A remnant of the dwindling Parsee-Zoroastrian community, Noel grew up in an art-deco inspired colonial township of Bombay. Driven by the Zoroastrian principles of Good thoughts, words and deeds and a strong urge to express, he studied his way through architecture and design on scholarships and educational aid.
After graduating as an architect, Surti’s work largely focused on the planning and design of the Bhendi Bazar neighbourhood, housing an integral residential community of inner-city Bombay. Carrying a plethora of cultural anecdotes with him and now being aided with the distinguished honour of receiving a TATA scholarship, Surti arrived in Melbourne for his postgraduate degree in architecture. The city made room for his idiosyncrasies, by fuelling his unorthodox channels of thought and finding a new audience for his imagination. Melbourne, had now become his home. In April 2018, Surti’s efforts were brought to light by Melbourne Movement. Aided by a grant from the City of Melbourne, Surti became a Salone Satellite Award finalist and one of the faces of emerging Australian design at the Milan furniture fair.
Trained by Bombay, refined by Melbourne, Surti dwells in a realm that blends the subtleties of a maker with the dynamics of an architect.
