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Madhumitha Ramesh Editor-In-Chief This issue grinds in everything you’ve ever dreamt of - beach girls, latest trends, pages filled with petite postures of professionals, even Bruno Mars privately singing to your ears ”oh yeah yeah, oh yeah ye ye yeah” Of course! Only in your dreams!!! Even though not all of them, right postures, lots of architecture, bars, a few legs and hips here and there can be checked in your list ! Cheers ! Read on !!
P.S : Pun Intended.
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Lakshmanan Palani Photographer
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TRANSFORMATIONS OF AN ARCHITECT IN THE SPIRT OF
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when some architecture students thought up this year’s NASA magazine theme ‘TRANSFORMATIONS – the spirit of the time’, their intent may have been to use this by-line to throw the switch for invited architects to wax eloquent on the pages of the NASA magazine about their creative process in a changing world of globalization and global warming. Maybe they hoped that the aforementioned architects will churn out essays about designing in a world without boundaries, be it geographic or cultural; about designing in an age of communication where the bits and bytes seamlessly transform every imagery that passes for design into cool walk thru’s, where 3D printers will not just squeeze out scale models but even build the real stuff. Describe a world of design, lubricated by software’s that will do everything, even wash the coffee mugs, leaving us “ARCHITECTS”free to focus on “ARCHITECTURE”. To be supportive to the student body and their intent, I tried to focus on visions and words that would be fitting to the theme but sadly, my thoughts, with a mind of their own tended to stray down other roads of “transformations”that were in the“spirit of their times”and the outcomes.
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Conceptual Illustration
So,
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http://www.slideshare.net/
The Design Process is being transformed by the subjective dictates of “Vastu” into a minefield, where the collateral damage is functional and climatic coherence.
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uphold the purity of design, who rather drop out than fit in. The archetype of a “male, non-conformist architect” who sneers at social conventions like team work and co-creation ruled the roost. Plain boorishness was confused with individualism and the brooding “non-conformists” created clunky works of “modern architecture” divorced from any urban context, while the handful of design magazines that existed in the market, rushed to publish photos of the same badly stained exposed raw concrete and brick accompanied with a B&W photo of the “non-conformist ARCHITECT” scowling disdainfully into the camera. With the opening of the market and globalization of the Indian economy in the 90’s; the generation born in the last decade before the change of the millennium, came into a profession that has transformed the “architect” into a service provider, the “I sneer at any compromise” the architect transformed into a smirking “the software nerd” who could jazz up any design with some 3D visuals, design be damned. Meanwhile, in the real world the design process is being transformed by the subjective dictates of “Vastu” into a minefield, where the collateral damage is functional and climatic coherence. During client meetings, the Vastu consultants recount of catastrophic stories of people and projects going bankrupt for operating in buildings that faced the wrong direction. The bankers and developers, fearing lower returns on their rupee,
Conceptual illustration
During the second world war, while historic cities were being flattened and amazing works of architecture destroyed in Europe, a love story of an emotionally challenged character who is also an architect makes it to top of the charts in the United States of “America” and 4 decades after the publication of this book, the wanna-be architects in India, secretly fantasized themselves as cast in the same mould as this fictional character. Ayn Rand, a Russian émigré, script writer cum author cast her architect as this “creative free mind” fighting against the “secondhanders” to
Unfortunately today “Form Only Follows Finance”, and the architect has been transformed into a tinkerer who puts together detail project reports, cutting & pasting Information and Design. transform housing, schools, campuses into a maze to ward of “malfeasance of rahu and ketu”, urging the architect working as the glorified draftspersons to keep tweaking the drawings till there is no plan, only a collection of random spaces. When the 19th century architect, Louis Sullivan came up with the phrase “form followed function” to justify a rationalist approach to design, how could he have known that it was going to become the battle cry of the modernist and internationalist till it will become the rallying slogan for the “form followed fiasco” movement? How else would one explain the 195060’s grand projects that were accompanied with obscure and dense write-ups comparing a city plan to the human digestive system and building floor plans to the insides of a mitochondrial bacterium? Unfortunately today “form only follows finance”, and the architect has been transformed into a tinkerer who puts together detail project reports, cutting & pasting information and design, transforming architecture into a work of collage. The planning and design phase of the project has been relegated to a formality, between the developer, financer and the political imperatives. Who knew that “form” would be this fickle, ready to follow any word that will start with an “f ”? Certainly, not Mr. Sullivan. The transformation of the architect from the conductor of an orchestra, directing multiple players, harmonizing to create a socially responsible work that is embedded in a geographical – cultural context to a bit player in a incoherent melodrama of development could be dismissed only if one is in denial. And this crisis of “transformation”needs to be addressed, if we do not want be phased out like the typists and telephone operators
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Kruthika CH Photographer
Circle Of Serenity
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Christopher Charles Benninger
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The
Conceptual Illustration
*Christopher Charles Benninger studied urban planning at MIT and architecture at Harvard, where he began his teaching career. He founded the School of Planning at CEPT University in 1971 and CDSA in 1976. He has authored LETTERS TO A YOUNG ARCHITECT that appeared on the Top Ten Best Selling Non-Fiction Books for many months, and is translated in Chinese and Gujarati. On five occasions he has won the Indian Institute of Architect’s National Award for Design. His Celebrity Page www.facebook.com/ christopher.benninger.3 is the most subscribed architectural page in Asia, with more than 30,000 members.
