy; and that leads to more effective collective thinking and decision-making. I have been honoured to work with many development authorities, international development banks, the UNO and national governments to restructure existing cities/towns and build new ones; to create shelter systems that make shelter accessible to the poor. The design projects I have led, over the years, range from a 200-bedded hospital in the isolated town of Udgir in Latur district, to a clinic for mentally-challenged children in Pune.

We have just completed the Bajaj Science Centre in Wardha, that will bring science education to needy, yet brilliant, children in a large rural catchment area. We are working with the Dalit community to build boarding facilities for poor girl students, and a large institute for Buddhist studies and social work in Nagpur. We have just completed a women’s hostel for 600 girls at the College of Engineering, Pune [COEP], to make techno-logical education more accessible to women. We have built children’s villages for orphans in Kolkata and in rural Haryana.

During my career, I’ve created over 20,000 shelter units and serviced plots facilitating self-help housing for very low-income households in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. With the World Bank, I led a team that improved the hygiene and comfort levels in the bustis of Kolkata, Thane and Kalyan, where tens of thousands of hutment dwellers live in improved slums. As an architect, I feel I have been able to play a small role in man’s great ascent here in the subcontinent.

In Bhutan, we are making the UN House that will help spread development deep into the isolated mountains. We are building the Supreme Court of Bhutan, with funds gifted

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7. India House Art Gallery: Benninger shares his love of art through an art gallery housed in his residence cum office building in Pune.

8. Suzlon One Earth, Pune

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is significant in the education of women, and is a wonderful revival of exposed concrete construction technology. It is a very poetic tower that becomes a landmark of education in the cen-tre of the city. The new hostels and dining facilities at the IIM in Kolkata have given a new persona to the old campus that was caught in the quagmire of PWD architecture from the 1960s. India House is more than my home; it is a centre of culture and creation, where more than 40 architects work and make cutting-edge designs. It is the home of the India House Art Gallery and a large public domain, where students of architecture come for lectures and meetings.

Which project designed by you, would you consider your best one so far? Each project in my life has been a part of the same continual search for meaning in my life. For me, life is one huge project; and there is no separation between one building, a campus, one town or a city I have designed or planned. If one has ever felt love, or known meaning, then one knows there is no scale of measure for sacred things. Sacred things are all one instance of the same power and the same energy.

What aspect of your spirit, learning or temperament does your work represent? I think all of my education, all of my teachers, and the evolution of my value system lead me continuously to ask: what am I contributing to society at large? How am I, as a designer, shap-ing society? How does architecture and town planning enrich and transform civilisation? I think all of my work has been an internal struggle to create something relevant, and to gift some-thing of beauty to the generations that follow.

I feel humanity is divided into people who struggle to create a better civilisation and those who merely labour each day, doing their bit to maintain the huge system we live in. But when the latter people go to bed at night, they are not asking what they can do for society; they are regretting what society has not done for them! These people are merely survivors and doing ‘labour’ to survive. But there is another creative genre of people who ‘work’ to build a great civilisation. They create public domains; ‘people places’; social and recreational facilities that make towns and cities better places to live in. I feel that my spirit dwells in the abode of a ‘worker’. I fear only to labour for my own survival.

You have been a mentor to students, young architects and designers. What message would you like to convey to them? One is always a student. One may never become a teacher, but one is always learning, adapting, changing and recreating one-self. If there is only one thing you ever design, let it be yourself.

What would you like to be remembered for, by your peers as well as by succeeding generations?I would like to be remembered for what I have written, and the ideas that I have gifted to further generations. I would like that the values I pen down are lived by many youngsters, and that these values describe their lives; and when they become old, looking back over the years seeking meaning, they would reflect on the way something I had said changed the way they thought. I would be honoured if, only for a moment, they felt that something I had said affected them; and in their looking back, they remembered me for that. I would like my words to become a testament to the things I have struggled to build, and I would like the things I have designed, created and made to be a testament to what I have scribbled on pieces of paper finding their way on to printed pages. A&I

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by the Government of India to make democracy work more effectively through the institution that interprets and protects the new constitution. In Sri Lanka, with the UN Centre for Human Settlements, we prepared the development plans for six regional headquarters towns to upgrade public health, rec-reational and safety facilities. For the YMCA, we were able to create a campsite in the Sahyadri mountains, where street chil-dren of Mumbai may go in the summers to learn about nature and community living. The most interesting social project now on our boards is the Azim Premji University, which will create a virtual army of new professionals in the sphere of human re-sources development and mobilisation. Each and every project – like the IIT at Hyderabad, Kirloskar Institute of Management, and the extension of the IIM at Kolkata – adds to the nation’s human resources wealth and problem-solving capability.

Which of your projects do you think are significant? Why?All of my creations, my ‘children’, are significant! Architecture is only about significance and poetry. Without these, we are only talking about cement and mortar. But let me highlight a few significant works. The Bajaj Science Centre is both socially significant and a wonderful holistic conception of space, materials and structural systems. The COEP women’s hostel



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The road trip from Frankfurt to Hornberg lasted barely a couple of hours, but the difference in topography was remarkable. Straight roads on flat land gave way to curved ones that frequently

hugged the hillsides. Despite the stopover and change of flights, apart from the night-long travel that put paid to a restful sleep, we were awake as we approached the quaint Hotel Adler in the Black Forest. Still, our first glimpse of the Duravit Design Centre made us sit up in astonishment.

Yes, we had heard about the maverick designer Philippe Starck installing a giant toilet within the facade of the building; but seeing it larger than life is a different story. Experiencing how the design genius has made functional use of the iconic ‘sculpture’ as a balcony that you can step

by Maria Louis

out into, was the highlight of our visit to the centre in Hornberg; and the event itself comses a close second.

Duravit Design Days (DDD) 2013 presented the company’s product innovations to 1,600 guests from 62 countries – in a preview to the world’s leading trade fair for sanitary, heating and climate: the ISH. Architect and Inte-riors India was one of just two publications from India who were invited to Duravit’s headquarters in Germany for this exclusive event. And despite the long and arduous journey, it was well worth the effort, thanks mainly to the ‘edutain-ment’ quotient of the launch.

A sultry singer backed by a beatboxing duo took the stage in an interactive ode to each of the new ranges that were being launched. And the management sportingly

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We were privileged to be one of two indian publications invited for an exclusive product launch at Duravit’s headquarters in the black Forest of Germany

Happy D(ay)s

1. The D-shaped ‘functional’ sculpture by Philippe Starck was one of DDD’s highlights.

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joined in, mixing the business of introducing the new prod-uct innovations with the pleasure of rhythmic accompani-ment that mimicked the sound of gushing water or flushing toilets – to hearty applause and loud guffaws.

Following the presentations, the products were revealed, and guests could get a feel of the new ranges by seeing them in situ, with some of the faucets, showers and toilets in working condition.

Duravit believes in concentrating on the essentials, as the company feels it is important both to develop new products and series as well as to hone existing ones.

By focusing on three key areas – design, quality and state-of-the-art technology – Duravit continues to set stan-dards for sanitaryware.

Among the new product innovations unveiled at Duravit Design Days in Hornberg and displayed at ISH in Frank-furt this year were:

Happy D.2With the new Happy D.2 bathroom series by Sieger Design, Duravit shows that reduced, architectural design and soft lines are not mutually exclusive. The series is both feminine and chic and follows on from the successful, iconic Happy D range. In 2013, Happy D.2 redefines this classic design and takes it into the future.

X-LargeSieger Design has used fine lines and elegant contours to reinterpret Duravit’s most varied bathroom series. Mod-ern and infinitely versatile, X-Large now harmonises more than ever with the architectural and technical spirit of our times. Lightness and fine contours of the front edge on the consoles are important design features.

DuraStyLeIndividuality is important, but Duravit thinks that does not mean getting noticed by every means possible. The interdisciplinary cooperation between architects, interior designers and manufacturers has paved the way for Dura-Style by Matteo Thun, a series that meets the requirements of both, home and project sectors.

Starck 2Duravit completes the re-design of the Starck 2 series with refreshingly innovative nuances: tiny modifications have been made and sophisticated details added to washbasins, washing bowls, surface-mounted washbasins, shower trays and bathtubs – giving the series a new and modern elegance. However, Duravit has retained the fundamental design DNA of the successful series by Philippe Starck, who has been associated with the brand since 1992. A&I

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2. An interactive beatboxing performance featuring the sounds of gushing water, was an innovative way to launch sanitaryware.

3. Duravit’s management team joins the performers.

4. DuraStyle

5. Starck 2

6. X-Large

7. HappyD.2

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Deep discussion, deliberation and debate on ‘design matters’ made the India Design Forum a grand success

It was a heady two days for design enthusiasts at the NCPA Mumbai, where design thinkers and doers from India and abroad congregated for the second edition of the India Design Forum (IDF). The opening note was

presented by mother-daughter duo Rajshree and Aishwarya Pathy, founder and director of CoCCA and IDF respectively.

“We are concerned about the lack of understanding of design. There is a perception that good design is expensive and elitist,” said Rajshree Pathy, explaining the number of international speakers vis-à-vis home-grown Indian speakers by pointing out that Europe and the West are more mature design markets – so there is a lot to be gained by listening to design thinkers who live and work there.

