KOCHI: Prof T Oommen, who passed on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram, was one of the foremost architects that Kerala has produced, renovating centuries-old churches retaining its heritage structure, and a soft-spoken professor loved by a multitude of his students.
He is also credited with introducing Vastu Shastra, the classical Indian system of architecture, in the syllabus when he became the first full-time head of the Department of Architecture at the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET) from 1979 to 1991. Prof Oommen (81), whose funeral will be held on Wednesday, was an outstanding student and he graduated with first rank and first class from the first batch of architecture (1963-69) from CET, under the University of Kerala; and a Masters in Architecture (first class with honors, second rank) from the University of Roorkee in 1974.
Later, Prof Ommen went on to become the special officer and the first principal of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology (RIT).
Dr M Kurian Thomas, a leading Church historian, said Prof Oommen's architectural excellence came to the fore during the renovation of the St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Manarcad, in early 2000s. "The 'karotte palli' (St George Church), which is an integral part of the Cathedral, could not be demolished as its two sides were cemeteries, and one side there's a road. Without demolishing the church, he expanded the church area by double. What he did was he joined the verandah by removing the wall in between. This was hitherto untried," Dr Thomas explained.
Prof Oommen belonged to the Orthodox, and he created his 'magic' in a Jacobite church, he said. "Only after he used the technique did the halls of VJT Hall and the CMS College were expanded in a similar fashion," said Dr Thomas.
Perhaps his biggest contribution came during the establishment of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology at Pampady, Kottayam. RIT acquired 150 acres of rubber plantation for the institute, and the fear was that the trees would be cut, resulting in job losses for the tappers.
It was Prof Oommen who convinced the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy that only 35-acres required cutting of trees, and the rubber plantation in the rest of the area can be retained. An agreement between the Rubber Board and the Directorate of Technical Education followed. "Rubber Board became the manager of the rubber estate, entrusted with the jobs from rubber tapping, giving wages to the tappers, fertilising the plantation and replanting," said Dr Thomas.
After the Rubber Board took control, the tappers did not lose their jobs. Further, as part of the Rubber Board's experiments, the tappers are required to provide various data to the board such as the tapping measurement, the quantity of the latex milk from each tree. This resulted in higher wagers to the tappers.