Brinda Somaya

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Brinda Somaya is an Indian architect and urban conservationist.[1] Somaya completed her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Mumbai University and her Master of Arts from Smith College in Northampton, MA, USA. She started her practice in 1975 in Mumbai, India. From 1978 to 1981 she was joined by her sister Ranjini Kalappa, also an architect. Since 1981, she has run an independent practice on her own.[2] In May 2012 she was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Smith College.[3] In 2014 she was awarded the Indian Institute of Architects – Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement.[4]

Career

For more than three decades, Brinda Somaya has merged architecture, conservation and social equity in projects ranging from institutional campuses and rehabilitation of an earthquake-torn village to the restoration of an 18th-century Cathedral, showing that progress and history need not be at odds.[5] Her philosophy: 'the Architect's role is that of guardian – his is the conscience of the built and un-built environment.'[6] This belief underlines her work that spans large corporate, industrial and institutional campuses and extends to public spaces, which she has rebuilt and sometimes reinvented as pavements, parks and plazas.[7] Master-planning and building design of multiple corporate and educational campuses has become one of her areas of expertise. Some of these award-winning campuses include Tata Consultancy Services, Banyan Park, Mumbai; Nalanda International School, Vadodara; and Zensar Technologies, Pune.[8] Her firm has recently won the competition for the `Restoration and Upgradation of the historic Louis Kahn Buildings of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A)[9][10] as well as the new Academic Buildings of the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B).[11] She is currently the Chairperson of Board of Governors for School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada, a premier architecture institute in the country.

Memberships and Awards

Brinda is a Member of the National Advisory Board of NCSHS (National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures) 2014 Under the Aegis of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (Government of India) IIT-Madras and also the Member of the Editorial Board for MARG Architectural Books.[12] As a member of the Committee of `Environmental Impact Assessment of New Construction Projects for `Ministry of Environment & Forests' Government of India, the Mumbai Urban Heritage Conservation Committee, and Mumbai's Initiative for the Protection and Improvement of Streets and Public Spaces, Brinda Somaya has been actively involved in participating in her country's and city's development. She was also on the IAWA board of Advisors (International Archives of Women in Architecture), U.S.A.[13] and Founder Trustee of the HECAR Foundation which has brought out several publications on Heritage and Architecture. She chaired a conference & organized a seminal exhibition on the Work of Women Architects with a focus on South Asia in Mumbai. In addition `The Hecar Foundation has brought out several books / documents such as `An Emancipated Place': Women in Architecture 2000+,[14] `Silent Sentinels' Traditional Architecture of Coorg,[15] `The Cathedral Schools Portfolio' and `The Mumbai Esplanade Project'.[16][17] The most recent publication is the `Vanishing Homes of India' which documents one Photographer's T.S.N. Nagarajan's memorable journey across the country in his quest for century-old homes and fading lifestyles.[18] Over the years, she has won numerous international and national awards. In 2004 Brinda Somaya won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage award for the restoration of the St.Thomas' Cathedral in Mumbai.[6] She is also a Leading European Architects Forum award winner for the new Nalanda Schools Campus in Baroda in 2006.[19][20] She was the first woman to have won the Wienerberger Golden Architect Award for lifetime achievement – a peer award, in 2007.[20] In 2008 a mention was awarded to Brinda Somaya by the UIA (International Union of Architects) Sgoutas Prize for alleviation of poverty for her Bhuj Village Project.[1][21] Two of her projects were also nominated for the Aga Khan award. In 2013 she was chosen as one of the 100 GLOBAL PUBLIC INTEREST DESIGN persons working at the intersection of design and service globally.[20] Brinda has delivered analytical and critical talks as well as presented papers in India and abroad on her work – and other connected subjects. She has given lectures in the U.S.A, U.K., Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & India and her work has been exhibited in the USA, UK & Japan.[22][23] She has served as an Examiner & Jury Member in India & Abroad.

Somaya & Kalappa Consultants

They are a full service architectural firm offering each client a combination of imaginative design, expertise, and intense involvement. The firm's reputation is based on providing the highest quality of professional services to every client. they strive to produce work that is creative, practical and economical, while keeping in mind the social, economic, environmental and aesthetic issues relevant to each project.[2][24]

Notable works

  • Nalanda International School, Vadodara [8]
  • Goa Institute of Management, Goa[25]
  • Birla Institute Of Technology and Sciences, Pilani[26]
  • Zensar Technology Limited, Pune[27]
  • TCS House, Mumbai[28][29]
  • St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai[24]
  • Rehabilitation of Bhadli Village along with its School and community Center, Bhuj[29][30]
  • Restoration of the Indian Institute of Management –Ahmedabad (IIM-A) Louis Kahn Campus[9][10]

References

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  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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