Tribe Verified

Practical DIY Guides for Heritage Conservation

byAishwarya Tipnis ArchitectsAvailable online and across India; Studio in Greater Kailash, New DelhiStarts from₹6,500 Per HourView full gallery

Don't just admire old buildings—learn how to save them. Our restoration toolkits offer practical, hands-on knowledge for homeowners and site managers to breathe new life into heritage spaces.

A proud moment holding the first copy of our 18th publication, "Restoring: Conversations." This book is the culmination of our Restoration Toolbox project, capturing key learnings and the future of restoration in India.

The process of restoration in action at The Verdun House. Here, craftsmen are installing a new wooden ceiling, a key part of the project where we provided technical assistance and training as part of our mentorship program.

Testing different wood finishes is a crucial part of the restoration process. These samples show various oils and waxes being tested on reclaimed wood, a detail from our hands-on work at The Verdun House.

A hands-on demonstration during a Restoration Clinic workshop. An expert shows students how to assess and repair a traditional wooden door frame, bridging the gap between theory and practical craft.

A group of students listens intently during a session for The Restoration Clinic. These workshops are designed to be intimate and interactive, providing direct access to experts and fostering a collaborative learning environment.

A workshop for local homeowners and stakeholders, introducing them to the resources available through The Restoration Toolbox. Our goal is to empower citizens to become active participants in conserving their local heritage.

The official announcement for the book launch and manifesto release of "The Restoration Toolbox" project. This event marked the successful conclusion of a two-year journey to create accessible tools for heritage conservation.

Receiving a token of appreciation at a stakeholders workshop for The Restoration Toolbox. This project was a massive collaborative effort with partners across India and Europe, aimed at making restoration accessible to all.

An expert speaking at a stakeholders workshop for The Restoration Toolbox. The project brought together policy makers, academics, and practitioners to discuss the future of urban heritage conservation in India.

A look at some of our past publications, including the Built Heritage Conservation Manuals for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Creating these practical guides has been a long-standing commitment of our practice.

About The Restoration Toolbox: DIY Guides for Heritage Conservation

Restoration shouldn't be a mystery guarded by a select few. Whether you are dealing with damp walls in an old haveli or trying to salvage original Lakhori bricks, our guides provide the technical know-how to identify the right materials and methods, ensuring you treat the building as a living entity rather than a ruin.

Over 20 years of heritage conservation practice. — Approved by the tribe
A

Aishwarya Tipnis Architects

Available online and across India; Studio in Greater Kailash, New DelhiStarts from ₹6,500 Per Hour

We are a heritage-led design studio dedicated to making conservation accessible to everyone. Through our research and teaching, we empower communities to take ownership of their history and reimagine it for the future.

Similar work from other experts

Browse through Curated picks from other experts on mytribe

The facade of the Rung Community Museum before and after our intervention. We removed the clutter and restored the facade to create a dignified and beautiful community landmark.7
The museum's upper corridor was transformed from a dark, dilapidated passage into a bright, welcoming gallery, showcasing the restored stone and new woodwork.
A work-in-progress shot of a market plaza in Champawat, Uttarakhand. This image captures the beauty of the wooden frame structure during the construction phase.

Heritage Restoration and Adaptive Reuse Projects

C
Compartment S4Studios in Ahmedabad & Bengaluru; Restoration projects across India
A team of masons at work laying bricks for a new foundation wall at one of our Alibaug sites. This foundational work is critical for ensuring the longevity of the structures we restore and build.13
A craftsman meticulously restores an antique wooden door panel. This delicate process of stripping, repairing, and finishing by hand is essential to preserving the authentic character of a heritage property.
A painter applies the finishing touches to a newly installed wooden window set within a restored brick arch. The contrast between the white-painted brick and the warm wood highlights the architectural details.
An artisan carefully shaping and splitting locally sourced stone. We prioritize using natural materials found on or near the site to ensure our designs are sustainable and rooted in their environment.

