Ponni M. Concessao: A Visionary Architect Pioneering Nation-Building

Architect Ponni M. Concessao is a revered figure in the field of architecture, having won 114 national and international awards for her outstanding contributions. With a career spanning decades, she has left an indelible mark in the industry, covering large prototypes of town planning, buildings, and interiors across India. Heres a closer look at her journey and achievements.

Early Beginnings and Education

Ponni M. Concessao was born into a family of professionals and attended Church Park Convent, where she excelled in academics and won national awards in art. This exposure propelled her ambitions in nation-building through architecture and design. She went on to become the first female undergraduate student of the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, University of Madras, graduating in June 1987 in the top 2% of her class, winning design competitions, performing social service at the village level, and holding leadership positions.

Post-Graduate Studies and Career

After completing her post-graduate studies at Cornell University, USA, in 1989, with financial awards from the JND Tata Endowment Scholarship and Graduate Assistantship from Cornell, she won the College of Human Ecology Grant for Thesis Research at Cornell on her pioneering work on conservation. In 1992, she completed the Advanced Professional Studies at Harvard University, USA, defining her ambitions of developing India along global lines through architecture and building technology.

Ponni M. Concessao worked with Edward Larabbee Barnes Architect, New York City, USA, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, D.C., USA, winning an honourable mention in the 1991 Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary National Design competition. She then set up her architectural practice in India, working on large projects across the country.

Awards and Recognitions

Among her notable achievements are the Excellence in Built Environment Award from the Indian Buildings Congress, New Delhi, in 2004; the Indian Buildings Congress Award for the Hallmark Technology Park project in Chennai in 2005; the Society Interiors – Award for Creative Excellence in Architecture & Interiors in 2006; the Archi Design Award – Award for Best Institutional Building for Sastra Arts & Sciences, Tanjore, in 2009; and the Outstanding Achievers Award at the Indian Architecture Design Festival (IADF) in 2011.

Ponni M. Concessao also won the Distinguished Alumni Award from Dr. A.P.J. Kalam for the Golden Jubilee of NIT Trichy in 2014, and the prestigious Smt. Satya Goel Award National Award for the Most Eminent Woman Building Professional Award in New Delhi in the same year. She has also won multiple awards in recent years, including the BAM Awards, the Futuristic Architecture Firm Award, the Women Icon of Asia Award, the Time2Leap Awards, the MAMR Best Female Architect in India Award, and the Architecture & Design Golden Brick Awards.

Social Causes

To Ponni M. Concessao, an architects role is nation-building, with a strong sense of contributing to society at all levels, especially the poor. She has dedicated herself to several social causes, such as Rotary and Round Table organizations and charity projects, such as building noon-meal centers, schools for the underprivileged, and tsunami housing. She was also the Chairperson of Madras Mylapore Ladies Circle No. 4 in 2003 and a winner of the Ladies Circle India, Convener, Women Achiever Award, 2002. She is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

Best Wishes:

Architect Ponni Concessaos achievements and contributions to the field of architecture and nation-building are a testament to her dedication and hard work. As she continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations of architects, we wish her the very best in all her future endeavours.