Shirish Beri & Associates

Profile of Shirish Beri & Associates

Business Name

Shirish Beri & Associates

Location

India

Services

Architecture

Website

http://www.shirishberi.net

Principal(s)

Ar. Shirish Beri (born 1950)

• Graduated from the Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology (CEPT), Ahemdabad, India in 1974

Philosophy

For me, it is difficult to imagine any activity as unrelated or cut off from the totality of life. Architecture too, in its greater vision, is life itself thereby communicating, responding and belonging to the fascinatingly interrelated web of life. Thus, any serious architect's approach to his architectural design would evolve from his understanding of life. To me, the outer manifestations in space are reflections of the quality of our inner space and vice versa. It is our duty as architects to redefine and expand upon the brief given by the client so as to give him much more besides satisfying the functional requirements in terms of the design's environmental relevance, quality of space and JOY. In today's technocratic consumeristic, urban life style, I feel concerned about various issues that are making our lives as human beings poorer. Could I design spaces that would, in whatever small way, contribute their share in responding to these concerns in a positive manner?

+ Can my designs reflect an inherent sense of unity and harmony with various natural and man made elements and forces?

+ Can my architecture act as a catalyst in bringing man closer to Nature?

+ Can we design humane spaces that encourage interaction between people?

+ Could commercialisation in architecture be reduced by shifting the emphasis from saleability to sanctity, from glossy wrappings to inner content, from superimposed architectural gimmicks to function and climate related forms, from overindulgence to restraint? Can value based architecture act as an agent of social change?

+ Can our designs be modern and still keep continuity with tradition, history and social cultural values?

+ Can our designs be geared towards sustainability?

+ Can we not ask the site what kind of building it would like to have?

+ Can our designs include this immeasurable dimension of the "human spirit" that will rejuvenate us and integrate us with the wholeness of life.

Architecture as a shaper of space (Space as an important attribute of our lives) has been explored by me in various ways - as a symbolic metaphor, an agent of socio cultural change, as an interpreter of Life's values, as an expression and barometer of human aspiration and sensitivity, as a relevant, functioning organism within the great interconnected environmental totality.

Background

• Founded: 2002
• Offices: 2
• Design team: 30

Key projects

• Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College of Engineering & Technology, Dharwad, India, 1982 - 1986, Educational institute
• Primary Living & Learning cluster, dining, art centre & housing, Panchgani, India, 1995 - 1996, Educational
• V.I.P Guest House, Pune, India, 2001 - 2002, Residential
• SDM Institute of Management Development, Mysore, India, 2003 - 2005, Educational institute
• Sapre Residence, Kolhapur, India, 2003 - 2004, Bungalow
• Dr. D. Y. Patil Hospital, Navi Mumbai, India, 2002 - 2004, 500 bedded teaching hospital
• Farm house, Dist - Sindhudurg, India, 19981 - 1982, Residence
• Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Hyderabad, India, 2003 - 2005, Research institute
• National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, India, 1993 - 1995, Research institute
• Engineering College building and workshop, Kolhapur, India, 1989 - 1991, Educational

Key publications

• An Extended Landscape, Architecture + Design (A + D) Sept - Oct, 1986
• Institutions, Architecture + Design (A + D) May - Jun, 1990
• Retrospective, Architecture + Design (A + D) Jan - Feb, 1994
• Hotels, Architecture + Design (A + D) Jul - Aug, 1996
• The Spiritual Happening, Architecture + Design (A + D) Nov - Dec, 1997
• Institutional, Architecture + Design (A + D) Sept - Oct, 2001
• Art as a Metaphor in Architecture, Architecture + Design (A + D) Dec, 2004
• Romancing the stones, Architecture + Design (A + D) Oct, 2006
• Healthcare planning, Architecture + Design (A + D) Dec, 2006
• Profile - Architecture, a celebration of life, Architecture + Design (A + D) Mar, 2007
• Inviting Dialogue, Indian Architect & Builder (IA & B) Jan, 1989
• Nesting in Nature, Indian Architect & Builder (IA & B) Jun, 1994
• Laurels from Nippon, Indian Architect & Builder (IA & B) Oct, 1997
• Nature Driven, Indian Architect & Builder (IA & B) Mar, 1999
• Unbuilt India, Indian Architect & Builder (IA & B) Apr, 2001
• A Tryst with Nature, Indian Architect & Builder (IA & B) Aug, 2001
• Acts in Nature, Indian Architect & Builder (IA & B) Nov, 2006
• The inside outside man, Inside Outside (I.O) Oct - Nov, 1980
• Going against the norm, Inside Outside (I.O) Nov, 1994
• Living by the seashore, Inside Outside (I.O) Aug, 1996
• The spiritual happening, Inside Outside (I.O) Sept, 1997
• Sculptural forms, Inside Outside (I.O) Oct, 2006
• In quest for spiritual comfort mental relaxation, J.I.I.A Sept - Oct,97
• Spirituality & contemporary space, J.I.I.A May, 2000
• Architecture without architects, J.I.I.A Jan, 2006
• Understanding space, J.I.I.A Apr, 2006
• Landscape & Architecture, J.I.I.A Sept, 2006
• Creative cavern Better Interiors Nov, 2006
• Architecture Contemporaine World Architecture by Mr. Anthony Craft, Romandes - Lausanne Switzerland. (One of the two Indian Architects  featured here) - 1990 91
• After the Masters Contemporary Indian Architecture by Mr. Vkram Bhat & Peter Scriver - Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Ahmedabad - 1990
• Modern Architecture in India Post Independence Perspective by Mr. Sarbjit, Surinder & Yashinder Bahaga Galgotia Publishing Co., New Delhi - 1993
• 581 Architects in the World (He is one of the six Indian Architects featured) TOTO Ltd. Tokyo Japan - 1995
• New Indian Homes Saakar Foundation Publishers Galgotia Publishing Co., New Delhi - 1996

Key awards

• 2007, International jury award for his film "The Unfolding White" at the Ekotop International Film Festival for Sustainable development films, Slovakia
• 2006, Hindware Archi Design, The Architect of the year award
• 2006, Cityscape Architectural Review international awards - in the 1st three places - community building category
• 2006, A+D & Spectrum Foundation Architecture Award - Institutional Architecture Award
• 2002, Shilp Gaurav Puraskar, Kolhapur
• 1996, Honorable Mention, 8th International Design Competition, Japan.
• 1995, The J.K Architect of the Year - Commendation Award