Hema Sankalia

Tanu Sankalia begins by introducing Hema Sankalia’s journey beginning from her birth on 26 November 1934 in Sialkot, Undivided India, to Maharashtrian parents. Her father was in the Indian Civil Services in the British Administration. He goes on in detail about her father’s career till his untimely death at the mere age of 34. Hema Sankalia was still a young girl, who grew up under the influence of her mother and paternal uncle. After going into detail about her schooling and childhood, he mentions how  Hema and her sister Tara went on to study at  Sir J J School of Art in 1951, becoming one of the two girls in her class of 52 students. He mentions the peers and other personalities Hema looked up to and the group of people she eventually became a part of that went on to build firms.  He expands on the skills with which she carried her education forward. 
He moves on to the beginnings of her career and describes her first job and the relationships made from the Mody and Colgan office in 1956-57.  She met and married Shireesh Sankalia when she had just begun her career, and Tanu goes on to talk about her new husband’s career positions and his familial background. On her further aspirations after J.J., he mentions how she was denied the opportunity to go abroad and gain exposure. She went on to set up Contemporary Arts and Crafts (CAC), an interior furnishings firm with her husband and Ar. Piloo and Vina Mody. Tanu describes the gap in the market that the group filled in the industry and its evolution going forward. He goes on to detail how she further captured projects for the firm and the places the projects took her. Moving on to how she multi-managed her roles as a mother and practitioner, he talks about the challenges she faced with developing the nascent firm. He expands on the time when projects from Madhya Pradesh kept coming in and she was offered the Vidhana Soudha for which she roped in Ar. Charles Correa’s support.

Once the Correa project ended, Tanu notes how the second phase in her career began. She felt she needed to bring in a partner to help her take on the multitude of projects that were coming in, leading her to found the Research Unit for Planning with two other partners. Going forward, he notes the many notable interior projects that they worked on while also noting the many hardships they faced in trying to retrieve the financial support promised by a national agency that commissioned a project. Over the next 30 years from 1962-92, he talks about how a fatigued Hema Sankalia and the firm braced, soon after which she moved on to teaching. When the economy began doing well during the liberalization from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, she spent more time with Contemporary Arts and Crafts (CAC). 
By 1995, she wound up her practice and solely focused on teaching and CAC. On her aspiration to own a country house, he talks about her journey in chasing that dream and then her journey as a teacher after. He talks about Chandigarh’s architecture and the symbolism that he felt might have inspired Hema. He also talks about how she was also an exponent of space planning and carried a client-facing approach that was pragmatic while running two different practices hand-in-hand. He notes the leaps the firm took on soon into the future, as well as the collaborations she took on during the journey. He also goes into much lesser-known detail about how Hema’s partner Ar. Pravina Mehta did not seem to get due credit for her work. Concluding, he talks about several of her collaborations with eminent practitioners on the mid-1980s projects and the mixed environment of the office and home space he often felt growing up.

Going back in detail about Hema Sankalia’s childhood, Tanu Sankalia talks about what he noticed from the stories from her childhood, her erudite parents, and their careers. Losing her father at 6 months, he talks about the greater influences that bore over the little girls growing up while moving cities a lot. He also talks about his early childhood growing up between his mother’s work at the firm and the life they had in Bombay. He goes into detail about her journey at Sir J J School of Art and talks about the decision that led her to move to Pune along with his grandmother. He talks about her setting up her firm in the garage of her home and how this early exposure influenced his own career choices.  In her journey through college and onwards, she met several talented individuals and made lasting relationships that she carried into her professional life, including her peers as well as professors. On the personal front, she went on to marry a History major, Shireesh Sankalia, after meeting him through mutual architect friends in 1957. 
The conversation then steers back to the time when she was denied the opportunity to pursue further education abroad due to a gender bias within the family, which eventually affected her chances to get greater exposure as an architect, he notes B V Doshi was able to pursue. He then goes on to talk about the eminent architects that came post-independence and formed part of her group in Bombay. During the Bauhaus training, they were exposed to classical history and historical monuments through field trips, which must have influenced her early understanding of architecture, notes Tanu. Also, he notes how Chandigarh, from the mid-late 1950s,  became the center of attention due to Corbusier’s work. He also includes Bombay, Mody & Colgan, and some early government work to have influenced her early thinking. Moving on to her aspirations as a fresh graduate, he notes how the young architects of her generation wanted to create the entire space with interior design. Concluding with the early beginnings of CAC Hema was involved, he remarks on the details of modern aesthetics and design aspirations of the time.

