MINDSPACE We give importance to the transition from outdoors to indoors, blurring the boun daries. We try and create spaces which are unique in their feel providing the user with a series of experiences experiencing elements of nature within a space, ex periencing light, breeze, sound, unfolding of layers and volumes. quote_end SANJAY MOHE - See more at: SANJAY MOHE
I was born and brought up in Mumbai. Incidentally my journey towards being an Ar chitect started at a very early phase of my life. As a child I was inclined to s ketching and my folks planted the thought of becoming an architect in my mind. I graduated from Sir JJ College of Architecture in 1976 and started working with one of my professors from college. In 1983, I joined Chandravarkar and Thacker A ssociates and subsequently became one of the directors in 1995.
About Company Mindspace was formed in 2004 by Vauki Prakash, Suryanarayanan and Sanjay Mohe. O ur firm is currently lead by Suryanarayanan, Medappa and myself. Of a total staf f strength of 35, 20 are architects. We have consciously restricted the size of our firm, to create a family-like bonding. It is important for us to be connecte d to each other. Transparency is another important factor in our office. There a re no closed cabins. The underlying idea is to create quality architecture and e njoy the process.
We looked at climate as the main influencing factor on life style - our culture, behavior, eating habits, fashion and most importantly architecture. Hence the c entral idea of our architecture lies in its response to climate and context. Bei ng sensitive to the elements of nature - Our design process involves understandi ng the forces of nature, trying to use their energy to create a healthy and ener gy efficient environment where the five elements (light, earth, air, water and s ky) become an integral part of the built, breathing life into them. Using LIGHT to modulate spaces - Light has been the most dynamic element we have used and we are constantly trying to refine the quality it can add to spaces. Even a dark r oom needs a crack of light to know how dark it is. This not only minimises the n eed for any artificial sources of lighting but also creates animated spaces with interplay of light and shadow. Blurring Boundaries - We give importance to the transition from outdoors to indoors, blurring the boundaries. To sum up, our bui ldings are not consciously designed to capture attention from the exterior. We t ry and create spaces which are unique in their feel providing the user with a ser ies of experiences experiencing elements of nature within a space, experiencing light, breeze, breeze, sound, unfolding of layers and volumes. The external form of the building is derived to complement the functions within. We try to create an equ ilibrium between man, his needs, emotions, culture, his aspirations, elements of nature and technological advancement. - See more at: http://www.insideoutside. http://www.insideoutside.i i n/SanjayMohe#sthash.lvKn08Ti.dpuf PEOPLE Sanjay Mohe s guiding principle is that buildings can be modern with a defi nite dash of common sense. He talks about his way of using spaces
Building blocksSanjay MohePhoto: Thulasi Kakkat Building blocksSanjay MohePhoto: Thulasi Kakkat It is illuminating talking to architect Sanjay Mohe about architecture. The sage -like architect, with his beard and big hair, gives architecture a spiritual spi n. A house or a building is not just an engineering feat; it is a space that evo kes an emotional response from those inhabiting the space. And that a building h as to be placed within the context of a location and culture. The living space b ecomes a living entity with a soul and it is not about external appearances as wi th a sculpture. The space within is important. You have to start from inside and move to the exterior. Sanjay Mohe was in Kochi for the Inside Outside show. This alumnus of Sir JJ Col lege of Architecture (Mumbai) has worked with renowned architect Charles Correa. During the chat he delves into the wisdom of the past where constructions revolv ed around nature and climate. In Kerala there are single houses in the midst of huge plots as opposed to in Raj