Applause greeted Atul Punj, chairman, Punj Lloyd Group, when he said that the only thing missing in the packed au-ditorium was the presence of policy makers; and promised, as a sponsor of the IDF, to work with the organisers towards ensuring that future IDF editions would include the partici-pation of policy makers.

Rajeev Sethi, chairman and founder trustee of The Asian Heritage Foundation, spoke feelingly about the tremendous value of Indian craftsmanship, which is “unlike any other in the world”; making a strong case for designers to support it.

After Aishwarya Pathy gave the audience a behind-the-scenes look at how the stage had been created, it was time for the much-awaited morning star – UK’s Thomas Heather-wick, whose opening lecture illustrated the power of design to humanise, unite and surprise. This he did by present-ing his public and institutional projects, among them the wondrous Olympic Cauldron wherein 204 polished copper forms (symbolising each of the participating nations) were illuminated by the London 2012 Olympic Torch. A video recording showed how the flames then converged to form one great flame of unity, surging into the sky and creating a giant kinetic sculpture in the centre of the stadium.

Apart from discussions on how India could make design thinking an essential part of its problem-solving culture; design and value; the challenges in the task of building de-sign institutions; creativity and innovation in business; there were presentations from Indian and international architects and designers to keep the audience glued to their seats.

Day one highlightsNipa Doshi, who did her early education in Ahmedabad, discussed the inspirational sources of her London-based practice co-founded with Jonathan Levien. Their work is a

Design Digest

1. The organisers and chief guests take the stage at the inaugural session of IDF.

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by MarIa LouIs

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sity of such an institution in an age of social, technological and cultural shift. What should be the qualities of a design museum? What is the process of acquisition? Should there even be real objects collected and exhibited? These were some of the questions thrown up by the discussion, and answered by the panellists: Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum, UK; Vikas Satwalekar, design consultant, India; Abraham Thomas, curator of the Design, Word and Image Department, Victoria & Albert Museum, UK.

Flamboyant footwear designer Christian Louboutin of the red sole fame, engaged in a candid conversation about the power of this little object to slow down the pace of life.

With a self-confessed addiction to observing and collect-ing, Asif Khan (founder, Asif Khan Ltd, UK) approaches each new project like an inventor. His endless curiosity that fuels unexpected explorations of process, material and form across all scales of architecture, was evident in his presen-

tation on ‘Designing Temporary Structures’.Artist Subodh Gupta, in conversation with Stephanie

Romanov, an American actor, took the audience through the thinking behind some of his more recent exhibits. These included installations such as 29 Mornings, Bihari, There’s always Cinema, Across 7 Seas, Very Hungry Gods, Aam aadmi, Gandhi’s 3 Monkeys, Take off your shoes and wash your hands, Black & White, Et Tu Duchamp, Line of Control and Cactus. He spoke about making the transition into the world of design, and also showcased experiments in furniture and jewellery

design that he had carried out himself, an exercise that intrigued him enough to keep exploring it.“Everything I design will turn to sh*t!” Eating designer

Marije Vogelzang (Studio Marije Vogelzang, the Neth-erlands) works with a material close to our bodies: food. Whether it’s an edible tablecloth or a dissolving sugar spoon, memories, stories and emotion form the main ingredients; and a bite of her food makes you smile, laugh or cry.

These esoteric presentations gave way to a more seri-ous session on ‘Design & Public Policy’ by Amitabh Kant, CEO & MD, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Develop-ment Corporation. One of a rare breed of bureaucrats, he is known for pushing through ambitious projects – such as the Incredible India branding story. Kant spoke about his new project (the Delhi-Mumbai power corridor) that promises to revolutionise urban planning on a scale that has never been attempted before. Informing the audience that the project will give rise to seven new cities, including two smart cities:

one in Dholera in Gujarat, and the second in Shendra-Bidkin in Maharashtra, he added that the new corridor would give rise to the development of integrated townships with intel-ligent urban planning infrastructure.

Architect Rahul Mehrotra held the audience spellbound with ‘Kinetic City’, a talk he illustrated with images of proj-ects that his studio (Rahul Mehrotra Associates) has worked on over the past couple of decades. Speaking about the plu-ralism prevalent in Indian society, he suggested that it was probably the country’s biggest advantage; as it was a duality that gave rise to the complexity and dynamism that we seem to take for granted. Mehrotra divided his lecture into two parts: in the first, he shared his observations of a city that has influenced him greatly – Mumbai; in the second part, he showcased six ‘difficult’ projects for corporate clients, NGOs and the government. The thunderous applause that greeted him was partly due to the fact that this presentation marked the end of a self-imposed exile from public displays of work.

While ‘Kinetic City’ was the pièce de résistance of day two, one cannot ignore ‘Transforming Spaces’ by Sumant Jayakrishnan (scenographer, designer and installation artist from India), which celebrated materiality and revealed the intangible by creating soulful, curated spaces and spectacu-lar experiences. Theatre, dance, creation of installations, design of sets and spaces for theatrical performances, spatial design at music, art and fashion events, were a few examples of what seems like several lifetimes of work. “What I work at, is making dreams come true,” he concluded.

‘Happy Hours’, the final segment, was an opportunity to showcase emerging talent in India in the fields of fash-ion, design, architecture, prosthetic design, animation and multimedia. The brief presentations by youngsters such as Sandeep Sangaru, Madhav Raman, Anuj Sharma, Charuvi P Agrawal, Haribaabu Naatesan, Kruti Saraiya, Rajiv Subba, Vivek Amberker, U Suren Vikash and Dipendra Baoni offered glimples of a range of ideas: from multime-dia projects involving augmented reality and space instal-lations to stunning quality prosthetics, lifestyle products made of waste materials, lighting solutions for electricity-deprived rural India and bamboo furniture styled in innovative ways.

After the results of the inaugural edition of the IDF Designboom awards were announced, it was time for a moving dance performance by Diya Naidu, an artiste from the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in South India – a fitting finale to the action-packed two-day forum. A&I

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6. Abraham Thomas of V&A Museum speaks at the session moderated by Vicky Richardson of the British Council, UK.

7. Rahul Mehrohtra

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Through traditional architecture, our country has braved harsh weather over the years. But as our tropical climate gets more intense, coupled with the need for ‘progressive’ architecture, artificial cooling

and heating has become a must. Once considered a luxury, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning) systems have made a transition from ‘want’ to ‘need’. As structures get taller and more ambitious, the need for controlled ambience is pivotal. Interestingly, as the HVAC system becomes essential, there is a heightened shout-out for energy efficiency. A paradox like this keeps architects and manufacturers occupied, until their combined genius gives the world a ‘perfect’ solution. “Awareness and the need for energy conservation has driven the industry in the last few years. In addition, we are challenged by the rise in temperature,” asserts Dinesh Vijapurkar, director, Zamil Air Conditioners India.

Acrex India 2013, held in Mumbai, was a testimony to the energy efficiency move in the HVAC industry, and its tagline is, aptly, ‘dedicated to an eco-friendly environment’. More than 20,000 visitors flooded the 35000sq-m exhibition space with over 350 exhibitors, including global participation from 20 countries. It was apparent here that every single component that makes up an HVAC system contributes to its transition to energy efficiency. Take, for example, the R2 heat recovery unit, launched by Mitsubishi Electric, which is capable of simultane-ous heating and cooling. This two-pipe system reduces instal-lation and operating costs, compared to a standard three-pipe system. Greenwave - Frigitech, a lubricating oil additive from

A cool indoor climate in hot weather has become a priority in urban India, but can we do it while conserving energy?

Climate ControlBy CArol FerrAo

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1. HVAC systems have made a quick transition from ‘want’ to ‘need’, thanks to modern architecture.

staying cooling with the sun’s heatA cooling panel that reflects the sunlight’s thermal heat back into space, has been designed by Stanford researchers and announced recently. “People usually see space as a source of heat from the sun - but away from the sun, outer space is really a cold place,” declared Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering and the paper’s senior author, “We’ve developed a new type of structure that reflects the vast majority of sunlight; while at the same time it sends heat into that coldness, which cools human-made structures even in the day time.”

The panel, made from nano-structured quartz and silicon carbide, has proved to be very efficient at reflecting most sunlight, while also effectively emitting thermal radiation in the wavelength range necessary to escape the Earth’s atmosphere. Aaswath Raman, a doctoral candidate in Fan’s lab and a co-first-author of the paper said, “We combine the thermal emitter and solar reflector into one device, making it both higher performance and much more robust, besides practically relevant.”

In simpler terms, a typical one-storey, single-family house with just 10 per cent of its roof covered by radiative cooling panels could offset 35 per cent of its entire air-conditioning needs during the hottest hours of the summer. The new device is capable of achieving a net cooling power in excess of 100 watts per sq-m. Fan’s radiative cooling panels could theoretically be substituted on rooftops, where existing solar panels feed electricity to air-conditioning systems needed to cool the building.

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Greenwave, removes oil fouling, improves heat transfer and is compatible with all refrigerants.

From minor advancements to newer technologies, the industry is trying its best to meet the need for sustainability. “HVAC systems are power guzzlers, but the use of VFDs and high-efficiency systems can help bring down energy consump-tion. Innovations such as heat machine/pump coupled with an HVAC system can help generate hot water and, thus, reduce overall energy use. Co-Gen and hybrid chiller plant rooms, low approach cooling towers, etc, also can make the overall energy use in a building more efficient – thus reducing costs,” says K Balakrishnan, director, Government Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Commercial Companies – India, United Technologies Corporation (UTC).

