From the heart of the Housing Board Colony on the outskirts
of Margao, comes a man with a vision. His ability to chalk out plans has won
him recognition at a national level. Landscape architect, Rohit Andrade’s
recent endeavours have resulted in his designs being selected to be the vision
of Hyderabad’s new metro look.
Having completed his Bachelor of Architecture from Goa
University in 1999, Rohit went on to complete his Masters in Landscape
Architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi in the
year 2001, before finally being accepted as a Professional Affiliations Fellow
with the Indian Society of Landscape Architects. Yet, upon his return to Goa,
he found that opportunities were hard to come by in the place he called home.
“There isn’t much scope for the work that I do, back home. In fact, you can
count landscape architects on your fingertips. Which is why I am elated at
having succeeded in this area. At the time, I felt that by moving away, the
opportunities would increase.”
And increase they did. The city of Hyderabad decided to
embark on a green intervention, which was aimed at providing a rich green
fabric that would simultaneously remove pollutants from city roads, cool the
urban environment, reduce energy consumption and increase habitat diversity.
The city threw open the opportunity for individuals and concerns to come
forward and put forth their ideas on the project. 71 architects came forth with
the idea of submitting their ideas. Of these, a total of 35 entries were
received from across India, of which 14 were further shortlisted.
When the results were announced, it was local lad Andrade
who emerged victorious. The judges opted for his vision of the skywalk,
landscaping and other plans. The second place went to Oscar of Oscar and Ponni
Architects and third place went to Harish Vangara of Hyderabad. However, all
the award winning designs are likely to be implemented in various Metro
Corridor stretches.
Asked to critique what made his design stand apart from
others, Andrade says “I think that many designs were imaginative and
aesthetically developed. The eco-friendly nature saw a harmonious bond with
civil engineering, which is remarkable. However, that being said, I think that
where my design stood out was the incorporation of a human element and the
usage of sustainable resources. I have taken into account human needs, such as
proper crossing and signage. Furthermore, I have also looked at issues such as
harvesting of the water that is collected in terms
of rainfall.”
Clearly, with the kind of results he is yielding, Rohit
Andrade is definitely on the right track.
