BRINDA

SOMAYA
LIFE &
WORKS

PRESENTED BY:
LALIT KUMAR 16 ARB 559
C O N T E N T
• INTRODUCTION
• AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
• ARCHITECTURE PHILOSOPHY
• NOTABLE PROJECTS
• WORKS
• TCS CAMPUS, BANYAN PARK, MUMBAI
• ZENSAR TECHNOLOGIES
• COMMON FEATURES
I N T R O D U C T I O N

BORN ON 28 JUNE, 1949

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE FROM MUMBAI

UNIVERSITY

MASTER OF ARTS FROM SMITH COLLEGE IN

NORTHAMPTON, UNITED STATES
ARCHITECT, URBAN
CONSERVATIONIST, AUTHOR
OF SILENT SENTINELS, STARTED PRACTICE IN 1978, SOMAYA & KALAPPA
VISITING FACULTY AT ARCHITECTS (SNK), MUMBAI
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
 AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

2004 2006 2007 2014

UNESCO Asia- Leading European First woman to The Indian
Pacific Heritage Architects Forum have won the Institute of
award for the award for the new Wienerberger Architects –
restoration of the Nalanda Schools Golden Architect Baburao Mhatre
St. Thomas' Campus in Baroda Award for lifetime Gold Medal for
Cathedral in achievement Lifetime
Mumbai Achievement
 A R C H I T E C T U R A L
P H I L O S O P H I E
S

"The Architect's role is that of guardian- his is the

conscience of the built and un-built environment." Ar.
Brinda Somaya
“Development and progress must proceed without
straining the cultural and historic environment.” The
sustainability is woven in her firm's designs since
inception when it was not a buzz word as today.
While designing, an architect must be conscious of the space,
she says. “It is important to understand the site, to walk around
it, observe the nature of the soil. Climate, vegetation and local
resources are significant factors in design. One has to be
sensitive to the historical and cultural context of the area as
well.”

CONTEMPOR COMMUNI CONSERVAT

ARY TY ION

“I believe an architect needs to go beyond the boundaries of

just buildings. There is so much to be done, whether in a village
or tribal areas or the metropolis. Unless architects are able to
meaningfully engage in civic projects, the discipline will be
peripheral to society. I believe that if we nurture the seeds,
N O T I C A B L E P R O J E C T S
TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES CAMPUS,
INDORE
TCS CAMPUS, BANYAN PARK, MUMBAI

NALANDA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, VADODARA

ST. THOMAS’ CATHEDRAL, MUMBAI

REHABILITATION OF BHADLI VILLAGE, BHUJ

RESTORATION OF IIM-AHMEDABAD, LOUIS KAHN CAMPUS

BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE, PILANI

ZENSAR TECHNOLOGIES CAMPUS, PUNE

1 TCS CAMPUS,
PARK, MUMBAI
BANYAN
W
O
R
KS

2 ZENSAR TECHNOLOGIES
CAMPUS, PUNE
 TCS CAMPUS, BANYAN PARK, MUMBAI

1 Gandavali Villa after restoration Sarosh villa set in its landscaped

grounds
It feels like a nature reserve in the city’s industrial
heartland: 22 acres of land, full of wonderful old
trees, which have been retained, some over a
hundred years old; no wonder the campus is called
The two
guesthouses,
lotus and orchid,
were also
restored and The restored art deco lotus villa, The executive briefing Centre at
upgraded. One with its spacious verandah, Gandavali villa: the lounge and the
elegant entrance lobby, and one of state-of-the-art video conference room
was an art deco the guest bedrooms.
style bungalow
and the other
was built in the
old colonial
style. These four
bungalows form
a unique centre One of the old colonial bungalow,
in the middle of orchid, now restored as a
Water elements in
landscaping, one of the
common elements found in
almost all his works

Water elements in
landscaping, one of the
common elements found in
almost all his works and
The verandah at orchid villa
opening out to the vast green
The core concept behind the TCS campus
spaces outside.
design is essentially to create landscaped
spaces between existing buildings, and thus
create primary, secondary and tertiary spaces.
2
2 ZENSAR TECHNOLOGIES, PUNE
A stone wall meandering through a landscape of greenery,
courtyards and water-bodies forms the core concept behind
the Zensar Software Technologies campus near Pune.
The requirement was to create an International I.T. Campus for 3500
developers on an 11 acres plot with corresponding corporate block, Cafeteria,
indoor and outdoor sports facility, Security area, Landscaping with 750 nos.
capacity amphitheatre & ancillary structures as required. The feel of the place
wished by the client was minimal and functional based on the name of the
company ‘ZENsar ‘i.e. the Zen philosophy.
The stone walls guide one through a landscape of sunken
courtyards, water-bodies and greenery.

S&K worked on the concept keeping the word

‘CAMPUS’ in mind. The difference between a
regular commercial building and a campus is
that you have and enjoy the space around.
C O M M O N F E A T U R E S

The reinterpretation of the courtyard as a

reflection of the Indian ethos, enhanced by
the Champa tree.
Stone, brick and wood are, respectively, the three materials
that have been employed in both the projects. With this as
a basis, a common architectural vocabulary flows through
both campuses. one sees this in the dominant use of a
single natural material, the importance given to
landscaping, the ‘pergola’ sunshade, and the use of water
as an element
The buildings belong to the site, not to us.’ For the viewer,
looking at both campuses, there is certainly a sense that
these are works by Somaya and Kalappa. but, as one might
expect from an architect of brinda’s restrained, intelligent,
elegant sensibility, it says it subtly – it doesn’t shout.
THANK
YOU