Introduction: RAJESH DONGRE, Founding Partner & Principal Designer at ABRD Architects, has spent over three decades building institutions that are designed to outlast the generation that commissioned them. A nominated member of the Central Vista Committee and former Chairman of the Delhi NCR Chapter of the Institute of Urban Designers India, he brings rare breadth to the question of how materials shape buildings over time. In this conversation with SSMB, he reflects on steel’s evolving role in India, the lessons of landmark collaborations, and why the only way to truly understand a material is to live the full journey of a project.
Looking back at your earliest projects, how has your understanding of steel as a design material evolved over the decades?
We have always been a concrete-centric country. The use of steel in India was traditionally limited and largely confined to reinforcement rather than structural applications. However, this has changed significantly over the last few decades as more demanding projects and complex building typologies have emerged. Large airports, cargo facilities, stadiums, and long-span structures have highlighted the limitations of concrete in certain situations. Speed of construction, precision, and construction efficiency are areas where steel offers distinct advantages, and that is where the steel industry is now gaining momentum.
“Speed of construction, precision, and execution efficiency are areas where steel offers clear advantages, and that is where the industry is gaining momentum.”
Your collaboration with Mahendra Raj on the National Centre for Biological Sciences is well regarded. What did that experience teach you about pushing steel beyond a purely functional role?
There were two key influences in my professional journey. The first was my early years at Stein Doshi & Bhalla, where I interned and subsequently worked. The second was my opportunity to work with Mr. Mahendra Raj on projects such as Alliance Française de Delhi, NCBS Bangalore, and a few others. The ethos of Mr. Stein’s architecture and Mr. Raj’s approach to structure shared a common philosophy, expressing materials honestly, whether concrete or steel. Working in that environment encouraged us to explore structural systems that were aesthetically appropriate and well-integrated with architecture and building services. Those experiences formed my most important learning years and what I would describe as a true ‘gurukul’.
If you had to point to one example where steel quietly did more work than people realised, what would it be?
It is difficult to narrow it down to one example, but for me the most landmark example remains the Eiffel Tower. It defines what steel can truly achieve, allowing a structure to soar in a way that few other materials could. It remains one of the most iconic symbols of steel construction in the world. What many people may not know is that it was never intended to be permanent. It was built as a temporary structure for the Paris Exposition and was originally meant to be dismantled afterwards. However, it proved so compelling and so beautifully conceived that it was retained. For me, it remains the finest ambassador of steel construction.
Laboratory buildings demand long uninterrupted spans, heavy services integration, and future flexibility. How does steel help you solve these specific requirements?
Steel offers tremendous flexibility in design. It is a material that does not consume excessive volume while allowing large uninterrupted spans. This has been particularly valuable in laboratory buildings, where flexibility, services integration, and future adaptability are critical. Steel enables us to keep the structure lean while maintaining open and adaptable spaces, something concrete cannot easily achieve at the same scale.
Across the typologies you have worked in institutions, laboratories, workplace architecture, where have you found steel to be non-negotiable?
Steel is non-negotiable in spaces like auditoriums and large-span atriums. Where lightness is desired, where natural light is to be harnessed, where trusses that can carry services, steel is absolutely non-negotiable. There are spaces where the architecture itself demands it, and no other material can deliver the same result.
When designing for high sustainability ratings like GRIHA five-star, how do you evaluate steel against other material choices for long-term performance?
In terms of longevity, properly designed and maintained steel structures can deliver service lives exceeding 100 years, while many concrete structures require substantial intervention much earlier. In theory, buildings should undergo periodic audits, retrofitting, and maintenance, but in India that does not always happen consistently. Steel offers durability, adaptability, and recyclability, making it an increasingly attractive material from a sustainability perspective. While we remain a concrete-centric country, the steel ecosystem is steadily maturing, and its role will continue to grow.
“Properly designed and maintained steel structures can deliver service lives exceeding 100 years, while many concrete structures require substantial intervention much earlier.”
Architects often face pressure to keep costs down while making the case for steel. How have you navigated that conversation with clients?
Architects are often required to address questions of cost because they interact directly with clients, whereas structural engineers are primarily focused on safety, performance, and code compliance. The architect’s role is to evaluate the available budget and identify where structural steel can create the greatest value. Ultimately, architects and engineers work together to arrive at an optimal solution and demonstrate why steel is the appropriate choice while remaining within budget. In many cases, the argument of safety, speed, and long-term performance continues to favour steel.
What is one thing you wish more architects entering the field today understood about designing with steel?
Designing with steel is about experiencing the entire journey. You need to have completed a few steel buildings to truly understand both its advantages and its limitations; this is not something that can be learned in a classroom. You must take a project from concept design through execution, handover, and fit-out to understand the peculiarities of the material. At our practice, every young architect and engineer is encouraged to participate at all stages of a project. Even our BOQs and specifications are prepared with active involvement from architects, guided by principals and senior associates. That is the only way to understand a material and its behaviour in totality.
“You have to take a project from concept design through handover and fit-out to truly understand the peculiarities of a material.”
