Christopher Charles Benninger

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Christopher Charles Benninger
Principles of Intelligent Urbanism
Websiteccba.in

Christopher Charles Benninger (born 23 November 1942) is an Indian architect and urban planner. Born in the US, he permanently migrated to India in 1971. Benninger contributed to the field of critical regionalism[1][2] and sustainable planning in India.[3]

Following his departure from the position of professor at Harvard in 1971, Benninger came to Ahmedabad, where he was appointed as a Ford Foundation advisor to the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology.[4] At CEPT, he co-founded the Faculty of Planning with Yoginder Alagh and BV Doshi in 1972. He also founded the Center for Development Studies and Activities in 1976 with Aneeta Gokhale Benninger. He serves on the board of directors of CEPT University.[5] In 2024, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) in Architecture from CEPT University.[6]

He has worked with various banks concerning policies, and with various countries and states to create development plans.

Benninger has written two books, Christopher Benninger: Architecture for a Modern India, a collection of his works, and Letters to a Young Architect, a collection of lectures and articles, which is a bestseller in India [7]

Benninger's architectural studio CCBA Designs is based out of Pune, which specialises in sustainable design solutions.

Personal life and education

Benninger was able to attend United Nations Security Council Meetings as an observer.

Barbara Ward became Benninger's lifelong mentor, inviting him to the 1967 Delos Symposium in Greece.[8][9]

Benninger graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida in 1966. While at the University of Florida, he was a student founder of the Freedom Party. Under Martin Luther King's leadership, he and his sister, Judith Benninger Brown, actively supported the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), entering segregated cinema halls and restaurants with their African-American friends, and forcing the owners to allow access to African-Americans into their establishments.[10]

Benninger completed his

Fulbright fellow in 1968. He continued his post-graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, under Horacio Caminos, working on the book Urban Dwelling Environments. He received a master's degree in city planning from MIT in 1971.[11]

In early 2024, Benninger was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from CEPT University.

Benninger is married to Aneeta Gokhale Benninger, an environmentalist, and has one son.[12]

Career

Academic and research work

In 1971, Benninger returned to India as a Ford Foundation consultant to the Ahmedabad Education Society to help set up the School of Planning in 1972 along with Yoginder Alagh and B.V. Doshi.[13] Benninger shifted to Pune in 1976 where he founded the Center for Development Studies and Activities.[14] In 1983, Benninger wrote the theme paper for the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements 1984. In 1986, he successfully argued to the Asian Development Bank the case for extending financial assistance to the urban development sector.[15] Benninger is on the board of editors of Cities journal, published in the UK.[16]

Early projects

One of Benninger's first projects was an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) township in Jamnagar developed with the Gujarat Housing Board in 1972. In 1973, he worked with the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and developed a site-and-services approach to EWS housing in Arunbakkam. In 1976, Benninger assisted Hyderabad Urban Development Authority in its first project, a 2000-unit township for government employees.[17] He designed the SOS Children's Villages in Bawana in 1975 and in Kolkatta three years later in 1978.[2] In 1976, designed the Alliance Fraincase Centre in Ahmedabad. In 1984, he designed the campus for the Center for Development Studies and Activities which he had founded in 1976.[18]

Planning

As a World Bank consultant, Benninger planned out the site and services, core housing, and slum upgradation programmes for the

urban management and poverty upliftment.[23] In 2001, Benninger was appointed to prepare the structure plan for Thimphu.[24][25] In 2004, the Government of Bhutan along with the Government of India appointed him again to prepare plans for three towns along their shared border.[26][27] In 2012, he designed the new town of Denchi in East Bhutan. Benninger's work in urban design, city management and town planning resulted in his principles of intelligent urbanism.[28]

Architectural works

Benninger's designs include the

Mahindra United World College of India, the Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies, the YMCA International Camp in Nilshi, India, the Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.[29] Liane Lefaivre and Alexander Tzonis have noted Benninger's work as one of the first instances of critical regionalism in India.[30]

Mahindra United World College of India won the Designer of the Year Award

Business Week Architectural Record Award for Excellence in 2000. Business Week called the Mahindra United World College of India one of the ten super structures of the world in 2000.[32]

Publications

Awards

2024

Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal - Indian Institute of Architects[33]

2024

Honarary Doctorate of Philosophy in Architecture - CEPT University, Ahmedabad[33]

2023

India’s Top 10 Architects Awards - Construction World Architect and Builder (CWAB) Awards[33]

2019

Excellence in Architecture for Industrial category - Indian Institute of Architects[33]

2017

AD 50 Most Influential Architects & Interior Designers - Architectural Digest [33]

2015

Lifetime Achievement Award - BERG Awards for Real Estate(Singapore)[33]

2014

Excellence in Architecture for Industrial category - Indian Institute of Architects[33]

2013

Excellence in Architecture Green Architecture - Indian Institute of Architects[33]

2000

Excellence in Architecture for Public Building - Indian Institute of Architects[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ Misra, Sumantra (2018-11-16). "Critical Regionalism in the Post-Colonial Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent". Issuu. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  2. ^
    ISSN 2095-2635
    .
  3. S2CID 219093510
    .
  4. ^ "CEPT University". CEPT University. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  5. ^ "Board of Management CEPT University". 5 October 2017.
  6. ^ "CEPT University: Honorary doctorates for noted urban planner Bertaud and architect Benninger". The Indian Express. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  7. ^ "Acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger launches book on architecture". The Indian Express. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  8. ^ "Christopher Benninger: Cyrus Jhabvala Memorial Lecture 2018". THINKMATTER. 28 March 2019.
  9. S2CID 143844331
    .
  10. ISBN 978-0-8476-8583-7
    .
  11. ISBN 978-88-572-2687-3
    .
  12. ^ "People". CDSA.
  13. ^ "Cept School of Planning founders look back over 40 years". DNA India. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
  14. ^ Dutta, Apurva Bose. "Christopher Charles Benninger speaks on Architecture". Archi Times. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07.
  15. ^
    JSTOR 43622047
    .
  16. ^ Elsevier.com
  17. ISBN 9789386173560
    .
  18. ISBN 978-81-7824-017-6
    .
  19. ISSN 0197-3975
    .
  20. ISBN 978-92-1-131118-1
    .
  21. ISBN 978-81-7022-678-9
    .
  22. ISSN 0264-2751
    .
  23. ISBN 978-92-64-03237-8
    .
  24. JSTOR 43619538
    .
  25. S2CID 236726094
    .
  26. ^ Benninger Architectonics USA Inc. (2004) Gelephu Structure Plan, Bhutan
  27. ^ Benninger Architectonics USA Inc. (2004) Samtse Structure Plan, Bhutan
  28. ^ Dudh.gov.bt Archived 2010-06-23 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ G-therapy.org Archived 2010-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ISBN 978-3-7913-2972-7
    .
  31. ^ "Christopher Benninger". New Jersey Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  32. ^ Businessweek.com[dead link]
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Awards". CCBA Designs. Retrieved 2024-03-07.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christopher_Charles_Benninger&oldid=1212320598"