361 Degree Conference 2012 - Transcripts

With multiple ways and means, multilateral approaches and multidimensional practices, architects and designers in India and the world venture into previously unseen realms dealing with unprecedented unknowns and armed with intense understanding of the new age. The 361° Conference 2012 attempted to understand and debate on of the chaos and tried to make sense of the ambiguous whole. The forum tried and deciphered the New Spirit in Architecture.

TRACK 3: PARACENTRIC PRACTICES

• Thisara Thanapathy

Many contemporary practices develop an individual identity and distinct ‘modus operandi’ emerging from an at times rebellious, at times divergent attitude towards the mainstream. The agenda of the track was to understand the reason for individuals and ideas to resist the forces of the global capital and align to the ‘alternative’.

• Bijoy Jain

Principal, Thisara Thanapathy Architects, Sri Lanka Principal, Studio Mumbai, Mumbai, India

• Anne Feenstra

Principal, arch i, Delhi and Kabul

• Alejandro Aravena

Principal, ELEMENTAL, Chile

• C. Anjalendran

Architect, Sri Lanka

• Rafiq Azam • Manit Rastogi

TRACK 1: SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY

• Dr. Ken Yeang

This track showcased practices that use data, digital media, intelligent technology, interactive interfaces etc. to devise new means of creating architecture and design.

The idea was to discuss the emergence of new realms of work with technology as a common point of departure.

Managing Partner, Morphogenesis, New Delhi, India Principal of T. R. Hamzah and Yeang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• Kas Oosterhuis

Director, Hyperbody, Delft, Netherlands

• Iwan Baan

TRACK 2: OBJECTS & EXPERIENCES

• Gurjit Singh Matharoo

Contemporary design profession influences and is influenced by parallel creative practice and design thinking that cuts through fine distinctions of the traditional school and amalgamates creative thinking through multiple points of view. This track showcased such contemporary practices through their work and tried to understand the spirit behind such knit.

Principal, Iwan Baan Photography, The Netherlands Principal, Matharoo Associates, Ahmedabad, India

• Martha Schwartz

Principal, Martha Schwartz Partners, Massachusetts, USA

• Benjamin Hubert

Principal, Benjamin Hubert Studio, London, UK

• Andre Tammes

Principal, Lighting Design Partnership, UK

Principal, Shattoto, Dhaka, Bangladesh

TRACK 4: INNOVATING @ GRASSROOTS

• Dharmesh Jadeja

Many young designers and architects have started to look back and rethink the idea of design innovation taking the tough yet pragmatic route of working at the grassroots to develop inherent potential at micro and macro levels. This track looked into this important aspect of contemporary architecture and design practices.

• Luyanda Mpahlwa

Principal, Buildaur, Auroville, India Principal & Director, MMA Architects, Cape Town, SA

• Sandeep Virmani

MD, KHNA & Hunnarshala, Bhuj, India

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The conference in motion. The event was attended by 600 people.

‘Art & Design Book Store’ space at the event.

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New Spirit in Architecture

Alejandro Aravena makes his presentation for the Paracentric Practices track.

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new spirit in architecture

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ince economic liberalisation, design has become a key element for growth.

As the markets are thrown open to globalisation, unprecedented forces drive and redefine the architectural landscape and the practice of design.

New economic avenues combine with the idea of ‘modernity’, giving rise to capital that needs and feeds architectural practices. The profession has seen an aggressive surge in demand and supply of architecture that develops from a thriving capitalist market which supports and experiments with fresh thoughts, attitudes and perspectives in design. Architecture can no longer be identified and defined by expressions of the likes of ‘vernacular’ and ‘modern’.

The ever-antagonistic attitudes of the conservative architect against the progressive architect diminish in a wave of optimism and pragmatism that defines contemporary architectural practice. With multiple ways and means, multilateral approaches and multidimensional practices, architects and designers in India, and the world, venture into previously unseen realms dealing with unprecedented unknowns and armed with intense understanding of the new age. The 361° Conference 2012, over a span of two days, tried to understand the ethos of ‘New Spirit in Architecture’.’ It was oraganised on the 17th and 18th of March, 2012, at the NSE Ground, Mumbai.

The forum opened with the screening of Hundred Hands’ film ‘Doshi’ that chronicles the ideas of Dr. B V Doshi through the medium of a simply made documentary. 18 speakers presented their work and their thoughts within the academic confines of four tracks: ‘Systems & Technology’, ‘Objects & Experiences’, ‘Paracentric Practices’ and ‘Innovating @ Grassroots’.

The first track “Systems and Technology” showcased practices that use data, digital media, intelligent technology and interactive interfaces that devised new means of creating architecture and design. The second track “Objects and Experiences”, hosted practices that were influenced by parallel creatives and design. It had speakers who belonged to the contemporary design community.

These two tracks together constituted the first day of the conference.

‘Doshi’ by Hundred Hands.

Panel discussion after the track ‘Objects & Experiences’.

The second day had a line up of nine speakers, again divided into two tracks.

The first track on the second day was called “Paracentric Practices” and it housed speakers who had a unique identity and signature style, sometimes rebellious and socially divergent towards the mainstream. The final track for the conference was called “Innovating @ Grassroots”, which explained vernacular mediums and ground-level ideas on architecture, sustainability and life. The conference was attended by 600 architects, designers and urban professionals, and received a great response from the audience.

Anne Feenstra on working in Afghanistan; 18 speakers presented over two days.

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TRACK I

IA&B - APR 2012

Systems & Technology Since the advent of social media and the resultant ‘shrinking’ of global space, it becomes important to understand the fine distinction between ‘physical’ and ‘virtual’. This track showcased practices that use data, digital media, intelligent technology, interactive interfaces etc. to devise new means of creating architecture and design. The idea was to discuss emergence of new realms of work with technology as a common point of departure. The presentations and discussions within this track addressed the importance of contemporary analytical and design tools and how they influence the idea of architecture.

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TRACK II

Objects & Experiences The diversification and subsequent hybridisation of multiple approaches and ways of thinking has resulted in multi-dimensional design practices where architecture, design, fashion and technology depart from a single source of creative practice. Contemporary design profession influences and is influenced by parallel creative practice and design thinking that cuts through fine distinctions of the traditional school and amalgamates creative thinking through multiple points of view. This track showcased such contemporary practices through their work, trying to understand the spirit behind such knit.

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MANIT RASTOGI

Architecture of Almost Somewhere Founded in 1996, Morphogenesis is one of the leading architecture firms in India. Design at Morphogenesis is viewed as a process that is a resultant of different stimuli, ranging from climatic conditions, financial and market forces, globalisation, local conditions, prevalent traditions and technologies, and the community. It is this all-inclusive nature of design with a unique focus on passive and low-energy architecture that the firm believes, will define the new emergent Indian architecture.

Day 1, Session 1: Lecture Synopses: Sharmila Chakravorty Images: courtesy the speakers

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he firm was named Morphogenesis based on efforts to recreate processes that mimic biodiversity in nature. The idea of sustainability was always intrinsic and inherent to Morphogenesis; however, post 1991 sustainability became an added-on, superficial layer in architecture. There was a shift in the way architecture was perceived in India.

Architecture of Somewhere Vs Architecture of Nowhere Architecture of the past could be categorised as architecture of somewhere – Form follows Function – one could tell where the building was from simply by looking at its architectural characteristics; whether it belonged to warm-humid climate, cold climate, or hot climate, one could guess. However, the current trend is of architecture of nowhere – Form follows Finance – where finance is the only overriding parameter in the way 98 per cent of buildings in the country are built. So, the question now is – how does one create architecture of the in-between? Architecture of almost somewhere; since architecture of somewhere will not work in the current context and architecture of nowhere is something intolerable!

Also, massive amounts of material are used for building these days. However, in the past, structures were built without having to source materials from across the globe, in such massive quantity. If thermal comfort and shelter, along with strong structures from locally sourced material, were achieved without mechanically conditioning the air 100 years back, then something is wrong with the way we work today. Popular architecture theory claims that thermal comfort is defined around 22 plus/minus one degree Celsius, and a relative humidity of 55-60 per cent. However, our bodies are far resilient, and this narrow a bandwidth for defining thermal comfort is probably why buildings in modern India are the way they are. Morphogenesis has developed a system that mainly considers passive systems and manages to provide the maximum amount of environmental gain, at the least possible cost; a system based on an integrated approach to sustainability - reiterating what common sense in architecture used to be, and brining it back to the fore.

