WFM Media had a wonderful opportunity to interact with the stalwart architect Prof. Christopher Charles Benninger. He spoke about his journey as an architect in India, a few turning points in his career, a few of his iconic creations, his take on sustainable practice in architecture today, his vision for future buildings and more. Here are the excerpts from his interview.
Could you tell us about your educational background, your architectural firm CCBA and your experiences?
I graduated from Harvard University with a Master’s degree in Architecture. From there, I went on to do a Masters in City Planning from MIT. In 1971, on the invitation of B.V. Doshi and a Fullbright Fellowship, I came to India to establish the School of Planning in Ahmedabad and since then have made this country my home. It has been my great fortune to come across luminaries who have inspired and motivated me throughout my life. They have played a crucial role in who I am today.
My home and studio, ‘India House’ is much more than just an architecture studio. It is a cultural hub that is supported by an extremely talented and experienced team. As an intellectual design house, we seek to bring out the poetry in the place, the lyricism in the built forms, and the vibrancy in the inhabitants’ lives. We endeavour to create environments, ambiences, and milieus that enrich our clients’ lives and make living a meaningful experience.
For the past five decades, we at CCBA Designs have produced over 300 projects across diverse typologies spanning institutional, residential, industrial, health care and master planning. We have been providing comprehensive architecture, urban design and master planning services with our human-centric designs overseas as well.
What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture and design?
My journey began with ‘The Natural House’, a book by Frank Llyod Wright, gifted to me by my aunt, on Christmas day in 1956. When I turned the last page, I knew I was destined to be an architect. I gained my first insight into the nature of my life’s meaning and search. After all these years, I am still reading it in my soul, discovering and searching for what inspired me on that Christmas day over seventy years ago!
What type of projects do you specialise in?
Initially, I started with small-scale residential and institutional projects like the Alliance Française in Ahmedabad and the Bhanuben Parekh House in Bhavnagar. Slowly, the scale of projects grew. Now our immense body of work ranges from master planning of international cities and new towns to housing developments and complexes, hotels, resorts, educational and institutional campuses, corporate headquarters and healthcare projects. We have designed campuses and buildings for over twenty universities including the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Azim Premji University in Bengaluru, the New Academic Block in CEPT University in Ahmedabad and Bajaj Institute of Technology among others.
We have also designed industrial spaces with the Forbes Marshall group, and a clinic for mentally challenged children. The Suzlon One Earth Global Corporate Headquarters has become globally known for its zero energy consumption. It is platinum LEED certified and has a Griha five-star green certification.
Presently, we are working on the National Capital Complex in Burundi, Central Africa and a Brain Research Centre in Shanghai, China. Our primary focus has always been on contextuality, sustainability and the human scale. Our designs yearn for timelessness.
Tell us about some turning points in your career.
I came to India in 1971 to establish the School of Planning at CEPT University in Ahmedabad. Back then I wasn’t even sure that the country would eventually become my home. The decision to work in Ahmedabad turned out to be a crucial one in my life as I got to meet and work with masters such as B.V. Doshi, Anant Raje and Hasmukh Patel among others. To be given the opportunity to contribute to a landscape with immense possibilities, filled me with a sense of purpose. I think my life has always been energised by the ‘search for the unknown’. Later on, I moved to Pune and co-founded the Centre for Development Studies and Activities (an institute of research and planning studies) in 1976.
I had a keen interest in low-cost housing early on in my career and even my thesis while studying at Harvard was on ‘self-help housing’ in Medellin in Columbia, South America. These early interests and studies helped me pave the way while constructing India’s first economically weaker section housing scheme by HUDCO at Jamnagar in 1972. 15,000 ‘site and services self-help housing units’ in Chennai was funded by the World Bank which was later adopted as the international model. My ten principles of intelligent urbanism were extensively used for our work in Bhutan. We designed the Royal Supreme Court and employed multiple planning strategies for the country, all of which exposed me to new learnings and new ways of living.
