Sujatha Shankar

Sujatha Shankar begins the conversation by going into detail about her family’s roots, coming from a Maharashtrian background to settle in Madras Presidency, and her birth in 1960. She mentions how at the time her parents were living in Shimla, and then goes on to talk about her childhood, including how she gained a good knowledge of Malayalam, English, Tamil, her schooling, a passion for the crafts, and several other details about her school life. She goes on to share many fond memories and anecdotes from her time growing up in Chennai, and also mentions her interest and passion for the Sanskrit language, which she has sustained till now. Gradually, she comes to the point of discussing her choice of higher studies, how she came to choose architecture as something she wanted to pursue, although she initially took admission in a mathematics course which she recalls was another subject of interest in her household while growing up. She elaborates on the admission criteria for the architecture course, and her life after getting into the programme. She also digresses towards a discussion of when caste consciousness seeped into education systems and how it impacted her and her family’s life. She further talks about the engagements she had in college, course curriculums and activities, and shares the memories she cherishes till date. She also goes into the history of the School of Architecture and Planning in Chennai, stories about its students and faculty, and concludes with remarks on her years in college and education in general.

Recalling the time she spent at college, Sujatha mentions how the best time of college was the experiences she gained while travelling, learning, and growing with her peers. She goes into detail about memorable experiences like taking a trip together to Calcutta, sketching sessions, engaging with local architects, and witnessing the grandeur of buildings like the Victoria Memorial Hall, as well as the visit to Delhi, Chandigarh, etc. She lists out the many attractions she saw in all these cities, shares anecdotes about spending time with her peers and faculty members, and talks about unique memories from visiting each place. She notes how impressed they were with Charles Correa’s work, and describes the insights and philosophical responses she has felt about those travels over the years. She then goes into detail about visiting South Indian temples and other places of worship and the response it demands in terms of its space, built, and energy. She compares the journey of discovering the layers within the architecture of such places, to the journey of discovering layers within oneself. Talking about her thesis, she mentions how she picked the National Institute of Sports for her thesis topic, given her engagements and passion for sports, and then describes the details of the project.  

She begins the session with a quick recap and some more additional details about her thesis project, for which she travelled to Patiala. She remarks on how she was impressed by the accommodation provided to her, since the institute site used to be a palace before. She also mentions how she engaged with several people concerning the project, went to the German Consulate and Russian Cultural Centre for her research, and how it was a great learning experience. She notes the difference in research methods that her generation was exposed to, as compared to now. Moving on, she talks about how she got married and immediately afterwards she left for her master’s studies at the University of Minnesota. Interestingly, she remarks how one of the reasons she chose Minnesota for her studies was to experience all four seasons in full bloom, and goes on to recount that time vividly. She then goes into detail about her master’s programme, studying subjects like urban and landscape design, and comments on the different learning and teaching cultures and methods. She also talks about the different projects she worked on while she was there, as part of her curriculum, and talks about her continued association with the faculty there. On the topic of documenting her own work, she mentions collating her work and experiences with photography. She also talks briefly about her own approach while working, and concludes by talking about the projects she likes to do.

As soon as she finished her postgraduate degree, Sujatha mentions that she was required to come back, due to her marriage as well. Regardless, while in the US, she got the opportunity to work with two firms during the vacation period, and she also volunteered at an American Institute of Architects’ Conference, which was a great learning experience. After her return, she joined CRN Architects which is one of the leading architecture firms in the country, where she worked for four years on many large-scale projects and spearheaded several competitions. She describes the various aspects of her job, consulting with people from different areas of construction and building work, and talks about specific projects in detail. In 1988, she set up her own practice with a friend, and she describes the experience in detail. She also recalls several unique travel experiences she had given her work, including going on safaris, boat rides, and working with village communities. 
She then goes into further detail about her design approach while taking up projects and explains how she visualises a space with lots of natural light, etc. She also mentions how she managed her work while raising her child and comments on the challenges that all working mothers must face. On the topic of her past interests, she talks about the role music has played in her life, her passion for it, and the general culture around music in Madras. She shares similar interests for the arts and crafts and then goes on to explain how these passions tie into her practice and understanding of architecture, rhythm, symmetry, structures, and more. She also mentions her foray into filmmaking, recalls the creation of her first documentary film, and her journey as a filmmaker from that point on.    