Taking Clues from the Site The Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur, was built on a tight budget. To keep costs low, it was decided that materials local to Jaipur would be employed, as would the air conditioning be kept to the bare minimum. Aspects of ancient Rajasthani architecture were used as the design basis; modelled and mapped on thermal softwares so as to build an efficient structure. A simple rectangular form, with north-south orientation was designed, as lesser the exposed surface in such hot-dry climatic

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The presence of so many students goes on to show thats despite the ‘youtubes’ and ‘skypes’, there is a certain merit to architectural discourse still left; that pleases my heart.

conditions, lesser the heat gain. Based on solar movements, courtyards were carved out in the building, so that there would be no solar ingress for 10 months. Step wells were made below the structure to facilitate evaporative cooling. An external ‘Jali’ on the façade provided a double-buffer for the heat. The finished building is now monitored by several institutions for temperature variations, and with 46 degrees Celcius outside the building sits at a cool 28-29 degrees inside without air conditioning. Similar ‘clues’ were taken from sites across Siliguri, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Kerala and Noida to form the design basis for other projects, too.

The Delhi Nullahs Project Delhi has more than five million cars on the road and it adds half a million every year; over a thousand ever day. No amount of road infrastructure added to the city will elevate that condition. Like most organically developed cities of India, Delhi has a vast nullah system, 17 main nullahs and 22,000 sub-branches that are supposed to carry sewage to the treatment plants. The network of these nullahs is excellent; they connect historical monuments, metro stations and other places of importance. If these nullahs were to be cleaned organically, using certain types of plantation, aerobic species, and fish, and modulating embankments, a walking and cycling track and fresh water canals could be made available right across the city, providing the slow mode of transportation which is missing, and hence turning the city inside out. And in the unauthorised part of Delhi, where 50 per cent of the people live, it would be the only green lung available.

Overall, architectural thinking is way beyond what we are used to thinking. Don’t believe anyone who says that an architect cannot think beyond the little plot of land he is commissioned to work on; architecture is about designing a way of life. And the opportunity in contemporary times is immense. Here lies the opportunity to define what could be ‘contemporary Indian architecture’.

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DR KEN YEANG

Living Eco-Structures Dr. Ken Yeang is a prolific Malaysian architect and writer, best known for advancing green design and planning, differentiated from other green architects by his comprehensive ecological approach. His architecture features eco-land bridges, vertical landscaping, eco-cells, energy efficiency, light shelves, light pipes, stepped terraces, vertical linked enclosed atria, wind scoops, bio-swales, and deep green architecture, amongst other characteristic elements.

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he idea of using ‘bioclimatic’ as an armature for design was explored in the firm’s early projects during the mid 80s. Roofs were louvered so as to let the morning sunlight in from the east, while keeping out the mid-day and afternoon sunlight, as per the sun path. Roof terraces were another feature. Inside, wind walls would drive the wind into the building, laying the basis of how designs were conceived in the context of maximising natural ventilation. These ideas were applied to larger building and high rises, too. Large wind scoops would bring the wind inside and prevent hot air from collecting on top of the building. Louvered filtering roofs would let the air through, while keeping out the rain. A series of terraces would look out from the building, giving the users an intermediary space between the office and the outside. From here, the idea of bringing vegetation to the building occurred.

The IBM building has this feature. The IBM logo has series of blue stripes, which was taken to the building as well. The vegetation was brought from the ground to the building using plantation steps and a series of planters, along with terraces. Vegetation from the ground seems to move across the floors and reach the top of the building. This very idea was pursued over the next 20 years. Most buildings were oriented north-south, and the core was used as the buffer between the heat-gaining sides of the building and the interior office spaces. All lift lobbies had a view out. And as these components were towards the periphery of the floor plate, they did not have to be pressurised, disseminating the basic idea of a low-energy building. Also, all the toilets and the staircases were also naturally ventilated. Thereafter, conscious thought was put into placing vegetation on the façade of buildings, as well as on sky terraces. This gave the buildings a unique aesthetic. By the 90s, all these ideas were being put together in individual projects. The second building for IBM had the ground bounded in a way that one can see the vegetation climbing up from the earth onto the second floor and then a going to the top of the building through a series of step-terraces. It then struck, what would happen if we were to design a building without air-conditioning? Soon after, the idea of designing a naturally ventilated skyscraper was implemented.

The idea of an eco-cells too came into existence. Most often located on the ground level, an eco-cell brings daylight, vegetation and natural ventilation to the basement areas, for example in the National Library of Singapore, which had a central atrium and a louvered roof over it. Essentially, the design was just two blocks that were connected by bridges. On the east and the west side there were light shelves which would throw daylight into the large reading areas. In 2003, a design for a competition entry was submitted wherein continuous plantation was the central idea.

The vegetation would spiral across the façade of the building, in addition to walkways with the

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We research species native to the region and match it using the biodiversity matrix. We try and make habitable places for them to survive; the building itself becomes a total living system.

vegetation. So, one could climb up to the top of the building on the walkways, alongside the vegetation.

When the walkway hit the edge of the building, it would open out as a sky terrace. There were roof gardens on top of the building as well as between the floors.

So, when people talk about sustainable green buildings and if they are justifiable, yes, they are. One of the firm-designed buildings has an annual saving of USD500000. How much does it cost to build a green building? One of the firm’s buildings was done at 6.3 per cent over industry-standard cost for the type, while other firms have accomplished 2-3 per cent over industry-standard prices.

What green architecture does goes beyond just putting vegetation on the façade. The site, the psychology of the site, biodiversity etc. are all taken into consideration while trying to create habitats; extensive research is done on species native to the region and they are matched on the biodiversity matrix. This way, the whole building becomes a total living system. An intergrated platform for green design has also been designed, where green design is the weaving of four key concepts of eco-infrastructure: Grey - clean engineering; Blue - efficient water management; Green - nature’s own utilities which must be linked; and Red - systems, spaces, hardscapes, society.

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KAS OOSTERHUIS

Digitalising Architecture Kas Oosterhuis is professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, as well as Director of Hyperbody and the Protospace Laboratory for Collaborative Design and Engineering. His teaching and research is in the areas of interactive architecture, real time behaviour of buildings and environments, living building concepts, collaborative design, file to factory production and parametric design.

Mass Customisation his is a propaganda for a new kind of beauty; beauty based on customisation. Customisation means the complete opposite of mass production. The world of structures around us, be it sustainable or not, is based on the idea of mass production. But what needs to be focussed on is mass customisation - industrialised customisation, but brought down to the basic, to the customers themselves using 3D printers and small, basic machines as long as they are able to read digital information. This very digital information must be produced.

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Things like undulating lines and sketches can be translated into architecture, into something that interests everyone a lot. Sketches can be translated directly into architecture using digital means. For instance, a housing project which is mass-produced can be mass-customised. By just customising the façade, each house becomes unique. Thus, each house can be said to be a sketch which can be made into low-cost structures using natural, robust natural material. For this, the expression must be in the digital realm. ONL too, tries to express in the digital realm, including newer technologies into the practice. Translating a sketch via digital means gave rise to the concept of power lines; lines that have great power to organise the stuff buildings are made of. And, the stuff buildings are made of can no longer be a repetition, but have to be customised. Each component of the building has to be unique.

Evolution Evolution is something one is very aware of. We have our heroes but we do not want to copy our heroes. Evolution, especially in cars, is very obvious. Headlights were separate components but now they are fused into the body. Evolution in nature, mapped to that in cars, is a very interesting process to see happening. We are living inside evolution. So new technologies happen and we have to use them for architecture. Cars were doing that much before architecture started doing so.

Ecology of People and Things Customising processes such that they produce data that can be read by machines so that the same machines produce new data – that is the whole basis of interaction. So, if one has an interactive lecture where students can choose the images the presenter talks about, it is being doing via data.

It is wireless and goes over the whole globe these days. Global layer of data is what one has to work with. It is particularly interesting here in India where there are massive amounts of people. They can connect to each other via data. Parametric design, using very simple tools like 3D printers, hot wire systems, individual building components from the parametric system etc., are all unique ways of

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I like the concreteness of the word building, rather than architecture. Architecture is the art of building.

The difference between art and architecture is that architecture has the component of space; art does not have the component of space.

engaging with data. Once the data is in place, the complex shape arises by itself; simple rules can lead to complexity.

Complex, not complicated What ONL does is complex, but what is otherwise usually done is complicated - things are clashed together; that is the basic difference. Complexity is beautiful, and does not interfere with the historic fabric. Transformation is the key factor here. There is no need to source materials or machines from the other side of the world. Locally produced materials and machines only have to be found and used. They are in place; one has to only look for them. Complex is also non-standard. One needs to go to the next level and then do the non-standard. Similarly, mixing architecture with digital art like graphic design can lead to better customisation, which, as has been said before, is way better than mass production.