“The Indian HVAC&R industry has been growing steadily over the last 15 years at a healthy two-digit rate, opening up new markets for state-of-the-art technologies, systems, equip-ment and services,” points out Sushil Choudhary, national president 2012-2013, Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE). Simultaneously, as Vijapurkar states, “Awareness on green buildings, eco-friendly refrigerants and net zero building concepts are spreading among the HVAC industry, consultants and architects.”

EnErgy EfficiEncyVariable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology has minimised the efficiency losses found in conventional HVAC systems and pro-vided sustainable energy benefits. It is engineered to minimise or use no ductwork as a saving, except on the cost of large dis-tribution fans, multiple water pumps operation and water pip-ing. Multi V system from LG makes the best of this technology and consists of outdoor and indoor units, air cleaners, ducted and non-ducted units, and accessories. A prominent feature of the system is the ASHRAE innovation award-winning HiPOR

(High Pressure Oil Return) technology, which enables the compressor to return the oil directly to a high level of

pressure instead of the low levels on conventional AC units. By minimising un-necessary recompressing in the lower pressure level, HiPOR reduces energy losses and increases the COP (coefficient of performance) levels by up to 3 per cent.

Curbing the noise from these machines, the indoor units from Multi V can operate at sound levels as low as 23dB(A) and outdoor units at as low as

50dB(A). Additionally, for enhanced sound control, a ‘night quiet’ mode can be set to limit fan speed during off-peak hours.

Balakrishnan from UTC says, “There has been much advancement in the HVAC industry and technology. They in-clude magnetic compressors, tri/twin rotor screw compressors with Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), VFDs on compressors, use of natural CO2 for cooling, low approach cooling towers, and chiller plant optimisers which can make a plant more ef-ficient.” Carrier, which is part of UTC, offers the latest in screw chiller, viz, the AquaForce 30XW-V screw chiller with a capac-ity of 590-840kW. It incorporates the innovative Greenspeed VFD technology which delivers high performance and optimal energy consumption in demanding industrial and commercial settings. The inverter-driven, twin-rotor screw compressors al-low the precise matching of capacity and building load changes and significantly reduce unit power input, especially at part load – achieving an Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) of 10.

This efficiency level can reduce a building’s air-conditioning energy consumption by about 30 per cent, compared to a chiller that uses a fixed-speed screw compressor system. The screw chiller can be used for underground railway systems, hotels and office buildings, as well as retrofit projects. Additionally, it now features Carrier’s new colour touch pilot control, a new generation of integrated controls that offers a user-friendly full-colour touch screen interface with advanced web capability and easy access to all unit parameters from a clear single-screen

2. Carrier’s Evergreen 23XRV screw chiller cools the ITC Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru.

3. AquaForce 30XW-V screw chiller by Carrier.

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casE study: itc royal gardEniaTo optimise energy consumption, ITC Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru, required the most efficient chiller system that would meet the demands of the local climate and the challenging energy needs of a ‘star’ hotel. The product selected was Carrier’s world-leading non-ozone depleting Evergreen 23XRV screw chiller that achieves 40 per cent more energy savings than the US industry standard. Carrier’s experts partnered with the in-house technical team from the inception of the Royal Gardenia project, to provide a solution that would ultimately meet and exceed the customer’s requirements and set new benchmarks in efficiency for the hospitality as well as the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning industries. In alignment with LEED principles, the ITC Royal Gardenia is focused on delivering ‘Responsible Luxury’. According to its philosophy of ‘Forward to Green, Back to Nature’, the hotel group employs forward-looking environmentally sustainable practices such as energy-efficient operations, zero solid waste management, and green banqueting, while merging the physical aspects of each hotel with nature.



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060 case study: the capital MuMbaiBesides energy efficiency, The Capital Mumbai’s criteria for HVAC design was a focus on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and for all building services to be accessible through a single work-station, along with the ability to monitor the system from other remote locations. As the air-conditioning chillers would be the primary consumer of energy, an innovative and energy-efficient primary-secondary concept was adopted. Trane Centrifugal Chillers are used to accommodate the cooling needs, while Trane Air Cooled Chillers are used for the data centre. To address the requirement for IAQ, there are 120 Air Handling Units (AHUs), each capable of being controlled remotely. BTU meters measure the consumption of chilled water and electricity, and also provide the capability of measuring electrical consumption by individual floor tenants. In addition, the fire alarm and public address (PA) systems are interlocked and integrated with the Building Management System (BMS). This allows for better monitoring and controlling of the HVAC system, including management of the fresh air fans and staircase pressurisation system in the case of fire. The Trane designed and manufactured Tracer ES and Tracer SC are key components of the control system, and even allow for web-enabled access through smart phones. The facility has a fully-integrated system, accessible from a single work station, which monitors, controls and operates the overall HVAC system. The control system was designed to allow different levels of access – from expert intervention to operator-user. Individual tenant billing was facilitated through the incorporation of BTU metering, which allows the owner to reduce his operational costs while allowing the tenant to take responsibility and control of costs.

display. Its heat mode controls adjust compressor capacity to maintain a constant level, leaving condenser water temperature of as much as 50 degrees Celsius.

Controllers play a key role in increasing the system’s productivity and efficiency. The Trane Tracer UC600 program-mable controller, is the latest Trane controller with a unique user-friendly touch screen and has received BACnet listing (BTL) as BACnet Advanced Application Controller (B-AAC). It features 19 input/output (I/O) points with the option to expand up to 120 I/O points. The unit also offers point overrides with a time limit option, icon-labelled alarm categories, scheduling and data logging capabilities, access to custom graphics and configurable reports. “The Tracer TD7 full-colour touch screen makes it quicker and easier than ever for customers to gain the reliable control offered by the Tracer UC600,” informs Rajesh Salian, head – Remote Management Operations & Controls and IBMS fulfilment for India. “Users can now check unit status at a glance and quickly optimise their HVAC systems with just a few simple touches.”

Use of the Tracer UC600, in combination with the TD7, is designed to be easily expanded as a business grows. It has the capabilities to meet the controls needs for air handlers, central heating and cooling plants, cooling towers and other high-point count applications. The controls can be factory or field-

mounted on new and existing Trane solutions, non-Trane systems and ancillary com-ponents. The seven-inch (17.8 cm) diagonal colour

touch screen is designed for both indoor and out-door use, and users can create custom reports as well as set up and view trend charts for

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4. Tracer-ES by Trane helps control the HVAC system through a smart phone.

5. Turbomiser by Zamil Air Conditioners India. data logs entirely within the TD7 Operator Display Interface.

Alarms are icon- and colour-labelled for easy identification of the level of severity.

an oxyMoron: solar coolingThe concept of solar cooling seems one of contradiction, but it is gaining much interest nonetheless. Voicing concerns about it, Balakrishnan believes, “Solar energy can, no doubt, support heating; but its use for cooling has to consider many challenges – such as space requirement, initial cost and water requirement. We think the technology is not yet mature for cooling.” Calling it a huge challenge, Vijapurkar says, “As of now, solar energy, due to its low yield, has not found a great foothold and, at best, supplements the power usage to a limited extent.”

Despite scepticism, companies like Flareum technologies have successfully used solar energy for cooling needs. Badal Shah, chairman and MD, Flareum Technologies, says, “The so-lar energy systems can be easily incorporated with the HVAC systems, with the use of VAM – that is, vapour absorption mechanism. This would simply replace the vapour compres-sion system, which uses a huge amount of energy and also causes global warming.”

Vapour Absorption System (VAS) differs from the compres-sion system, as it uses heat energy (instead of mechanical en-ergy) to make a change in the conditions necessary to complete the refrigeration cycle. The basic difference is that an electric chiller employs a mechanical compressor to create the pressure differences necessary to circulate the refrigerant, whereas the absorption chillers use heat source and do not use a mechanical compressor. The differences cause an absorption system to use little to no work input, but energy must be supplied in the form of heat. This makes the system viable when there is a cheap


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Total Environment Kamal and Shibanee Sagar Based in Bengaluru, Total Environment (TE) is focused on creating spaces that one can be proud of living and working in. “Our goal is to combine our professional expertise with cutting-edge technology and an out-of-the-box approach to make living more comfortable, productive and joyous,” believe Kamal and Shibanee Sagar, principal architects of TE. Be it apartments or villas, TE ensures that the built spaces are integrated with the outdoors in such a manner that one can rarely feel the difference between the outdoors and indoors. TE is proud to be associated with Daikin, for it believes, “Daikin stands for quality air-conditioning. It has a wide range of ACs to choose that give ultimate care and comfort.”

‘Windmills of Your Mind’ is a landmark project for the firm, and the fact that it has won TE numerous national and international design awards over the last few years is testi-mony to that. The 73 earth-covered villas are designed to create an intimate scale, with the idea that the streetscape should not be dominated by the monotony of built volumes sticking out on both sides of the street. The units are designed with large gardens (70’ x 14’), a water body and a wooden deck within each unit. The kitchen is adjacent to the garden, separated only by large glass-panelled sliding doors. The gardens are complete with sprinklers and a drip irrigation system, with plants as tall as 16 feet. A strong emphasis on nature is evident in many of TE’s projects and also in their eco-friendly tip: “use earth-covered roofs and terrace gardens.”

