Since he left India for Canada nearly 50 years ago, Arup Datta has built a resume that includes some of the largest, most high-profile developments in the world including West Edmonton Mall and Mall of America.
He leads the Calgary-based Arup Datta Architect Ltd., which has a steady and strong roster of committed clients and an impressive track record of delivering creative and cost-effective designs and has just celebrated its 35th anniversary. The formula for ADAL’s longevity is clear: focus on people; keep up with the trends; maximize each project’s potential (and always try to stay within budget!) ADAL’s clients can count on Arup and his team’s many years of experience and expertise to deliver unique solutions tailored to their needs.
People centered
Everything that ADAL does revolves around people. People live, people shop, people work, people retire and people have fun, all within the structures and landscapes that they create. Architects take an oath that everything they do will be in the public interest – ADAL embodies that oath in every project design.
The true magic, though, is in balancing the interests of everyone involved from the developer to civil planners and urban designers, engineers, contractors and end users.
That process begins with one vital but simple step: listening. Arup and the ADAL team listen carefully to the expectations of their clients, then put in the extra time and effort to understand all the other parameters that the team must consider as part of the design. Whether the project is large or small, people from many different disciplines provide input. They all have different considerations and requirements, whether that is from the perspective of the community, the environment, engineering, constructability, or usability. The team is known for its ability to bring everyone to a consensus by delivering design concepts that are viable, uniquely creative and consistently exceed expectations.
“Our clients are smart and progressive, and they are constantly watching the changes in the market, so we need to fully understand their objectives and those of the city planners and urban designers, evaluate all the options and provide ideas and solutions,” Arup says. “If we need clarification, we go back. We will go that extra mile and that is what brings the most value to our clients.”
Each project has its own challenges but their success hinges on two things: the knowledge base of the team and following the project through to completion. They will stay with the project, do all the necessary due diligence, and be there at every step, objectively and patiently working to clear any hurdles to the approvals process.
Staying current
The architectural industry is constantly changing, and ADAL works hard to stay abreast of emerging trends, new technology, updates to regulations and codes, and the changing needs of clients and the sectors they serve.
“We have to be more intuitive about all aspects of design today,” Arup says. “For example, when we are choosing flooring for a seniors’ residence, we must think about the needs of someone with dementia, or how a person with macular degeneration might feel about the lighting. There is constant evolution in the design field and we are always updating ourselves through things like courses and conferences so that we can keep up with emerging trends.”
Award winning designs
In the architectural world today, there is increasing demand for adaptive, multi-use commercial and industrial projects and seniors housing that accommodate social interaction for residents at all stages of physical and cognitive ability.
ADAL has become known for its special expertise in designing mixed-use, seniors housing and commercial projects, and Arup is rightly proud of the many awards and achievements that he and the team have amassed over the years, such as a 2018 Business Leadership Award from Business in Calgary.
In 2014/15, ADAL’s South Pointe Lexus dealership project in Edmonton won the Americas Retail Architecture Award and several International Property Awards (IPAX) UK. This high-end, flagship design showcases ADAL’s expertise in every aspect of its work, including interior design. It incorporates not just a dealership and service centre, but also offers a unique customer experience by providing amenities that include a spa, café, virtual golf simulator and leather massage chairs.
“South Pointe was a challenging site but, in terms of urban design and the architectural public realm, it has been a very successful project and is a product of working together with a client very closely and fully understanding the program requirements of the project,” Arup says.
In 2016 and 2017, ADAL was also recognized in the IPAX Americas Multiple Residence category for its Walden Communities & Generations, two leading-edge, multi-generational housing projects in Calgary that incorporate interactive amenity spaces, multi-activity outdoor spaces, independent and assisted living areas, an auditorium and formal, informal and memory care gardens.
Arup has worked on projects all over the world, and been part of trade missions introducing Canadian architectural expertise to the Americas, southeast Asia, Europe, India, China, Hong Kong and the Middle East. He is a registered member of the Alberta, Ontario, B.C. and Saskatchewan Associations of Architects and was made a fellow by the members of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in 2018 in recognition of his 40-plus year contribution to the built environment of Canada. He is also a life-fellow of the Indian Institute of Architects, and was recently registered with the Washington State Department to practice in the United States.
Exciting times
The ADAL team is currently working on a number of mixed-use commercial and seniors housing and generational projects in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia, which Arup says are among the most challenging they have ever done.
Like the Ontario project for a 30,000-square-foot, two-storey commercial building that ran into unforeseen space and environmental constraints. After working carefully with all the players involved, ADAL came up with an ingenious, unique design solution that has won approval for a nine-storey structure meeting all the environmental, planning, urban design and footprint requirements, that will double the return on investment for the client.
It’s exactly the kind of win-win-win solution that ADAL is known for.
337 – 17th Ave SW, 2nd Floor
Calgary, AB T2S 0A5
Tel: (403) 244-8818 | Fax: (403) 244-8982
info@adal.ca | www.adal.ca
