The DECADE that DEFINED the Praxis RETROSPECTIVE - The last decade @ Collaborative Architecture
Mujib Ahmed
Co-founder and Principal Architect COLLABORATIVE ARCHITECTURE | Co-Founder & Director COLLABORATIVE ARCHITECTURE SA
Retrospectives are as challenging as they are fun, since they look, critically at the trajectory, the studio has traversed in the last decade.
As a practice, we could consolidate on the formative year's, 'belligerent experimentation', we infused into the architectural discourse of the subcontinent and transposed them in the last decade onto larger projects and varied programs. While we are extremely proud of the key moments and milestones achieved in the duration, some of our best efforts are in the realm of un-built and competitions. One of the main focuses of the studio shall be to address this gap and have many of the innovative projects realized in the next decade.
We have been fortunate to associate with many discerning clients and organizations in the past decade. Without these investments of good faith and engaging collaborations, our journey in the past decade would have been much less exciting and meaningful. So we take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to all our patron clients and collaborators, for their incredible association and trust invested with Collaborative Architecture while appreciating our unique work-culture & process in delivering highly innovative projects.
Team Collaborative has been the common denominator in our audacious journey, we also take this an occasion to thank our present and past team members for their incredible commitment and contribution.
The following are some of the key highlights and projects during the last decade
AWARDS
Collaborative got two first round nominations for Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the last decade. WRAP-3 in 2010 & STACKED TECTONICS- JDT Islam Primary School in 2012 respectively. In 2011, The Conceptual sketch of Warp-3 was exhibited by Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico in collaboration with d3, curated by Tadao Ando. WRAP-5x- the installation using bamboo derivatives got a special mention in the INBAR international competition for innovations in Bamboo architecture in 2011. Same year, WEDGE-1, a prototype retail format for a home grown lifestyle brand, Stanley Lifestyles, Bangalore was chosen as the finalist in the FX International Interior Award.
The studios's highly innovative retail interfaces made Archetype to list Collaborative as one of the 16 most Innovative Retail Designers Internationally in 2011. The studio also won the IIID - Institute of Indian Interior Designers National Award for the 6th time in the same year.
In 2012, STACKED TECTONICS- JDT Islam Primary Shcool was finished for an Orphanage in a Rural Village, in South India. The project secured Honorable Mention in the international competition by SEED Award. The project also got a host of other national awards including NDTV-Grohe, for Socially Responsible Architecture. Collaborative also got awarded a 1st prize for WEDGE-1 and a 2nd Prize for INVERTED TOPOGRAPHY- Mezban in AI- Architecture Israel, international competition by the jury, chaired by Moshe Shafdi.
In the same year, INVERTED TOPOGRAPHY- Mezban, also got shortlisted as a finalist in Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, Society for British Interior Designer -SBDI International Award. The first of the IES-Illumination Engineering Society Award, was secured by Mezban- INVERTED TOPOGRAPHY in the Section Award category; one of the three IES awards, the studio has won so far.
2015, brought in two more IES awards for BGRT- Reflected Topography; a Section as well as a Merit award for the innovative lighting design. REFLECTED TOPOGRAPHY also won the 1st Prize in Best Office Moscow-2016 and IDA - International Design Award, Finalist in 2015.
Collaborative Architecture along with the collaborating partner J.Mayer.H, Berlin, also got selected as the finalists in BCDA Iconic Tower, Manila, Philippines. Collaborative also got shortlisted in a 2 stage International competition for Israeli Lounge at Kennedy Centre, Washington DC in 2018.
The studio’s works have been featured in The State of Architecture Exhibition and conference 2016 in Mumbai, India as one of the most significant works of post-independence era in India
2018, the studio collaborated with Henning Larsen Architects Denmark in the Second Stage of Musi River Revitalization, Telengana, Hyderabad.
In 2020, the Studio got Shortlisted – 2 Stage international Competition for Bus Shelter - iStop Jiaxing, Hangzhou, China
SELECTED KEY PROJECTS
WEDGE-1 | Mumbai | India
The project is a prototype for a new retail interface for a well-known, home grown lifestyle brand in the country. The design focused on 'experiential retail' as its central idea
STACKED TECTONICS | JDT PRIMARY SCHOOL | KERALA | INDIA
The projects explored new possibilities of educational spaces to generate more interaction among student community and faculty, emphasizing on ‘no-regimented’ spaces- a complete antithesis of the generally adopted rectilinear block design. The new buildings meant to redraw the quality of campus in a significant way and act as a 'catalyst' for the campus to upgrade itself to a better quality architecture in the future
MEZBAN- INVERTED TOPOGRAPHY | Calicut | India
Mezban is intact, even after 9 years and continues to be a destination dining owing to its ambiance and uniquely curated cuisine. 'topography series' takes one element in the space and turn it as a 'space definer'. In this case, these are the lights, which are extruded out of the ceiling, creating a dynamic topography.
REFLECTED TOPOGRAPHY- BGRT | BANGALORE | INDIA
The project was a real challenge, both to the clients and to the studio, owing to its extreme level of customization and not so generous budget. Designed as a central lobby & meeting place, for a cluster of R&D facilities to foster collaboration and high-end innovation, the project continues to deliver its underpinning brief.
we added one more innovative public lobby next to BGRT, for NETMAGIC by the same group of developers, Beary's Group, based in Bangalore.
SELECTED KEY INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS & SHORTLISTS
Competitions have been one of the areas, the studio invested heavily in the last decade to test the bar and studio's capability in dealing highly complex urban contexts and specialized programmatic briefs, which generally are non existent in private commissions.
Competitions also helped Collaborative Architecture to forge incredible collaborations across the globe with some of the leading international studios and leading consultants. Collaborative Architecture and J.Mayer.H & Partners, Berlin, formally announced their collaboration on selected projects in 2015.
In 2017, Collaborative got shortlisted in an International 2- stage competition for Indian National Military Museum, New Delhi. Later that year, the studio teamed up J.Mayer.H & Partners, Berlin, which made both firms to get shortlisted in another highly prestigious, 2-stage international competition for BCDA, Iconic Tower in Manila Philippines.
Another notable entry was for the 2-stage, International competition for Kennedy Center-Israeli Lounge, Washington DC, USA. The studio was one of the 5 finalists who reached the final stage of this highly unusual program in an iconic building and context.
Henning Larsen Architects teamed up with the studio in 2018 for the second stage of Musi River, revitalization project in Hyderabad. The project stretched 57 km and have a budget of 3,000 Core; the results are awaited.
INDIAN NATIONAL MILITARY MUSEUM | NEW DELHI INDIA | FINALIST
BCDA ICONIC TOWER | MANILA PHILIPPINES | Collaborating Partner- J.Mayer.H & Partners | Berlin | FINALIST
ICONIC MOSQUE | DUBAI
SANDY HOOK MEMORIAL | CONNECTICUT | USA
THE SOUK | DUBAI | SELECTED - Un-Built
Please write to us if you want to know more about the projects and the process @ Collaborative Architecture