Contentment Over Peace | Kamal Mangaldas

DISCLAIMER This is a candid, unscripted conversation with an 87-year-old man speaking freely from memory and lived experience. The views, opinions, and remarks expressed are entirely his own and reflect the times he lived through. Some references to political events, communal history, and gender may be considered dated or sensitive by some viewers. No offence is intended. This podcast values honesty and authenticity over sanitisation, and we have chosen to keep the conversation raw and real - exactly as it happened. ABOUT THE GUEST Kamal Mangaldas was born in 1938 in Ahmedabad into the legendary Sarabhai family — the nephew of Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space programme, and a witness to some of the most defining moments of modern India. He studied at Cambridge University before training under the great B.V. Doshi, and went on to found Design Associates in 1964 alongside structural engineer Devendra Shah — a partnership that would last over five decades and produce more than 400 buildings across Gujarat and India. He introduced the now-ubiquitous Ahmedabad row house, designed Rajpath Club, refurbished Parimal Garden, built India's first water park, and wrote all his architectural drawings in Gujarati so the craftsmen on site could read them directly — an act that said everything about who he is. In 2021, he donated his entire archive of nearly 12,000 drawings, 15,000 digital files, and 6,450 photographs to CEPT University, Ahmedabad. He retired from practice in 2018 and now spends his mornings doing yoga, his evenings walking, and the rest of his time watching birds in a garden filled with trees older than he is. Guest Recommendation: Ar Girish Karnawat 🔗 CEPT Archives — Kamal Mangaldas Collection: https://ceptarchives.org/project/kama... 🔗 Design Associates — House of MG (Legacy Project): https://www.houseofmg.com Website: https://kamalmangaldas.net Email: [email protected] One is to One: Stories, Practice, and Collaboration of Kamal Mangaldas and Devendra Shah https://www.amazon.in/One-Practice-Co... A PATTERN LANGUAGE — Christopher Alexander Kamal Mangaldas called this book his Bible. He kept a copy at his elbow throughout his entire career and referenced its chapters directly in his sketch drawings. Written by Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language is one of the most important books ever written about how human beings relate to the spaces they inhabit — and it has nothing to do with architecture and everything to do with life. We strongly recommend it. 🔗 Read or buy A Pattern Language: https://www.amazon.in/Pattern-Languag... ABOUT OUR GUEST COMPANION — Ar. Darshan Saraiya This conversation would not have been the same without Ar. Darshan Saraiya, who worked with Kamal Mangaldas early in his career and joined us for the entire conversation. Darshan seeks to share experiences, knowledge, and responsibility with his design team, combining a thorough knowledge of building systems with a perceptive design approach that leads to innovative and unconventional solutions. A film buff and aficionado of global cinema, Darshan brought warmth, context, and a deep personal understanding of Kamal sir that made this conversation richer than we could have managed alone. We are deeply grateful for his presence. A NOTE FROM CLINTON I went to meet Kamal sir to talk about architecture. What I got was a conversation about life. There is something rare about people who are 80 and above — they have stopped performing. They say exactly what they think, remember exactly what mattered, and have no patience for anything that doesn't. I made an effort to sit with one such person and simply listen. What came out felt less like an interview and more like a conversation between a grandson and his grandfather. This episode is raw, unhurried, and completely unscripted. I hope you feel what I felt sitting in that room. Special thanks to Royal Lobo for holding the camera and the audio together under genuinely difficult conditions. This episode exists because of his patience and craft. Chapters: 00:00 - Ahmedabad, Childhood & The Sarabhai World 31:35 - Christopher Alexander & The Pattern Language 41:20 - Design Associates & A 50-Year Partnership 49:12 - Cambridge, Girls & The Accidental Architect 01:28:26 - Contentment, Children & Doing Nothing Thanks for watching Let's connect 📩 Email: [email protected] Instagram:   / clintonbaptist   Twitter: https://x.com/clinton750