Ar. Abhay Wadhwa found his calling in lighting design, while studying architecture at the Sir JJ College of Architecture in Mumbai, India. He then moved to the USA, to pursue a graduate program in Architecture, followed by a Master’s degree in Lighting from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Eventually he set up AWA Lighting Designers in 2002. Operating out of NYC, AWA handles a gamut of lighting design projects across the world. Working extensively with the world’s leading architecture and design firms in the fields of commercial and mixed use developments, urban planning, transportation, infrastructure, hospitality, and healthcare, Abhay Wadhwa is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, educator, and author of numerous advanced light engineering and cultural lighting articles.

Mr. Frank Schlöder, based in Mumbai, is the Managing Director at Häfele India Private Limited, with all of South Asia under his purview. Schlöder brings experience from previous roles at Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, BMW Group and BMW Group France. With a 1993 - 1999 Business graduate in International studies of Business Administration from the University of Münster, Schlöeder has hoisted the Häfele flag firmly in the South Asian regions. Here, Mr. Schlöeder discusses issues pertaining to the furniture hardware industry in India, as well as Häfele’s plans for the future.

There are homes, there are large homes; and then there is Azaan! 17,600 sq.m. of built space – mind-numbing or what?! One has to blink twice and re-read the number to make sure your eyes got it right. And yet the architectural creation has a gentle grace imbued in soulfulness. Azaan is a home in Khajrana, Indore, designed for a large, joint Muslim family. The project also includes an office space and recreational areas.

Abhishek Chhabra is a fire safety expert with nearly 20 years of experience in conformity assessment. With good knowledge of international compliance standards, including those set by North America, Europe, Britain, ISO, IMO, and Indian authorities, Abhishek currently represents two leading industry associations - the Firestop Contractors International Association (FCIA) and the National Fireproofing Contractors Association (NFCA). In this role, he spearheads efforts to raise awareness and understanding of passive fire protection practices. Through his initiative, tic.guru, he offers educational courses related to the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) industry. In the first article of this knowledge series on Passive Fire Protection, he shares valuable inputs with the readers of INSITE.

Experienced lighting design professional with over 22 years in design and project management across architecture, interiors, real estate, and lighting development - Ar. Ashish Bahal is a partner at Lucent Worldwide, one of Asia’s largest lighting design firms. Actively involved in technical advisory committees for IGBC, GRIHA, ECBC, Bahal is an expert in technical and design-based lighting applications. Here, he shares brilliant inputs on successful lighting design; illustrating his expertise through a project handled by Lucent Worldwide – the Kohler Experience Centre at Bangalore.