Iqbal Abbas Chaney was born in India in 1945 and grew up in Pune. He studied at the prestigious Sir J. J. College of Architecture in Mumbai, graduating in 1968, before immediately travelling to the UK to pursue postgraduate studies in London. In 1968–1969, he joined the Department of Development and Tropical Studies, at the Architectural Association, residing at the Alliance Club in Newington Green during his time in London. Following his graduation, Chaney joined James Cubitt and Partners (JCP), a firm founded by AA graduates with roots in the UK and a strong legacy of modernist practice in postcolonial Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, where they delivered institutional, educational, and civic buildings. While at JCP, Chaney was closely mentored by one of its co-founders, architect Fello Atkinson, who later stationed him in Libya from 1970–1973 to oversee the construction of the University of Tripoli. He arrived in Libya during a momentous period for the country following the 1969 coup, with the new regime directing surging oil revenues towards development programs and importing foreign architects and contractors to deliver them. After returning to the UK, Chaney continued working with the firm’s London office until c1981. In 1982, Chaney returned to India and established Chaney Architects in Pune, which, in his words, sought “to speak the same language [as JCP], a language of contemporary simplicity and timeless elegance.” The practice has been co-managed by partner Nandini Sapre since 1986, and has won multiple awards and been involved in over 650 projects, ranging from townships, private residences, and health care to hospitality, industrial buildings and interior designing. Among Chaney’s most recognised works are the private residences Villa Banca at Sopan Baug and another villa at Koregoan Park in Pune. Both projects follow a similar minimalist aesthetic and cubic massing, with double-height covered outdoor spaces taking the place of the traditional verandah. Beyond practice, Chaney is known for his watercolour architectural sketches, the sales of which fund the Iqbal and Nina Chaney Foundation, a charitable trust which supports institutions that deliver education to underprivileged children.

Sources:

• Architectural Association Student Register 1945–1972. AA Archives.
• Department of Tropical Architecture, student listing, Otto Koenigsberger Collection, Box OK27. AA Archives.
• MGS Architecture. “Ar. Iqbal Chaney – Chaney Architects.” MGS Architecture. n.d. Accessed April 12, 2025. https://www.mgsarchitecture.in/architecture-design/architects-interior-designers/1165-ar-iqbal-chaney-chaney-architects.html
• Homify. “Chaney Architects (practice profile).” Homify. n.d. Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.homify.in/professionals/638481/chaney-architects
• Rethinking The Future. “Chaney Architects: Shaping Spaces, Crafting Legacies.” Rethinking The Future. n.d. Accessed April 12, 2025. https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/architect/chaney-architects/