BUILDING A LEGACY ARUP DATTA LEADS HIS FIRM TO LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS By David Parker
Top: Design Resource Platform, Bangalore, India. Inset: Kovai Centre, Coimbatore, India.
BACKGROUND & BUSINESS HISTORY
As the founding principal of ARUP DATTA ARCHITECT LTD. (ADAL), Arup Datta realized early in his career that great architecture is the result of a combination of talent, experience and collaboration. It is a creative problem-solving process that includes resolving multiple issues and integrating the user’s needs.
Returning from Nigeria, he joined the former MSA as the senior associate where he lent his talent and skills in designing West Edmonton Mall (Phase III & IV) and the Mall of America, two of the world’s largest billion-dollar mixed-use shopping mall projects. Today, he continues to create excellent planning and architecture drawing from the expertise of key core personnel while being personally involved in every project; a benefit to clients that cannot be assured in larger firms. His design of functional, efficient and economical buildings has been recognized through the many local, national and international awards his firm has earned, and projects designed have made a profound impact on the social, cultural and economic level wherever they are located.
In 1988, Arup founded his architectural, master planning, urban design and interior design company in Calgary. He has enjoyed tremendous success thanks to his fresh and appropriate design approach, creating effective solutions to meet all clients’ objectives. Through three decades, ADAL has reflected his unique ‘concept design expertise’ with outstanding projects nationally and internationally. Arup worked with two leading firms in India before immigrating to Canada in 1974 and becoming a registered member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). He completed his education in project management at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, USA.
Since 1992, the firm has extended its practice to B.C., Saskatchewan and Ontario, and in 1993, began to market itself internationally, providing services to developers in Asia and the Middle East. Arup is a fellow of the Indian Institute of Architects. Backed by the firm’s strong reputation, which has been recognized by the Canadian High Commission, Arup has been invited to present on many international trade missions.
After being recruited at Cohos Evamy and Partners as a senior design and project architect, Arup was involved in designing Western Canadian Place (Husky Towers) and Bankers Hall. He went to Nigeria in 1983 on a three-year contract to design a $135-million twin-tower office and convention facility.
Having found its niche in providing architectural services, mixed-use commercial, senior’s housing, residential and the assessment of government projects both within Canada and abroad, today ADAL is well known for its
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