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Prof. Prabhakar B. Bhagwat

Considered to be the Father of the Landscape Architecture profession in India, and the first qualified landscape architect in the country, Prof. Prabhakar B. Bhagwat started his journey at the age of 15, as an apprentice at the Empress Botanical Gardens, Pune - a 39 acre bio-diversity expanse located in the heart of the city. This was a result of the fact that his father - Bhalchandra V. Bhagwat developed the garden while serving its Superintendent←. As a result of growing up within this context - he developed an affinity towards Plant Material, and then - by extension Landscape Design.

He went on to become one of the foremost authorities for academia and practice in Landscape Design and affiliated areas in the country. The work that he undertook set the Foundation for, and the continued to guide the trajectory of the discipline for nearly 60 years.

EDUCATION AND ACADEMIA

It was around the early 1950’s that Prof. Bhagwat earned his undergraduate degree from the Poona Agricultural College, and then between 1940-1950, he went on to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts to study under C.Th Sørensen - who taught there. While, at the time, the Academy did not have a course focused on Landscape Design, Prof. Bhagwat was able to expand his knowledge on the world of Gardens.

He then became one of four students for the first, one-year post-graduate Landscape Design Program set up by Prof. Brian Hackett in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne←. Having completed the program, Prof. Bhagwat returned to India, and took over the role of Superintendent of the Empress Botanical Gardens in Pune.

In 1955 - after working for a few years in Mumbai, and teaching at the J.J College of Architecture - he moved to IIT Kharagpur. It was here that he earned a degree in Town Planning, and ultimately started the first Landscape Architecture program in the country.

With Prof. Bhagwat’s relocation to Ahmedabad, the program came to a conclusion.

Then, in 1964, with the city of Ahmedabad having recently become a Metropolis←, he became one of the early founding faculties of the National Institute of Design(NID). And then, for a short period of time, he went to Delhi to head the newly formed Post-Graduate Landscape Architecture programme at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA)←.

Once back in Ahmedabad, he was instrumental in establishing the Landscape Design program at the Centre for Environmental Planning Technology (CEPT) in 1992; a program he headed for nearly 20 years.

And then, in May 2003, with the aim of furthering discourse pertaining to the landscape Design Profession in the country he founded the Indian Society Of Landscape Architects(ISOLA). Today, with over 360 members from across the country, the organisation is at the forefront of creating global awareness about the profession, and enhancing professional excellence amongst its members.

Outside of his undertakings within the country, Prof. Bhagwat was also awarded a lifetime membership to the Landscape Institute, Britain←.

STUDIO & PRACTICE

As vocal as Prof. Bhagwat was about his commitment to academia within the Landscape Design profession, he was equally committed to its practice. In 1973, he founded M/s Prabhakar B. Bhagwat - a design studio in Ahmedabad.

The Studio will complete 50 years in 2023.

Between its offices in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, it is a team of approximately 50 individuals. The Studio is in the process of expanding its offices to Bengaluru.

While its initial years were focused on Landscape Design, in the past 5 decades since its establishment, it has set itself as a thought-leader in landscape design, and is also well-regarded for the work that it undertakes in areas of Architecture, Master Planning, and most recently - Interior Design.

The firm is now a 3rd generation studio with Aniket Bhagwat as its Principal. Not only does it undertake work across scale and typology - it does this through intense design processes, uncompromising ethics, and the desire to continuously redefine ideas pertaining to design; whether it be ideas of process, of pedagogy, or design philosophy and expression.

The work that the Studio undertakes continues to be guided by Research, and an understanding of context - whether geographical, historic, or social.

NOTABLE WORKS

Over the years, the studio - and the work that it undertakes - has continued to evolve in typology, philosophy and intent, and expression.

Some of their notable works undertaken by the Studio include -

Timba - A Basalt Quarry in the Past

Timba← - Converting a Basalt Quarry into a self-sustaining forest over a period of 8 years - allowing nature to re-establish itself.

Over a period of 8 years, Timba was converted into a self-sustaining quarry - demonstrating a renewed relationship between man and nature.

←

Devigarh - Creating a Landscape of the mind, by demonstrating history in a tangible manner.

Aakash & Aman - Experimenting with a new typology - that of a party plot in the context of Ahmedabad←.

Udaan- A permanent residence - initially imagined as a Weekend Home - that speaks to ideas of soil quality and water retention, and demonstrates a continuous interplay between the natural and the built. ← .