journey of the human race over the millennia has been a search for order, predictability and a more secure life. One of humanity’s most profound discoveries was that to manage anything, it must be measurable, and to find security on this precarious earth one must have an empirical method of testing what is seen to be true, against what is merely thought to be true! It is through such a search for innovation, design, and yes, creativity that humanity has informed itself with procedures and methods that yield solutions that work towards the creation of a world with order; an order in the little things and in the big things; an order in our civic life and in the things we make! We have come to realize in our human relations that recognizing our emotions, allows us to filter them through our rational minds, and only then act rationally upon our instincts. This has
proved better than the “cave man approach” of hitting a friend over the head because he disagrees! In our daily lives we recognize people as considerate and articulate who apply this simple procedure in their dialogues, and we begin to realize that the truly smart people apply logical methods and rational procedures even in their day to day thinking processes. Thus, good architecture and town planning should be grounded upon, and advanced through, the simple premises that there are rational procedures that one follows, taking us on a logical journey, step by step, towards problem solving! Unfortunately, bad, yet famous, designers have mystified architecture. There are charlatans who say, “Listen to the clients, and then do what you want; look at the land, and then flatten it; study your heritage and then build a glass tower!” This
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approach will lead you to frustration and your clients to the courts! Architecture is a curious craft wherein most designers start an inquiry with an odd shape or a curious form in their mind, rebuking the history of empirical thought, and emphasizing their self-importance as creative geniuses. They think that a few photos of their weird follies will put them on Page 3 along with strip tease dancers and drug addicts! This “upside-down” approach is based on the wrong starting point that great architecture is “different,” and to be great we must design something really crazy! This misconception has been nurtured through decades of misguided teaching, by frustrated little Michelangelo’s, all thinking that the secret of success lies in that eureka moment of creative inspiration, in which a building that looks like a fish is revealed as THE SOLUTION!
Follow a rational process of design, so you don’t have to fumble around in your searches for solutions.
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Beginning points in architectural design are not sitting under a tree awaiting for an apple to fall on your head, but are in exciting explorations into the client’s brief and how it converts into a building program; studying the site and listening to how it tells you what to do and not to do; searching out available craftspeople, local materials and the kinds of technologies that marry these two resources into a construction process; and finally studies of the relevant precedents of similar problems and how others have solved them over the centuries. Thinking of the budget and the schedule right in the beginning is what responsible professionals do! These kinds of beginning points and initial studies are what inform one’s mind about the “nature of the animal” one is trying to create.
Looking around us we see a lot of bad architecture in the form of strange stunts, thrown out on the streets like garbage out of a window, by notorious self-aggrandizing personalities whose only purpose in life seems to become famous. What they are achieving is not fame, but notoriety in the same manner criminals and corrupt politicians do!
Architecture is a curious craft wherein most designers start an inquiry with an odd shape or a curious form in their mind, rebuking the history of empirical thought, and emphasizing their self-importance as creative geniuses.
What I request of young architects is to be humble innovators, following simple procedures. What will surprise you is that within rational processes you will begin to develop an instinctive link between your mind, your pencil holding hand, and blank sheets of paper onto which truly insightful and profound ideas flow! The two lobes of your brain will be functioning in tandem, one following the steps and moving forward, and the other teasing you to rearrange and rediscover things. Only a rational design process can unleash this amazing phenomenon. Follow a rational process of design, so you don’t have to fumble around in your searches for solutions. Studying the site, the local technology and your client’s brief helps you become a rational, empirical innovator. It makes it clear to you that you are a professional in pursuit of truth, and that truth lies within each “projectproblem” you encounter
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moeen khawaja - Umbrellium
The term “smart cities� has come to dominate how the cities of the future are envisioned and described
by policy makers, urban planners and technology suppliers. The cities of the future are seen as global and strategic.They are being driven by the city managers to be able to operate a seamless platform of infrastructure 28 | 57thbuilt Annualon Nasa and| nunc services a Convention substrate of pervasive technology that can sense and control the environment. The pursuit of automation in decision-making is feeding the fetish for city data acquired in real time to
manage all aspects of urban living including; energy, waste, transport, education, law and order and more recently citizenship and governance.
