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Code: WH_OH_005(f)_AUD_S1(C2)

Critical projects & setting up practice with Vasant Kamath

Summary:

Jayanthi Subramaniam remembers the names of those professors that Revathi may have mentioned in conversations often. One thing she is certain of is that she had a stronger opinion of certain architects than her professors. Moving onto critical projects, she names the Kiragandur Sugar Cane Factory project and Shadipur Depot. She recalls watching a Phad painter at work in their house while these projects would normally be under development. Anandgram is one of the other momentous projects she dwells on. Revathi designed her first house pro-bono, while she was still in college followed by many projects, few of which have gone off the record. A project that has stood out is the Jindal Steel Project, which was a step away from using her standard line of material; another being the Bhopal Museum. 

On how she made her creative decisions independently and set up ‘Kamath Design Studio’, she mentions how she sought her husband’s collaboration at many points in her career while heading the studio. She goes into the changes she went through after graduating and having to manage the many facets of her life as a woman professional, which was never without a fight and significantly moulded her persona. Vasant became an antidote to her assertive personality in running the office many times. In how the firm grew with further collaborations with many hand-picked architects, she describes what led to the journey and what followed. Sunil Subramaniam, Jayanthi’s husband, describes a mural she created at the house over a whole wall and the unique perspectives she gave to her visual art. They note how her ideas and designs during her pioneering practice began getting stolen and Revathi’s observations of the events. Sunil shares what Revathi explained were her convictions in mud architecture, especially in Indian architecture, which she pioneered starting about 40 years ago. They pick examples from how Revathi’s house exemplifies the concept’s ideology.

Practitioner:

Revathi Kamath

Interviewee:

Jayanthi & Suneel

Interviewer:

Ishita Shah

Duration:

00.33.31

Mode:

Offline

Date:

15/09/2021

Language:
English

Highlights:
(00:11:00:20) Revathi Kamath's perspective towards perfection, (00:19:10:30) “She designed with her mind…”, (00:28:30:45) How Revathi’s design merged with its environment and nature