Designing with a difference

Promoting nascent architectural firms, showing sensitivity to local conditions and traditions, incorporating indigenous craft into buildings… architects are getting innovative.

Speakers at the MASA meet

When creative professionals from varied backgrounds congregate at a place, some interesting synergies are bound to result.  And so it was at the seventh annual convention of MASA (Malnad Architecture School Alumni) that was held in Bangalore recently. 

Architects from all over the world showcased their work to a packed audience comprising professionals from more than 60 offices, and students from nearly 25 city colleges. Speakers came from as diverse locations as Turkey and Thailand, each of these practices also varying in their capabilities and genre of work.

The convention was rolled out by Ziya Imren, a young architect from Turkey, who has participated in many architectural competitions.  Nascent architectural firms often struggle to break into the field and he saw this as a way to promote his designs to a larger audience.

Presentation

This was followed by a presentation by Italian firm Studio Tamassociati, well known for its work in healthcare in the African continent. Simone Sriso, a partner at the firm, showed a cardiac health centre in Sudan, which had won the Aga Khan Award in 2013. The project showed great sensitivity to the local conditions and traditions, even incorporating indigenous craft into the building.

Thai architect Dunagrit Bunnag brought in a bit of philosophy with a humorous twist, which struck a chord with the younger participants in the audience.

Bimal Patel, best known as the architect behind the Sabarmati riverfront redevelopment, showed work that ranged from single buildings to town planning proposals. His firm brings together architects, urban designers and project managers, and that enables them to work on an entire spectrum of projects. He emphasised the opportunities available in India for designers to make a difference in their cities (see box).

The convention came to a close with a presentation by Paraguayan architect Solano Benitez, who wowed the audience with his remarkable work using simple materials like brick and concrete while working in a similar tropical climate and with similar handicaps as in India.

Such gatherings provide immense learning opportunities as various streams of creative thinking find expression at one place, and that is why the MASA annual convention has become a landmark event in the calendar of Bangalore architects and students.