problems. Cities in fact are a “mess” as defined by Russell Ackoff. A complex system of systems where each problem interacts with others and there are no clear solutions. In an attempt to optimise one These are vague part of the system, it is notions of a data rich A complex system of systems possible to destroy another future that is being system. In a where each problem interacts interacting pursued in the hope complete contrast to the of having a metawith others and there are no absence of the “citizen” system of systems that the “smart city” vision clear solutions. In an attempt in is ‘intelligent’ enough who is relegated to a to predict events to optimise one part of the consumer of services before they happen and provided system, it is possible to destroy designed and respond faster by the city, a messy city and more accurately to another interacting system. In a resident would exercise anticipated needs. This on deciding complete contrast to the absence agency technology centric what to measure, why view of the future cities of the “citizen” in the “smart and how. Such localised is very compelling data collection city” vision who is relegated to messy to large technology and analysis will lead to companies that a consumer of services designed innovation that the urban have been the prime cannot anticipate. and provided by the city, a messy planner instigators of this Different measurements vision. The underlying city resident would exercise approaches will produce logic of computational interpretations agency on deciding what to different decision-making at of issues at hand the city level is based resulting in a wide measure, why and how. on a rationalistic variety of explanations assumption that data and strategies for is impartial and it affecting outcomes. gives us facts, that Such heterogeneity is a leads to truth, which necessary ingredient for leads to wisdom, a sustainable model of understanding and the future cities otherwise control. If data they are likely to become actually is impartial, totally sanitised and then decisions based on it should be superior in highly institutionalised auto-determined spaces every context. It is the absolutism of data that is that have no room for individual self-determination. so attractive to decision makers because it absolves People must have the freedom to exercise agency in them of any moral responsibility. Sanitised data making the things in which they live and to shape eliminates room for doubt and argument. Data them according to their own tastes, elevating them being binary eradicates ethical dilemmas and from a consumer to a citizen obviates the need for agency, accountability and creativity. Applying this approach to cities assumes that everything in the city is discoverable and quantifiable. Only if we had enough sensors, we could get all the data we need to solve all city
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Casmir Mathew MIDAS
It
started the day my tutor criticized me for thinking of a design, which apparently was only imaginary and not practical at all. The situation gets me thinking of the possible dramatic climax to this entire design scenario, which makes me want to suppress the evolution of the ideas that I have for the design. As I saw the evening sun set, I hoped that new ideas will pop up, along with the rising moon. At the same time my friend, a movie buff brought with him a huge collection of movies. Lost in thought and not ready to watch any familiar movie, I came across a movie titled ”THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH” which intrigued me. As I clicked the keys, I was introduced to the director as the “MASTER OF SUSPENSE”
source:8tracks.com
“the essence of repression lies simply in turning something away, and keeping it at a distance, from the conscious”. 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 31
“the way to get rid of my fears is to make films about them”; The first time I watched the movie, I was not impressed mainly because I couldn’t understand the movie. Curiosity got the better of me and I found myself watching the movie again. Only this time, I actually understood the movie entirely, which got me interested and had me searching for other movies by him.
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This thought brings a smile on my face, and I move on to the next movie on the list
The Image in the previous page is a still from the movie “Rear Window “ directed By Alfred Hitchcock. The intent of the image is only to capture the reader’s attention.
source: www.gopixpic.com
As I watched, it struck me that all his movies have the same thought, the difference only being in presentation. As I searched for more information about him, I found out that he was one of the most influential movie makers of the 20th century, who at the beginning of his career was criticized because his movies were not on the same path as the thoughts of his audience.
I hit upon the realization that people are never completely open to change, preferring to stay in a zone that has been tried and tested, and which gives a sense of safety and comfort.
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Nandhini Ashok Photographer
A lone man, in a Bench Park, has many Stories. 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 33
Casmir Mathew Photographer
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Transformation is a phenomenon that happens with progression of time. A simpler but often used term is ‘change’, which is referred to as the only constant, with the passage of time. Human being’s three basic necessities have been food, clothing and shelter. Climate and surroundings have been determinants in man’s choice of food, clothing and shelter. Each geographical area and its climate have thus created a culture of food, attire and design of shelters. Each of these necessities of human beings has transformed slowly due to increased global connectivity, both physically and virtually. Since food cannot be fashionable, attire and shelter design continue to evolve based on the fashion of the times created by the availability of new materials and technology.
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Though change is seen as the only constant, the rate of change often is not so. The rate of change or transformation keeps happening differently in different ages, depending on the status quo of technology and social conditions. Industrial revolution and mass production two centuries ago, which shrunk the world in terms of accessibility, was the first instance of a rapid rate of change and transformation in society globally. When this rate appeared to slow down and achieved an apparent constancy, the next big revolution happened, called the digital revolution, which shrunk the world further, making sharing of information of all kind possible, at the flick of a mouse, globally.
Dr.Harimohan Pillai ARCHIe studio
In architectural design, man has moved from pragmatic systems of design of the vernacular to the parametric systems very rapidly in the last three decades. Giving up the pencil and pen, today we stand on a cusp of a major transformation in the ways we visualise and represent the built form digitally. Tomorrow we may not represent architecture in virtual space or paper space, but print build directly on the site using robots and mechanical systems with new generation recyclable materials and sustainable less energy consuming technologies.
