JACK VICAJEE BERTOLI.
INDIAN – SWISS.
ARCHITECT – PLANNER.

BORN IN BOMBAY (MUMBAI.) 6 OCTOBER 1931

NEPHEW OF J.R.D.TATA.
SCHOOLING IN INDIA AND IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF GENEVA. SWITZERLAND.
WITH AN ARCHITECTURAL DIPLOMA (MASTERS) FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA,

AND WITH A FELLOWSHIP FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PRINCETON WHERE HE RECEIVED A
MASTERS OF FINE ARTS, AND OFFERED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF PRINCETON TO BE AN
ASSISTANT TO THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE.

HIS FIRST JOB WAS AS AN ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTANT TO THE
FORD FOUNDATION IN INDIA ON THE PLANNING TEAM FOR THE
“NEW DELHI MASTER PLAN”
OVERSEEING THE PROJECT CONTROL WITH LE CORBUSIER
WHO WAS BUILDING THE NEW CAPITAL OF PUNJAB, CHANDIGARH.

AS AN ARCHITECT TODAY TRYING TO
PLAN FOR THE EXTREMELY POOR AT THE SCALE NECESSARY TO HELP THE DISINHERITED BUILD
“HOMES”
NOT JUST MEER SHELTERS.

THE PROBLEMS IN INDIA TODAY ARE UNIQUE AND COLOSSAL. INDIA IS A VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL COUNTRY ON THE PLANET COMPARABLE TO NO OTHER NATION ON EARTH TODAY
CONCERNING SIZE / POPULATION / DIVERSITY / POLLUTION / POVERTY / INFRASTRUCTURE / NEPOTISM / CORRUPTION / BEAUTY, WEALTH AND HONOUR, THE COUNTRY HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY RICH KALEIDOSCOPE OF CULTURES, HISTORY, SCIENCE, RELIGIONS, ART, LANGUAGES, AND EXCEPTIONAL BEAUTIFUL STUNNING DIFFERENT NATURAL SETTINGS ACROSS THE SUB-CONTINENT, HOWEVER THERE EXISTS AMIDST THIS A SERIES OF EXTREME SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT SEEM TO BE IGNORED BY MOST OF THE REIGNING AND THE NEW EMERGING WEALTHY, PROGRESS IS NOT BEING MADE AT THE NECESSARY SCALE AS BASIC INFRASTUTURE NOR IN THE DIRECTION RESPECTING THE VERY URGENT NEEDS FOR THE MASSES, THE POPULATION WITH THE EXISTING HUGE NUMBER OF POOR SPECIALLY THE INCREDIBLE PROBLEM CONCERNING THE ACUTE MISERY OF
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS LIVING
IN ABJECT CONDITIONS.

BRINGING INHABITANTS OUT OF POVERTY IN “PERCENT” FIGURES SHOW A LOWER
“%”
BUT “NUMBERS” COUNT AS WELL !

INDIA TODAY IS A PARADISE FOR FOREIGNERS AND FOR THE WEALTHY, BUT A LIVING HELL ON EARTH FOR THE POOR, WHO REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION, OF ABOUT 800’000’000 HUMAN BEINGS. URGENT AND BETTER LIVING AND HOUSING SOLUTIONS HAVE TO BE FOUND WITH SIMPLE, DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE WAYS.
ALONE THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE
GOOD AND BETTER PLANNING HAS TO BE UNDERTAKEN WITH A TEAM AND THE HELP OF GREAT INDIAN
COMPANIES SUCH AS
"TATA"
AND BRIGHT CARING SPECIALISTS AND INDIVIDUALS BOTH
INDIAN AND INTERNATIONAL,