View of double-height garden

Duplex home – kitchen View of the family space and the glass deck

In a bid to promote and support exemplary architectural practices, Daikin India along with ITP Publishing has come up with a unique initiative called Circle of Influence. Using social media as a

channel, it is ‘highlighting the influencers of Indian modern architecture’. In continuation to our previous coverage, here is a snapshot on the works of three architectural

firms that have been featured on Daikin’s social network

For more interesting pictures and updates on the projects featured here, please visitFacebook - www.facebook.com/DaikinIndia | Twiter - www.twitter.com/DaikinIndia

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/DaikinIndia | Blog - www.daikinindiablog.com

Influencers of Indian modern architecture

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Mumbai-based DSP Architects’ vision is ‘to give a personalised and total quality effort’ to deliver ‘exceptional service and exceed clients expectations’. Led by Yatin Patel, Bimal Desai and Mehul Shah, it specialises in master planning, architecture, space plan-ning and interiors, with projects ranging from corporate, real estate, commercial, retail, hospitality, residential, education and institutional, industrial and healthcare. With such a wide expertise and many award-winning projects, DSP fits perfectly in the ‘Circle of Influence’. For this architectural firm, Daikin is an innovative and customer-oriented company for AC solutions.

The architecture and design of Qualcomm, an IT hub in Bengaluru, was DSP’s first project featured in this initiative. Space, light and order are the design elements which were kept in mind while designing the structure. Integration of the exterior and the interior spaces as ‘projecting volumes’ on the outside and scoop-ing double-height spaces was conceived as the key feature. The external façade is a combination of clay tiles, wooden cladding and aluminium louvers. The interior design was conceptualised and done in materials such as recycled wooden flooring, modular ceiling and furniture. To reduce environmental impact, LEDs were fitted for lighting and VRVs were used to make the HVAC more efficient and green. The green tip from DSP was simple: “Water conservation plays an important role. Therefore, terrace water harvesting, dual flush valve WCs and sensor faucets can be used to conserve water.”

DSP Architects Yatin Patel, Bimal Desai and Mehul Shah

‘Lessons from the past and innovation for the future’ is what drives the Bengaluru-based practice, Ochre Archi-tects. Started in the year 2000 by principal architect, Tushar Vasudevan, the firm is credited with 80 completed projects and 60 ongoing projects, including clubs, apartments, offices, colleges, housing development and residences. As a winner of the Aces of Space award 2012 for Interiors Commercial and runner-up for Architectural Commercial, Vasudevan makes a perfect addition to Daikin’s Circle of influence. “Let the building breathe” was the green tip for Daikin’s Facebook fans from Ochre, and it added to their popularity and positive reviews.

Ochre’s project ‘Avinash Residence’ was an instant hit with the fans. It is a complete RCC frame structure with teak woodwork marking the interiors. The main highlight is the front and rear side of the building, completed with clear glass capturing the silver oaks tree view. The interiors are bathed in white, with white marble for the flooring and storage shutters made of white Corian, contrasting well with the features of inner and external greenscapes. The entire house feels like a pavilion, framing views to the inside and views of the outside. The wall frames are arranged to ensure a landscaped space at every juncture, rather than a front yard and backyard – thus creating a continuous and uninterrupted flow of landscape.

Ochre Architects Tushar Vasudevan

Interiors of a commercial office in Bengaluru

Exterior image of Divyasree Elan Clubhouse

Dining area of a private residence in Mumbai

Interiors for a private residence

Interiors of Microsoft office in Bengaluru

Galaxy Club, which is a part of a large integrated township

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The 2013 edition of fensterbau/frontale India, held in Mumbai, saw a free flow of ideas on sustainability

The Indian architectural community, over the last few years, has been greatly indebted to German innovations and contributions in the construction industry. That this exchange of knowledge and

products has been welcomed with immense enthusiasm, was clearly witnessed at fensterbau/frontale India. An exhibition on windows, doors and façade technology, it was organised by NürnbergMesse in cooperation with their representatives in India, Indo German Chamber of Commerce, and held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre as a three-day event from March 7-9, 2013. At the inauguration, the sight of two different nationalities coming together for the traditional lamp lighting session, best illustrated the positive nature of this symbiosis.

The fair was supported by ift Rosenheim in Germany and the International Fenestration Forum (IFF) in India. Other supporting associations included the Aluminium Extruders Council, Federation of Safety Glass, Glazing Society of India, Confederation of Construction Products and Services, uPVC Windows and Doors Manufacturers Association and Indian Green Building Council.

The best from the fenestration industry were present at the event, viz, Aluplast India, Elumatec India, Kelegant, Rehau, Geeta Aluminium, Alpro Industries, Geze India, Schueco, Ewin, Rhenocoll, and many more. On display were various

fenestration products and services like semi-finished materi-als, components and prefabricated elements, hardware, fixing equipment, shading and ventilating equipment and machines. Besides showcasing the latest products, the exhibitors used this medium – not only for networking, but also for deliberating on the improvements needed in façade solutions for India.

Visitors and exhibitors had the opportunity to interact with prominent industry leaders such as Dr Prem C Jain, chairman, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC); Rohan Parikh, Green Initiatives, Infosys; Surender Sharma, Hyatt Andaz; Sheetal Ra-kheja, president, IFF; Prof. Werner Lang, architect, University of Munich; and David Gayen, Geze India.

The conference ‘Envelopes for Green Buildings’, held concur-rently at the venue, expounded on energy efficiency, quality and trends in science and market. It was open to all visitors and exhibitors and lived up to its tagline - ‘where networking and knowledge go hand in hand’. The topics ranged from energy efficiency for different budgets to façade designs that are best suited to India. It discussed the role of hardware in enabling functionality, the role of opening and closing devices, challenges in design and construction of high quality facades, among other relevant issues. The highlight of the conference programme was a special session with Prof Dr Werner Lang on the topic of ‘Façade Technologies for energy-efficient and sus-

Made in GerMany

1. Frank Venjakob and Dr. Prem C Jain light the lamp at the inauguration of fenster-bau/frontaleIndia 2013.

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2. The Architects Forum dwelt on the cultural and climatic demands of Indian fenestration.

3. The best from the fenestration industry were present at fensterbau/fron-tale India 2013.

tainable buildings’. Dr Lang is an architect as well as professor and director of the Centre of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building at the Technische Universität München (TUM) in Munich, Germany.

The Architects Forum, held on day two, gave great insights on the current status of the fenestration industry and the improvements to be expected in the future. Talking about the forum, Satish Kumar from Elumatech India said, “The panel discussion, with the leading architects from India paired with Prof Lang, was an eye-opener in terms of energy saving con-cepts, the new National Building Code, star rating for windows and many other relevant issues.”

Since the second (and final) day of the conference pro-gramme also coincided with International Women’s Day, prominent women from India’s fenestration industry were honoured for their contributions. The recipients included Suhag Khemlani, Clean India Group; Sonali Bedre, Alumayer India; Zeba Anwar, Milestone Aluminium and Sheetal Rakheja, Design & Development. The move was intended to encourage more women to be part of the growing facade and fenestration industry, as their resilience and attention to detail is of para-mount importance to the growth of the industry.

At the stalls, visitors were treated to the latest in the fenestra-tion industry. Elumatech displayed the latest 5 axis CNC profile machining centre SBZ 151, which drew a lot of attention. At the workshop organised for fabricators, participants were intrigued by Elumatech’s Double Head Mitre Saw DG 79 and Single Spindle Copy Router AS 70/44.

A live demonstration of smoke and heat extraction system by Geze India, gave a concise understanding on how fire-related dangers can be prevented with an intelligent system. David Gayen from Geze described the workings of such a system in his presentation, saying, “The benefits of this system are the protection of inhabitants and property, since it keeps the escape routes free of smoke and heat.”

Exhibitors like Kushal Bajaj, executive director, Geeta Aluminium, offer positive feedback about the exhibition. “The show was superb! All three days gave us numerous, high-qual-ity leads and visitors. Although I have exhibited many times before, this was my first time exhibiting with FFI [fensterbau/

frontale India]; and I must admit this has been the most promis-ing show so far. It is very professionally run, and I’m sure it has opened eyes for many to a whole new sector that this industry needs to be supporting. Through FFI, we were able to train over 550 fabricators in an organised manner with our Geeta Support System initiative,” discloses Bajaj. Geeta Aluminium used this platform to launch their new Geeta KPA windows and doors (for high-rises) that withstand high wind pressure.

The workshop for local fabricators was aimed at giving knowledge back to the industry and ensuring installation of a high quality end product. It succeeded in upgrading the knowl-edge of low-end fabricators in working with system windows, thus enabling them to understand the importance of using quality hardware for any architectural aluminium product.

Compared to the larger-than-life frontale exhibition seen in Germany, the Mumbai edition was on a smaller scale. Perhaps it worked to its advantage, though, since it made the entire fair accessible and personal. The event saw representation from all those involved in the decision-making process – from architects, builders, consultants to fabricators. In many ways, it raised further awareness about quality windows and doors.

Overall, fensterbau/frontale India was an effective learning platform, complemented with immense networking opportuni-ties. It was a grand platform showcasing the latest in technol-ogy, varied green and sustainable solutions and products, as well as best practices in the fenestration industry.