ONL takes a lot of inspiration from cars, as they are spaces, artistic and stylish, and can take designing to the next level of sophistication. Modelling is old school, scripting is the new thing. And especially in India, it would be even easier to jump one level and take the next level altogether, taking support from the extensive work that has already been done in this context.

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IWAN BAAN

Lights! Camera! Architecture!

Dutch photographer Iwan Baan is known primarily for images that narrate the life and interactions that occur within architecture. Born in 1975, Iwan grew up outside Amsterdam, studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and worked in publishing and documentary photography in New York and Europe. Iwan took up the subject of architecture unexpectedly in 2005, when he proposed to Rem Koolhaas that he document a project by the architect’s firm OMA. Day 2, Session 1: Lectures Synopses: Shalmali Wagle Images: courtesy the speakers

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he story begins in 2005 with a proposal to document one of Rem Koolhaas’s construction sites in China. The approach is something very different with a technique of interactive panaromic photography. The idea that initiated this was that if you have ten guys carrying a big piece of steel, the job is much easier than using crane for the purpose. This appeared to be a unique combination of hi-tech and low-tech. The resulting realisation was that architectural documentation cannot be only about architecture. It is about the people and how they live in the city surrounded by architecture.

And the interest of photography lies in capturing this combination of architecture and the role it plays in the life of the city. Hence, user experience become significant to its existence.

The practice of photography is essentially intuitive. It is entirely a one-man show with no assistants, using a small hand-held camera. That way a scene can be captured in its most natural state. One just walks around and looks at things. If you attempt to do this in a traditional architecture way with a big camera, assistants and a tripod, the best moments will be gone before you can capture them.

On construction sites, at times, there are 10,000 people who work and live there. The site and the evolving architecture becomes a part of their existence and there is activity in a background of ‘everyday life’ of the city, which is of key interest to an artist. One gets to capture a building evolving from its foundation to its roof and a literal reflection of the growth of the city. This constant process of documentation helps to establish the relationship and the nature of the interaction between the building and the changing environment around it. The interesting aspect here is that the focus revolves around the structure and the surrounding activity, its impacts and blessings and the idea of design almost becomes transparent.

Potentials The fascinating aspect of this field is that it enables one to document a wide variety of stimulating frames with significant interpretations. For instance, one could capture competition entries by young architects to paint a picture of the position of modern architecture; or the work of a particular architect to decipher his methods of work and style; or bring nature and context back into architecture by studying the relationships; or, on an urban level, compare the culture and issues of cities, slum development for instance. Within these disciplines again, the detailing gets thought-provoking with dedicated frames for materials, textures, context, knowledge, culture, craftsmanship and language. It is about rejecting the notion of a piece of architecture as a single entity and carving out spaces and components of interest within its envelope. Sometimes, it is a

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Basically it is not only about architecture. It is about the people and how they live in the city surrounded by architecture. And my interest is in this combination of architecture and the role it plays in the life of the city.

direct interpretation of reality; at times, it becomes a playful juxtaposition of components to show things in a new light, and at others, it turns into complete abstraction.

The idea of interactive panoramic photography would aid significantly in understanding architecture. It is a combination of high-tech software and low-tech photography. With this technique one can actually walk through the developed model of the building. One can click on, walk through, look around the space, zoom in and out for clarity and go to different levels to get a sense of the space. You can see a three-dimensional model at the bottom of the screen that really gives the sense of how it all fits in, quite like an animation.

It is a still picture with a perfect composition of the space that helps explain it better.

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GURJIT SINGH MATHAROO

Categorising the Completed Principal of Matharoo Associates, Gurjit Singh has stood out for his innovative concepts, out-of-the-box thinking and high quality construction and execution in a third world scenario. He believes in a clear emphasis of functionality and services, in exercising an extreme restraint whenever designing and using natural exposed materials. His buildings are designed to be discovered; as one moves through them they unfold to reveal their secrets and meanings in layers.

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onferences are basically times to look at one’s own work and the changes you have made as an architect by following a self-conscious approach. The general approach today is to practice as per one’s philosophy and ideals and look back and ponder on it only on an occasion as this that demands their classification into categories depending on the concerns of the day. The category titles then become rather irrelevant, considering that the initial thought in the project has not been carried out on the basis of these categories. Hence, treating them with a pinch of humour, the projects can be classified, based on the experiences rendered by them, as; Sweet Box, The Good, Bad & Ugly, Holy Cows, Botoxed Set, and Succulent thighs, Juicy breasts & Great legs. These categories, not only define the types of projects that come one’s way in the profession but the experiences that one has to encounter in order to mitigate them sufficiently.

‘Sweet Boxes’ The first category comprises of projects which are developed with the sole aim of exterior ornamentation. In our profession, one comes across several such projects where, though the functionality remains extremely fundamental, the aesthetics are opulent. This is, more often than not, this is due to the demands of the user, which one requires to submit to. The approach in a situation as this is to look for an entirely different inspiration in the exterior while the functional flow follows basic essentialism.

‘The Good, Bad & Ugly’ There are times in the profession, on small and large-scale projects alike, when one gets caught up with negative issues of construction. Sometimes, there is negligence, sometimes, there are over-sights and at times, irrespective of sensitivity, one gets blamed for the undesirable repercussions on the environment. For instance, in a project in Ajmer, despite careful search and sensitive implementation, Matharoo Associates was blamed for the use of excessive concrete and the rising Co2 content. An in-depth research of issues, its causes and innovative solutions in terms of what are appropriate, what are not and what is detrimental is essential.

‘Holy Cows’ The third category comprises of the projects that inspire an emotion of shock or wonder. If one goes by the rules and follows the general architectural patterns, there is absolutely no problem. The problems arise when one tends to break away and be different. However, in a field like architecture, whose evolution is entirely dependent on creativity and the courage to be different, these projects

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You have to be really loud to attract people to yourself.

This is what people expect. If you turn your back on the world, the world will cease to exist for you. This is my inspiration in search for notional bliss.

often become trend-setters and style icons. Innovative ideas save the day. One such project is the mobile van, ‘Cattiva’, developed to encourage blood donations. Another such example is the Residence in Raigad, wherein, the rejection of plan from the much-feared Vastu consultants prompted the architect to flip the entirety as it is, thereby maintaining the design idea and catering to the fancies of Vastu Shastra.

‘Botoxed Sets’ The fourth category refers to projects, wherein, the exterior is completely different from the interior, and sometimes hides the grim reality. For instance, in one of the much acclaimed projects, the roof slab was cast entirely without any columns underneath. A steel structure which was to support this was installed later to make it an integral structure. The question with such situations is the probability of acceptance and the faith of the stakeholders in the technical know-how involved.

‘Succulent thighs, Juicy breasts & Great legs’ The idea behind the final category is quite simple. Architecture, sometimes, requires being really loud and bold to succeed in attracting people to itself. This is not merely to stand out as different or unique, but because this is what people expect from it. This boldness may be in terms of the aesthetics, or the techniques used, or the philosophy in design, or even simply in terms of the approach to a typology.

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MARTHA SCHWARTZ

Regenerating Urban Spaces Principal Architect, Martha Schwartz Partners based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, Martha Schwartz has over 30 years of experience as a landscape architect and artist with a wide variety of projects across the globe. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Honorary Royal Designer for Industry Award from the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce; the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award; the Women in Design Award for Excellence from the Boston Society of Architects; and a Council of Fellows Award by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

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ow does one make landscape relevant in the discussion of sustainability? We all know how important it is to have green buildings. However, it sometimes becomes apparent that many architects display an interest in green buildings merely due to the monetary benefits of selling green building technologies. The problem with landscape is that it is not rooted in technologies. It is rooted in systems. And the system that is particularly interesting is how the landscape can play an important role in the cities. If one doesn’t design things to be beautiful then achieving sustainability becomes rather difficult. Whether the design employs sustainable materials or ingenious techniques becomes irrelevant if the resultant is unattractive. In such a case, it is only understandable that people wouldn’t want them and that, hence, they wouldn’t last. Besides, existence in a city which is unattractive would be difficult and hence a significant determinant in population migration. So, in order to create a value for a design, one is required to think about the people and what attracts them in an urban context.

Landscape is not merely about planting trees and decorating pathways. It is an incredibly important piece in the puzzle when thinking about how to regenerate cities, build new cities or improve the quality of urban regeneration. But, in order to include the landscape in the public realm, the places where people actually come and meet one another and live together as citizens of a place, we need to think about them not simply as left-over spaces in building design, but as elaborate design entities themselves. Landscape can thus vastly improve the quality of an urban experience. To really attract people and maintain them, especially well-educated people who have a variety of choices, cities require working, not only in terms of mass transportation, services and safety, but also in terms of the quality of life, both private and public. Hence, landscape becomes an extremely significant factor, in terms of promoting a healthy living by providing green and creating spaces for people to hang out, recreate and enjoy themselves. It is the landscape that actually creates a forum for people to integrate. It is out there on the streets, in spaces of the city, fostering social inclusion and community development. It converts open spaces into hubs where people learn about themselves, about each other and the environment.

