A doyenne of Indian arts and crafts, architecture, and design, and one of the first few practicing women architects of India - Parul Zaveri melds all her passions seamlessly into each other. She established a design practice in Ahmedabad along with her (late) husband Ar. Nimish Patel, in 1979. ‘Abhikram’ the studio went on to win multiple awards for its work in heritage conservation, energy-efficient architecture as well as revival of traditional wisdom, and the use of Indigenous arts and crafts in contemporary design. Zaveri, now helming the firm single-handedly, carries on with her convictions and beliefs about architecture and life.
Abhikram (initiation) - 1979
Our journey, which began in 1979, has progressed as we envisioned, without compromising our values. After studying at CEPT in Ahmedabad and MIT, Boston and Arcosanti, Arizona in the USA, Nimish and I returned to India and established Abhikram in Ahmedabad. "Abhikram," meaning "initiation," is now 45 years in the making, yet every day reminds us of how much more there is to learn.
Nimish and I had similar principles and convictions, which led us to establish Abhikram on these shared values. We recognized that Indian architecture's strength lies in its diversity—rooted in context and designed to ensure comfort with minimal energy use. We wanted to honour these values and make a meaningful, responsible contribution to society and the nation. Together, we set out to explore design processes that enhance the built environment's functionality, psychological comfort, environmental compatibility, and spiritual resonance for its users, while staying true to Indian traditions. Although we were uncertain about the precise direction our practice would take; we were clear about the paths we wanted to avoid. We expressed these beliefs openly to every potential client, knowing that nine out of ten might decide to not come back.
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