The next edition of fensterbau/frontaleIndia will take place at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from March 1-3, 2014. A&I

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Architects forumThe panellists for the discussion on ‘Facade Technologies for Future Oriented Buildings - Hope India & Challenges’, included Ruchir Panwar, RSP Design Consultants; Vivek Bhole, Neo Modern Architects; Nilabh Nagar, Architect Hafeez Contractor; Prem Nath, Prem Nath & Associates; Sheetal Rakheja, Design & Development; V. Suresh, HIRCO; and Dr Werner Lang, Munich University. The discussion was moderated by Anthony John from Schueco and Ashish Rakheja from AECOM.

Discussing fenestration in the Indian context, the panel members agreed that there is a need for window solutions that are best suited to Indian culture and climate. Additionally, they expressed the need for assembly of the various fenestration elements to be done in one place, mainly a modular option that would prevent ill-fitting profiles and other hindrances. Prof Lang pointed out that architects need to communicate these issues to the different companies they work with, and bring them together to find a solution. With Rakheja and Suresh, being part of the team engaged in drafting the National Building Code, the dialogue continued about regulations that will bring about sustainability and also address safety issues in the fenestration industry.

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The Botín Foundation originated in Spain in 1964 to ‘mitigate the needs and promote the social development’ of Cantabria. Today, nearly 50 years later, the Foundation continues to contribute

to the development of society on all levels, detecting and promoting creative talent and exploring new ways to generate cultural, social and economic wealth.

After a stunning renovation project executed by MVN Arquitectos, the Foundation has recently opened its new offices in Madrid. Originally built in the 1920s, the building previously served as a silversmith workshop before being taken on as the Vinçon department store recently. Project architects Diego Varela de Ugarte and Emilio Medina

1. Double-height lobby with reception desk at the back.

Inspired by the building’s historic references, the architects tried to retain the spirit of the original industrial character of the new offices of the Botin Foundation in Madrid

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García were inspired by the structure’s historic references, which led to their design attempts to retain the spirit of the original industrial character. Exposure of the original steel and brickwork depicts the building’s past life and effective-ly contrasts with the new construction work whose finishes are mainly oak, steel and glass.

A key objective was to create an open plan, warm space allowing natural light to fill the whole building. The big-gest structural change to the building, and one of the most attractive features of the development, is a two-storey-high atrium for the main lobby. One of the roof trusses was removed and replaced with a metal structure, creating an opening for the skylight over the atrium area. The direct

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Project DetailsArchitects: Diego Varela de Ugarte and Emilio Medina García, MVN Arquitectos (www.mvn-arquitectos.com)Client: Fundación Botín (Botin Foundation)Collaborators: Alfonso García del Rey, Laura Sánchez, María Pascual and Alicia Castilla, ArquitectosTechnical architect: María Lamela MartínInterior design consultant: Juan Luis LíbanoContractor: FerrovialPhotographs: Alfonso Quiroga

Wooden joInery• Ground floor ceiling: Moinsa• Flooring: Parquets Román SL• Doors and wall panels: Teisa

daylight and plants in the lobby lend character to this meeting place. The ceiling is made up of longitudinal solid slats of American red oak and acoustic absorbent felt. The red oak slats have a subtle colour variation, which adds great character and warmth to the open space. Further, the ground floor is intended for public activities with a flexible but modular open space.

MVN Arquitectos’ decision to use timber for the floor, walls and ceiling ensures warmth in this area. “The use of oak has been essential to emphasise the contrast between old and new, and the wood looks great next to the worn brickwork,” maintains Diego Varela de Ugarte. “After looking at several species options, we chose oak because it combines the warm tone and hardwearing characteristics we were looking for in this unique project.” All of the oak in the building has been treated with colourless oil to show the grain of the timber without altering its natural tone.

The first floor accommodates the office space for the senior management team of the Foundation, with a private area for meetings. The doors and wall paneling have been veneered with European oak, which is also used for the flooring throughout.

Without doubt, the highlight is the stunning lobby with striking tones of red oak set against the old brickwork of the silversmith workshop. Naturally, the Botín Foundation is delighted with their new office space. A&I

For more information on the European oak used for this project, please visit: www.americanhardwood.org

2. Top view of the double-height lobby with wooden lantern under the skylight.

3. The private meeting area, closed with U-shaped glass.

4. Closed office, main atrium and private area.

5. The flexible space on the lower level, as seen from the lobby.

6. View from the end of the flexible space, towards the lobby on the lower level.

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British designer, Gregory Epps, has created RoboFold, robotic arms that can bend metal into furniture; while New York Cornell University professor, Ashutosh Saxena, is teaching robots

how to organise rooms. Saxena’s work might be the most threatening to design-

ers because his team is teaching robots how to use their imagination to predict what humans would do.

Virtual humans help Saxena’s robots (algorithms) to figure out where people want certain things, and why. For example, a human may want a remote control close by – not next to the TV, which is where a robot would place two related objects. The algorithms examine these human-object relationships and determine a ‘usability cost’ based on how easy it is for a human to access the objects. A low usability cost is good, since it means a person can reach his TV remote, laptop, etc. without moving too much.

Interior designers don’t have much to fear, since robotic applications seem limited to fabrication and detail work, for now. But what about RoboFold, developed by Epps as a set of robotic arms, normally used in car manufacturing, that can bend metal into furniture? Another threat is Ar-taic, a company that uses robotic fabrication for custom-made artisan mosaics. The robot-formed mosaics are more affordable than handmade images, but the actual mosaics are still installed by humans.

“This is a subject that fascinates me. Rodney Brooks, a roboticist, believes we will be surrounded by robots of all shapes and forms within 50 years. It started with the ad-vent of toys, such as ‘Furbys’, and developed into a much broader range of robots that could help with everyday life, including one of his own automatic vacuum clean-ers,” says Josh Billington, interior designer, dwp, design worldwide partnership.

“When I was growing up, my father made his living as a sign writer. He completed high school, attended trade school and followed his father’s footsteps into the family business. My father had an artisan’s skill when it came to steadily applying painted font and type, and was highly regarded in his field. Less than a decade later, he had to abandon the business. I remember attending a tradeshow, and my father was stocking up on horse hair brushes and other tools of the trade. In the corner, a ‘robot’ (a large flatbed printer) was printing out perfectly-shaped letters, ready for application directly on to any surface.

“At that time, the printer cost half as much as our house. My father glanced over it, before moving on. Ro-bots had already become the future of sign writing.”

Billington points out that these robots were conceived

Interior designers don’t have to be scared about robots taking their jobs as yet. But maybe it is something we need to think about in the future

RoboDesigneR?

to make life easier. As humankind has evolved, so too have the complexities of the tools we use in everyday life. “The question we now face, as designers, is whether or not these robots will take our profession away from us, just like the flatbed printer did to my father,” he says.

“For me, Saxena’s work with robots conjures up im-ages of the humans depicted in Disney Pixar’s animated release Wall-E – where we no longer walk, but are instead whisked around in floating vehicles; where everything is within arm’s reach, maximising the ‘usability cost’ exploited by the US professor.

“This scene may seem farfetched, but cast your mind over to the ‘Segway: the leader in personal, green trans-portation’…What? Greener than walking? The algorithms involved here are, again, tools – which we, as designers, could (and should) harness to improve designs the world over, from triangulation in the domestic kitchen, to circu-lation within shopping centres.

“Another arm of robotics, which is raising eyebrows, is RoboFold, the brainchild of British designer Gregory Epps. Normally used in car manufacturing, these robotic arms bend metal into furniture. The mind wanders to other possibilities. This process of paper prototyping, 3D scanning, flattening of imagery into 2D form, CNC routing of metal, allowing robotic arms to apply the right pressure in the right places sounds complex, but ultimately offers up another tool to the designer. Having an array of useful tools can only be an advantage to the future of design. Like with the Eames’ shaped plywood and Verner Panton moulded plastic, machines and robots are only tools within an overall process, yet their application and results cannot be ignored or overlooked,” adds Billington.

Fergus Duncan, director, Aedas, says he likes the idea of standing back and having a robot do all his running around, such as attending meetings on site, providing fee proposals and answering the phone. He dreams, “I could spend more time considering new holiday destinations, building Lego castles with my son, or painting and draw-ing with my daughter.”

“I love automation and technology. At a glance, there are many systems and devices around that should make our lives easier, at home and in the office,” he observes. “The idea of accessing your home automation system from anywhere, using an iPhone or the iTouch interface, is amazing.While on the bus in London, I could close my curtains in Dubai, turn the AC off, and have my home automation system feed the cat.”

The integration of these products into homes, hotels and work spaces is where technology and interior design

1.Fergus Duncan

2.Melden Rose Francia

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076 meet. “I am sure that many interior designers would have had the experience of integrating little boxes with receiv-ers and transmitters into wall paneling and headboards. This really shows that these devices are the beginnings of a sector in technology that will ultimately see robotics expanding into the spaces we live, work and play in, and into their design,” maintains Duncan.

“The subject here, though, is whether or not robots will take over the role of the interior designer; and the answer has got to be a partial yes, apart from one aspect of design that would be difficult to computerise – creativity. Cre-ativity is a result brought about by our intelligence, our morality, our culture and our emotions. Thank heavens, these can’t be computerised. As an artist, a designer, an inventor, there is probably no greater pleasure than standing back, looking at a blank canvas and creating an original piece – whether it be spray painting, a brick wall behind your house, designing a coffee table or something else that is stunning.

