AWARDS

TERUKAZU NII

Terukazu Nii, born in Tokushima, Japan, received his Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree of Architecture, majoring in Housing & Urban Design, from Kansai University, Osaka in 1977 and 1979 respectively. After traveling widely to see architecture in North Africa, Europe & Asia, he studied Housing as a research fellow in Vastu-Shilpa Foundation, a research organisation founded by the famous Indian architect, Balkrishna Doshi. Trained in drawing and painting under the well-known Indian artist, Piraji Sagara, he held an exhibition of his drawings, paintings and photographs at Hutheesingh Visual Art Centre, Ahmedabad in 1984. He went on to graduate from the post-graduate program at Kanoria School for Arts, Ahmedabad in 1986.

Returning to Japan in 1986, having apprenticed at Construction Design Consultants, Tokyo and at Sueyoshi Eizo, Architect & partners, Okinawa, he began private practice with Vasanti Menon in Tokushima, Shikoku in 1991.

He is a registered first class architect, evaluator of comprehensive environmental performance of residential buildings, judge for degree of emergency risk in earthquake affected buildings and member of the Tokushima prefecture timber house earthquake resistance team.

Member of JIA National Environment Committee since 2010, he represented JIA at Architects’ Council for Asia for Committee on Green and Sustainable Architecture in 2013 (Kathmandu), 2014 (Ayutthaya), 2016 (Hong Kong), 2017 (Jaipur, Zonal Representative, Zone C~) Tokyo (2018) and Dhaka (2019~Key Speaker of working group on Resilience). Chairman of the JIA Shikoku Environment Committee since 2016, he was on the Action Committee for the JIA National Meet held in Tokushima in 2017 & for the Action Committee for “Environment VS Architecture” Seminar Series held between 2013～15. He also headed the selection committee for the national “eco-house” model project for JIA Shikoku (Kochi Prefecture) in 2009.

Representative for Shikoku for Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) since 2018, he has been on its Selection Committee for Shikoku for “Selected works of Architectural Institute of Japan” since 2017. He headed the team between 2019~20. He was Director of AIJ, Shikoku Chapter, Tokushima Branch from 2008 to 2015. On the Editorial Board between 2001~03 for Journal of Architecture and Building Science, AIJ, he coordinated a special issue on Indian Architecture.

He has been visiting lecturer at Shikoku University since 1996 and at Anan National College of Technology since 2010. He was visiting lecturer at Shinshu University in 2000 and has been a visiting critic at Kochi University of Technology in 2011. He has lectured on works of the firm at the University of Shiga Prefecture, the National University of Tokushima, Shinshu University, the Osaka Municipal College of Design, Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai, Balkrishna Doshi’s office and School of Architecture, Ahmedabad.

Actively involved in voluntary activities concerning environmental protection of Yoshino River and its drainage basin area since 1995, he continues to pursue its’ history in various study groups.

 

VASANTI MENON

Vasanti Menon, born in Mumbai, India, received her Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Sir.J.J.College of Architecture, University of Bombay in 1980. She apprenticed at the office of notable Indian architect, Balkrishna Doshi, Indian counterpart for Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn’s works in India. Having studied the old town of Ahmedabad, she went on to complete the Post-graduate Course in Urban and Regional Planning from School of Planning, Center for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad. Here, she helped in a comparative analysis of Indian cities in 1986, before she moved to Japan. Apprenticed at Construction Design Consultants, Tokyo and at Sueyoshi Eizo, Architect & partners, Okinawa, she began private practice with Terukazu Nii in Tokushima in 1991.

With a unique point of view as an Asian professional living outside central Japan, fluent in Japanese & English, she has offered a professional, international point of view in various public advisory committees. She has contributed greatly in the understanding of India, its culture & architecture, and towards building a non-hierarchal society, through lectures in schools and the community, as a panelist in discussions and through writing.

Notable amongst them is helping Gallery Taisei, Tokyo, organize an exhibition of Indian works of Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn and Balkrishna Doshi in 2001, and subsequently bringing it to the Tokushima Municipal Corporation, and interpreting them in their context there. Others are lectures on works of the firm at Nirma University, Ahmedabad and G.D.Goenka University, New Delhi in 2015. She has spoken on Indian architecture and culture at Shinshu University, National University of Tokushima, the Osaka Municipal College of Design and Japan Asian Association and Asian Friendship Society, Osaka. In 2011, she was invited as a visiting critic to Kochi University of Technology.

Major voluntary activities both have undertaken together

They are presently surveying the regional environmental potential of Tsurugi mountain settlement in west Tokushima. After the 2001 Earthquake in India, they facilitated sending contributions from the people of Tokushima to help rebuild Kutch, through the organization, GAP-ISRCDE, Ahmedabad. In 2005, they also prepared a renovation proposal for a damaged complex in Kutch, through Gujarat Project. In 1995 they organised an Indian classical music concert in Tokushima for known Indian artists, Shujaat Khan and Yogesh Samshi. In 1988 they also sent “ 1’ film”, a work for peace based on the Battle of Okinawa, to known Indian Film Directors, Nachiket & Jayoo Patwardhan, for circulation in India.