Treading light: Redesigning for Human Comfort in a Heritage Building.

The conundrum of Heritage Buildings is that it is important for their survival that people continue to use them; while that very use may, on the other hand, be detrimental to the building. The trick is in making the human tread a light one, literally. On the one extreme, without the habitation of people, Heritage Buildings become expensive relics or face the danger of dereliction; while on the other, the challenges of adapting Heritage Buildings to modern comforts, predominantly electrical and Air conditioning outfitting, are enormous. As with many things in life, it needs a fine balance.

Before Pictures of the Chief Justice Chamber, Madras High Court

This was a design project we were very proud to handle, for all the prestige buttons it ticked off. We had the good fortune to interact with the discerning CJ Ajit Shah, who incidentally went on to become a supreme court judge with landmark judgements on progressive issues.

Shah was on the verge of upgrading his chamber with bought-out modern style furniture (quelle horreur!); with only a gentle nudge he was forever converted to the cause of optimal conservation.



The project process was instrumental in the establishment of the Heritage Committee set up by Shah at Madras High Court, a body that carries on the ongoing task of caring for the beautiful High Court premises to this day.