Sujatha Shankar begins the session with talking about the various roles she has held in her profession till date and recounts her experience of collating a slide library from library resources, educating people about the cityscapes of Indian states, and then taking up documentary filmmaking. She mentions working on an article that put together information about the leading architecture firms of Madras which she notes went on to gain great significance in the field, and she goes on to detail the experience and her approach while putting the article together. She then talks about her association with INTACH, giving talks and workshops at various colleges and institutions on the history and architecture of Madras, etc. She further mentions that in 2021, she launched a book that she co-authored with artist Manohar Devdas, and then goes into brief detail about how she became associated with INTACH, conservation and shares her passion for heritage. She shares her comments on revisiting old places and reuniting with things of the past, which ignited a heritage passion and cultural appreciation for it within her. Recalling her efforts in this direction, she explains her experience of campaigning to save a prominent heritage site and the measures she took along with others to stop its demolition. This eventually led to her becoming the City’s Convener. On the roles and responsibilities she took on after this role, she lists out the various activities and programmes she has worked on since then. 

Coming to the topic of mapping her teaching career, Sujatha Shankar goes into discussion about the kind of teaching roles she has taken on over the years, her teaching approach and pedagogy, and how she engages with the subject and her students. Initially beginning with working on master’s programmes at SAP, she details the experience of how she came to set up foundational courses, and notes how she currently prefers working on thesis reviews and research areas with students. She shares the several insights she has gained from teaching younger generations, how she has seen the practice and subject evolve over time, and recounts learning experiences from these engagements. She also compares the resources available to students of the present time, to that of her own. On the topic of heritage, she notes how there is a revival for the cultural heritage appreciation of our own country against western perspectives of art and design, which she has observed in students as well. While discussing the topic of gender in architecture, she notes how she never felt the need to create a distinction between an architect and a woman architect, and shares further comments about her response to the role of a gendered approach within this profession. Simultaneously, she does mention the challenges of managing family and professional engagements side-by-side. She then goes on to talk about her associations with institutes like IIA and Council of Architecture (COA), and lists the ways in which she worked with them. She also shares her comments about the need for institutional efforts in dealing with gender parity issues within the field, and why she feels that the divide may lessen organically on its own. On the topic of how she became engaged with TV and radio shows, she describes her journey and associations. She concludes with a brief discussion about her book project and what went into its making. 

In the last session, Sujatha Shankar begins to talk about some of her milestone projects, throwing light on how they came to be relevant for her, and describing her design approach and work in detail. She talks about one such project which was a factory construction, for which she tried to keep the design extremely sustainable and earth-driven. She also talks about a distinct residence project with contemporary design requirements, a heritage watch showroom where she used a lot of traditional design elements, as well as interacting with architect B V Doshi, among other things. More recently, she worked on a Cancer Institute facility which she notes is a project close to her heart, and provides details about that experience. She shares minute details about all these projects, including the design and construction approach, use of different resources and material, and describes the relevance of many of the design elements. Responding to a question about what ties her entire design approach together, Sujatha notes how light, air, hues and being in touch with earth and nature dominates her work and helps bring each element together. She also mentions that she designed her office herself, and briefly described her government interactions, which mainly happened through INTACH. She concludes by listing any other project typologies that she could recall.  

The session begins in the middle of a discussion about a design approach Sujatha followed for a hotel project she worked on, how it came into being, and the intricate details that evolved out of the project. She notes how the ethos and perception of the brand was sustained while giving the structures and spaces a new and desirable look. She shares an interesting anecdote about how they created a unique artwork for the lobby with silk patchwork pieces and notes that the overall result of the work was highly satisfying. She further goes into detail about a beach house project she undertook and describes how the elements of that space came together. Reflecting on her projects, she shares her comments on the largely evolving architecture of Chennai, how it has changed over the years and how that has influenced her practice. On the topic of client relationships, how they have sustained and her approach, she notes how many clients have been repeated by now and it also becomes a generation thing. She also comments on how she managed client requests and requirements in her work. The conversation then veers off to discuss how the practice has changed and evolved, the choices available in the market today and how it affects decisions, and Sujatha shares her insights on the same. The session concludes with her talking about and mentioning names of prominent architects, firms, and academicians she engaged with and who have inspired her career and approach.