In response to a question on the influence that Chandigarh had on the freshly graduated Hema Sankalia, Tanu lays out the detailed architectural technologies and design that must have had a heavy influence on her early thinking. He notes how Ar. Piloo Mody must have also influenced her thoughts through the methods she brought from her alma mater, the University of California Berkeley. Later on, he talks about the eminent architects she was exposed to from Delhi and South India. He recalls one of her big projects and accompanying her on a trip for the Jeevan Bharati School project in 1971. While speaking of the Gujarati community they were a part of in Bombay by way of his father’s origin, he talks about the influence it may have had on her creative thoughts as well. Moving on to impactful projects that must have had a strong effect on Hema’s thoughts, he brings up examples including Charles Correa’s Sabarmati Ashram from the 1960s in Ahmedabad and the project’s influences. Eventually, he talks of how they began to work together and moves on to talk about her interest in vernacular architecture. 
Going back to her life experiences from when she was a school student, he brings up how she used to be self-deprecating about her performance in school, mentioning how she admitted to  not being very studious, but that she was always very honest about her abilities. Speaking of  her family’s influence on her education and how she viewed her profession and professional education in a largely male-dominated society, he talks about how she found it difficult to navigate the social milieu at the time. About the conversations they shared on his career, he describes his mother’s first reaction of disapproval of his initial choices and the instrumental role that Hema had in helping him make his later choices. Discussing the visibility that her projects began to gain, he recalls the time and concludes by describing her time doing international tours and engaging in foreign architecture styles.

Detailing into the work experience and environment she was often a part of during her professional journey, Tanu mentions Gore Bhatia, who she spent a short but impactful period with. He mentions his ethical approach that stood out to her and further talks about the many early projects that she did with Ar. Piloo Mody, and other notable projects she undertook at the same time. Moving on to her work with Ar. Pravina Mehta, Tanu talks about her career trajectory to when she finally set up her own practice. Around the late 1960s,  she began teaching at the Academy of Architecture. He talks about the major takeaways she had from working with Ar. Pravina Mehta and her experiences with her. He further talks about the financial stability and support that CAC provided her largely through the 1980s-90s during which period she lost her husband, and after which she grew disillusioned. 
He goes back to talk about the collaborations she had in the mid-1980s and mentions those from a group of 5-7 people who continued to collaborate with her for 5-7 years. He goes on to talk about her team members who worked alongside her on many projects during a very productive period and also describes details of the key projects from the time – including Kalidas Academy in Ujjain, Women’s Hostel, HUDCO Building, work with Ujjain Vikas Pradhikaran, etc. By 1987, he notes how she began to grow out of the garage office, and her partner Ar. Vilas Joshi moved on from the firm. From that point, he talks about her journey to finally collaborate with Subodh Dhairyawan to found the Research Unit for Planning, while she kept her enterprise Hema Sankalia Architect running. He talks about how her journey progressed while simultaneously running both enterprises. He talks about how the engrossing journey culminates in the period between 1993-95, as she began winding up projects while continuing to keep upbeat.

