Principal Architect & Conservation Planner Ms. Aishwarya Tipnis of Aishwarya Tipnis Architects focuses on heritage conservation, restoration work of the ignored and neglected monuments. In an interesting conversation with Interiors and Décor.
In 2015, her work on the century-old Main Building of The Doon School received the Honourable Mention under the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
In 2016, the firm’s restoration work on the walls and bastions of the 18th- century Mahidpur Fort, in Madhya Pradesh, was given the Award of Merit under the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards.
How do you describe your journey in this male-dominated industry?
I suppose swimming against the tide would be a good phrase to describe it. I have often found myself as the only woman in the boardroom as well as site meeting, finding my own voice without being patronised as well as earning seat on the table has been quite an interesting part of the process.
Which has been your first project? Where? What was it? How has been your experience?
My very first project was restoring a haveli in Old Delhi. It was the first private restoration project in Delhi, where we worked with the family in a very collaborative way to restore their house while they continued to live in in. It was very challenging yet one of the most satisfying projects I have ever done, it was where I learnt on the job and then shared all my learning with others so they could restore their homes too and this has been crafted in the form of a blog The Haveli Project as well as a book Engagements in the Courtyard Restoring a Haveli in Old Delhi.
What type of projects captures your interest or rather interested to do?
The kind of projects that capture my imagination are those which are mostly condemned by others and I like to use the process of collaborative design to give it a new lease of life. For example, the haveli project provided an example to others that it was possible to have a 21st century living space in an old haveli, it was possible to have a 21st century classroom in a historic building.
Your most challenging projects; where and why? Tell us more about the same?
Each project is a challenge, in my 15 years I don’t think I have ever picked up a project which was easy. The challenges are myriad sometimes technical such as structural stability, sometimes battling with mind-sets, preconceived notions as well as achieving something within strict budget constraints.
Tell us about your upcoming projects; where and what type; schedule of completions?
My most ambitious project is the restoration of the Registry Building in Chandernagore, West Bengal a pilot project of a partnership between the Government of France and Government of West Bengal. The building which has been condemned since 2004 is totally derelict and through careful design and collaborative planning between governments, local community and technical experts we aim to restore it. We hope to break ground soon and have the building ready by 2024.
