Gerard da Cunha

Gerard da Cunha (born 10 February 1955) is an Indian architect based in Goa, India. He is the founder and principal architect of the architecture firm Architecture Autonomous. An alumnus of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, he is known for utilizing locally available materials and traditional construction techniques in harmony with its ecosystem.

Early life Gerard da Cunha was born on 10 February 1955 in the city of Godhra, Bombay State (now Gujarat), da Cunha travelled across the country since childhood as his father worked with the State Bank of India and had a transferable job. He did most of his schooling at St. Mary's in Mazgaon, Maharashtra.

After his course in architecture from School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), da Cunha joined DDA in 1979, but he found the experience of working there extremely monotonous. Bored with his job, he went to Goa (his home state), hoping for some exciting element in his life.

Career Da Cunha runs his architecture firm Architecture Autonomous in Goa, India. His projects are spread across the country, including resorts, townships, institutions, and even private residences.

Personal life Da Cunha began a relationship with Indian writer and author Arundhati Roy, moving in with her in 1978 in Delhi. They subsequently moved to Goa and later separated in 1982.

He later married Nisha da Cunha (née da Costa), an educationist who died from cardiac arrest in 2022 at the age of 63. Together they had two children, Nyhna and Taariq.

Works Da Cunha has been the architect of several projects which find places all across India. These include Nrityagram of Bangalore, Hampi's Kannada University's main building and its library, Bangalore's Taj Kutiram Tourist Resort, the Central Library in Panjim, JVSL Township in Torangallu, a house for Mr. Sajjan Jindal at Torangallu, a tourist village in Kerala, and Jimi Gazhdhar's lavish mansion on the banks of the Goan river, to name a few. Da Cunha's projects mostly portray the use of natural materials.

Da Cunha was hired to restore the oldest fort in Goa, Reis Magos Fort, which lay in ruins for a long time. It has now become a successful tourist destination showcasing the history of Goa to the visitors. He also designed the Goa State Central Library located at Panaji (Panjim), which has six floors and houses more than 1,800,000 books.

Da Cunha has also won wide acclaim for the unusual and vernacular designs of two schools in Goa, Nisha's Play School and Shiksha Niketan. Set in a lush green valley with a steep slope, the architect has created different levels of spatial experiences connected vertically by a chute for children and stairs. Brick arches, sometimes set so low that adults have to stoop to enter, become the doorless entryways. The highlight of the outdoor amphitheater is the walls made from recycled beer bottles arranged in artistic patterns.

Just next to the school, da Cunha built a triangular ship-like building made of laterite stones, which is an architectural oddity in itself. It is called the "Houses of Goa" museum, designed and curated by da Cunha himself. The museum traces Goan architectural traditions, building materials, and styles in an in-depth manner.

Some other selected works by da Cunha include Town Plaza at Aamby Valley City.

Awards and achievements

Da Cunha won the prestigious Prime Minister's National Award for Excellence in Urban Planning and Design in 1998–99 for the project Jindal Vijaynagar Steel Limited (JVSL - Now JSW Township as "Vidhya Nagar"), Toranagallu, Bellary (Karnataka, India). He is also credited with winning the "Commendation Award-1990" for rural architecture for his project "Nrityagram" at Bengaluru, Karnataka. The design of Nrityagram can be termed as "Natural Architecture".