stamped Impressions
Building on his dreams

He left Delhi to set up base in Chandigarh. Reeta Sharma talks to architect Dalmeet Singh Saini, who has many a prestigious project to his name.

Dalmeet Singh Saini, a well-known architect from Delhi who made Chandigarh his home four years ago, is ready with yet another of his architectural masterpieces. This building, the assignment for which he had won through a competition, will house the Interpretation and Learning Centre at the Bharatpur bird sanctuary. It will be inaugurated by the Vice-President on January 17. He got the assignment for this rare building by winning a competition organised by the World Wildlife Fund. Swarovski, one of the richest persons of the world, who is the main patron of the WWF, is already in India for the inauguration of this building. Incidentally, he has brought his private band of 80 musicians to play on this occasion. Dalmeet is also looking forward to the dinner with Swarovski after the inauguration.

Having worked for 15 years in Delhi and scaling heights in his profession, Dalmeet one day decided to "quit Delhi". This was the time when he had already developed and built nearly three hundred acres in Gurgaon for R.D. City. Besides designing many buildings for institutions, schools, residential areas, he has also won many prestigious assignments through all-India competitions. In one such contest that Dalmeet won, he came up with the extraordinary "barrier-free" building concept and designed the complex that houses the Rehabilitation Council of India in Delhi.

"Even though I was working for the best of companies in Delhi yet I wasn’t at peace. I enjoyed creating architectural designs but that was the only thing that was giving me a sense of satisfaction. All along I was restless with the thought that I was not spending any time with my wife and children. There was not even a moment that I could spend with them. And that’s when one day I asked myself that what use was this money when I was missing so much in life? That is the day I decided to leave Delhi.

"Since I had travelled all over the country, I was fully convinced that there was no city as liveable as Chandigarh. No other city in the country other than Chandigarh can offer quality life as well as professional opportunities. In Chandigarh almost everything is available within walking distance. Besides, the city offers the best of education, hospitals, markets, gardens, and roads. All these reasons made me choose Chandigarh as my destination.

Although Dalmeet continues to be a consultant with most of the prestigious companies of Delhi, his heart now is in Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. He has changed the course of his profession. "I now wish to concentrate on research work in the field of architecture. I have already developed software for architects and town planners. With this software you can reach building bylaws of 20 major cities of the country like Delhi, Bombay, Chennai and Ahmedabad. In fact NASSCOM has registered me as a software developer. However, my dream now is to open an institution that will offer specialisation in hill architecture. Our hill stations are being destroyed not only by haphazard growth but also by having no expertise in hill architectural designs," says Dalmeet with concern.

After having spent four years in Chandigarh, Dalmeet says, "Chandigarh could have been the nodal point for all surrounding states. But unfortunately it is not so as yet. Even though it has the best of infrastructure, the Chandigarh Administration still has no powers and freedom to promote the city at the level it should. For instance, in near future, Chandigarh is going to be an important IT city. Mohali, too, is emerging as an IT hub. However, Chandigarh has no IT-related institutions. The city’s periphery should be utilised for establishing high-tech IT institutions which would serve the double purpose of producing fodder for the IT cannon as well as save whatever forest cover is left of the periphery."

Only recently Dalmeet bagged yet one more assignment. He’s going to design the buildings for a museum and a library at the Mansa Devi Complex. Ask him about his family and he smiles, "Thank God I shifted to Chandigarh. I can now be with my children and see them grow. I am able to be with my family in the mornings as I am not rushed anymore. Playing with my children or going for walks with my wife was simply unthinkable in Delhi."

Does this mean that Dalmeet has reduced his workload? No his workload remains the same but he has changed the course of his work. Taking up just a few projects at a time, he would like to concentrate more on research work. He has opened three offices in Chandigarh and one in Kasauli.