While speaking of Hema Sankalia’s interest in engaging with historical projects in interior design at a time when the practice was relatively unknown, Tanu Sankalia recalls some of the notable projects, related associations, and her reflections on this journey. On her work processes and her approach to the site and projects, he describes her practical streak and her interest in vernacular architecture which is reflected in her space planning. He mentions how she was also self-critical about her ability to be hyper-creative. Moving on to the period when she began teaching between 1995-2005, he mentions all the schools she used to simultaneously work at, after closing her practice around 1993. Recalling the impact she had on students during the significant period during which she taught, he talks about her teaching career journey. 
Moving forward, Tanu lays out the contexts and design intricacies of many of the important projects she worked on, including Bakhle Bungalow, Rallis India, etc. He mentions significant projects that Hema Sankalia should be known for from the second phase of her career, including Kalidas Academy, EPCO, and the Office and Water Tank integrated project, among others. He also shares the contexts and design technology for which these projects should be known. He moves on to more notable projects and related associations from the mid-1980s period including the HUDCO project and a few others., and mentions the hurdles the projects faced. In terms of the budget that she had to work with for almost all her projects, he notes that financial backing was largely limited and how she navigated resource limitations. When she grew lethargic of the build-up of client dues, he notes how she shut down the firm a few years before the economy opened up and remarks that the move felt premature. Moving on to how she took all of it in her stride, he remembers her strong work personality and tireless approach in a male-dominated environment and how she negotiated the workplace. In conclusion, Tanu talks about how Hema was never that inclined toward immaculate detailing and the context of the tradition. 

Tanu Sankalia details the client relationships Hema Sankalia had by mentioning the most significant and least enjoyable clients she worked with including family, friends, government agencies, and her mother. On the negative experiences she had while negotiating timely payment for the HUDCO project, he dwells on the difficult period and the strained relations she had to navigate. He lays out four phases, dividing her career trajectory including her time with Mody and Colgan, Ar. Pravina Mehta, the Hema Sankalia Architect firm while working largely with the Madhya Pradesh government projects, and finally her time with RUP with Ar. Subodh as being the most fulfilling role. Moving on to a few furnishing products for which both her enterprises worked in a collaborative effort, Tanu describes the projects. 
She began being featured in magazines in the late 1980s, and Tanu recalls Hema’s self-marketing efforts in the early 1990s. He goes into detail about the recognition she received as a woman practitioner as well as the lack of coverage that other female practitioners like Ar. Pravina Mehta received and the reasons behind it. In concluding on the challenges society placed on her gender, he talks about the various roles she had to multitask while her male peers had largely the privilege to focus on their careers. 

Focussing on the time Hema Sankalia wound up her firm around 1994, Tanu Sankalia recalls her lethargic response to the tiring client payment defaults she had to repeatedly negotiate. He goes into the reason behind why she chose to shut the firm down right after which he describes her professional journey post the economic liberalization in the late 1990s. He notes how with her track record of over 30 years of practice, she could have leveraged that in a booming economy when more MNCs were being established. She, however, focused her energy on teaching and engaging with the Contemporary Arts and Crafts (CAC), and resolved to be comfortable in the position.. He mentions the factors that drained her resolve and he goes into the projects she engaged herself in. Moving on to sketching and applying her own design to her home, he talks about how she poured her energy into designing her dream house which never materialized, which led to eventually buying an apartment she got the chance to design instead. 
While discussing CAC’s many franchises and the evolution of the enterprise and its winding up, Tanu also talks about a few missed investment opportunities. Tanu moves on to talk about Vina Mody’s trajectory after remembering Hema stepping out of CAC. In response to a question, Tanu traces back his memories of CAC right from its origin to its closing between 2016-17 and narrates many stories of how he remembers CAC in its highest moments and in its time of dissolution. On Hema Sankalia’s retirement in Pune and her writing activities which allowed her as an outlet for her creative energy, he talks about her relaxed transition.