My focus has always been on the common man and ways to resolve his needs. It is in the quest for the same that I have dedicated my career to propelling the idea of sustainable architecture for the masses. And by sustainability, I mean through nature and not through rating systems.
What is your take on sustainable practice in architecture today? Put simply, sustainable design is sensitive design.
A sensitive design is one where the local context and the climate become the driving forces of your design. A campus cannot be a cluster of buildings on parcels of land. A building cannot just have a nice façade and an exciting section. Buildings must have ecosystems where nature thrives, and people are nurtured.
While the concepts of sustainability and green design have been around for a while, these terms are finally coming into the mainstream conversation. It is essential to not be carried away by sustainability ‘metrics’ or ‘standards’, but instead create spaces that are sensitive to the climate. We as architects need to focus on designing buildings that are pleasant to inhabit while at the same time are energy efficient. Sustainability must be created through design. The orientation of walls, roof coverage and openings must all address the sun, rain and winds. These are not issues of style or fancy, but facts of the environment. While designing the Suzlon One Earth Global Corporate Headquarters in Pune, we extensively employed non-toxic and recycled materials. Water, energy, air, sewerage and trash are all sustainably managed on-site. Another project of ours at the YMCA, Pune is a burrowed structure within the natural hill slopes so that the internal areas are insulated from the harsh summer heat. Sustainability is not just a trend but a way of life!
Please brief on the things to consider while designing the most sustainable façades and fenestrations, and their designs.
I believe contextuality to be the most important factor while designing. The materials you select, need to be contextually sensitive. This is paramount as it will naturally minimise heat gain in hot climates and heat loss in cooler climates. Using shading devices such as louvres, and high-performance glazing to reduce solar heat gain while maximising natural light are some of the methods we use.
Our project, Kochi Refineries Headquarters in Kochi adopts a strategic fenestration design in the form of louvres. The structure was built back in 2002 and was designed around the concept of energy efficiency. The building is a glass cylinder, set inside a shading jaali tube which helped in cutting down heat while illuminating the interiors and saving energy! I believe designing sustainable façades and fenestrations requires a holistic approach that integrates advanced materials, climate-responsive design, and energy-efficient technologies.
Tell us about some of your challenging projects with respect to façade design and installation.
One of my most challenging projects in terms of façade design and installation has been the Samundra Maritime Institute in Lonavala. This project sets the benchmark in the realm of ecologically conscious architecture. We have used façades in the form of energy walls that are composed of a matrix of transparent and opaque photovoltaic cells. The wavy wall of the administration building has a photovoltaic façade that generates thirty kilowatts of electricity! This energy wall is employed in the other buildings on the campus as well. They allow for the natural light to filter into the interiors while blocking the heat, mimicking traditional Indian ‘jaalis’. This unique design element integrates sustainable technology into the overall aesthetics of the campus. Another significant project was the Suzlon One Earth Global Corporate Headquarters campus in Pune, where we focused on creating a net-zero energy building. Here, high-performance glazing and strategic shading devices were employed to reduce cooling loads significantly.
Please throw some light on a few of your milestone projects.
Integration with the environment and using architecture as a social tool, a tool for change, has been a design theme in all our work. I would like to start with a very special project, ‘The Mahindra United World College of India’. Here the spatial planning adopted the Ten Principles of Intelligent Urbanism and integrated the built and natural landscape. The design encourages interaction and communal living and uses shading devices and deep overhangs to reduce solar gain. Our work in Bhutan required us to have a deep respect and understanding of the local cultural and environmental context. We ensured that our designs were culturally sensitive and environmentally sustainable. Hence we derived a design that celebrated local traditions and paid tribute to Bhutan’s heritage.