“So yes, robots will probably take over a large part of the role of an interior designer in the future. Robots ‘predicting human behaviour’, coupled with sophisti-cated, standardised, modular, efficient interiors, sounds like a nice way forward for mass housing, future hotels and offices, not to mention computerised and robotically

Marasinghe observes that, as the world has shrunk, becoming more of a global village, our requirements have increased – but responses have to be quick, sometimes forcing creativity to take a back seat.

“This is where we need our metal machine friends. What we cannot humanly do, can become a possibility through the use of machines. We are already experienc-ing this through the advances in technology and software, which help us to design in 3D. Mundane tasks can be as-signed to something else, leaving the human brain to take on a wider scope of activities. Technology will develop to levels where robots will become more integrated into our professional and personal lives. They will become more human-like for sure, as that is something the current generation is fascinated with. We are striving to create a device that will mimic human behaviour and intelligence. But I doubt that we will be able to add that extra ingre-dient of the human emotion and, sometimes, empathy, which is key to a work of art.”

Nowadays, each person owns two, if not three, mobile phones and some other type of gadget that we find we cannot function without. Why not have them integrated into our homes, asks Melden Francia, architect/project manager, Samuel Creations SA.

“It’s amazing to see in movies that, once a character

robots will take over a large part of the role of an interior designer... apart from one aspect of design that is difficult to computerise – creativity

assembled synthetic building materials. Robots could also be programmed to ensure that the principles of ergonom-ics are followed in furniture design and in its manufactur-ing process, and I do like the idea that furniture could be customised to suit individual body mass. We could have personal spaces designed specifically for us, and all prod-ucts made to adapt to our habits.

“Having said this, I cannot imagine my rural getaway in Italy being designed by robots. I rather like slightly unkempt rural surroundings - so, let’s keep these robots for the future.”

Robots will become an integral part of our day-to-day lives as we simplify our daily routines, and interior design will not go untouched, believes Chamaali Marasinghe, design manager, Herman Miller, Mena.

“They have been part of the manufacturing process for some time now. They are even being introduced into the healthcare environment, to roam around taking vital signs of patients – so why should they not be a part of the creative process,” she asks.

“Certainly robots can be programmed to find the cor-rect solution to a problem, but can they come up with a unique one? Creativity stems from many factors, knowl-edge, experience and intuition. We pour our emotions into a design to convert our imagination into a reality. We need to fulfill all our sensory requirements – not just one, so the spaces have to evoke many emotions in the user. To look beautiful, is simply not enough. After all, beauty is only in the eye of the beholder.”

enters a room, subdued lights automatically turn on, a transparent panel pulls down from the ceiling, noting that the design complements the overall interior design, with a series of menus that can be chosen by touch or even by the wave of a hand. A few years ago, this concept may have seemed far-fetched and impossible. But because of today’s advanced technology, our society is increasingly moving in this direction,” she maintains.

“Technology enhances our lifestyles, and who wouldn’t want that convenience? With so many appliances in the home or office, why not have them all in one place, in a single intelligent control system, to eliminate the stress of figuring out which remote goes with which appliance.

“These simple luxuries can be achieved by interior de-signers working closely together with automation special-ists in this field. We can safely say that technology now plays an integral part in the world of interior design.”

Billington adds, “Of course, robots are not going to just enter the lives of interior designers. There will be robots suitable for everyone. And we will buy them like in the Hollywood film ‘iRobot’.

“As technologies progress, we have to acknowledge their existence. We have the ability to harness their poten-tial, as tools, to better our designs and capabilities.

“I don’t believe that robots will take over the future of design, but they will play an integral part in it. I strongly believe that designers will remain the future of design. But then again, my father thought sign writers would always ‘write’ signs.” A&I

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3.Josh Billington

4.Chamaali Marasinghe

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Trader Vic’s has taken Jones Baker Design around the globe with locations from LA and Chicago to Kiev and Riyadh, with the latest one in Dubai’s Festival City

Jones Baker Design originally got involved with Trader Vic’s in 2005, when it was hired by a Texas franchisee to renovate and expand the restaurant that was built in the Dallas Hilton in

the late 1960s. The hotel had changed ownership countless times and

the restaurant had been closed for almost 20 years, when a new boutique hotel was announced for the property.

“Our client wanted to restore Trader Vic’s to its original grandeur. Although we had no history with its corporate team, the project was a huge success based on our careful interventions and the fact that we stayed true to the classic and beloved authentic design. The ‘tiki’ (large wooden and stone carvings) world was excited about the resurrection of this institution. This began our relationship with Trader Vic’s, that continues 11 locations and seven years later,” discloses William Baker, co-founder, Jones Baker Design.

“Trader Vic’s has taken us around the globe with loca-tions from Los Angeles and Chicago to Kiev and Riyadh.

We are careful to adapt the brand and design for each of the franchisees according to their particular physical loca-tion and market demographic. We have worked in malls, urban downtown areas, resort hotels, freestanding struc-tures and even in an ice-skating arena (Kazakhstan).”

As the chain’s partner design and architectural firm, Jones Baker Design, founded in 1998 by JB Jones and Wil-liam Baker, was strongly recommended to the hotel and restaurant development business, RMAL Hospitality.

“Although we had not designed their other Trader Vic’s locations, since they were done before our association with them, RMAL felt our knowledge of the brand and its recent evolution would be beneficial to the project,” adds Baker.

The brief for this project was to create a new flagship Trader Vic’s for RMAL Hospitality. The location is a large space on the second level of Dubai Festival Centre (DFC) with a long terrace overlooking the marina. RMAL cur-rently has two other Trader Vic’s locations and one Mai Tai lounge in Dubai. The first is at the Intercontinental Hotel

Tiki Tour

1. Each Trader Vic’s carries a familiar look, adapted to its particular location.

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2. The brief was to create a new flagship venue with a familiar look and feel.

3. Vaulted celing elements add drama to the space.

on Sheikh Zayed Road, and is over 18 years old; and the other is at Souk Madinat Jumeirah.

“This location, we were told, would draw curious cus-tomers from the other three restaurants as well as open up a whole new market – so they really wanted it to be fresh and timely,” discloses Baker.

“Each location around the world is unique, although they all capture the essence of Polynesia with the use of bamboo, rattan, woven grass matting and mahogany. As the Dubai market has matured, the dining options have exploded. RMAL made it clear that it wanted Festival City to set a new standard for the brand in the region and in the world. The Middle East is Trader Vic’s largest market, so this was a huge opportunity. We were directed to provide a large lounge and mezzanine for functions like storage and offices. The terrace area is long and parallel to the dining-room.”

Festival City presented a few challenges for the design team. The space was linear, with high ceilings; and the entry sequence was set, with the main access by the elevator bank.

“While we would much rather work with a tall room than a short one, the dilemma is: how do you create inti-macy at a human scale, yet showcase the grandeur of the space at the same time? The solution was to create a series of feature design elements that exist inside of these lofty spaces, beginning at the entry,” explains Baker.

“After arriving in the lift, the entrance includes the host, toilets and corridor to the raised bar. The large backlit ‘bas-ket’ of valuted rattan creates instant drama. Although it was challenging to build, we feel it came out extremely well.”

Passing through the entrance, guests are greeted by a 4.5m ‘tiki’ sculpture standing guard. From here, they can either proceed up to the elevated bar or pass by the signa-ture Chinese oven into the dining-room or terrace.

Another overhead structure was created to showcase the bar while disguising some existing angled structural

elements. The dining-room features a glass-walled Chinese oven room, sushi bar, the Trader’s table, a round feature surrounded by mahogany panelling and classic photos of Vic Burgeron (the founder of the chain), general seating, and a raised private dining area.

Vaulted ceiling elements were created over certain areas to add intimacy and drama. The look and feel of the interior is island chic. Traditional hand-carved ‘tiki’ figures, some as high as five metres, share the space with contemporary transitional rattan furniture, upholstered in island-inspired print fabrics. The colour scheme encom-passes many natural elements – rattan, wicker, authentic

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Fijian tapa cloth – but shares the stage with a colour palette of deep azure blues and sharp chartreuse greens.

Another feature of the restaurant is the exterior patio. Extending almost the entire length of the space, bright, comfortable and casual dining spaces invite the indoor guest outside. This is covered by a vaulted ceiling sup-ported by more carved ‘tiki’ columns.

“We feel that the look and feel of this particular venue is very successful in bringing a fresh vitality to the Dubai market. Our goal is to put a unique spin on each location, so that they stay relevant as a brand, and also to keep it in-teresting for us. The guest definitely feels that they’ve been transported to an island getaway, made complete with the sights, sounds and aromas of the things that have made Trader Vic’s popular for over 75 years,” maintains Baker.

“My inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere. I enjoy travelling; and I am like a sponge, always absorbing how materials are used, colour juxtapositions, spatial configu-rations, native crafts, etc. Since I have designed many Trader Vic’s restaurants, I have a good understanding of all the brand standards and materials that have been used in the past.

“Some are must-have requirements, like bamboo, rattan and tapa cloth; whereas others, like bac bac matting and cast-iron criks, can be used at our discretion. We like to use

4. The Festival City space is linear in shape.

5. Seating corners create intimacy in a large space.

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6. The main dining-room has a series of pavilions set at skewed angles.

7. Tapa cloth and carvings continue the Pacific theme.

these brand-required materials both traditionally and in unexpected new ways.

