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How does one view the cumulative work of one’s life? For Gautam Bhatia, this publication is not merely a record of his personal or professional legacy, but rather a profound examination of his life in architecture.

According to Bhatia, architecture is, by its very nature, a practice of contradictions. It operates under influences from sociology, design, engineering, landscape, anthropology, urbanism and civic practice in order to impose its will on the nature of space. This volume brings together several of the author’s built works, from commercial and residential buildings to large public spaces, from places of leisure to places of worship. Together with detailed essays, drawings and photographs, Bhatia lays out his philosophy of design to illustrate how architecture became not just a conquest of the imagination but also of reality.

To physically will a building onto a site is an act of design, but to set it free onto a course of transformation is an act of architecture—into a realm beyond the present, where the space is not just made, but lives and dies. This volume demonstrates how Bhatia’s practice became not just a tool for solving problems but also a mode of personal expression, making this book an invaluable resource for students and practitioners of architecture alike.

Contents: Foreword. 1. Building introduction palace. 2. Commerce. 3. Retreat. 4. Church. 5. City house apartment. 6. Hotel. 7. Lake house. 8. Lodge subterranean house adobe. 9. Spa. 10. School. 11. Office. 12. Theatre. 13. Library. 14. Tower. 15. Hospice. 16. Institute. 17. Memorial mountain house the end. Project profile acknowledgements.