Project Name
About Us
Overview
Benny Kuriakose & Associates is an architectural and conservation consultancy firm established by Dr. Benny Kuriakose in 1991. Over the years the firm has grown to include a team of talented and creative designers, engineers, architects and audiovisual specialists. The primary aim of BK&A is to develop high-quality architecture that respects historical context and the environment. We believe that architecture is not just limited to the design and structure of a building but goes way past that notion. We have aimed to create a diverse oeuvre of work and we will continue to design sensitive and sustainable architecture from the very small scale to the large with immense attention to detail and respect to the craft.
About Benny Kuriakose
Born in 1962 in the small town of Koothattukulam and brought up in Thiruvananthapuram, Dr Benny Kuriakose started his career in 1984 and received basic lessons in architecture under the tutelage of the renowned Laurie Baker (1917-2017). In 1986, he received the Charles Wallace India Trust award that enabled him to complete his MA in Conservation Studies from the University of York. After backpacking around Europe he returned to Kerala and engaged in various activities, such as running a successful furniture company, before pursuing his true interest in architecture. He relocated to Chennai to develop the project that would become the cultural centre, Dakshinachitra.
In 2001, he received the Inside Outside Designer of the Year award, and again in 2012, he received the Celebration of Architecture award. While practising he decided to pursue his research interests in mass housing and graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras with a doctorate in 2015. He has also worked as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), UNESCO, different state governments, and non-governmental other organisations. He has worked on all sorts of projects, from small mud cottages to tsunami reconstruction housing.
His deep knowledge and love for vernacular architecture and craftsmanship guide his design process and he tries to teach and pass on his knowledge to the next generations of architects and designers. He loves to travel, has visited more than 40 countries, and collects antiques in his spare time.