Landscape is not just nature. It is everything outside the building. The most important relation in terms of architecture, landscape design and arts is the creation of an emotive connection between the three. Our significance as designers and visual thinkers is to actually make things that matter to people through our own ability to communicate, and to make evocative places that people feel strongly

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The problem is that landscape is not rooted in technologies. It is rooted in systems. And the system that I am particularly interested in is how the landscape can play an important role in the cities.

about. If we do not make spaces that people care about, then no matter how well they are designed or how sustainable they are, they will not last. They will simply be ploughed over, degraded, re-planned or replaced.

Inspiration from Art As designers, with so information available today, we should be able to employ creativity to connect the mounds of information into something that is whole. Artwork of the 60s like the ‘Asphalt Rundown’ and the ‘Spiral Jetty’ used the landscape as a medium and emphasised and accentuated the natural surroundings in a completely different manner. Yet, the underlying idea was always to make ‘some place’ into ‘some place that is memorable and interesting’. There is always a narrative to these places and a landscape intervention becomes the foster child of urban regeneration, capable of starting a movement where public open spaces become a catalyst for the regeneration of cities. For this, it is important to create a clear and strong connection to the architecture.

People, watching people and creating spaces to watch and be with people is really the highest use of public space and these are the things that we should all strive for while we, as designers, are trying to determine the city and how to make cities where people will choose to live. The creativity lies in how one makes a translation that reflects the culture but, at the same time, takes people one step forward into the future.

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BENJAMIN HUBERT

Materials-Led. Process-Driven.

The London-based Benjamin Hubert Design Studio was founded in 2007 and specialises in industrial design across furniture and lighting.

The studio works on a diverse range of projects including both mass and batch-produced consumer products as well as limited-edition and one-offs. Benjamin has received a number of prestigious awards including Design of the year (British Design awards 2010), Best Product (100% design/Blueprint awards 2009), Homes & Gardens Young Designer of the Year (Design Classic Awards 2010) and EDIDA International Young Designer of the Year 2010.

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orking with big consultancies can be a fantastic experience. But, there are two things one essentially encounters. Much of the work is theoretical. So it is almost entirely studio-based and one never really gets in touch with those who are making the product, where they are made and how they are made. The other thing is that as a designer in these studios, one remains reduced to a mere spectator to design ideas, rather than an inventor.

Benjamin Hubert Design Studio is a materials-led, process-driven industrial design practice. The process of work includes sketch-work, a large amount of theory and a lot of scale models quite similar to a normal industrial designer’s or even an architect’s process. In spite of the significant employment of software and computer programming in the design process, the ideation of the process is essentially conventional. The overall design process is rather customary. But what differentiates the practice a little bit perhaps or how it is communicated is that materiality, construction and the process of how something is made is the starting point in the design ideation, quite often even before the knowledge of the application. Understanding how things are made and why they are made the way they are, helps to form the process. This is fundamental understanding is then pushed to innovation.

Through various examples of work, one sees this practice philosophy being put to work. Generally speaking, though some big mass production is carried out, the core interest lies in batch production where imperfection becomes the perfection in a way. All the variation, the undulation and the character of a material in its crude form is what makes it beautiful. This is the first step in understanding a material, how it manifests and where the passion really lies. The detailing can be very simple or contrasting, but it is the materiality that when allowed to speak for itself, creates a difference. Contextualisation is also an extremely important aspect in industrial design. For instance, concrete is generally associated with words like big, urban, industrial and architectural.

What marks sensitivity to its crude nature is showcasing it in a smaller context, changing people’s perception of value and what the material as a commodity could be with the creation of a sensitive and high value end product. What is important with a profession like industrial design is to be able to reconceptualise the perceptions of the material with simple forms and language. The relationship with the workers as well as the partners and enablers is very much like a conversation or a dance with a bit of give and take. Another potential in a field as specific as this is the opportunity to

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What I like is the imperfection of seeing the hands of the maker in the final products. People like to trace the origin of products. And this tracing plays a big part in why people value the products that they own.

try and support the local industries that are dying. Be it the terracotta industry or the cork industry, innovative ways of employing the materials in products can go a long way in preventing the extinction of such crafts. Besides, this creates the imperfection of hand impressions in the final products. This is an added advantage for people who like to trace the origin of products. And this tracing plays a big part in why people value the products that they own. Each piece has some individual qualities and some variation that define the value and beauty of that piece. Moreover, it is a holistic approach to sustainability in terms of where our materials are coming from and supporting the production that is there. In this regard, it also becomes essential to understand the impacts and disposal of the waste materials in production and be sensitive to the environment that we live in. Simple approaches that can be taken are to either develop products from waste materials or to ensure the use of materials whose waste can be substantially used for other applications. Research of construction is important and one must learn from parallel industries often too. In terms of resources, the idea of working within constraints may sound rather limiting. But this could be incredibly freeing. When you have a box to design in you push innovation, the potential of the project to the extreme.

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ANDRE TAMMES

Playing with Magic Andre Tammes co-established the first professional design group in UK that focused solely on lighting design, Lighting Design Partnership (LDP), and currently leads the firm from a base in Sydney, Australia. His work continues to be informed by 20 years in stage lighting design and theatre consultancy. Andre has also been influential in the development of lighting design as a distinct profession.

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o describe the facets of lighting design, a short trip is required, part of which walks down the memory lane, part of which is the present and part is future. Light and lighting is invariably the cement between the bricks of architecture and industrial design. But what we need to understand is what exactly has changed, if anything, since the advent of lighting more than some 60 years ago?

It all starts with the application of natural daylight in design. An example is the simple pet bottle, which when filled with water and a little detergent to prevent microbe developments, dropped through a humble hole in the roof structure, collects light from the outside, refracts it through the water and distributes it efficiently in the interior. This is extremely low-tech, anybody can do it, costs close to nothing and brings daylight, without any heat, into a large number of humble homes in developing countries. There are six such light sources in all.

As a lighting designer, one is very tools-led. There are a repertoire of tools that are very critical, rather specifically in terms of artificial light. Without these tools, one is reduced to nothing. At the heart of these tools, invariably, is the light source, the actual light generating device. What one observes is that design opportunities have developed and increased in coordination with the development of light sources and the equipment that they are used in. The biggest problem with bad lighting is that there is too much of it. If asked what is the best form of energy saving that you know about? ‘Less is more’ is a simple short answer to that. If one has less light, we truly work on where to put it with a very analytical process. One ought not to flood the situation with light because of uncertainty. So knowing how to collect the correct tools and use them is really the cornerstone of good lighting design.

The Past The story starts in a 17 th century house in Edinburgh in Scotland. This house was magically lit by gas. And not only was it lit by gas, it actually made its own gas with a machine that was driven by gravity. It was essentially a compressor and what was compressed was high-octane aircraft fuel. However, the point was that it produced the most wonderful quality of light. It was slightly greenish and yellowish and constantly fluctuated. Then came a day when the authorities forbade the use of high-octane aircraft fuel in households and the world was driven back to the most fundamental and basic source of light, the naked flame. Pressure lamps produced an extraordinarily wonderful quality of cosy light along with a cosy hissing noise during operation.

But soon, the fluorescent tube was launched at the world fair in New York in 1939. It spawned enormous amount of relatively cheap light and suddenly we went from very limited amounts of light to this permeating quality of light.

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Richard Kelly once stated that “to play with light is to play with magic”. I think he was spot on. He also defined lighting by the components of focal glow, ambient luminescence and the play of brilliance. And the more I work as a lighting designer, the more convinced I am that he was right.

The Present Now, the humble tungsten halogen light bulb has been on attack and is still on attack for good reason.

Even after the advent of the compact fluorescent lamp, energy saving lamps and LEDs, this is still probably the single greatest provider of artificial light. It is easy to see why. Though it is highly inefficient, it is incredibly cheap to produce, is very low-tech and produces a rather nice warm quality of light. The game changer, the LED (light emitting diode) has become ubiquitous in terms of use and application. This has transformed lighting out of all comprehension. And it is for one reason. For the first time ever, the light source and the operational control are both electronic devices and the potential is unparalleled.

The Future The future of lighting, the O-LED or the organic LED has the ability to emanate light from, which when not connected to a power source, is a clear membrane. This really has an extraordinary potential. We can now reverse the anticipation. Windows can be sources of light. Wallpaper can be luminous. The debate is not about whether or not this is a good thing. It is a possibility which means that we are now embarking a future without limit.