Architecture is slowly transforming from being a ‘Mother of all Arts’ to becoming ‘Father of all Technologies’.
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Yet, I am sure, the architect will not change, will not transform... for the simple reason that...
ARCHITECTS LIVE BETWEEN MIND AND FINGERTIPS...
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source: http://www.taoartgallery.com/s-h-raza/
bindu and its manifestation Significance of the Bindu in the Sri Yantra and the VastuPurusha Mandala
Jaffer AA Khan, B.Arch, M.Sc (Architecture) Deepika Varadarajan, B.Arch (ID) M.Sc (Env. Design) This paper aims to look at Bindu and its various manifestations. Understanding of the mandala and the role of the Bindu in it is also presented. Explanation of the Sri Yantra and the significance of Bindu in it are discussed. The concept of VastuPurusha Mandala and the position of Bindu as the seat of Lord Brahma are explained. Mandala and Bindu and its interpretations in art and architecture through the works of SH Raza and Charles Correa are discussed.
MANDALA AND THE BINDU
Almost all religious theories of the oriental civilization believe in the existence of a centre from which everything instigates. This centre is a point called the Bindu. In Sanskrit, it is also referred to as ‘dapsa’ and ‘avayava’ meaning the physical body. Originally, the Supreme Reality represented by the symbol of the universe is the bindu as a central point of a circle or a triangle. It is the manifestation of creative dynamism. It also means the vibratory sound –the cosmic sound that relates to unconditional consciousness. In Tantric philosophy, the moon or the Indu is also associated with the basic concept of the bindu. Drops of dew located in the pinnacle of the body i.e. head are believed to be a manifestation of the bindu. The goal of the person practicing yoga is to attain liberation or Moksha as a result of which the dew drops melts and flows through the entire body. These drops are imagined to be as cool as the moon.
Voidness or Sunnya is also represented by the bindu as it occupies a minute unit of space in a unique place. The second most important component of the Mandala diagram is the Nabhi. Nabhi or navel is the straight line that is generated when the bindu moves in a particular direction. Bindu or the centre of the universe or of the body is considered to be the nabhi. This is also defined as the hub of a wheel i.e. Nabhi Chakra which comprises of three parts. Firstly, the centre point around which everything revolves called the bindu. Secondly, the thick circular part to which the spokes of the wheel are fixed. And thirdly, the spokes itself oraras. (Shakya, 2000) According to the Vaishnavaite mythology, Lord Vishnu or the protector of life is also referred to as Padmanabha (Padma - lotus) which means “one with lotus flower sized navel”. (Anon., 2014) It is believed to be the centre of creative energy. The phenomenal universe
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is symbolized by Lord Brahma also rest. The bindu itself represents the known as God of creation emerging observer as an individual point in the from the navel of Lord Vishnu. universe. It offers a calm and stable place from which to experience Some cultures in the oriental the world, revealing an alcove of region believe that the mandala is silence and serenity amid chaotic represented as a lotus. The lotus when surroundings.” (Barreda, 2003) represented as a central portion of the chakra exposes three divisions –the Karnika or the pericarps, the Kesara or the filament and the petals.Hindu mythology
dynamic aspects of Siva and Sakti in one. Creation begins when this transforms into Aparabindu when the centre swells and becomes a form of triangle. The interaction between the static and dynamic energy results in the formation of a triad – the Mula – trikona or the triangle. (Mookerjee & Khanna, 1977)
regards the lotus as a symbol of the pedestal or the throne of Gods. In the practice of Yoga, the ultimate aim is to focus the concentration on the central point of the Nabhi to attain a greater level of realization. The third major component that forms the mandala is the chakra, which is nothing but a circling wheel with a centre and circumference. It is the symbolical representation of the universe. The centre of the wheel, which represents complete emptiness, is imagined to possess the characters of Dukha (Pain) and Sukha (Pleasure) symbolized by black and white respectively. (Shakya, 2000)
the outer plane to the bindu. The outermost periphery of the Yantra consists of four gates located in the centres of the sides of a square and these are coloured white, red and yellow. Also called bhupara this is the ground plan of the SriYantra. There are three concentric circles inside the square called mekhala. The space between the square and the circles is the Trilokya-mohana or the Enchantress of the Triple World and this represents the stage when
THE SRI YANTRA AND THE
BINDU
Nine interlocking triangles around a Bindu represent the Sri Yantra. It is also called a Navayoni Chakra because of the presence of nine (Nava) triangles (yoni). Out of these nine triangles, five of them point downwards symbolizingSakti (feminine energy) and the remaining four points upwards symbolizing Siva (masculine energy). The Sri Yantra shows the various stages of Sakti’s descent in expression.