“The organic layout of a native Polynesian village was also an inspiration. The main dining-room has a series of pavilions set at skewed angles, designating a series of zones and making the linear nature of the space more experiential and interesting. Tropical plants and the sea have inspired the colour scheme of this location. We used rich greens, as well as teals and blues, to bring the fresh cool feeling of the ocean and shade of the rainforest to the concept. I am also inspired by contemporary restaurant design. The Dallas Trader Vic’s inspired the first level Fes-tival City entrance procession. In Dallas, a ‘tiki’-colonnaded corridor with a vaulted ceiling leads to the reception area.

“We had a similar corridor space at Festival City, but it was skewed. I decided to install a mirror on one side and have a single sloping roof. The mirror completes the vault and expands the space visually, helping it feel wider. For the terrace, we were inspired by a classic thatched roof ‘tiki’ hut. We decided to build a timber structure that would cover the entire portion of the terrace that had no existing cover. This waterproof structure, complete with fans, lighting, misting system, luxe upholstered lounge fur-

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nishings and tropical plants establishes this as a true out-door room and adds a different experience to the venue.”

Other challenges that the team faced was the space on the second level. “The space was linear, with an expanded area at one end. We decided that it worked best to position the bar and lounge on the wider end of the plan, and to have the dining-room in the linear area,” discloses Baker.

“A series of windows and doors connect the dining-room with the adjacent terrace. We wanted to elevate some areas to add to the drama of the interior and create variation, but these existing doorways prevented it in this area. We decided to raise the lounge and bar area, as well as the private dining-room (which is at the opposite end). This allows the dining-room direct access to the patio. The exist-ing windows in the bar were quite high – so, by raising the bar approximately one metre, we were able to get rid of the feeling of being in a basement.”

Having completed the Dubai Festival City project, Jones Baker Design is currently working on another location in Papua New Guinea. This project is unique in that the climate of New Guinea allows the restaurant to be almost completely open on all sides, bringing the tropical outdoors inside the new Trader Vic’s. A&I


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development, Masdar Institute is described as “very important and very key" by Khaled Ballaith, senior project manager of the property development unit. RW Armstrong is the lead consultant and architect of record, while Foster + Partners has been listed as the designer.

Yousef Baselaib, director of Masdar City operations, explains that the urban architecture and smart city features of MI campus “serve as a microcosm of the fabric of the city as a whole.” It, therefore, provides tangible benchmarks for the entire project.

The concepT Phase 1B continues the

development of a research hub for clean technology. “We are building Masdar City as a commercially viable role model for the rest of the world; it is an innovation centre, an R&D hub and a clean technology cluster,” says Ballaith. The latest phase contains 222 one-bedroom apartments and a separate section for female students, additional laboratory spaces, an imaging suite and a multi-use hall “supported by concrete columns that look like a spaceship from a distance,” adds Ballaith.

The deTaIlS The building

height and orientation aims to minimise solar heat gain and the creation of ‘shade routes’ encourages pedestrian activity at street level. Colonnades have been incorporated into all MI buildings, which are cooled by high thermal mass materials being applied to soffits, walls and ceilings. Buildings in Masdar contain low-energy lighting specifications, low-flow water fixtures and roof-mounted evacuated tube solar thermal collectors for domestic hot water. Wood comes from sustainable forests, almost 95 per cent aluminum is recycled, and concrete contains 40-60 per cent less embodied carbon.

222One-bedrOOm apartments

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084 New oN the marketNew oN the market

MASSAGE FROM HEAVENLuxurious comfort and sophistication is what Living In Style aspires for in their latest collection, which includes recliners, home theatre furniture, chaise longues, sinking sofas and massage chairs from Comfort Zone. The stylish new massage chair adjusts the human body to fit like a glove. The Human Touch technology incorporated in the chair replicates the hands of professional massage therapists to render a heavenly massage experience. A true indulgence, these chairs can be placed at a variety of spots to create a cosy reading nook or to add an extra seating in the bedroom or living-room. Its long-wearing and spill-resistant features make it excellent for everyday use as well as for families with pets and children.

LIVING IN STYLEContact person: Aamir ChandiwalaTel: +91 22 28757286/28773448Email: [email protected] Website: www.livinginstyle.co.in

LEATHER TOUCHPremium furniture retail chain Ebony Gautier presents the Bonne sofa collection, a combination of bovine leather and timeless design. The purity of leather, combined with high-density polyurethane foam, results in unmatched comfort. The leather, with thickness of 1.1–1.3mm, is a result of mineral tanning and features a natural grain finish that gives the sofa a contemporary look. The seat mechanism of this sofa collection comes with a webbing belt without springs, whereas the back mechanism is made of Masonite hardwood. High on glamour, the Bonne sofa is both sophisticated and luxurious.

EBONY GAUTIER Contact person: Jaipreet BhandariTel: +91 9958429922Email: [email protected] Website: www.ebonygautier.com

THE X-FACTORDomestic Extra Collection, the latest collection of laminate flooring by Pergo, is designed to handle domestic areas with moderate wear – which means that it is ideal to handle the wear and tear of everyday use in homes. This collection of laminate flooring, which comes in a wide range of decors and designs that offer an opportunity to experiment with various ideas for your floors, also comes with a 20-year residential guarantee. Pergo’s patented Titan X makes their floorings more wear-resistant. The Pergo Domestic Extra Collection can be sourced from all of the company’s design centres spread across India as well as through its exclusive dealer network in India. The planks for this collection are available in a wide range of formats, such as 1200x1200mm, 1200x140mm, and 1200x300mm.

PERGOContact person: Nagraj ShurpaliTel: +91 22 6163 8194/+91 11 3258 6526Email: [email protected] Website: www.pergo.com

SNUG IN A RUGObsessions Xclusif‘s newly-launched swish range of red rugs, which are warm, classy and elegant, are just the right thing to add a touch of romance to home interiors. The bright red rugs are bold and beautiful, adding both vibrancy and a dash of colour while making a fashion statement. These inviting rugs made of wool, polyester and lure are available in simple yet stylish designs. Intricately crafted by an exclusive team of artisans, they hold pride of place in homes, office and hotels across the country.

OBSESSIONS XCLUSIF Contact person: Vandana Gurwara Tel: +91 11 41078083 Email: [email protected]

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BEDTIME STORYHülsta’s new Boxspring-My Suite design range of bedroom furniture, characterised by designer headboards, is available in two versions, different sizes and many finishes. Just as on the box and mattress, expressive piping adds striking accents to the furniture. One can choose from an extensive collection of fabric, and accessorise the space with beautiful lamps, LED lights, etc. A designer stool beside the bed could have a glass top to turn it into a night console. Complementing the bed is a smart contemporary-style wardrobe ‘Solist’ by Hülsta. The elaborate wood appliqué of the central sliding door of the wardrobe has a white lacquer finish that gives it a unique look.

HÜLSTATel : +91 11 46102000/9311113007Email: [email protected] Website: www.huelsta.com

FLOORED BY ELEGANCEDalhoff Larsen & Horneman A/S (DLH), a leading timber brand, presents its latest range of engineered floors that will add elegance to a living space with its fine finishing and colours geared to various tastes and budgets. This versatile and durable range is most suitable for domestic applications and is designed to withstand daily use. The smooth and comforting sensation of wood is a pleasant surprise, and the patterns effortlessly balance the conventional with the modern, capturing the varied moods of nature. This range of flooring comes in various species of engineered wood, such as wenge, oak, walnut and maple.

DALHOFF LARSEN & HORNEMAN A/S INDIAContact person: Christian Blicher HansenTel: 91 124 408 3036Email: [email protected] Website: www.dlh-group.com

AMERICAN DREAMThe American Swan Lifestyle Company offers contemporary and stylish home products that include elegant furnishings for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining-room and living-room. Drawing inspiration from Americana, navy blue, white and red are the main colours of the collection. The variety of aprons, bread baskets, table napkins, oven mitts, pot holders, place mats and table linen could give any kitchen a stylish makeover. The bath products include bath robes, mats and towels, while the bedding range offers a collection of linen – both single and double, AC quilts, pillow cases, rugs, etc.

AMERICAN SWAN Tel: +1800 313 1000/0124 3006500 Email: [email protected] Website: www.americanswan.com

KITSCH KITSCH HOTA HAIDesignDeal.com is an online shop-stop for home products with a spectrum of more than 400 products. The product categories include furniture, art, kitchen, bar, lighting and other home accessories. The company’s latest addition of handpicked décor products include a faux leather bin that is modelled after vintage mail bins; delightful light centerpieces; pillar candles; kitschy cushion covers with Indian and Parisian themes; and dainty sets of dinner napkin rings - Chrysalis.

DESIGN DEALWebsite: www.designdeal.com

PURE PLEASUREThe online home décor shopping abode, purehomedecor.com has launched its Cushion Console range of luxe cushions that are inspired by nature. For those who appreciate the finer things in life, this range of cushions will offer you the best in comfort and style. The 3-D floral cushion cover gives a modern twist to the feminine accent in a room. The range also includes a fuchsia grey and pink textured cushion, a vivid red 3-D Daisy cushion, 3-D red textured cushions and more. These luxe cushions will infuse a modern look to a room, adding colour and elegance to any corner where they are placed.

