Aishwarya Tipnis is an Indian architect, educator and heritage conservationist, whose eponymous practice Aishwarya Tipnis Architects focuses on heritage conservation of neglected monuments and significant buildings of India. In 2015, her work on the century-old Main Building of The Doon School received the Honourable Mention under the

UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards (since 2000) are given with as the strategic purpose of UNESCO with in the region Asia Pacific. The objective is to motivate the protection of Cultural Heritage sites, which are initiated by any individual organi ...

. In 2016, the firm's restoration work on the walls and bastions of the 18th-century Mahidpur Fort, in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

, was given the Award of Merit under the

UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards (since 2000) are given with as the strategic purpose of UNESCO with in the region Asia Pacific. The objective is to motivate the protection of Cultural Heritage sites, which are initiated by any individual organi ...

. In 2018, she became the youngest architect to be appointed the

Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

by the French government for her preservation work of French heritage in India, particularly

Chandernagore Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is part ...

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

. Tipnis was part of the UNESCO Expert Team for preparing the Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a narrow-gauge, gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about long. It c ...

, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. She has been recognised as
Global Cultural Leader
by the European Union in 2016.

Biography

Tipnis grew up in New Delhi and is an alumna of Birla Vidya Niketan, she studied at School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi for her

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

. She was then awarded the Scottish International Scholarship to pursue a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in European Urban Conservation at the University of Dundee,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. She is recipient of the Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in 201

Career

While studying at the School of Planning and Architecture, new Delhi, Tipnis interned at the Ranjit Sabikhi Architects, known for their urban design projects, education buildings, and housing communities. She later worked as an associate with noted conservation architects in India and the UK In 2007, she founded her eponymous practice Aishwarya Tipnis Architects, focusing on architectural conservation and sustainable development. In 2016, her firm restored the hundred-year-old Main Building of The Doon School, and received the Honourable Mention under the

. In the same year, their work on the walls and bastions of Mahidpur Fort was given the Award of Merit under the

. For restoration efforts in Chandernagore, a former French colony in India, she was appointed the

by the Ministry of Culture, French Government. Tipnis was part of the UNESCO Expert Team for preparing the Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the

, a

. Currently she is involved with the Woodstock School Mussoorie in the development of their campus. Since January 2010, she has been a Visiting Faculty in the Department of Urban Design at her alma mater, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. and has also lectured at leading universities including

CEPT University CEPT University, formerly the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, is an academic institution located near university area in Ahmedabad, India offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in areas of natural and dev ...

, Sir J.J. College of Architecture in India as well as at the Reinwardt Academy, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand and University of Dundee Scotland, UK and University of Edinburgh Scotland.

Social design and activism

Her work has involved students and youth in most of the projects. Th
Haveli Project
was the first to allow students to come and learn from the ongoing restoration work through the Lime Workshop. Community engagement workshops were conducted as part of th
Dutch in Chinsurah
an
Heritage & People of Chandernagore project
As part of Bonjour India 2018, a 7 day co-creation workshop with multi-disciplinary students from India and France was conducted at Chandernagore. Aishwarya co-founde
Jugaadopolis
a platform that brings together students and community through innovative workshops to explore the tangible and intangible heritage of India. She has advocated the use of open-source digital technologies for making heritage conservation accessible to all through her pioneering projects. Aishwarya has spearheaded a pathbreaking projec
The Restoration Toolbox
which is an open source digital platform that empowers communities in restoring their own heritage. The project has been selected as the 8 most innovative ideas for international cultural relations by EUNIC Global under the Spaces of Culture programme for 2023.

Awards

* Award of Merit,

(2016) - Mahidpur Fort * Honourable Mention,

(2016) - Main Building, The Doon School *

(2018) -

Chandannagar Chandannagar french: Chandernagor ), also known by its former name Chandernagore and French name Chandernagor, is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is part ...

restoration *Excellence Award for Heritage Conservation-Conde Nast Readers Traveller Awards (2019
‘To the 25,000 forest guards protecting our wildlife…’

Bibliography

* *Tipnis Aishwarya (2020
Engagements in the Courtyard, Restoring a Haveli in Old Delhi, Reinwardt Academie, Amsterdam University of the Arts

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tipnis, Aishwarya Living people 21st-century Indian architects School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi alumni Alumni of the University of Dundee 1980 births People from New Delhi Indian women architects Indian architects Conservation architects Indian women designers UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards winners Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres