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Code: WH_OH_002_AUD_S1(C2)

Government service - its challenges and learnings

Summary:

Renu Saigal delves into the general process of working on a project in a government office. She talks about the various tasks, multi-departmental collaborations, and budgeting that go into a project. She also covers the pace of project development and execution, and the various factors involved.  Recalling the many events and programs she was involved with during her tenure, she talks about working on an exhibition on the architectural works of Chandigarh’s planning department in 2003. She mentions a few negotiations she had to maneuver while working in Chandigarh and the liberties and limitations while working in Haryana. On being deputed to work specifically on Haryana Tourism’s projects for 2-3 years, she describes the degree of shift in work and her changed focus on interiors during the period. Furthermore, she describes working on a UNESCO world heritage site in its initial stages and draws a list of more important designs she worked on in other cities. She explains her experience with working on site as a woman architect and the due processes she followed. Moving onto the era of designing with the help of computers, she describes the general impact she witnessed and experienced. On the social aspects of her life, she describes balancing her personal and professional life while in Chandigarh.  Talking about her tenure as the Chief Architect of Chandigarh, she remarks on battling the pressures that came with it, yet enjoying being preoccupied with its responsibilities and the authority that followed. She talks about the ease with which she managed her team, labeling her process as a democratic one and how she carried her particular leadership style forward.

Practitioner:

Renu Saigal

Interviewee:

Renu Saigal

Interviewer:

Ishita Shah

Duration:

00.40.17

Mode:

Online

Date:

20/09/2021

Language:
English

Years:
1970-1979, 2000-2009
Highlights:
(00:00:38:24) The life of an architecture process in government offices , (00:05:08:24) Exhibition for 50 years of Chandigarh , (00:12:20:45) Working in Haryana Tourism with a tourist's approach to architecture , (00:16:55:30) Significant projects in my career that stand out, (00:22:18:30) Experiences working as a woman architect, (00:32:12:02) First woman architect in Chandigarh , (00:33:34:20) Personal value system as Chief Architect