Samanvay - A landscape for a corporate head office that demonstrates values of empathy, care, and humility←.

Chattral Pharmaceuticals - A landscape for an Industrial Site that looks at land modulation as a method of determining movement, accessibility - and most significantly water management for land that was located below the road level.

Palava - Through the design of a city near Mumbai, the Studio demonstrates the various processes that are involved in creating urban infrastructure, models, and community. The project is regarded as a case-study for urban development; as the custodians of the Master Plan of the city, the studio demonstrates what must be given utmost focus in such an endeavour.←

Linear Park - Telling the history of Mumbai through design abstractions within the context of a public park.

Ark - Within an everyday office building - the design has built in narratives of art, of patronage, and community - while continuously serving the program, and integrating these conversations in a manner that they are not divorced from ideas of practicality and functionality.

The Façade of the building - a watermark by Walter D'souza.

Telling the story of Noah's Ark in Gond; an integral part of the interior design undertaken on the 4th floor.

Thol - Developing a set of weekend homes on a land that is located between the Thol Bird Sanctuary, and the Kanjari Deer Park←.

Linear Park - A public park located along a busy road in Mumbai that, through its design, has taken on the role of story-teller; narrating the history and development of Mumbai as a city←.

Halfway Retreat - A weekend home that is a manifestation of contradictions, and unique identities; a home with an undeniable personality.

Drum House (https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/the-green-mile-2/) - A space designed in Fractals, that makes accommodations in the present in preparation for the future.

Devi Art Foundation- In Gurugram, a building that stands opposed to the urbanity it is surrounded by; the owner - a patron of contemporary art transformed the building into a safe haven for Modern Art.←

Devi Ratna - A boutique hotel that pays homage to the architectural style that is so quintessential to the region within which it is located.

LANDSCAPE ENVIRONMENT ADVANCEMENT FOUNDATION

Landscape Environment Advancement Foundation or LEAF← is the research arm of the Studio. Established in 2007 by Prof. Bhagwat it is a reflection of the Studio’s belief that design cannot be undertaken in a Silos but must continuously be informed by context.

In its initial years, the research that the Foundation undertook focused in areas of Plant Material Landscape Design, and examining Urban Phenomena through novel lenses. Over time, the areas within which the Foundation works include City Governance and Management, Development Assessment Matrices, Creating Models for the design and refurbishment of Public Parks and Public Spaces, and looking at art and patronage in the Urban Context. This work expresses itself either as publications or on-ground initiatives.

PRATITI INITIATIVE

Ahmedabad has nearly 250 parks - small and large. While some are significant at the community level, others have demonstrated their significance at the level of the city. The Pratiti Initiative - guided by LEAF, and facilitated by the U.N Mehta Foundation← - brings together a group of landscape practitioners within the city who understand the role that Public parks play in the development of the Urban Fabric, and defining a community.

In 2016, the initiative set out to develop a sustainable model for the refurbishment and design of public parks. After a survey of the many public parks in the city, a kit of parts was developed that was adaptable, and could be applied across park typology. Ahmedabad has become the pilot city within which to test the efficacy of this modelIt follows three principles -

• The parks under this initiative vary across scale, and geographic context.
• The cost at which these parks are undertaken at a fraction of the cost normally associated with such projects.
• Instilling value that looks at biodiversity, and creating a community.

The first phase of the initiative saw the completion of 7 parks in the city, with the second phase looking at 6 more.

A composite of images of parks undertakes as a part of the Pratiti Initiative.

The second phase saw the completion of the Victoria Garden← - a public park that has been moulded by the historic context that it is surrounded by, and the historic context that the park is home to. In its redesign is evident the preservation of the formality that is associated with Victorian Gardens; the scheme developed allowed for the preservation of each tree that was found on the land. The garden now incorporates walkways that allow the user to traverse through the garden, waterbodies that have been revived, a city plaza that is home to the Statues within the plaza, a Children's play area that takes into account various development states and needs; older connections to that city have been revived.

ABHIVYAKTI - CITY ARTS PROJECT

An egalitarian, meritocratic art platform that brings together both - experienced and novice artists - across various fields of art, and present original content that has been developed specifically for the initiative. LEAF has guided the process of development for this platform.

The first Edition of Abhivyakti was undertaken in 2018 - with 30 artists showcasing their work for 30 days - making it one of the longest art initiatives in the city. The initiative is set to launch its 4th edition between November-December 2022. It has set allowed for the conversation pertaining to art and patronage in the Urban Context.←

REFERENCES