asthan where houses are built in clusters. These styles keep in mind the climati c requirements of these areas. In humid Kerala you need more air circulation and in extreme climates such as in Rajasthan, houses need to insulate each other. B uilding was common sense-driven and we need to stick to common sense while const ructing spaces, he says. And the common sense involves keeping nature a part of the plan as architectural forms resultant to climate, says Mohe, who runs the architecture firm, Mindspace with colleagues Vasuki Prakash and Suryanarayana in Bangalore. The five elements And aping the west in the name of modernity is not common sense, he says. You can not have a glass box in tropical climates such as ours. What we in India need is porosity in form, for more air circulation, he adds. This stand, he clarifies, i s not a critique of modern technology. Whether it is a research facility or an educational institution or a home, a bui lding has to be constructed keeping the panchabhutas (five elements) in mind. It translates into letting the five elements circulate within the space. As part of letting the elements in, his buildings have plenty of space for air t o circulate and he makes good use of natural light. As far as sustainability goe s, it cannot be over-emphasised, Mohe goes on. A building in its lifetime is, pro bably, the largest pollutant. The process starts with piling right up to the con struction and the subsequent requirements of the building. It is the largest con sumer of natural resources, he says. He adds, We have been talking green and about e nergy conservation for a long time, much before it became fashionable. Energy con servation and sustainability are two aspects of common sense when it comes to co nstruction. Some of this common sense guides the architect in the construction of laboratori es and educational spaces. While building a lab, for instance, the process is regimentality-driven, in part s. Laboratories have to meet strict international standards, cleanliness, comple te with effluent treatment plants.Along with that there is provision for interac tive spaces. G.V. Prasad of Dr. Reddy s Laboratories gave us the brief that both sides of the br
ain (the artistic right and the analytical left) need to be stimulated equally.
And therefore we had the brief that along with the lab spaces there had to be prov ision for interactive spaces and art. Therefore, beyond labs there are seminar halls, lecture halls spaces that encourag e Eureka moments as Mohe puts it. Cell and Bell theory The space-to-think-idea leads to his designing educational spaces. Wide open spa ces, according to him, are a pre-requisite to designing educational spaces. My thinking is the opposite of the Cell and Bell theory of the old days. The belief
was children be crammed in cell-like classrooms and taught till the bell went o ff. And then imagine that there has been a transfer of knowledge, he says. His cl assroom is inspired by the gurukul tradition where children are in close proximi ty to nature and while learning their lessons. Plenty of space and light are pre requisites for holistic learning. Breezy open pavilions, classrooms which open o ut to courtyards where children have visual access to nature figure in his bluep rint of the perfect classroom; ditto for colleges. An educational place should be such that it motivates a child to learn, Mohe adds. Is it easy convincing school managements about such classroom spaces? Usually th
e first client needs convincing. For the ones who come later there is already pr oof he says. Is he going to design something in Kerala? Yes we are and have already seen the site in Aluva by the Periyar. He is involved in a project with Asten Ma ther.
PROFILE: It is not hard to understand why Architect Sanjay Mohe remains to be on e of the most respected Architects in India. For someone who lets his work do th e talking always, his sustainable and simplicity-oriented designs have a deep co nnect to India's traditional culture. Founder of the eight year Bengaluru based Mindspace, Ar Mohe has held many positions of repute prior to that. He has had a working association of 21 years with Bengaluru s famous Chandravarkar and Thacker Associates (CnT) , besides which his work experience also counts his years spen t with Ar Charles Correa in Bombay and his work stint in Saudi Arabia. A prodigy of India's first architectural institute - Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumb ai his work straddles a spectrum of projects - Research Laboratories, Knowledge Parks, Campus Designs, Factories, Beach Resorts, Libraries, Corporate Offices, H ospice and Residences. A well known face adorning a lot of architectural forums and talks, he has a lot of awards to his credit. Some of them include The Golden Architect Award by A+D & Spectrum Foundation Architecture Award (2009), India; J K Cements Architect of the Year Award - 1991 /1999 /2001 /2004 /2007 /2008; Th e Award of the Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects - 2002; ar+d Intern ational Annual Award of Architectural Review (1999), London and d'line, for JRD Digital Library Bangalore; Gold Medal from ARCASIA (the Asian Forum for Institut es of Architecture-1998).