PURE HOME DECOR Website: www.purehomedecor.com


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GLASSY LIGHT Czech Republic glass manufacturer, Lasvit has collaborated with Japanese designer, Oki Sato from Nendo Studio – which develops techniques in glass blowing. The Inhale lamp is one of the lights from the Nendo collection formed by blowing glass into the form of an air bubble, then sucking the air away. Although glass is normally made by blowing air into the molten material, the Inhale lamp works on the act of exhaling. The lamp is available in clear and white colour.

LASVITTel: +971 4 881 4546Website: www.lasvit.com

SWEDE SURRENDERHastens, a Swedish luxury bed manufacturing brand, introduced a new collection of all-natural continental beds, the Hastens Lenoria. The bed is operated by a wireless remote control, allowing the user to adjust both the head and the feet to find a perfect resting position. Hastens Lenoria is hand-crafted in Sweden, as with all Hastens beds. It is available in a variety of sizes as well as in all of Hastens’ checked fabric choices, including 17 colours.

HASTENSTel: +971 55 259 7354Website: www.hastens.com

OPEN LINES New at Finasi is Hi-Line 6, Dada’s latest kitchen. Hi-Line 6. It has been redesigned by furniture designer, Ferruccio Laviani, to increase internal space. This improvement of spaces extends the volume capacity, allowing for more shelving space. Other features are integrated into the design, such as the 6 cm plinths that allow base units to float above the floor. The new dimensions of the kitchen bring worktops to a more practical and comfortable height for the user. Available in two selections: 908cm and 948cm. The project also introduces new aluminum shelf units with reduced thickness which enables the use of a LED lighting system. Other elements include a wall-hung shelving system and wooden worktop modules.

FINASITel: +971 4 297 1777Website: www.finasi.ae

BATHROOM ROYALTY Bagno Design presents mixes from its new series, Princes Nouveau, using the modern splendour of the early 20th century. The handle shape is designed in a way that enhances the formal style of the design with the combination of elegance and tradition. The mixers are available in both wall-mounted and deck-mounted variations. Princess Noveau mixers also offer a choice between chrome, bronze, satin nickel and gold. This is a mixer that would be suitable for any bathroom design, from flashy to conventional.

BAGNO DESIGNTel: +971 4 507 6000Website: www.bagnodesign.org


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087 GOLDEN FLAMES Created by Planika Studio, the Pyramid is an eco-friendly outdoor fireplace with a glossy white base that contrasts with the natural golden flames flickering on top. Implementing highly advanced technology, the product is completely safe due to the Commerce burner that is filled with highly absorbent ceramic fibres, which prevents it from leakage. Made from highly resistant fibrreglass polyester laminate, the Pyramid is absolutely smokeless and is suitable for both private residences and commercial areas.

THE KONTAINERTel: +971 4 323 5010Website: www.thekontainer.com

ORIENTAL CHARMDesigned by Formstelle, the Plaisir collection from Zeitraum features a side table reminiscent of Oriental items for serving tea and coffee. The smaller, lower three-legged wooden table supports the matt-lacquered aluminum tray. The higher, slimmer model holds a smaller removable wooden tray. The wood is also impregnated with natural oils and waxes.

ZEITRAUMTel : +49 (0)8171 418130Website: www.zeitraum-moebel.de

FLOATING STRIPESSecto Design launched its new collection called Owalo, consisting of a pendant lamp and floor, table and wall lamps. Although the collection is completely deviant from Secto Design’s familiar forms, it still ensures that it follows the same production method and philosophy, with shades that are made of birch slats connected by rings of aircraft plywood.

SECTO DESIGN Tel: +358 9 505 0598Website: www.sectodesign.fi

BLUE HAVENBene has launched its new workstations, Docklands and Cube_S. Docklands is an alternative workstation concept for temporary activities which provides personal and acoustic privacy. It contains accessories such as lighting and coat hooks to provide a sense of personal space. Cube_S, the second product – a fixed, modular workstation with integrated storage space – is best suited for open office layouts.

BENETel : +43 7442 500 0Website: www.bene.com

RUSTIC BEAUTY Designed by Kasper Rønn and Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen from Norm Architects in 2011, the Raft Table Na2 uses modern Scandinavian design in order to combine contrasting concepts: an industrial look with ageing wood. The materials used include powdered steel with solid oak legs with a table top that could be either laminated wood or black ash veneer. Maritime objects that channel the roughness of corroded wood aging with beauty, blended with the industrial efficiency of metal structures, is the inspiration behind the table. The surface of the triple table legs are sandblasted, with round edges beneath the wooden tabletop.

D.TALES AT KOLLEKTIONTel: +971 4 330 6899Website: www.thekollektion.com


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The Konkan Café at Vivanta by Taj Mumbai is designed like a typical coastal residence in the Konkan region

If the coconut-rich cuisine of the coastal region stretching between Mumbai and Karnataka is the star of the Konkan Café, the warm and inviting interiors form the perfect backdrop to the

unravelling of rustic delights such as the fiery ‘Taleli Sungta’ and spongy appams served in bamboo steamers lined with banana leaves. The splendid feast at Vivanta by Taj Mumbai is created from authentic ingredients sourced from Mangalore, Karwar, Goa, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Alibaug; and served in an enchanting homely setting.

As you walk through the antique wooden doors that serve as the entrance and step into what seems like the courtyard of a large wooden-pillared mansion, you are transported into another world. Warm, muted colours;

home on the coast

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1. Dining at the Konkan Café is like ‘eating out’ at home.

By Maria Louis

home-style, banana-leaf-lined thalis; and lively folk music complete the atmosphere. Here, the cooking techniques change depending on the time of the year, balancing the various spices used according to the season.

Diners can choose to sit in the ‘verandah’ designed artistically with an extensive use of timber and rustic finishes, or under the ‘open sky’ that has been recreated with mood lighting that artificially creates a daylit sky at lunchtime and a night sky during dinner time. The ambi-ence in the evenings is accentuated by a starlit canopy, when the unique fibreglass ceiling takes centrestage. Antique silver and brass tableware that is unique to the region, complemented by a touch of local ‘aboli’ flowers and lamps, complete the magical setting.

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2. The dishes are served in traditional copper plates lined with banana leaves.

3&5. The PDR that can accom-modate up to a dozen guests, is decorated with artefacts found in coastal homes.

4. Appams and other coastal ‘breads’ are made in the well-lit open kitchen.

6. Like in a home, there are flowers and water features.

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Project DetailsName of the project: Konkan CafeLocation: Vivanta by Taj, MumbaiName of the client: Indian Hotels CompanyThe designer: Gregory Pong, Integrated Design CompanyMaterials used: Antique doors, windows, pillars, chairs, fans and chandeliers from an an old ‘wada’ house in Mangalore that was being demolished; cane chairs refurbished with foam seating; in situ red cement flooring and tiles made to order; skylight with fibre optic lighting, conceptualised by the designerCopper glasses, plates and urlis: Arun Industries, Jaipur

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Led by Chef Ananda Solomon, who accompanied the designer by road and rail to visit the Konkan belt in 1999 (when Konkan Cafe was launched), the F&B team dishes out comforting cuisine otherwise found only along the coast. Rice is eaten not just boiled, but also in the form of dosai, neer dosa, appams and parathas. The vegetarian selection offers an excellent choice of local vegetables such as raw jackfruit, red pumpkin, corn and pulses like ‘vaal’.

At this unique restaurant, things are done the good, old-fashioned way. “Only the freshest vegetables and fish grace the table, and the spices are ground by hand on stone. This will be a unique experience in time to come,” believes Chef Solomon, pointing out that time seems to stand still when you dine at Konkan Café. A&I

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Loom with a viewA couple of decades ago, artist-weaver Monika

Correa discovered that the absence of a reed, meant to keep the yarn in place, could result in unusual artistic patterns. She began to

experiment with the three-dimensional optical illusions that resulted from the threads meandering freely. Last month, to the delight of art and design lovers in Mumbai, she was back with a public exhibition of her tapestries – variations on the theme of the meandering warp – after more than 15 years of private commissions.

Chemould Prescott Road (earlier Gallery Chemould), a contemporary art gallery that primarily shows modern and contemporary art from India, has a tradition of occasionally introducing diverse art practices. Gallerist Shireen Gandhy, daughter of the late Kekoo Gandhy, who founded Gallery Chemould, says, “Monika Correa’s work is unique in that it takes extremely inventive concepts at the technical level and translates them into highly visual and tactile products that exude a sense of classic and monumental peace. It is with

1. Monika Correa

2. Rain forest

3. Foggy day

great pleasure that we present her new body of work.” Monika Correa, now 74, was introduced to weaving

in 1962 by the distinguished American weaver Marianne Strengell of the Cranbrook Academy, Michigan. On her return to India, she continued her training at the Weaver’s Service Centre in Mumbai. Her work, which explores the underlying relationship between weaving and the diverse patterns and textures of nature, is part of several major public collections – including the Constitutional Court of South Africa in Johannesburg, and the Quartet of Tapes-tries commissioned by Philip Johnson for The Four Seasons restaurant in Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram building in New York. The artist-weaver, who has exhibited her work both in India and abroad, lives in Mumbai with her archi-tect husband, Charles Correa. A&I

By Maria LouisNote: Meandering Warp: Variations on a theme, an exhibi-

tion of tapestries by Monika Correa, was presented by Chemould Prescott Road. For information, visit www.gallerychemould.com

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