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TRACK III

IA&B - APR 2012

Paracentric Practices This track presented design practices and projects that deviate from the norm with a pragmatic foresight and carve a niche for themselves. Many contemporary practices develop an individual identity and distinct ‘modus operandi’ emerging from an at times rebellious, at times divergent attitude towards the mainstream.

The agenda of the presentations and discussions therein was to understand the reason for individuals and ideas to resist the forces of the global capital and align to the ‘alternative’.

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TRACK IV

Innovating @ Grassroots Many designers and architects have started to look back and rethink the idea of design innovation taking the tough yet pragmatic route of working at the grassroots to develop inherent potential at micro and macro levels. These practices present an optional and at times rich preview of design and execution through fundamental understanding of patterns and tacit knowledge. This track looked into this important aspect of contemporary architecture and design practices.

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THISARA THANAPATHY

Humane Timeless Beauty Thisara Thanapathy is the founder and principal of the contemporary Sri Lankan practice, Thisara Thanapathy Architects, established in 1997. His philosophy focusses on the aesthetic experience of spatial form, delivering a sensual delight in architecture while substantially addressing practical requirements. His work can be described as meaningful architecture with contemporary Sri Lankan expression mediated by the detentions of society, culture and nature.

Day 2, Session 1: Lectures Synopses: Shalmali Wagle Images: courtesy the speakers

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ith the architectural world being thrown open to globalisation, unprecedented forces drive and define the practice of design and the factors that administer it. The current global reality is that of a conspicuous crisis; a crisis in terms of the environment, in terms of global economics, and in terms of urban organisation. It is essential that architecture, as an art form, reflects the new world and these ‘yin-yang’ realities associated with it. It would, therefore, be appropriate to deduce a new essence in architecture as an abstract artistic interpretation of these new world pragmatisms.

Most architectural styles that have developed over the years have, more often than not, been mere radical responses to the technological, socio-political or physical changes that marked the related eras. Modern Architecture, for instance, represented the new democratic way of life, the dominating expression of the modern movement, through its direct interpretation and subsequent exploration of architectural potentials like free planning, open forms, continuity and simultaneity. The previous symmetry and rigidity of the feudalistic society was replaced by the freedom of modernism and soon portraits became abstracts and stringency converted into malleability. There are numerous examples in architectural history wherein, a contemporary language expresses cultural and regional identities with humane timeless beauty. This was the design inclination of the unforgettable eras of the past.

However, the recent trends in global architecture have shown that post modernism’s emphasis of semiotics and deconstruction influenced design thought in playful, yet mistargeted ways. While the crucial concerns of the hour remained unaddressed and the notions of new apt realities lingered unimagined, substantial efforts were squandered on an easier domain of subjectivity and styles.

The influence of post modernism as an idea even penetrated design pedagogy and the entirety appeared to have gained the character of a stylistic and semiotic adventure more than anything else. Fortunately, a ‘cul-de-sac’ was reached in terms of design directions and, as a result, this period of design promiscuity froze into its present unwavering form. The propagation of unethical exhibitionism, which is a direct progeny of the consumerist culture, flourished till it approached an abrupt end, owing to the global financial crisis.

Addressing deeper human needs Most of the stresses experienced by the society in the present day are essentially due to relentless consumerism. Therefore, a prime concern for the new developing spirit in architecture is to successfully resist the effects of this permeating culture which, in turn, would help pacify several of these pressures. As architects, we ought to concentrate more on deeper human needs, such as the need for rest, for relaxation, for belonging, for identity and security, rather than on prestigious

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The new generation of architects in Sri Lanka attempt to create an artistic interpretation of contemporary realities of the country while retaining the continuously maintained humane timeless beauty found in the vernacular architecture of the island.

images, symbols and selfish comforts of the consumerist culture. The humane timeless beauty frequently associated with and almost archetypal of all vernacular architecture, irrespective of period, region and details, has strictly adhered to addressing these deeper human needs. The architecture of Sri Lanka with its 2500 years of rich history, though inspired by several other styles like the Dravidian, Moorish, Portuguese, Dutch and the English during its course of development, continues to preserve the unique tranquil quality of the country’s lifestyle, along with its reverence to the tropical climate and beautiful landscape of the island. This distinctive characteristic of the contemporary Sri Lankan style is unmistakable in the post-independence architecture of the country. Frequently referred to as the ‘Bawa quality’ and sought-after for stylistic and semiotic utilisation, this trend has flourished unendingly over the years even without paying heed to the ever-changing global and regional realities.

The new generation of architects in Sri Lanka attempt to create an artistic interpretation of contemporary realities of the country while retaining this continuously maintained humane timeless beauty found in the ubiquitous regional architecture of the island. A refined compilation of efforts, negligence, failures and successes, this architectural realisation embraces beauty and wellbeing with an emphasis on considerations for both body and mind through design and its mediation in terms of society, culture and nature. It forms the much-needed ecologically sensible solutions that convert spaces into sanctuaries, which act as antidotes to the vicious cycle of relentless consumerism and remain ingeniously untouched by the increasing anxieties of modernity.

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C. ANJALENDRAN

Simplicity, Humanity, Nature After brief spells in the offices of Geoffrey Bawa and Surath Wickremasinghe, C. Anjalendran opened his own office in 1982. Since then he has completed over a hundred projects including private houses, commercial and office buildings, and schools. His most significant work to date has been the series of projects undertaken for SOS Children’s Villages International over a period of fifteen years. He has also functioned as a key commentator and contributed significantly to numerous major publications on Sri Lankan architecture over the past two decades.

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he vernacular possesses a distinctive quality which enables it to connect and inspire, both, at once. Ideal architecture is not about icons and styles, but is about simplicity, humanity and respect for nature. Its manifestation may be observed in simple unassuming pavilions, designed specifically for pilgrims to rest at, on their way to temples. An apt example, the pavilion perches on four rocks and, with its double colonnade, ensures efficient segregation of functions, the potential of oscillation between privacy and sociability as well as an amicable relationship with the landscape.

In Sri Lanka, a definitive language of relationships administers the traditional as well as the new emerging architectural spirit alike. Here, it is all about respecting nature. The architecture is always in the background. One is never looking at the architecture, but is looking from the architecture out into nature. This is very important on this tropical island, where obsession with the building itself is scarce. Most design interventions follow the free flow of the site, at times even borrowing from the neighbouring landscape. Even when a formality meets an organic entity, the organic is never eliminated, but instead is incorporated respectfully in the formality.

The works of the master architect, Geoffrey Bawa, hold a great many lessons to this approach that is unique to Sri Lankan expressionism. An inspiration, they communicate that architecture should always be a background to reflect upon life. An ideal design philosophy should persistently aim at bringing architecture to the level of ordinary people, because though ubiquitous problems like inside-outside, east-west and traditional-modern have been previously resolved, there has always been this one other, often neglected, bridge that has made architecture popular; the one that connects it to not just the context, but the inhabitant as well. The evolution of architecture of this typology cannot be restricted by limitations of drawings and scaled representations. More often than not, initial drawings of a building are about satisfying figures and achieving targets. Real architecture lies beyond the realms of this and essentially changes and transforms endlessly during construction. It is more of a process of evolution that requires modifications and alterations as per the responses of the landscape and conditions in situ.

Sri Lanka is a country with scars from decades of civil war. After the war, single homeless women and abandoned children had been awaiting an altruistic gesture, until the German organisation, SOS, conceptualised the SOS Children’s Village during the insurgency in 1992. The building was

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I have a simple attitude towards life. I do not want to change the world. I just want to make a few people around me happy.

required to depict modesty in architecture so as to bridge the gap between the war-struck civilians and the potentials of peace. The design is amply provided with axes, views, vistas and diagonal turnings at corners. But the inherent design intent is more than mere accommodation of functions and framing of pause points. While old columns and doors are salvaged and reused to save on trees and keep the realities of today grounded to the connections of the past, fine ornamental detailing with contributions of the inhabitants reduce the idea of architecture to an agreeable scale of humanity. Promenades and courtyards with natural boulders and focal greenery salute the tropical expressionism of Sri Lankan architecture and maintain unparalleled frames that acknowledge nature.

The question that arises is, what is one really trying to achieve, even in an orphanage or a school? What is the role of architecture? If one visits any of the Buddhist sites across the world, even in India, one experiences a certain serenity and peace. In a country plagued with war then, architecture could play a significant role in comforting troubled lives, by capturing the sense of tranquillity and concord through building. Architecture thus addresses a social concern and by involving inhabitants in its development, it establishes a deeper relationship with the inhabitant. This spirit of restrained and tranquil architecture matures silently with the new generation in Sri Lanka, and attempts to carry the tradition wherever it goes, while nurturing the essence of the local culture it encounters there.

