Designs on the man

Bobby Mukherjee, the not-quite-expatriate Indian is back home now, busy with other projects that the partnership will tackle in India. Among these are the remodelling of Bollywood8217;s favourite watering hole, Shatranj Napoli on Pali Hill.

The decision to embark on a cross cultural practice benefited both the partners. Says William Leeds, quot;It benefits us in the way of broadening our horizons. Bobby brings into the practice a new perspective on architecture and new aspects of planning.quot;

Onto less abstract notions: the partnership was formulated after Bobby had worked in the New York office as an architectural trainee for some time. Much of his work still shows the influence of the early days. He strongly believes in the honest expression of materials and craftsmanship, and abhors fake finishes. In New York, he worked on an award-winning project: Spruce Restaurant, which was declared the Best New Restaurant of the Year. Other interesting projects include the critically acclaimed Oxford Medical Centre an inner-city healthcare facility.When Bobby returned to Mumbai, he decided to be the Indian arm of the enterprise. The idea was a success, as most clients are wont to be impressed by the foreign collaboration.

Using e-mail and the Internet, drawings and details developed in New York are implemented here almost instantaneously after being received. It also eliminates the need for manual drafting of drawings to scale, a time consuming segment of the design process.

The end result is an inspired effort. No restaurant in Mumbai can boast of the kind of fitments and fixtures that Shatranj has. Or materials of the brave new age, like satin-finished stainless steel, corroded metal, exposed copper and cast aluminum. And the client gets an international look at the local price. quot;While the basic planning, the designing of the custom-made furniture and fittings is done in New York; I am involved with the on-site execution of the design,quot; says Bobby. He faced a lot of resistance from his workforce initially. But his hands-on approach to site work convinced them finally that his designs were do-able. quot;It is no mean task training our local artisans to follow American drawings. Most of the time I have to supplement their precise drawings with lots of crude sketches to make the workers understand the kind of look we want to achieve,quot;he says.But like in all partnerships, this one too had its teething problems. Quite often, the overseas partner cannot understand local constraints. Most projects in India thrive on Murphy8217;s Law, If anything can go wrong, it will8217;.So the ensuing delays that Indian designers automatically adjust to, are blasphemy to the Western mind.

Still, Bobby is very optimistic about the future. He plans to tie up with a few more offices abroad and target international clients who are flocking to India. This alliance has the right proportion of contrasting and complementary hues to keep it alive, and well.