“The essential identity of the mandala can be most simply The Para bindu is the first stage described as a density of particles of manifestation represented by a around a central point, the bindu, point being the nucleus of condensed which serves as a focus for all the energy. It represents the static and 40 | nunc | 57th Annual Nasa Convention
There are nine circuits that constitute the SriYantra from
Previous page : THE SRI YANTRA, Flanagan, 1991, p.1 Top Right 1 : From Left toRight): Trailokya- Mohana Chakra; Sarvasaparipuraka Chakra; Sarva- Sankshobhana Chakra; and Sarva- Saubhagyadayaka Chakra (Mookerjee & Khanna, 1977) Top Right 2 : (From Left to Right): Sarvartha- Sadhaka Chakra And Sarvarakshakara Chakra; Sarva- Rogahara Chakra; Sarva- Siddhiprada Chakra;and Bindu: Sarva- Anandamaya Chakra (Mookerjee & Khanna, 1977) Center Right : Vastu Purusha Mandala (Magriplis, 2005)
one is infatuated by objectives and wishes. of pure consciousness. Also represented as a masculine divine he is contained in a Sarvartha-saddhaka meaning square grid showing his union with the Accomplisher of All Purpose and feminine divine or the Earth Mother. Thus Sarvarakshakara meaning Giver of VastuPurushaMandala can be explained as Protection represent a period of self- a harmonious unification of the masculine realization and these two chakras divine and the feminine divine or the cosmic are constituted of ten triangles each. energy and the earth energy respectively.
Integrating it in the design brings a certain amount of order in the design.
Sarva-rogahara or the Remover of all Desires and Ills is the next chakra constituting eight triangles and represents the period of inner circle of realization after freeing oneself from worldly ties. The Giver of All Accomplishments or the Sarvasiddhiprada is the stage just before realization and is represented by an inverted triangle. The dynamism is reflected by colouring all the triangles red as they represent radiant energy. The culmination results in the last chakra, which is the Bindu itself known as Sarva- anandamaya- Full of Bliss. This is the state when one participates in the union. This is represented as colourless as the point is light itself. (Mookerjee & Khanna, 1977) VASTUPURUSHAMANDALA AND THE BINDU Vastupurushamandala can be explained as the diagram of the universe in miniature. The word Mandala in Sanskrit means a circle. It can be explained as a cosmic diagram that possesses radial symmetry. Purusha can be explained as a Cosmic man, an embodiment
The VastuPurushaMandala contains a minimum of nine sections signifying the directions north, south, east, west, northeast, north-west, south-east, south-west and the centre represented as square grids. In the VastuPurushaMandala, the Purusha’s head is located in the North-east direction and this is considered utmost sacred. In the south-west are his feet and his knees and elbows in the north-west and south-east. Kept open and clear in the centre part of the diagram are his main organs and his torso. (Silverman, 2007) Starting from single undivided square of 1 x 1 there are grid patterns ranging auto 32 x 32 thus making it 1024 sections. (Silverman, 2007) Architecturally, the adaptation of the VastuPurushamandala has been seen in the design of houses, palaces, 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 41
temples and even cities. Integrating it in the design brings a certain amount of order in the design. Here, the squares are assumed as cubes of architectural spaces. (Kagal, 1986) NW
NE SPACE
SW
Figure 6: VastuPurusha and the Five Elements(Silverman, 2007)
SE
The five elements of nature , earth, water, fire, air and space correspond with specific sections of the VastuPurushaMandala. The south-west direction is associated with the element of earth (Bhumi); south-east with the elements of fire (Agni); north-east with the element of water (Jala); north-west with the element of air (Vayu) and the central area with the element of space (Akasha). (Silverman, 2007)
The term Pada in Sanskrit means the section of the energy grid pattern in the VastuPurushaMandala. There are concentric padas of energy in the mandala. The primary source of energy that is highly changed is in the centre called the Brahmapada. The Deivikapada around this is the luminous space. These two padas should be kept free with no walls. The conscious space or the Manushapada surrounds the DeivikaPada. Finally, the material space encompasses all of it and is the PaisachikaPada.These two padas are for the built structure and human occupancy. (Silverman, 2007)
BINDU, RAZA The most commonly used only are Syed Hyder Raza is an Indian artist who lives and works in France. His belief that the Bindu is the centre of existence and in everything else revolving around it led to most of his paintings revolving around the usage of the Bindu. His work reflects the cycle of life and death and resonate joy and meditation. His use of geometrical shapes and patterns like squares, circles and triangles reflect the Indian metaphysical philosophy and the union of God and man. Primary colours like blue, yellow, red and black predominately dominate his works.
the 8 x 8 and the 9 x 9 grids. The 8 x 8 grid also called the Manduka Vastu Mandala is used mainly in temple architecture. The 9 x 9 grid also called the Parasayika Vastu Mandala is used for design of residential spaces and spaces other than temples. (Silverman, 2007) The centre of the mandala is both Soonya (the absolute Void) and bindu (the source of all energy). Located here is Lord Brahma (The Supreme creator). (Kagal, 1986)
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Previous Page Top Right : Vastu Purusha Mandala Showing the Concentric Zones of Energy (Silverman, 2007) Previous Page Center Left : Vastu Purusha on Paramasayika Mandala (Venugopal, 2012) Previous Page Bottom Right : Arbre Bindu Painting by S H Raza, (www.storyltd.com) Top : Plan of Jaipur City (Ching, et al., 2010) and Plan of Jawahar Kala Kendra (Frampton, 2009)
REFERENCES Anon., 2012. TaoArtGallery. [Online] Available at: http://www.taoartgallery.com/s-h-raza/ [Accessed March 2014]. Anon., 2014. The Art of Living. [Online] Available at: http://www.artofliving.org/padmanabha-lotus-navel [Accessed 2014]. Barreda, P. P., 2003. MandalaZone. [Online] Available at: http://www.mandalazone.com/essay_density-of-particles. html [Accessed A Density of Particles: The Mandala as Mirror of Inner and Outer Self]. Bharati, S. J., n.d. Bindu: Pinnacle of the Three Streams of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra - Piercing the Pearl of Non-Dual Wisdom. s.l.:s.n. Chakrabarti, V., 1999. Indian Architectural Theory: Contemporary uses of Vastu Vidya. s.l.:Oxford University Press. Ching, F. D. K., Jarzombek, M. M. & Prakash, V., 2010. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. s.l.:Wiley. Cruikshank, D., Aug 1987. Variations and Traditions. The Architectural Review, Issue 1086. Flanagan, P., 1991. How to Draw a Sri Yantra, s.l.: s.n. Frampton, K., 2009. Charles Correa. s.l.:Perennial Press. Kagal, C., ed., 1986. Vistara - The Architecture of India. Bombay: The Festival of India. Khan, J. A., 2014. Practice Research Symposium (PRS), Ghent Belgium: s.n. Magriplis, M. M., 2005. Vastu Vidya - Australia. [Online] Available at: http://vastu-vidya-australia.com/2012/07/16/tuning-intoenergy/ [Accessed 03 March 2014]. Mason, J. E., n.d. The Great Sri Yantra Coincidence. Humanity On The Pollen Path - Part Three. Mookerjee, A. & Khanna, M., 1977. The Tantric Way - Art. Science. Ritual. London: Thames and Hudson. Saraswati, S. S., n.d. Kundalini Tantra, s.l.: s.n. Shakya, M., 2000. Basic Concepts of Mandala. Voice of History, Volume 15(1), pp. 81-88. Silverman, S., 2007. Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature. s.l.:Gibbs Smith Publisher. Venugopal, J., 2012. Vastu Purusha Mandala - A human ecological framework for designing living environments, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: s.n.
JAWAHARLALKALA KENDRA, 1991, JAIPUR, CHARLES CORREA
The plan was inspired by the original city plan of Jaipur. The art centre was conceived in 1986 and completed in 1991. The concept is based on planetary mandala consisting of nine squares. The NavagrahaMandala used for performing rituals, here adopts the role of a VastuPurushaMandala. Correa, believes in ‘reinvention of myth’ explaining transformation as “…producing something that is contemporary but with roots going back. We must use past traditions as directly, unselfconsciously, as the French make wine or the Indians wear saris- they do not feel compelled to reinvent each time.” (Cruikshank, 1987) CONCLUSION The position of the Bindu in the Vastu Purusha mandala as the seat of Lord Brahma symbolizes creative life. The process of Bindu as a point and reaching the ultimate form of a Mandala signifies that Bindu’s transformation to Mandala and back. This proves the theory of ‘Evolution and Involution’.Bindu and Mandala has inspired artists and architects in isolation.
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Note: The red markings on the figures are all improvisations done by the author
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Vernacular Aesthetics A Holistic Homage
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V alue of Aesthetic Minority and Popular Aesthetics Balaji Venkatachary
Assistant Professor and Head of the Department I/C, Global Institute of Architecture
‘Aesthetic minority’
in this article refers to a set of aesthetical qualities or compositions or conditions which are preferred by a group of people or community that is statistically lesser in number. While ‘Popular aesthetics’ refer to the ones preferred by a group of people or community which are majority in number that has acquired the aesthetic taste not necessarily through trained professionals but through a community based self organised process. The question of interest, though in this regard being how come the ‘institutionalized approach’ to aesthetic creativity, though practiced by a group of trained professionals who are certainly statistically smaller in number in any given population of a society claim dominance and supremacy of such a discourse and practice of aesthetic creativity? How does it come to be accepted as the aesthetics of a promised land or the ideal and the other minorities marginalized?