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BIJOY JAIN

“Praxis” Principal Architect of the Mumbai-based Studio Mumbai, Bijoy Jain is inspired by traditional know-how and local building technologies.

The studio’s pursuit is to use the Indian landscape as a resource to create spaces formed by local climatic conditions, materials and technologies and an ingenuity arising from resources. In the patient evolution of projects the practice has developed a hybrid approach by combining Indian notions about the nature of living with ideas of both contemporary culture and ecology.

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rchitecture is a way of life. It is more of a culture than a profession, a technique or a science.

When one talks about the ‘New Spirit in Architecture’, the question that arises is if it is really about an old and new spirit or if it is simply about the spirit in architecture, a fundamental necessity.

Where does the motivation for creativity come from? The development of a slum is an action that has occurred outside the profession of architecture for years now. This indicates the existence of certain primitive construction knowledge even outside the vocation, mainly as a progeny of necessity. Its creative manifestation then, in this perspective, may be of lesser relevance.

The nostalgia of various contexts, formal and informal, forests and cities, history and modernity may be a subjective sentiment, but the curiosity generated is due to the inherent ability to negotiate.

The interest is triggered not by resistance to consumerism but by the ability to negotiate, and to negotiate without any prejudice. It is in this imminence to possibility of a transformation that the probability of creativity rests.

There is a very intimate relationship that exists between the fundamental conditions and the place that we inhabit. The interest of architecture lies in the potential seamless overlap of these conditions rather than in the conflict of the contemporary culture and the sensitivity to the past or the idea of memory. So, somewhere, faith in this very deep-rooted idea of chance combined with the memory of an experience. The motivation for architecture is not an impulsive initiation.

The ability to abstract an object or an idea and its various relationships, its connection to a context and the provocation of a desired change is deeply embedded. It goes much further than the simple idea of form. It is formlessness, a sort of empathy to a much broader condition than one can imagine than the resultant.

Studio Mumbai’s basic setup has a workshop with about 100 artisans and a few architects who live and work together, testing and building life-size mock-ups of projects, including the landscape. The process is more of a journey, a discovery and a relationship; through, of and with tacit knowledge.

Designs are done more in terms of communication and without the use drawings. The underlying belief is that models are more like working drawings and sometimes making a 1:1 scale model is the best way to understand the intricacies of a project. It basically allows for larger engagement from the client, from the designer, and from all the people involved in it, starting an extremely

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How do you make a mark on a drawing? How does a painter decide to use red? What motivates that? Where does that come from? I don’t think they are accidents.

Somewhere, it requires having faith in a deep-rooted idea of chance and also something based on the memory of an experience.

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essential dialogue. The idea is to have a very broad plan and some basic sections. The rest is done through memory, experience, discussion and story-telling.

The idea of survey is like a relationship. One may or may not connect to the site in a single attempt.

Often, it requires repeated journeys. Architecture works from the same potential. It depends significantly on local technology, something that has evolved over time and generations. The idea of the archetype is universal. What is important is taking opportunities from the conditions that govern typology and pursuing the idea of transcending time. Projects are always thought of in one’s lifetime. But time being elastic, things that we do can possibly transcend our physical lives. They can even transcend programme.

Thinking about this significant potential of architecture is also extremely essential.

Coexistence and inhabitation without disturbance to the existing context requires a certain sensitivity that cannot be developed. It lies latent in all of us and it is to our potential to try and tap into this possibility.

The official map of Mumbai has a completely different spatial reading from the unofficial map of Mumbai.

An installation made for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, depicts the fragility of informal cities quite appropriately. It shows Mumbai that is continuously in construction. They are founded not on the bias of right and wrong, but on the basis of very fundamental need to occupy the ground. They remain in this ambiguous zone. But, the phenomenon of the abundance adopts that if you throw something and it will propagate, it will grow. What one should see in this is the potential architecture that can develop even between architecture and the probability of incessant innovation.

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ANNE FEENSTRA

‘Architecture for Humanity’ Known for working and designing with the communities to redefine contemporary architecture, Anne Feenstra is a Dutch architect with design teams based in Afghanistan and India. His design philosophy is based on innovative techniques and contemporary architecture, while respecting traditional skills and using local building materials. With his extensive research, community workshops and what he calls an ‘open design process’, a fine and subtle sustainable architecture is created that is based on a greater local ownership.

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isdom and responsibility are very much linked to the creation of architecture. Unlike artists, architects have a much greater responsibility on their shoulders. One does not always see this working the way it really should. Quite often, architects begin to think that they are super humans. There are architectural awards and star architects. Is this really the way it should be? Is an architect really important in architecture? We are blessed with a slow profession that allows us to think about things, their causes and effects, and to spread it over years. This implies that we have time to create ownership.

Now, the process of architecture is partially designing and partially execution. It is the magical transformation of what one has in his mind into something that radiates reality and inspires people.

It requires the ability to generate thoughts worth implementation as well as to convince the involved stakeholders of the advantages of the same. The completion of a structure on site, without a doubt, marks the end of the architect’s scope of work. However, it is the beginning of the life of the building and this requires accounting for as well. So then the question that arises is that who is going to take care of the building once it is completed?

The usual building that essentially develops as a result of a regular mundane desk-top design process can be extremely boring and uninspiring. Typically, it has a corridor with rooms lined up along its linearity. The rooms have doors, a couple of windows and are boxed by walls. One does not really require an architect for a design like that. If it is about making something that is beyond just putting materials together in a certain way, one is required to study and understand, in detail, the character of the function in its context and the behaviour of the users associated with it. As an architect, if one is given a brief to work on, there is a necessity to understand it thoroughly before drawing it away.

For instance, though the idea, initiated by UNICEF and the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan, to create a facility that would bring the maternity mortality rates down in Afghanistan, allowed significant contributions from an architect, the guidelines set by international consultants required reconsideration owing to the stringencies of the Afghan culture and its history of unrest and chaos.

A more sensible approach then was the enforcement of an ‘open design process’ wherein, midwives, doctors, maternity specialists who had a better insight on the issues and customs were invited to play an active role in the design process.

A common notion amongst non-architects is that of a ‘typical building’. A ‘typical building’ is widely thought of as something that is a module to be replicated any number of times to achieve the varied

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I am not interested in buildings. I find buildings boring and uninspiring. I don’t even know what architecture is. I am more interested in people.

functions. It lies in the circumspection of the architect to realise that each building, being responsive to context conditions and user interactions, requires a specific study, in terms of wind, sun angles, rain, snow, humidity, landscape, colours, building materials and culture. It also requires an active input from the people who will inhabit it so as to promote a value for it amongst them. Paying heed to the local context, in terms of materials, techniques and craftsmanship can go a long way in creating this sense of belonging. This also works as an advantage for when people have been working with a certain local material for a long time; the development of skills and techniques is much superior. This implies a better quality of construction and finishing. The architect also has the ability to select and make a team on the ground depending on the requirements and conditions of the project.

In architecture, there are no heroes. It is only about finding the right moment, a little bit of luck, finding the right support and resisting opposition. It is no work of science, but one is required to spend time on it so as to inspire a new way forward in architecture.

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ALEJANDRO ARAVENA

The value of X Alejandro Aravena, architect Universidad Católica de Chile, established Alejandro Aravena Architects in 1994. He is currently the Elemental-Copec Professor at UC. He is member of the Pritzker Prize Jury and has been named International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). His accolades include the Silver Lion at the XI Venice Biennale, the Marcus Prize 2010, the Avonni Prize for Innovator of the Year and the Erich Schelling Architecture Medal 2006 (Germany).

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aracentric architecture is nothing but centric realism. It is strange, peripheral, and hard to classify. Given that architecture is paracentric to reality, if you are centric to architecture, you are paracentric to reality. There are two comments in this regard. It is but a natural tendency to attempt to be as close to the centre of reality as possible. As a consequence, one might embrace a paracentric architectural practice. There are other disciplines that are more coincidental with reality, like engineering, politics and economics. What one tries to do is be within the realm and on the crossroads of these other disciplines. So the challenge is not to bring one’s practices closer to the centre of architecture but to bring architecture closer to the centre of reality. That is one comment.

The second one is that by saying paracentric architecture, there is an assumption. There are people out there working to move to the edge and expand the field, which is extremely valuable. If the practice of architecture is a certain realm, there is a need for people who put a step outside and expand the field. When we say paracentric architecture, there is an assumption that the centre of the praxis is a void. There is a type of practice which is cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, avant-garde that tries to expand the field, they try to approach the core of the practice, contract that core and make it as essential as possible. One does not attempt this because they wish to be different, but because they think that in the reality that we work, it is just more pertinent to try and approach the centre.

