Acknowledgements

i thank the people who helped produce this book, as well as many who helped me to understand the built environment and to make architecture, and also those who gave me both, encouragement and friendship.

Many have deeply influenced my thinking and career. Some are no longer in my life but i remember them often and owe them much.

My late father, Mc Shah, nourished a dream to become an architect. And much, much else besides.

Professor roy Landau taught me in the history and theory program at the AA Graduate School in London. roy, Micha Bandini and Sibel Bozdogan developed the concept of positional analysis in 1979 to explain why an architect always makes buildings in a certain way.

i helped Professor John Burton Page on my return to india with a book about the medieval architecture of Ahmedabad, and learnt from him the importance of a glossary.

conversations with Professor Anant raje, a former teacher, from 2004 until his death in 2011, were of great significance for me.

the late Dr ZA Desai demonstrated the importance of epigraphy while i was studying architecture.

Professor MN Vora taught me to run a practice successfully.

Memorable teachers at the cePt University in Ahmedabad include Piraji Sagara; the late Kurual Verkey; KB Jain; rJ Vasavada and Krishna Shahstri. Most important was Professor BV Doshi who was my thesis guide in 1979.

Doshi introduced me to Joseph Allen Stein with whom i served my practical training after third year.

i am grateful to Professor AK Jain for sound advice on running the practice; also our chartered accountant, chandreshbhai Shah, who taught me to be honest with statutory bodies and thus to sleep well. his colleagues, Pragneshbhai Dharia and harsh Kejriwal, now also help us to perform the regular accounting rituals. i add my thanks to Suketu Shah; Shripal Shah; Prakash Dalal and Mukesh Ahuja. in the early years, Uday Parikh helped ensure sound management practices.

i record my gratitude to all my colleagues and single out Kamlesh Kavade, with us since our inception, and Mahesh raval, Bharat Gajjar and Aarti Makwana, also many others who are acknowledged in the end pages. i also wish to acknowledge Ashok Prajapati; Naval Dave; Dhara Paregi and Jitubhai rawal, who have worked with us in the past.

We are honoured to have Professor MA Dhaky at the office on most days, a scholar who shares his wisdom.

consultants enable architects to realise works. i acknowledge in particular our civil engineer Suresh Shah (SL Shah), who with his son hemal Shah often works alongside us as an invaluable professional partner.

And there are innumerable associates, trainees, consultants and also building workers whose names i mostly never even know; all help realise our visions – including those working onsite in 45 degree c heat: heroes.

No architect is complete without good clients. in the order in which they commissioned us, our clients include Dr MN Dhuldhoya; Shri Navneetbhai choksi; Shri hrishikeshbhai Mafatlal; Shri Gautambhai Adani and family; Mr Ar Laddha; Shri Shrenikbhai Kasturbhai; the late Shri UN Mehta; Mr S ramadorai; Shri Pankajbhai Patel; Mr rajesh Mehta; Shri Sanjaybhai Lalbhai; Shri harshadbhai Mehta; Mr Ashok Bhatia and Ms Annie Prasad; Mr Sudhir Mankad; Mr AB Panchal; Mr N chandra; Mr SN Subrahmanyan; Dr rajiv Modi; Swami Srikaranandji and Swami Gopalanandji; Shri Prafull Anubhai; Dr Sudarshan iyengar; Dr rajendrabhai Khimani; Mr Apurva Shah and Mr Binoy Gardi; Mr and Mrs Sandeep Mittal; Dr and Dr Mrs Alkeshbhai Shah; Mr and Mrs Kamlesh Parikh; Mr and Mrs Jagatbhai Patel; Dr and Dr Mrs Bipinbhai Baxi; Mr Dileepbhai choksi; Mr NK Parikh; Mr Vinayak Deshpande.

Friends i met as students from whom i learned things i cherish are Mohit Gujral; Achal Bakeri; Dinesh Mehta; Miki and Madhavi Desai; Vidu chavda; the late Akhil Dadkar; Muktiraj chuhan; Urvashi Mehta; Nimesh Patel and Parul Jhaveri; Abhimanyu Dalal; Ajay Patel; Satish Patel; Naren ranpuria; Mayur Vashi; Prerna Patel and ranjit Singh. From my 1973 Batch in particular, i acknowledge raj Mohan Shetty; ramesh Kanzaria; Kartik Vora; Atul Dave and Abde Koita.

i thank friends in europe whose warmth and support helped me to survive in a cold climate: richard Blurton and Martin Williams; irenee and Natalie Scalbert; Ada Gansach; Jonathan Wilson; Marian Van Der Waals; Luigi and Mya Beltrandi; Omar and Anna thali; Sebastiano Brandolini; Giampietro and Silvia Parboni Arquati; Stephen Jameson; terri Donovan; Li Shiquaio; ross Feller; Janet Abrams; Maurizio Pelli; Urs Kulling; roberto Bricolla; epprecht family.

in europe i met haig Beck and Jackie cooper; Francis Oeser; Attilio Petruccioli; Mario Botta and Dr George Michell. From George i learned about western music and connections between music and architecture, and to see indian architecture more closely.

i worked as an assistant architect for Francis Oeser during my struggling student years at the AA. his talks on islamic architecture triggered an interest in travelling to the Middle east. i spent nearly two wonderful years in Lugano in the office of Mario Botta before returning to india. his studio, very small then, taught me how to design.

this book would not have happened if in 1983 in London on a cold, wet, grey day i had not made a call to hackney, to haig Beck and Jackie cooper. i was hoping to work for their magazine, International Architect. Our first conversation about this book took place in 2006, and since then, whenever we have met, we have discussed ideas. the book owes much to haig’s third eye and to Jackie’s both eyes; one sees beyond, the other sees what is there.

Production of the book required a dedicated team. Nidhi Sah, the graphic designer; rahul Singh who made drawings suitable for publication; Kruti choksi for patiently understanding our practice culture and Amit Pasricha, Devansh Jhaveri, Antonio Martinelli and enrico cano who photographed the buildings.

i am grateful to Shoonya Kumar; Madhuri rao; ramalakshami; Anupa Alex; Mansi Bapna and Shubhra raje for help and advice in researching and refining material. Bhakti Shah; Alex d’Aram; Antara Patel and Ankona Das helped in preparing and coordinating the initial material.

Ketaki Gujar meticulously shepherded the many phases of production.

Mapin publishing and especially Bipin Shah for his thoughtful insights on the practical aspects of publishing.

Finally, i acknowledge the love and support of my family. My mother, hasumatiben, has always showered me with unqualified love. i thank my elder brother Mukeshbhai and Shilpa Bhabhi, my younger sister Priti, and Ajaybhai choksi, and my brother-in-law rajiv, Alpa, and my sister-in-law rita Ben. My uncle Dr ramesh c Shah always stood by me, and even more since my father’s death.

i acknowledge the central contribution to my life and career to my dear wife, Sujata. On our honeymoon, we visited architectural ruins, and she still accompanies me on my various architectural pilgrimages. Our daughter Sunaina shares the same passion for architecture, and she has my love always.

Snehal Shah Ahmedabad 2014