Tanu goes into detail about a day in the life of Hema Sankalia during the prime time of her career when she was working multiple roles of mother and practitioner and so on. He always noticed how she started her morning with tea and then a beedi. She dressed in a saree every day and kept an orderly schedule and disciplined surroundings. Tanu talks about how in the initial years, she drove herself to work in her Fiat and at times would take her children on a trip from Bombay to Pune. He talks about her hobbies like reading and writing, which she had lesser time for in her mid-40s. He also recalls how she was meticulous about organizing her space and how she kept a daily journal that mostly carried personal thoughts. He further describes her other strong interests apart from architecture, such as spirituality. 
Speaking of her social circles, he recalls how Hema Sankalia significantly cherished relationships and had friends of varying backgrounds and ages while being popular with her nieces as well. He dwells on the maternal influences he and his sibling had apart from his mother. In response to a question on the factors behind Hema setting up a base in Madhya Pradesh, he begins by stating that it began when she pursued the Environmental Planning & Coordination Organisation (EPCO)  project in MP and simply could not have afforded to set up a secondary office in those days. He talks about how she landed the projects in MP and the associations that supported her with the leads and that she also had familial links there. This led her to pursue her dream home in the hilly regions of MP. He also notes all the places she was fond of including Pune and brings up her affection for hilly regions. 

Hema Sankalia’s first teaching experience was at the Academy of Architecture in the late 1960s. He describes her first experience of teaching, and the associations she made over the years with students and management alike while recalling some of the students who kept in touch with her. Going back to the time she shut down the firm with Subodh departing and many other factors in the mid-1980s, he talks about the many teaching experiences she gained since then. He mentions Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies (KRVIA) and Sir J. J. School of Art, etc. In the second half of her teaching career, she offered her expertise as a retired practitioner and professor. He mentions some of the students who learned under her guidance and who went on to become commercially successful in the field. He goes into detail about her methods and approach to teaching. 
Moving on to the contexts and details of her notable projects, he draws a common thread that connects all her projects: they were all built on a remote land. From his understanding, he talks about the rudimental structure of the plans he noticed. He mentions Jayashree Malvi who worked with Hema Sankalia for a long time. He speaks about the shoddy urban and upscale architecture in Bombay that she negatively reacted to and also described some of the architectural spaces she appreciated in Bombay. He mentions the contemporaries she respected, including Kamini Dev, while dwelling in their building approach. On bringing up the National Coalition, he talks of the gap in Indian education that fails to address urban planning which is also what Hema thought should be addressed. Concluding with his understanding of the postmodern traditions in architecture, he talks about bringing historical elements back into architecture which could be noticed in her projects. 

Through the national and international trips that Hema Sankalia took, she gained several impactful influences. He recalls how although she was cosmopolitan, she also rejected the hysteria around global influences after having returned to Pune in her retirement years and adopted a conservative way of thought. He draws her life on a trajectory from a global position to a more provincial point in Pune and he goes into detail about her life after retirement. He maps her career and journey till she wound up her practice in 1995. Moving on to a dear friend and contemporary of Hema Sankalia, he talks about the projects that Ar. Kirit Vora landed during the post-liberalization phase in India. In response to a question on her feminist standpoint, he notes how she couldn’t fully intellectualize the feminist movement but simply wanted to convey that a woman must negotiate the male-dominated space. Whereas he notes how she continued to employ, inspire and empower women in her daily practice, but that she also did so with her male counterparts. He remarks how it is impossible to compare her practice with her male contemporaries such as Charles Correa due to the stark difference in the support structures that were available to either gender. 
On mapping timelines, he notes how there was a complete shift in terms of availability of capital and resources from the 70s-80s to the 90s-early 2000s, and remarks how it was the skill and implementation that mattered more than the technology. He mentions the Bhakle House which is superior to many of its time and even compared to projects of today regardless of the technology available. Concluding on how she was lucky to have contacts that led her to many significant projects and her dynamics with government projects she took on, he talks about her wide reach while he compares it to the reach and access to projects practitioners have today.