Principal Architect, Somaya & Kalappa Consultants
Brinda Somaya is an architect and urban conservationist.
Upon completion of her Bachelor of Architecture from Mumbai University and her Master of Arts from Smith College in Northampton, MA, U.S.A, she started her firm Somaya and Kalappa Consultants (SNK) in 1978 in Mumbai, India.
In May 2012 she was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from her alma mater, Smith College.
In 2014 she was awarded the Indian Institute of Architects – Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement and was also nominated for the arcVision Prize.
In 2016 she was appointed as the Chairperson of the Boardof Governors, School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada –an Institute of National Importance.
In 2017 she joined the Board of the Lafargeholcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, Zurich, Switzerland.
Presently she is the A.D.White Professor-at-large at Cornell University, U.S.A.
Over four decades she has merged architecture, conservation and social equity in projects ranging from institutional campuses and rehabilitation of an earthquake-torn village to the restoration of an 18th century Cathedral.
Master-planning and building design of multiple corporate and educational campuses has become one of her areas of expertise.
Some of these award-winning campuses include Tata Consultancy Services, Banyan Park, Mumbai; Nalanda International School, Vadodara; and Zensar Technologies, Pune.
She has won numerous international and national awards.
SNK has recently won the “UNESCO Asia -Pacific award of Distinction for Cultural Heritage Conservation”, for the `Restoration and Upgradation ofthe historic Louis Kahn Buildings of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
With MAPIN Publishing and the HECAR Foundation she brought out a book “Brinda Somaya –Works & Continuities” covering her practice.