With the ‘Suzlon One Earth Global Corporate Headquarters’ in Pune, we aimed to create work environments that reduced energy consumption and utilised renewable energy sources. The campus harnesses wind, solar, and hybrid energy systems. It also includes water recycling, natural lighting, and green roofing, creating a holistic and health-promoting environment for employees. The façade featured high-performance glazing and photovoltaic panels integrated into the building envelope to generate renewable energy. We also incorporated green walls and other shading devices to enhance energy efficiency and indoor comfort.
As a renowned institution builder, could you tell us about your upcoming project in Bengaluru, Azim Premji University?
The project is located on the outskirts of Bengaluru and is designed for the Azim Premji Foundation. The design sets out to redefine the educational landscape of the country and is an integral component of a national strategy for improving education in India. To realize this vision several design principles were integrated, resulting in a holistic built environment that reinforces educational excellence reflected through its architecture.
The planning is spread across an 89-acre site with modules ranging from academic and residential buildings, lecture halls, laboratories, a welcome centre, a library and pockets of recreational spaces. The planning of the campus adopts a mix of linear and organic compositions. Its spatial layout will house a footfall of 20,000 students of which 16,000 will be residential students along with their teaching, research and supporting staff. A hierarchy of social spaces facilitates various kinds of idea exchanges, from one-on-one discussions to group debates, lectures and drama. This helps foster informal learning spaces that complement and amplify the formal spaces. The campus also houses the world’s tallest 40-storey student hostel building.
What is the future of Indian Architecture?
The future of Indian Architecture will find its roots in more inclusive, more efficient & democratic urban structures, centred on pedestrianising urban systems, integrating strolling spaces and pedestrian corridors into the nodes of mass transit arteries, functional water supply, storm drainage, energy sharing, sewerage management and solid waste management, while celebrating nature, integrated within these new forms of urban fabric.
Architecture will be more closely linked to planning natural ecosystems, bio-sensitive parks and water bodies, where it will find its roots. Building fabrics will grow out of these organic living systems, rather than sustainability being an “add on” or a new less toxic set of specifications. Instead of star architects, we will have true professionals who work for communities.
What is your advice to young and upcoming architects?
Well, I have written a book on it, Letters to a Young Architect! The greatest gift we can give a student is the knowledge that they will always be students. To always be a student of life, in search of good teachers and to walk starry-eyed under the continuous spell of curiosity.
Case Study – 1
The Symbolic Endeavour
New academic block, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Located adjacent to the School of Architecture, the new block is designed to reinforce the cultural continuity of the existing campus’ architectural language and consists of rectangular juxtaposed volumes containing three components:
- The Foundation Center
- The Lecture Hall
- The Kund
The new block fosters a sense of physical and visual connectivity with the iconic grass hillock and School of Architecture next door. The Foundation Centre and the Lecture Hall are perched in an L-shaped layout on the site and envelope the Kund that ties the two together by harbouring a new activity hub for the campus.
The foundation center
The Foundation Center is a double-storey structure that continues the play of open-plan layouts of the existing campus. Designed to house six studios and six classrooms that accommodate around 300 students, the design follows the celebrated material palette of exposed bricks and concrete, synonymous with the identity of the campus and the architectural language of modern Ahmedabad. Two staircases at either end of the structure lead to the Foundation Studios upstairs. They are set deep inside the volumes to tackle the harsh Ahmedabad heat and open up to balconies that frame the façade of the building.
The spatial functionality of the studios adopts a similar open layout borrowed from its sister building, the School of Architecture by B. V. Doshi. Reflecting the traditional architectural heritage of the city, exposed concrete jack arches are incorporated and flanked by skylights on either side to improve the natural lighting. Frosted glass flooring is used in the passageways to increase light filtration through the volumes.
The lecture hall: An auditorium
The Lecture Hall is a single-storey structure with a capacity to accommodate 450 students. Its warm interiors are further heightened by its wooden furnishings which were conceptualised and designed by Ismet Khambatta’s, ‘The Design Workshop’. The use of coloured glass for its boxy openings creates a colourful chiaroscuro effect in the backdrop.
