Surfaces Reporter March 2018 Preview

editorial

Remembering Zaha Hadid It was our dream to have the presence of Zaha Hadid one day in our yet to be born platform for women in design. Little did we know that our dream was to be shattered in no time!

Ar. Zaha Hadid and Vertica Dvivedi, 2013

A

h! It is March again! The month we eagerly wait for, to celebrate International Women's Day. However, as we rejoice, I cannot stop myself from remembering the profound loss of one of the greatest architects of our era in the same month in 2016.

March that year was one of the busiest period for WADe team as we were preparing the launch of 1st edition of WADe – World Women Architects, Artists and Designers.

Amidst a lot of confusions, we were trying to find numerous answers for ourselves, and working to solve countless puzzles, while earnestly communicating with the community of women architects and designers. Deep inside, it was our dream to have the presence of Zaha Hadid one day in our yet to be born platform for women in design.

Little did we know that our dream was to be shattered in no time. The untimely death of Zaha Hadid on March 31 at the age of 65 shocked the entire world. Even after 2 years, many of us are still not ready to accept.

A bundle of unfathomable energy that she was, unmoved by the awful mockery people made of her and the innumerable number of rejections for 25 years before getting the first major breakthrough.

Throughout her career Zaha Hadid continued to push boundaries of what the world could not comprehend as possible. Widely ridiculed as 'the architect of unbuildable buildings,’ Zaha turned around her critics with her superlative work, and perseverance, to be known as 'the architect who can build unbuildable buildings.’ There is so much to talk about Zaha Hadid, from Pritzker Prize to her most amazing fluid architecture, to her stories of undying spirit.

But today, I just want to share one of Zaha's special message for women: “As a woman in architecture, you need confidence.

Sometimes, women feel they have to do everything work, manage the house, look after the children - but there's too much to do. So you have to learn early that you can't do everything yourself, and you have to learn to trust other people to work on your vision.

I've broken beyond the barrier, but it's been a very long struggle. It's made me tougher and more precise – and maybe this is reflected in my architecture. I still experience resistance but I think this keeps you going.”

So friends, if you are facing resistance, use it to build something better. Sometimes I wonder in amazement the grandness of her work and imagination. At times I question: would the world of women in architecture been the same without Zaha Hadid?

It is not about what she has done for women. It is more about the magnanimous shift in the way this world look at women architects & designers today. A supremely spirited person like that of Zaha Hadid can never ever die. She will live forever in our hearts.

Vertica Dvivedi vertica@surfaces.in

readers' reviews Thank you readers for the awesome responses! We can be contacted at PRESS@SURFACES.IN

I am delighted Vertica ji to see people from South Asia in WADe. More power to you so that this forum grows and I’m sure only women will do it. Men might be much slower. They should really connect here with women from all over south Asia and be able to make a statement that needs to be heard!

Rajeev Sethi Legendary Artist & Padma Bhushan Awardee , New Delhi

I had a very positive experience with WADe Asia 2017 It was a brilliant platform for women in architecture and other creative fields! For the first time, women artists got a chance to showcase their work and I was lucky to be one of them! I met Lot of interesting women who are inspiring and such amazing achievers across all age groups! Overall great job and looking forward to participating in future too!

Best of luck to WADe Asia Team!

Neeti Banga, Artist, NIFT

It’s a great magazine in bringing us lot of information about materials. I am doing lot of interior projects at the moment and what I feel strongly is that in interiors it’s not only about design or form it’s more about the material.

You need to be more aware of the material which is contemporary at the moment and when you design with the contemporary materials. The magazine is bringing great information to us. You are sitting in an office and you and you are just browsing through the magazine and you know it is there and even the addresses are mentioned where you can get what material so it is easier for us to design as a designer and it's more interesting and we can create more interesting interiors.

Archana Van Gils, AVG Architecture & Interiors, Gurgaon

One thing that I like about Surfaces Reporter is that it comes up with new ideas, innovative and all and I love to go through it and enhance my knowledge about things.