Conceptual Illustration
To answer these questions, we need to understand the implications of certain sociological phenomena like legitimization, acculturation, enculturation, cultural conditioning, market motives, etc. to mention a few as an agency for generating new paradigms or world views and thus a generator of Aesthetic Spectrum geographically and temporally. This sustains aesthetic diversity and promotes aesthetic evolution. Further, Theory of Paradigm shifts proposed by Thomas Kuhn for scientific community could be appropriately applied to humanities to understand the question better. Judgments of aesthetic value can become linked to judgments of economic, political, or moral value. One might judge a Lamborghini to be beautiful partly because it is desirable as a status symbol, or we might judge it to be repulsive partly because it signifies for us over-consumption and offends our political or moral values. Notable Indian Historians like Prof. Romila Thapar and Prof. Champakalakshmi have shown
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that cultures and identities are not a constant or a linear feature of any geographic locality. Various parts of India have been subjected to several socio-religious and politico-cultural pressures and as a result has seen an outburst of varieties of aesthetic artifacts, traditions and art forms. Human aspirations from gender to political and spiritual to mention a few can be considered seeds for aesthetic mutants. Thus, one could say to create and market a pan-community or pan-global aesthetic demand, the institutions and markets develop standard models based on universal theory and theory of high-culture. However, the role of minority and popular cultures contributing to the formation of such high-culture is often overlooked or under-estimated. Low/minority and popular cultures play a role as significant mutants in the process of aesthetic evolution. Looking at the process of cultural conditioning in act throughout mankind’s history, it is certainly evident that Globalization and Glocalization have always been co-existing and creating larger set of mutants, which is a promising sign for more aesthetic diversity. To mention some interesting
‘Novelty’ is NOT the quality recognised for survival. Novelty with ‘values’ and ‘continuity’ could form the useful part of the spectrum in Vernacular and traditional creative environments.
examples of this process one could see Maggi noodles glocalized to suit the Middle Eastern and Indian tastes. According to Prof. Champakalakshmi, Ramayana is an epic work of art cherished by pan Indian community, which essentially was a result of glocalization of several local legends adopted to reinforce the pan Indian beliefs and aspirations retaining the local identity. Kitsch art practiced vernacularly could be one such example. Having said so, it helps to look at the operation of the aesthetic pedagogical arrangement in India. Popular aesthetics and Aesthetic minority seem to be institutionally neglected in contemporary schools of art and architecture. Architects and teachers of architecture by and large are being quite judgmental about popular and minority aesthetics. Though there are some recent attempts to include the study of vernacular aesthetics, the mainstream design and art education doesn’t seem to be very open. For example, it is very unlikely that a student’s 2D composition made out of say lines for the basic design studio would be approved if it is in a format resembling Indian
REFERENCE Holm, Ivar (2006). Ideas and Beliefs in Architecture and Industrial design: How attitudes, orientations, and underlying assumptions shape the built environment. Oslo School of Architecture and Design. ISBN 82-547-0174-1. Korsmeyer, Carolyn ed. Aesthetics: The Big Questions 1998
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www.pixabay.com
Rangoli design or Mehandi design, though these patterns follow good principles of composition. A panglobal aesthetic sensibility has been idealised in institutions creating a false image of a promised land. But what is not realised though is in this process, the opportunities to create a larger diversity of mutants are lost. In modern schools Politicization of aesthetics is an aspect openly pronounced, viz symbolising secular, democratic, republican, socialist, feminist and religious ideologies. Conscious creation of novelty is insisted upon. Identity and Symbolism are theoretically developed and pushed through in certain cases. Conditioning sensitivities like gender sensitivity (Eg: Barbie for girls and Hot wheels for boys) reduces the open possibilities. Making new statements are central to the institutionalised modern aesthetic pedagogy. Possibility of industrial mass reproduction of works of art has also led to certain aesthetic processes which are designed to make life easy. The Vernacular approach in contrast, has an entirely different paradigm of understanding aesthetic conditioning in India. Apprenticeship for longer periods of time is a prerequisite. Since the birth of a child, being in the environment of a particular profession is seen as a means to achieving aesthetic sensibility of the community. It is rather believed that ‘Genius Spirit’ is at work and not the human being, which changes the entire attitude towards aesthetic experience and creativity in vernacular or a traditional set-up. Lateral ways of accumulation of skills occur and sense of ‘Community Aesthetics’ is an acquired quality rather than taught in discourse. The primary method used is ‘Repetition’ and
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Schools of arts and architecture must promote freedom of choice to required degree and a variety of exposure to various paradigms of approaching creativity.
