"Oscar & Ponni Architects approach is built not on a pre-determined aesthetic or a rigid "signature style." It grows naturally from a quest for ideas and answers; they evolve from a rigorous inquiry into the particulars of location and program, transforming problem-solving into art."
Architects Oscar and Ponni M. Concessao, husband and wife team are reputed architects whose careers have spanned decades of work devoted to engineering and architecture and won more than 69 International, National, and State awards. Oscar G. Concessao, was born in the coastal town of Mangalore, did his schooling from famous St. Aloysius Institutions, Mangalore. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Architecture at the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, University of Madras, in June 1986. He graduated in Master's in Architecture, Urban Design, magna cum laude, in 1987 from the University of Oklahoma, USA. While at the University he won the William Van Allen International Design Competition to design a University in Africa, a first for an Indian at a young age of 23. He worked with architectural firms Emery Roth & Sons in New York and Silver & Ziskind, New York, USA on large scale projects such as high-rise buildings, hospitals, institutional projects and campuses.
Born into a family of professionals, Architect Ponni M. Concessao graduated from the illustrious Church Park Convent, Chennai. A pioneer in women's' technical education, Ponni Concessao was the first women undergraduate student of the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, University of Madras, graduating in June 1987. Architect Ponni Concessao completed her post-graduate studies in Cornell University USA in 1989 with the JND Tata Endowment Scholarship and Scholarship from Cornell University. She also won the College of Human Ecology Grant for Thesis Research in Cornell on her pioneering work on conservation. Architect Ponni Concessao worked with Edward Larabbee Barnes Architect, New York City, USA, and with the National Trust of Historic Preservation, Washington D.C., USA.
Both Oscar and Ponni did their Advanced Professional Studies at Harvard University, USA in the areas of affordable housing, hospitals and research labs in 1992, and have been conferred with Honorary Doctorates from the University of Malaysia and University of Milano for Modern Architecture and Architectural Science. They returned to India and settled in Chennai, Ponni's hometown and started their firm Oscar & Ponni Architects in Chennai in the year 1996 providing consultancy services in Urban Design, Architecture, Interiors and Engineering services. The inspiration and design philosophy for Oscar & Ponni Architects work comes from an understanding of the Client's needs and goals informed by cultural, technological and social dimensions with both a local and global perspective, with a constant search for Design Excellence and meticulous details.
BOP Park
Adoption of local available materials and blending technology and engineering has been the hallmark of most of their projects. Over the years they built their practice designing versatile projects such as universities, engineering and medical colleges, stadiums at Doha, Qatar, several Information technology Parks, bio-tech Parks, nano technology parks, townships, hospitals, apartments, hotels, resorts, malls, corporate offices, luxury bungalows, factories, SEZ, several Government and State buildings.
To Architects Oscar and Ponni Concessao, an architect's role is nation building and one must have a strong sense of contributing to welfare of society to all levels - especially the poorest of poor. Their work includes the School for children of leprosy victims in Tamil Nadu for the Rising Star Outreach – an American NGO. They have been a key-note speakers on several topics on the Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, built environment, sustainability, eco-friendly architecture at several International, National, and State level seminars. They are on the Advisory Board of several government and private organizations, NGO's and Universities. Architects Oscar and Ponni Concessao has dedicated themselves for several social causes such as Rotary and Round table organizations and charity projects, building Noon-Meal Centers, Schools for the underprivileged, and Tsunami Housing being a few worth noting.
