Shirish Patel & Associates Consultants Private Limited was formed in the year 1974, by a core group of Civil engineers that had been working in the Consulting Firm founded by Shirish B Patel in the year 1960. The firm’s focus since the very inception has been excellence in engineering, professional ethics and integration all aspects of design. Shirish B Patel’s interests go far beyond structural engineering, extending to irrigation, solar energy, computer software, town planning, slum rehabilitation and anything else that would be good for the health of Mumbai or of the society in general. Shirish B Patel is Honorary Professor at the National Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. He is presently Chairman Emeritus of SPA.

SPA has been responsible for designing a wide variety of projects such as Industrial Structures, Marine Structures, Hydraulic Structures,, Bridges, Elevated Viaducts for flyovers, railways and metro rail and a variety of architectural projects such as Residential apartment buildings, Commercial buildings, Hospitals, Educational Institutions, Information Technology Parks etc

SPA has designed a number of innovative structures that may be categorised as “First time in India“. These include 24 storied apartment buildings in a Large Panel Precast System, stressed skin roofs in structural steel for factory buildings, factory buildings in Precast Concrete, tall building with slip-formed core, soil stabilisation using pre-stressed soil anchors, incrementally launched Pre-stressed Box Girder Railway Bridge, Reinforced and Pre-stressed Concrete Bridges with integral piers with no bearings are some examples. Innovations extend beyond structural engineering, to strip lights for industrial buildings that provide excellent natural light, and precast concrete vertical axis rotating louvers for providing controlled ventilation in factory buildings. SPA is the recipient of the prestigious FIP award for “The most outstanding structure – category building” at XII FIP Congress held in Washington (USA) in 1994. This award is given for all round excellence in Civil Engineering. Till date SPA is the only Indian Consulting firm to have won this outstanding structures award from FIP.

During the last couple of decades SPA’s focus has been bridges, viaducts for Metro Rail in various cities, Information Technology Parks, station buildings for Railways, Metro Rail, Monorail projects, and tall residential buildings. For station buildings often SPA has been the lead consultant, partnering Architects and MEP Consultants

The ambience in SPA’s office is very informal and open. The work culture is equally informal without much hierarchy. The company functions on a profit-sharing basis, at all levels, from peon to the senior-most Associate.