Given that one has a lot of constraints and scarcity as routine context, the practice ELEMENTAL, cannot be further decomposed. It is irreducible and hence pertinent. In essence, the practice has some architects who try to expand the field and some who try to go as close to the irreducible core as possible. The ‘Vitra Chairless’ explains the essential requirements in such a typology of design at a fundamental level. Considering an Indian from Paraguay, there are three things that can be said about him. First of all, he has no money to afford anything but a modest piece of cloth as a chair. So, to design within the scarcity of means is relevant. Secondly, the man is a nomad and so any other type of chair, even if he had more money, makes no sense. So, the design has to be precise. And lastly, the piece of cloth is the ultimate limit before the noun (chair) becomes a pure verb (to sit).

The design has to be irreducible. If X is a variable in architecture, then our work is to find the most relevant, precise and irreducible value for X. There could be several approaches to this. Sometimes, the ultimate technique of dealing with the problem is to use the problem as the solution. Another approach is that, instead of resisting a problem, employing it for its positivity and manipulating the design to control and regulate its

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Given that architecture is paracentric to reality, if you are centric to architecture, you are paracentric to reality. It is not that I want to be eccentric or different. It is only a consequence, given that centric architecture is paracentric through reality.

negativity. The third approach is to spend as much time designing the problem as approaching the solution. More often than not, the following are the parameters to be considered; the use, the height, the innovation, the material, the character, the environment and other themes that you cannot anticipate but happen during the development of the project.

Social Housing and the City What is the relationship between social housing and the city? All of us, while buying a house, expect it to grow its value over time. So there is no reason why social housing shouldn’t be the same thing.

Social housing is an asset and if it gains value over time, it can act as capital. What is crucial for value appreciation is location. If you are able to locate people within the network of opportunities, you are also guaranteeing that the property is going to gain value over time. The world is going to be built anyhow, either by developers or informally. So it is our responsibility as architects to ensure quality development.

While dealing with scarcity in a city, the scarcest resource is not money, but coordination. Architecture has a very big say there, because if there is any power in architecture, it is the power of coordination and synthesis. And that is why it is so important to identify what we are going to deliver and leave the system open so that people can complete it.

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RAFIQ AZAM

Envelope & Soul Principal architect of the Dhaka-based firm, Shatotto, Rafiq Azam is a teacher, lecturer and painter. Over the years, he has accumulated a number of accolades in architecture and painting. He has given lectures worldwide and his work has been published and exhibited on several national and international platforms. He has been a finalist twice for the Aga Khan Award of Architecture and has been a winner of World Architecture Community Awards numerous times.

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he mystic minstrel and philosopher of the 18 th-19 th century Bengal, Lalon Fakir, once said that if there is one thing absent inside the body, then it is absent even outside the body. It is true that “because thinking exists, we exist�. The soul and its envelope are the fundamental parts of the human form. On similar lines, the intent and envelope define the essence of architecture.

Bangladesh, as a country, is known for its abundant rainfall during the monsoon. Though accompanied by relentless floods, the season is almost poetic with water forming a major element in the country-scape. The rivers inundate the land, and when the water recedes, it leaves a fine layer of fertile alluvial soil and the entire landscape transforms into patches of paddy fields dancing with the winds. As a 400-year-old city, Dhaka used to observed a pleasant relationship with nature as well as between its streets and houses. Thresholds opened up as interaction zones and the streets took the form of theatrical spaces, to sit and observe the hustle-bustle of the city. The semiotic study was very interesting and connected the house owner and the passer-by in a social circle and the inhabitant and nature in a psychological one.

However, in recent times, on account of security and privacy, high boundary walls create a rather hostile dialogue between these components. With its literal translation being continuity, Shatotto addresses these issues and attempts to open up the city. It is essential for architecture to become a part of a social element, rather than functioning as a mute spectator. Boundary walls can be replaced by dwarf green patches or glass walls, the indirect implication of this being a stronger society with fragile and vulnerable separations between neighbours as opposed to harsh partitions between weak relationships.

The Soul The six seasons of the country allow for playful experimentations in architecture with respect to nature and natural elements. Movement of the sun, the directions of the wind, the presence of trees, context and typology play a very important role in architecture. Deriving from this, architecture can display certain respect to the environment, to the extent that special rooms be conceptualised for each of these elements, focussing on their appeal.

The Envelope The physical as well as the psychological requirements of the inhabitant in a sociological backdrop require appropriate consideration in design. A manifestation of this, mood-specific

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I am interested in water and colour. This is where I drew my inspiration from. I took a brush full of colour from the light of the sun and put it on the canvas of shadow to create architecture by water colour.

rooms are, at times, incorporated in the layouts. Keeping oneself rooted to the rich culture of the country, swimming ponds can be provided instead of swimming pools to keep the spirit of the traditional ‘Jangla’ (jungles) and ‘Ghatla’ (steps into the water) alive. Not only is there a respect for national heritage that is carried over abroad to integrate with the cultures encountered there, but also significant attempts to revive the history of old libraries, gymnasiums, tea stalls and grocery stores celebrate traditions. In order to reject the notion of architecture as an employee of the wealthy, aesthetic brilliance in architecture with all its accompaniments requires to be carried over to the older parts of Dhaka to cater to the lower-income groups.

In the early 19 th century, the Bengali scientist, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, revealed a discovery - every tree has life and dialogue. It has a language that it communicates in. Sir Michelangelo tried to bring out the encaged life from cold stone. Does architecture have life? If it does, then how does it express the dynamics of life? Just like human body, there is a body of architecture. This body has two parts, the envelope is the physical form and Mother Nature is the soul. The envelope and soul are independent, and yet they are inter-dependent. They belong to each other and they belong to themselves. When the envelope creates a dialogue with the soul, they intermingle, and architecture evolves.

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LUYANDA MPAHLWA

Beyond Architecture and Design Luyanda Mpahlwa completed his MSc Degree/Dipl. in Architecture at the Technical University (TU) of Berlin in 1997. He worked for three years as a freelance Architect in Berlin, during the reconstruction following the reunification of Germany and the relocation of the capital to Berlin. He was the Project Site Architect for one of the Nordic Embassies project completed in Berlin in 1999. In 2000 he relocated to South Africa where he founded mma’s Cape Town studio.

Day 2, Session 2: Lecture Synopses: Rashmi Naicker Images: courtesy the speakers

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he role of the architect today has become very diverse, but has also become very unclear. Born in country that was divided in black and white, being involved with the political uproar in South Africa at a very young age and serving a prison statement of five years with Nelson Mandela was a life-changing experience that helped in understanding the world from an entirely different perspective.

Taking inspiration from the vernacular architecture of Africa, one of the many interesting projects executed was the South African Embassy in Berlin. It was one of the first buildings undertaken by the new government of South Africa that had established its democracy only in 1994. Transparency was the concept from which the design of the building had evolved from, unifying all the various departments of the Embassy into one huge atrium. The structure elevates and promotes African-inspired designs.

Integrating architecture with art and recognising the country’s diversity was one of the main design challenges. Drawing inspiration from building elements and techniques such as carved wood, woven fibres, forged metal, decorated stone and moulded earth, materiality was chosen as a medium to address this challenge. Indigenous building materials such as sandstone, hand-chiselled African stone walls etc. were chosen to create textured finishes and historic references.

Currently, the Cape Town studio comprises of 20 young professionals; the work mainly involves government projects such as educational and public institutions largely located in township areas.

Though a fascinating country, South Africa still remains to be a land with vast disparities between the rich and poor and one of the biggest challenges is addressing the physical manifestation of this imbalance. The success of a newly established democracy can be measured by addressing the needs of the marginalised people and communities. South Africa is an economy of the privileged, characterised by well-serviced and manicured settlements whilst the poor still live in slum environments. In order to bridge this rural-urban divide, architects need to develop a sensibility towards architecture which addresses social imbalance and creates sustainable communities. The same can be achieved by addressing the needs of the urban poor through research and testing of urban developments strategies for squatter settlements and appropriate design solutions.

An invitation was extended to be a part of an initiative where architects were to design low-cost houses or grant houses for the government, to be distributed amongst the poor to improve their standard of living. The programme was called the 10x10 Low-Cost Housing Project and it paired 10 local and international architects with 10 families in the township of Freedom Park, a poor shanty town on the outskirts of Cape Town, to build experimental homes on the government subsidy budget of 50,000 South African rand, or USD6,900.

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Without appropriate models and affordable building materials and sytems, sustainability will remain a pipe dream.

