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Anil Kajale, an architect, planner, and interior designer from Navi Mumbai has won ‘The Habitat Award for Apartment Planning’. The building that helped him gain this prestigious award is Hill View Cooperative Housing Society in Kharghar. The builder of Hill View CHS is Buildway Services, Andheri and built for the IDBI employees.

The man who won the award among contestants from all over India and its neighbouring countries like Bangladesh is surely proud of his achievement. He has completed his Bachelors of Architecture from J.J.College of Architecture. Completing his Graduation, he worked with the internationally renowned architect Charles Correa.

This was the 4th year of the a+d and Spectrum Foundation Architecture Awards and had a number of categories and a strong national jury panel. The different categories of awards are The Habitat Award for Single Residence, The Habitat Award for Apartment Planning, The Institutional Architecture Award, The Recreational Architecture Award and The innovative Interior Design Award. The award is given out every three years by inviting entries from all over India and neighbouring nations. The committee reviews these entries and the architectural buildings have to be innovative and smart enough to pass through the committee and win recognition. The award, which was given two months back in Delhi, was actually to be awarded in November 2004.

According to Kajale, “The apartments in Mumbai are dull and repetitive; they do not have anything creative in them. They are just flats with no moving space. Even if any buildings have duplexes they are on the top floor of the building. Also they are basically two flats on the top two floors which are connected by a staircase. There is no scope for creativity. Flats are easier to be made but we took the opportunity to experiment with buildings and do something different and creative.”

But what was so special about the Kharghar building? To this Anil replies, “The flats in the Kharghar building are duplexes and through sectional interlocking they enjoy double floor height with elevated gardens. The garden is set within dining and living room on the lower level with the bedrooms on the floor above overlook the gardens below. This actually looks very beautiful and the owner feels like he is living in a small bungalow. Specific colours, used for each elevated garden, give the houses an individual identity.”

These innovative experiments do not add on to the cost to be paid by the clients or customers. Anil says, “All these ideas do not add on to the cost. The client pays only for the space but there is no extra cost involved. We try to provide the clients with the best facilities at the least cost. The cost of the duplexes comes up to 12 or 13 lakhs. The rates are not high for a duplex.”

In Kharghar he has built houses for the PWD engineers that have found itself a page in Indian Architecture and Business magazine. The building is called NavAdarsh. He says, “These homes are for the middle class residents and generally they lack additional amenities like verandah, court yards, terrace gardens etc but the building in Kharghar has all these elements through sectional interlocking of double height volumes.” Another of his constructions includes housing for Sakal Newspaper in Navi Mumbai, “These limited budget projects enjoy a well planned space, natural light along with natural ventilation.”

This does not mean that he takes up only duplexes. He also works on single residential buildings. Anil believes in giving the residents enough moving space to enjoy his own privacy, facilities like elevated gardens for recreation and this he delivers with his innovative plans to the best of his capabilities.

After working with Charles Correa, he started his practice ten years ago. On his experience with Charles he says, “Charles is a kind of person who has taken art to great levels. He is very sincere in his work and one can learn a lot with him.”

What has the designer done in his own home? He laughs and says, “I haven’t done anything special in my home. I love colours and working with them. Before I plan on a building I think of the paints and colours. I have a splash of different colours at home. Nothing special but I have different type of colours on different walls at home.”

He is now working on a Homoepathic Training Institute for Chaitanya Vidyapeeth in Airoli. Though he hasn’t decided anything he plans to give the students enough space to maneuver with terraces on each floor. Space is surely his forte with which he plays.

Anil Kajale lives with his parents in Nerul and has his office in Vashi.


Anisha Ashokan