The kund: A hub for activities
The Kund is an open-air amphitheatre and student activity centre. It takes on a dual role of function through careful space planning by primarily functioning as a gathering space for students year-round while quietly transforming into a rain-water pit during heavy monsoon, mimicking traditional Amdavadi step wells. The water from the whole campus is drained here and is used for ground-water recharge later, thus making the design intervention adapt to the seasonal changes of the city.
The murals: An artistic expression
For Prof. Benninger, murals play a very important role. The new academic block features a large number of murals cast in situ on its concrete ceilings. These act as personalised notes given by the architect himself to the young students, to foster an ever-growing curiosity to learn and observe from one’s surroundings. Some of them include Le Corbusier’s famous ‘Modulor Man’, and Benninger’s own ‘Principles of Intelligent Urbanism’. The Modulor Man is a human figure synthesising a universal system of proportions, while the Principles of Intelligent Urbanism is a theory composed of a set of ten axioms intended to guide the formulation of city plans and urban designs.
The building borrows materiality, scope, and expression from the site and builds upon the environs to create a masterpiece that would not only blend with the fabric but complement the aesthetic and legacy of the campus.
Quick Facts:
- Project: New Academic Block, CEPT University
- Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
- Client: CEPT University
- Principal architect: Prof. Christopher Benninger
- Architecture team: Ar. Shivaji Karekar, Ar. Neeraj Nijampurkar, Ar. Daraius Choksi
- Mentors: Rahul Sathe and Ramprasad Akkisetti
- Structural design: N. K. Shah Consulting Engineers LLP.
- Built-up area: 5,000 Square Meters
- Completion date: 2022
- Text credits: Venessa Thomas
- Photos: Ashish Bhonde and Ramprasad Akkisetti
Case Study – 2
Forbes Marshall Corporate Headquarters
Kasarwadi, Pune, Maharashtra
The Forbes Marshall factory in Kasarwadi has seen haphazard incremental growth since the late 50’s. Reacting to the changing needs, the facility had added four new built zones to the initial structure over the years. This resulted in a collaged building with varying spans, heights, and construction materials: with RCC columns and sheet metal roofs in some parts and load-bearing walls and concrete slabs in others.
In 2021, the client approached with a vision to convert this building into a modern corporate hub housing 300 employees. However, the primary constraint was to retain the existing structure. Thus, the task was to unify the cluttered built fabric into a singular design language, driven by a commitment to sustainability and functionality. This is almost like open heart surgery, to run the facility, transform, shift and reappropriate without stopping the production line. Advanced technological methods such as carbon wrapping were used on the existing columns to retain parts of the original structure while fortifying it for future demands. Through meticulous reinforcement techniques such as steel jacketing and bracket installations, structural integrity was bolstered, ensuring longevity & safety for occupants.
The design ethos favoured simplicity, with a predominantly white palette. Strategic material choices, sourced locally and devoid of extravagance, contributed to the project’s fiscal prudence without compromising quality or functionality, creating truly timeless architecture.
Special features
This building strategically uses adaptive reuse methods. By thoroughly studying, the adopted design retained the skeleton of the structure by further strengthening it with advanced technology. Passive sustainability measures, including radiant cooling technology integrated into the flooring system, significantly reduced reliance on traditional air conditioning, enhancing user comfort and cost-effectiveness. Strategic material choices, locally sourced and devoid of extravagance, ensured fiscal prudence without compromising quality. Furthermore, white louvres were used to unify the façade.
Quick Facts:
- Project: Forbes Marshall Corporate Headquarters
- Location: Kasarwadi, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Client: Forbes Marshall
- Design Team: Ar. Daraius Choksi, Ar. Yogesh Jatkar, Ar. Tarun Kumar Varma and Ar. Siddha Regilla.
- Mentors: Rahul Sathe and Ramprasad Akkisetti
- Site Execution: Forbes Marshall
- Built-Up Area: 6,000 Square Meters
- Completion date: 2021- 2023
- Photos: Ramprasad Akkisetti
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