Heritage Restoration and Adaptive Reuse Projects

A
Anjali RawatTakes projects across India; Consultation at studio in Chembur West, Mumbai
Two craftsmen work on restoring the timber ceiling beams of a historic school. This delicate process involves strengthening the original structure while preserving its aged character, a core principle of our conservation work.37
Workers carefully restore the interior of a classroom. The image shows the layers of old paint and plaster being stripped back to reveal the original wall surface, the first step in understanding the building's history.
The wall as a canvas of history. The layers of paint, scraped and worn over decades, create an abstract texture that tells the story of the building's life. We often find beauty in these accidental discoveries during the restoration process.
A craftsman carefully points the joints of the original stone wall. This traditional technique, using a lime-based mortar, is crucial for allowing the historic masonry to breathe and ensuring the long-term health of the structure.

Heritage Building Restoration and Conservation Services

M
Mathew and GhoshVisit Studio in Koramangala; Projects across Bengaluru & India
A wide view of the fully restored century-old building in Lonavala, set within its manicured landscape. The project balanced preservation of the original Indo-Saracenic character with necessary structural and functional upgrades.4
The restored veranda of the heritage structure, framed by lush greenery. We brought the original stone masonry and wooden roof back to their former condition, creating a beautiful and functional outdoor living space.
Sunlight falls across the restored veranda, highlighting the intricate original mosaic tile floor and the white-painted wooden roof structure. This space exemplifies the harmonious blend of colonial and vernacular design influences.
The process of restoring the original Burma teak wood from the roof. Each piece was carefully inspected, cleaned, and treated to preserve the material's natural resistance to decay and reveal its inherent beauty.

Heritage Conservation and Building Restoration Services

S
Sejpal and Parekh AssociatesStudio in Mumbai; takes projects across India
Work begins on the restoration of this historic Art Deco building, originally designed by Claude Batley. Our goal is to repurpose this former princely seat into a modern family home while honoring its significant architectural legacy.28
A view of the Art Deco building before restoration, showing its strong horizontal lines and cantilevered balconies. Our work will involve carefully repairing and restoring these key features.
A detail of the building's crest and balcony. The project requires a sensitive approach to preserving original details while upgrading the structure for contemporary use.
The elegant, curving staircase in the Art Deco building's main hall. This magnificent feature will be the centerpiece of the restored interior, a testament to the original craftsmanship.

Reimagining Heritage Architecture

T
ThirdspaceStudios in Pune & Belagavi; Projects across India
The courtyard of the Ambico Ice Factory before our intervention. This image documents the cluttered state, with ad-hoc structures choking the banyan tree and obscuring the building's original connection to the street.15
The factory as we found it, buried under layers of plaster and neglect. The top image shows the unassuming entrance on Calicut Street, giving no hint of the vast industrial heritage space that lay within.
The site of the old office and water tank, where the banyan tree's roots were choked by concrete and rubble. Freeing this tree was the spark of inspiration that guided the entire adaptive reuse project.
This was the state of the temporary workers' housing on the site. Part of the restoration process involved carefully clearing these arbitrary additions to reveal the original courtyard and structure.

The Archaeological Process: Unmaking and Remaking Heritage

M
Malik ArchitectureTakes projects across India; Visit office at Ballard Estate, Mumbai

More from Architectural Education & Workshops by Aishwarya Tipnis Architects

FeaturedOur Internship: Real Projects, Real ImpactJugaadopolis Workshops: Co-creating the Future of HeritageSharing Knowledge: Lectures, Panels & KeynotesFrom Theory to Practice: Project Case Studies

More services by Aishwarya Tipnis Architects

Heritage Conservation & Adaptive ReuseUrban Design & Placemaking
  1. Home
  2. Aishwarya Tipnis Architects
  3. Architectural Education & Workshops
  4. The Restoration Toolbox: DIY Guides for Heritage Conservation