Design Journey with Dipen Gada

Destiny decided the start of his foray into interior design and architecture, yet three decades later his creative work is more intentional then ever

- VARUNI MOHAN

At any convocation or talk he may give about his career, Dipen Gada often tells the story of "Those Three Marks". As a high school student Dipen dreamt of studying mechanical engineering and working in America. He ran short of three marks that were needed to secure a seat in this field at university. Dipen went on to study civil engineering instead and this twist of fate changed the course of his life forever and says, "I had the opportunity to go on a journey that I had not planned for. But studying civil engineering would eventually greatly help in my understanding and execution of technical and aesthetic architecture." Dipen Gada started his eponymous practice in 1993, in Vadodara and as destiny would have it, his first interior design project was a boutique owned by a family friend, which was then followed by a remodel of a house. His story is one which is a serendipitous meeting of opportunity and innate creative talent. In hindsight Dipen recalls, "I remember making a model of a temple for a school project when I was about 14 years old, which was four feet tall and was really appreciated. It was a proje