Nandini Somaya Sampat
Architect Nandini Somaya Sampat, as director of Mumbai based architectural practice SNK- Somaya & Kalappa Consultants, believes that we live in times where the architect must be responsible for a built landscape that cohesively represents the nation and its people. These must be inclusive in nature, representative of the rich culture and heritage of its people, appropriately use resources and local materials thereby becoming independent and modules of how architecture can evolve for the future. Nandini is of the opinion that architecture is no longer an isolated profession and that practitioners must become students of other verticals such as Ecology, Archaeology, Sociology, History and the Arts. As a student of a wider breath of knowledge she believes that architects are able to think innovatively by learning and adapting new methodologies and ways of thinking. Research based architecture is the foundation upon which Nandini has established a design process at SNK that allows for new techniques and ways of building. During her time at SNK she has completed projects for clients such as Bharat Bijlee, IIT- Bombay, Club Mahindra, TCS, Goa Institute of Management, Angadi Heritage, Mumbai University, Lodha Group and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. Most recently her studio has completed Bombay House- the global headquarters for the Tata Group and Bharat Bhawan II- the global headquarters for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Upon completion of her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Smith College, USA, Nandini qualified as a solicitor from the college of Law, London. After working in India as a corporate lawyer, she decided to pursue her passion for design and change professions. She completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Interior Design from the Inchbald School of Design, London and upon returning to Mumbai she joined SNK. Thereafter, she completed her Bachelor of Architecture from Rizvi College of Architecture.
Nandini had been on several competition and academic juries and panels. She has written for magazines and journals on architecture, interior design and the use of public spaces. Nandini was an integral part of the curation and organisation committee for the Women in Design 2020+ international conference held in Mumbai in January 2020. She is the award recipient of the IGEN (Innovation Generation) 50 award in June 2013, that felicitated the top 50 next generation architects and designers and in January 2020 was a TEDx speaker at SIU Lavale, Pune where she shared her narrative on the history and future of workplace design.