It was during the research for this very programme that the firm decided to adopt the building with sandbag technology. The technique replaced traditional brick-and-mortar foundations with an economical two-storey structural frame made from timber, combined with sandbag construction, as fill for the walls. The design borrows from indigenous, mud-and-wattle building techniques that keep homes cool in summer and warm in winter. In addition to its thermal and sound-absorbing properties, sandbag construction also requires little to no electricity or skilled labour to erect. Sustainability here was defined by finding natural materials that are easily available and accessible and also affordable.

Schools and education are one of the basic facilities to be provided, and while designing such facilities, is becomes imperative to understand the relationship a child shares with his environment and nature, especially in the rural areas. Spaces are organised and created using very traditional influences derived from the way people live. Adopting this concept and with an aim to change and contribute towards the improvements in the living conditions of the rural areas, the upgradation project of 50 schools in some of the most rural areas in South Africa was undertaken.

Some of the major challenges for improving the quality of life at the grassroots are provision of amenities to stimulate the creativity of youth, arresting the perpetuation of poverty, and addressing the physical manifestation of the imbalance between rich and poor in a sustainable way. Without appropriate models and affordable building materials and systems, sustainability will remain a pipe dream.

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DHARMESH JADEJA

Scripting a new way of life Dharmesh Jadeja, a Calligraphist and Architect who lives in Auroville, is the first artist of his ilk to be invited to be a part of the residency at the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom. His practice has been involved closely with exploring almost all forms of design, ranging from architecture, interior design and landscape to product design, calligraphy, graphics, and architectural ceramics and pottery.

His designs are rooted in culture and nature.

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iscovering architecture through life in Auroville and interactions with the masters, fellows and colleagues in Auroville and all around India was a process of constant learning and imbibing.

Buildaur is now a relatively small practice but puts in conscious effort to find a respectable place for the Indian artisan in the contemporary building traditions of India.

Having been brought up in a small village in Gujarat called Drafa, enriched with historic and artistic beauty, keen inclination was developed towards heritage architecture and crafts at a very young age. Inspired and influenced to be a part of Auroville, a progressive society and a site of material and spiritual researches that is defined by phrases “unending education”, “youth that never ages”, “the bridge between the past and the future” etc., led to the discovery of ideals that enable the possibility to build with some of the most commonly available materials. Design and architecture today have neglected some of the most humble materials that exist. These are the materials that only call for one’s creativity, to be derived in new forms through the expertise of the skilled artisans we have around.

Though Auroville was known for its experimentation with bold forms in architecture, the fascination with Tamil architecture leads to the exploration of simple building forms and the use and application of certain interesting materials such as the hand-made tiles, the ‘athangudi’ tiles, lime plaster etc., the use of which have been dwindling and disappearing from the Tamil architectural scenario due to scarcity of skilled artisans and reluctance of architects to use it. As such, some of the most commonly used materials in various different projects are the stabilised rammed earth and terracotta roofs. Presently, engaged with projects in different parts of the country, attempt has been made to use the same materials with their respective local context; the result of which lead to the discovery of many aspects in different parts of the country, as such the stone mines of Porbander where the stone dust itself worked out to be a great building material, which was traditionally used for plastering, thus promoting the use of eco-friendly, climatically appropriate, energy-efficient, cost-effective building materials and techniques that utilise locally appropriate inputs and aesthetics.

Interactions and work with other organisations resulted in the involvement with different projects.

For example, in Bihar work was done with shelter collaborative of different institutes, a state which in itself has a very simple and spontaneous approach, the same as the people and artisans have to their own homes with the innovative use of bamboo, earth, terracotta, and beautiful handicraft

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Materials only call for one’s creativity, to be derived in new forms through the expertise of the skilled artisans we have around.

work ‘jalis’ etc. that are created by locally available materials. With an aim to achieve a synthesis between the traditional ways of designing and building the living environment and contemporary ways of life, it was discovered that even simple traditional things could be very modern, thus, developing a style that uses the arts, crafts and design to create an aesthetic and holistic living environment for its users.

Profoundly inspired by the colours and textures that form a part of any Indian architecture, it has been a constant attempt to use the same in different ways, either through an architectural style or an art installation etc. The past few years have been a journey of exploration of art and design through the medium of Indian letter forms and languages and the art of calligraphy. Having actively pursuing this art form, specialising in the Devanagari script and exploring the deeper meaning of phonetics and written traditions of the word has lead to encounters with many calligraphers around the world.

Auroville, providing a very creative atmosphere where one can witness the churning or different traditions, will very soon be developing a facility where calligraphers around the world can be hosted.

Unfortunately the state of Indian calligraphy with the history of around 3000 years, consisting of 15 languages, 18 different scripts and more than 300 dialects, is almost negligible today. The art form lacks national recognition. It has also been a constant pursuit and attempt at exploring different styles that could evolve from the blending of architecture, calligraphy and building materials.

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SANDEEP VIRMANI

Defining Cultural Expression Based in the Kutch region of Gujarat for the past sixteen years, Sandeep Virmani took profit from the remote and arid conditions of the district to gain a global and holistic understanding in the fields of water harvesting, organic agriculture, renewable energy, nomadic living conditions, sociology and rights defence. He is also the Managing Director of Hunnarshala Foundation (HSF) since its creation in 2003.

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xploring new dimensions in house construction, defining cultural expressions, understanding the role of an architect and the partnership with the artisans etc has been a constantly engaging and evolving process. Rehabilitation work post natural disasters can be used as an opportunity to enable people to express and envisage their own redevelopment as they would like to do it.

The redevelopment of over 25,000 homes in the Tangdhar valley of Kashmir post the earthquake in October 2005 led to the analysis of the existing structures of the region that had not collapsed. As explained by the master artisans of the area, most of the traditional structures were made in wood and some of the old structures that were very well braced, were built without any nails, with firm wood joineries. The structures were never anchored into the ground. The foundation and the plinth were made in stone and wooden rafters were then laid above them. Straws were then stacked and filled between the stone plinth and the wooden rafters. This worked as a base isolation, where in case of an earthquake, the structure above did not take the entire impact, preventing it from damage of the tremors. This was a technique that was then converted into a policy for the Jammu and Kashmir government. A four-page guideline based on the building practice was prepared and 7000 shelters were erected within 25 days. Over the next few months by the month of November, 20,000 such shelters were made. As an engineer, policy maker and architect, one feels that it is their responsibility to start providing solutions for these uneducated masses. Unfortunately having been trained in materials like steel, cement, glass etc., architects today have very little and limited knowledge about the four basic materials, i.e. stone, mud, wood and bamboo used in the rural area.

When an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale rocked Bhuj district in Gujarat in January 2001, the city collapsed, killing over 7000 people within a matter of few minutes. However, the circular structures called ‘bhungas’ of the nomadic community that lived in the same area did not collapse. These structures came into the landscape after the several earthquakes that occurred in this region. The reason these circular structures stood their ground was that a square structure in an earthquake splits at the ends. During the earthquake, when the movement is vertical, the structure stands very well. But when the horizontal movement starts the walls become weak and fall, cracks then develops at the top and come down.

On the other hand in a circular structure, when the horizontal movement starts, it actually works like an arch and it becomes stronger. And since there are no corners to break, it has a much better capacity to be able to transfer energy back into the ground and this was something, which was explained by the artisans in these villages. The villagers were also introduced to stabilised earth

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As long as cultures continue to invest in their own strength and in their own areas of expertise, there is a lot of possibility that one can achieve through the expression of their own identities.

construction as it was more stable, looked more permanent and also did not require much maintenance.

They were provided with the machines and the formwork for making rammed earth which the villagers utilised to put up their ‘bhungas’ and in just about a period of one year around 1200 homes were erected.

The structures also evolved with respect to their materiality where thatched roof and mud walls were replaced with tiled roof and soil-cement earth blocks, respectively.

During the rehabilitation of over 5000 houses that were destroyed after the disastrous tsunami that hit Aceh, Indonesia in December 2004, people were allowed to express themselves with regards to redevelopment for the first time, by just being provided with the framework required. This framework involved providing people with vouchers, this was the monetary assistance granted by the government and a training centre, which made sure that the technical guidelines that had been put together were being adhered to. Adopting this policy, 5000 homes were erected.

In Bihar, utilising the strength and application of a material as simple as bamboo, over half a million homes was created for people in the flood-prone plains of the region. Analysis of the weak points of the existing structures helped in developing solutions that adopted the local methods and techniques.

Modern scientific knowledge can be integrated with traditional wisdom to develop and mainstream these technological solutions.

361째 Thanks All Its Suppor ters For A Great 2012 Conference