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{{Short description|Indian architect (1924–2020)}}

{{Infobox architect
| name = Sarto Almeida
| image = Sarto Almeida.jpg
| caption = Sarto Almeida
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1924|7|5|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|5|26|1924|7|5|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Comba, Goa|Comba]], [[Margao]], [[Goa]], [[Portuguese India]]
| death_place = Seraulim, Goa, India
| practice =
| significant_buildings =
| significant_projects =
| awards =
| alma_mater = [[Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art|J. J. School of Architecture]], [[Mumbai]]
| children =
| spouse = Therese Almeida
}}
'''Sarto Almeida''' (5 July 1924 – 26 May 2020) was an Indian architect who designed buildings and houses in Ahmedabad and [[Goa]].

==Biography==
Almeida's grandfather had a large plantation in East Africa. Sarto grew up with his father and brother [https://www.archnet.org/authorities/3052 Tony] in [[Dar es Salaam]] in [[Tanzania]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Herald |date=2017-07-01 |title=Getting an edge with age — that's Sarto for Goa! |url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Goa-Social/Getting-an-edge-with-age-%E2%80%94-thats-Sarto-for-Goa/117043 |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=Herald Goa |language=en}}</ref> He lost his mother at a very young age. His ancestral family hailed from [[Chinchinim]] in [[Goa]].<ref name=":0" />

Sarto was born on 5 July 1924<ref name=":0" /> in [[Comba, Goa|Comba]], [[Margao]], Goa, [[Portuguese India]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2020-06-04 |title=Arch. Sarto António da Piedade 'Sa de Almeida |url=https://www.geni.com/people/Arch-Sarto-Ant%C3%B3nio-da-Piedade-Sa-de-Almeida/6000000009742972770 |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=geni_family_tree |language=en-US}}</ref> Soon after his birth, he travelled with his mother to Dar es Salaam to join his father. In 1930s, he studied at [https://sjscbse.edu.in/ St. Joseph's School], [[Bangalore]] and later at [https://xaviers.ac/ St. Xavier's College] in Mumbai.<ref name=":3" /> He joined [[Sir J. J. School of Art]], [[Mumbai]] where he studied sketching and drawing.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Grover |first=Satish |date=1987 |title=Sarto Almeida |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/d969f5595ba47e5301e05afd3252b6f3/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1816889 |journal=Architecture + Design |volume=II |issue=4 |page=16|id={{ProQuest|1816889}}}}</ref> He worked with [[Piloo Mody]] in Mumbai. Later he moved to [[Ahmedabad]] and worked with [[B. V. Doshi]]. He was influenced by [[Le Corbusier|Le Corbusie]]'s modernist architecture while working there.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Herald |date=2020-05-27 |title=An architect of ethics, of heritage and of the land he loved |url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/cafe/an-architect-of-ethics-of-heritage-and-of-the-land-he-loved/161099 |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Herald Goa |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2020-05-30 |title=Goa's Guru, architect Sarto Almeida passes away |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/goas-guru-architect-sarto-almeida-passes-away-6434796/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Times |first=Navhind |date=2020-06-03 |title=The joyous legacy of Sarto Almeida |url=https://www.navhindtimes.in/2020/06/03/goanews/the-joyous-legacy-of-sarto-almeida/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=The Navhind Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5" />

In 1962 Sarto went on his grand tour of Greece, France, Monte Carlo, Italy, Spain, England, Egypt and the USA. He travelled on this study tour of great Architecture (and jazz festivals). He met with [[B. V. Doshi]] in the US, and visited [[Louis Kahn]] along with [[Vikram Sarabhai]] and attended the Design Conference at Aspen and the Jazz Festival in Newport.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

During his time in Ahmedabad with B. V. Doshi Sarto worked on many prestigious projects such as The Physical Research Laboratories and The Institute Of Indology. In 1960, Doshi was commissioned to build a campus for the Shreyas School by Leenaben Sarabhai. Shreyas was founded by [[Maria Montessori]] while she lived as a guest of the Sarabhai's during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=[Goanet] Sarto – Skilled Mentor, Dedicated Architect, and Husband for Five-Plus Decades.... (Therese Almeida) |url=https://www.mail-archive.com/goanet@lists.goanet.org/msg138635.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=www.mail-archive.com}}</ref>

He returned to Goa from Ahmedabad in 1963.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> Initially he had his office and home in Margao.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> He bought an old heritage house in Seraulim, South Goa and moved there with his family.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> He designed several buildings in Goa during his career. He was the first Chairman of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority. He was a member of the Ecological Control Committee and the Conservation Committee in Goa.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2020-05-26 |title=Architect Sarto Almeida is no more |url=https://architexturez.net/pst/az-cf-193819-1589175203 |journal=Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects|volume=61 |issue=1 |last1=Desai |first1=Madhavi |last2=Desai |first2=Miki |last3=Lang |first3=Jon }}</ref>

He died on 26 May 2020 in Seraulim, Goa.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />

== Works ==
Almeida combined [[Modern architecture|modernism]] with regionalism and prioritized functionality and rationality.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> He also worked for conservation and environmental protection as well as conservation of heritage buildings.<ref name=":5" />

He had designed educational institutions, religious buildings, government buildings and several homes; mostly in Goa. These include Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries building in [[Panaji]], the Goa College of Art in Panaji, Carmelite Monastery Church at Aqueum, Partagali Math in [[Canacona]], Laxmi Narayan Temple at [[Velinga (Veling)|Veling]], Goa International Centre in [[Dona Paula]], the auditorium at Father Agnel Polytechnic in Verna, SOS Children's Village, the Science Block at Carmel College, [[Padre Conceicao College of Engineering]] at Verna, Guardian Angel School at Sanvordem.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />

==Personal life==
On a visit to the USA, to attend the International Design Conference, Sarto along with Doshi and Vikram Sarabhai went to meet the renowned architect Louis Kahn, to invite him to design the [[Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad|Indian Institute Of Management]] and Sarto was asked to work with Kahn in Ahmedabad. Soon after he married Therese Almeida so they opted to pursue better educational options. When they moved Goa, they founded the [https://manovikas.edu.in/ Manovikas] English Medium School https://manovikas.edu.in/.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

His brother [https://www.archdaily.com/960564/the-global-legacy-of-modernism-in-tanzania Anthony Almeida] was an [https://www.sharparchitects.co.uk/modernism-in-tanzania-the-work-of-anthony-almeida/ architect in Tanzania.] Cartoonist [[Mario Miranda]] and urban planner Edgar Rebeiro were his close friends.<ref name=":2" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Almeida, Sarto}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian architects]]
[[Category:Artists from Goa]]
[[Category:Indian urban planners]]
[[Category:Indian architects]]
[[Category:Sir J. J. School of Art alumni]]
[[Category:Modernist architects]]
[[Category:Indian people of Portuguese descent]]

Sarto Almeida - Revision history

Nilesh Kumar 123: starting new stub - done