Shweta Jagatramka, Studio PS, Noida & Gr. Noida

WADe India is known for its initiative to empower and facilitate the women of India who are doing great in the field of design, architecture, and interiors. In today's India where there are still 60% Women and girls who cannot afford education, some who don't get support to opt for other fields except engineering and medical, there are some who have come up fighting for their dreams and careers.

Its a great platform to know such successful and hardworking women entrepreneurs.

Ishita Das, Student NIFT SUBSCRIBE PRINT & DIGITAL COPIES ONLINE

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CONTENT in Visual-IIII Visual 12

Remembering Zaha Hadid

26

Vision & Work behind WADe: An Exclusive Interview by Dr. Anuradha Chatterjee

fACES fINDER: SURFACES REPORTER

59 AR. SONAL SANCHETI _Opolis Architects, Mumbai

66 AR. ANJALI LOVEKAR Lovekar Design Studio, Pune

69 AR. LEENA KUMAR Kumar Consultants, Bengaluru

72 AR. SHILPA GORE-SHAH S+PS Architects, Mumbai

62 AR. MAITRI BUCH Sfurna Design, Bharuch

79 AR. SIJI REHANA DAC LLP, Bengaluru

97 AR. Amruta Daulatabadkar, Amruta Daulatabadkar Architects, Aurangabad

56 AR. BRITTA KNOBEL GUPTA, Noida

88 CHIRANJIVI LUNKAD Studio Infinity, Pune

85 AR. SHILPA JAIN BALVALLY Studio Osmosis, Mumbai

91 AR. Kanika Suri, Chromed Design Studio, New Delhi

100

AR. ADITI PAI HERANJAL The Purple Ink Studio, Bengaluru

82 aR. Kinny Soni, KSUP Studio, Ahmedabad

43 Didi Contractor with her award

March 2018 SURFACES REPORTER 4

76 AR. AMRITHA BALLAL Space Matters, New Delhi

50 AR. Divya Ethirajan Betweenspaces, Bengaluru

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Surfacing the outstanding yet unknown ​DIDI CONTRACTOR & 15 promising Women designers of India

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Didi Contractor An Exclusive Inside ..

g n i c a f r u S g n i d n a t s t the ou nknown yet u

Photo: www.wadeasia.com

DIDI CONTRACTOR A Life Dedicated To Inspire, Love Nature And Nurture Humanity

One of the foremost objectives of WADe Asia is to bring forward awareness of works of architects and designers who are making a huge difference, and yet remain largely unsung and undocumented. One such find was Didi Contractor, a self-taught architect working quietly in the foothills of the majestic Himalayas.

Very little documentation of her work was available.

Didi mostly builds with Adobe (sun dried bricks) and also incorporates other naturally locally available materials and techniques in her architecture, making them unique and special. Light plays significant role in her buildings.

Although inspired by abstract concepts of nature and heritage, the style of each of her projects reflect the personality and needs of the individual client.

Didi encourages other women to come forth and start wherever at whichever stage of life they are, citing her own example: she resumed building at age 60 after building the first few around the age of 30 and has never looked back. Even at the age of 88 years, she projects the same energy, enthusiasm and attention to detail to all her projects as would a woman in her 20’s. Naturally, WADe Asia couldn’t think of a person more deserving to be receiving the First Ever ‘WADe Asia Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2017.

In this issue of #SurfacesReporterDotCom, we take you through a quick glance of the life and works of Didi Contractor and her evergreen spirit.

Winners projects at WADe Asia A DISTRESSED RESTo-CLUB

A FUSION OF CONTEMPORARY WORKSPACE + INDIAN ARCHITECTURE

Roof House, Khandala

fire-brick Theatre Studio

HOUSE OF LIGHT AND HAPPINESS

A BOUTIQUE WITH ITS OWN WOODINESS

HOUSE of mixed hues

A Temple ADORnED WITH stone and light

Cuppa CafĂŠ

The Mango Tree House, Bhopal

ClassE by the cooking culture, pune

an outdoor classroom A Living Commercial Modern Cyber Design

An Inward-looking Courtyard House

A Spa at SHREYAS RETREAT, Bengaluru

TEN TANTALIZING

Tile Trends 2018

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