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‘Memory’. Another quality of this approach is that there would be lesser ‘Queen bee’ and more ‘Worker bees’ as against modern schooling where every student of art and architecture is trained to be a creator. Evolved symbolism and spiritual symbolisms are inevitable part. ‘Aesthetic spectrum’ and ‘Aesthetic Mutation’ is sub-consciously seen as essential qualities recognised in pluralistic societies and cultures with diversities. These qualities are understood as ‘Key to Survival’. Each person is stimulated to sublime experience or for that matter even just gets attracted towards a unique set of aesthetic stimuli based on various natural and cultural memories. ‘Novelty’ is NOT the quality recognised for survival. Novelty with ‘values’ and ‘continuity’ could form the useful part of the spectrum in Vernacular and traditional creative environments. Self organized and instinctive learning provide an open platform. In the Vernacular creative process it is observed that Creative
Making new statements are central to the institutionalised modern aesthetic pedagogy.
process constantly tries to draw statements from central belief and the belief system of the concerned community rather than making just new statements. History always reminds us that no streams of approach are constant and linear. They are layers which are laterally connected at some point or the other. Schools of arts and architecture must promote freedom of choice to required degree and a variety of exposure to various paradigms of approaching creativity. It is essential to make the curriculum inclusive. Instructors must learn not to be judgmental about aesthetic sensibilities presented by students in studios, which could statistically reduce the number of mutants available. Promote observation and documentation skills more than analytical skills. Let the passing phase of modern and contemporary era cross pollinate to open up an entirely unseen world of aesthetic experience respecting the continuity and sensitivity of rich aesthetic traditions of human society.
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coverhdwallpapers.com
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Magesh Kumar Photographer
Some people are like diamonds, They sparkle when the sun is out; while some are like lanterns When darkness sets in , their true beauty is revealed if there’s light from within.
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Sharmada Nagarjan Photographer
I stood enchanted, as I watched my coin sink. The well was beautifully lit with the coins shining like dancing fireflies. It is believed that the brightest wishes come true. Walking out, I left a wish behind and carried with me, a feeling of hope, and a surreal memory of a spellbinding sight. 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 51
Conceptual Illustration
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INDIANAPOLIS BUILDING on BAPU
Transformation- the Spirit of Time Yasmin Shariff, DSA MA DipArch RIBA
In
July 2014, over 120 years after Gandhi first joined the struggle to fight for the rights of badly treated Indian immigrants in Durban, the city hosted the UIA Congress. Held every three years, the UIA was founded in 1948 by Pierre Vago and convenes in different cities all over the world. Architects flocked to this post-apartheid city where physical barriers and gated communities protect as much separate, imprison and impoverish. The opening words at the Durban UIA Congress by Hilton Udin Architecture is political cut to the heart. Architecture is always political. 9/11 is etched into our minds and the impact of two airplanes on the twin towers changed the history of the world. Politics and the city share the same Greek root - polis. Plato’s Socratic dialogue written in 380BC, The Republic, about order
and character of the just city-state and the just man is just as relevant today. It is also one of the first treaties on education. The recent 2013 Moma exhibition 9+1 Ways of Being Political: 50 Years of Political Stances in Architecture and Urban Design starts to reveal some of the obvious impacts architecture can make and the exhibit “No More Wars, No More Walls, A United World” resonates with citizens of Gaza, Berlin, Durban and beyond.
Exactly a hundred years ago in 1915, Bapu returned to India and set about organising peasants, farmers and urban labourers to protest against excessive land tax and discrimination. The political decision Gandhi made to fight for independence through non-violence and his failure to prevent partition (which he was
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against) has laid the foundation of India’s transformation today. The Empire’s citadel in New Delhi by Lutyens/Baker vies with Corbusier’s Chandigarh and its vision for the new democracy. To comprehend India’s ancient history, scientific and cultural complexity together with the sheer number of people (1.25billion out of a world total of 7.2billion) is a mind boggling challenge, especially when you add into the mix the Indian Diaspora which has evolved separately in different parts of the world. This rich tapestry brings together the intellect of people who have transformed modern civilization, including the mathematician Bramagupta whose grasp of zero made the digital age possible and Ramanujan whose genius with numbers revealed to us the magic of the number 2719 and string theory. The legacy of writers, sculptors, film makers, musicians and architects and other talents is vast and greatly underrated.
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The Indian subcontinent provides ancient precedents for modern day cities including grid iron 3000BCE Indus Valley cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa complete with sanitation, central marketplace, large public baths and assembly halls. Cities are now key to mankind and 2007 marked the beginning of the era for homo-urbanus, when for the first time in human history most of us live in cities and will continue to do so. There can be no doubt that the design and function of urban areas is key to the well-being of most of humanity. India is experiencing a phenomenal rate of transformation in this rapidly urbanising and digitally connected era. Airports and broadband are expanding exponentially and global connectivity is now unparalleled in human history. Tweeting, twittering and skyping is open to ever expanding bands of humanity to tune into. Yet in this globalised world of instant bright shiny new cities we have a growing underbelly of slums, sewage and pollution.
For the world’s largest democracy, though, the caste system itself seems untouchable. The rich are getting richer and the poor more exploited than ever.
Wilkinson and Pickett’s seminal work published in 2009 their ground breaking book, The Spirit Level - Why equality is better for everyone provides incontrovertible evidence happy, healthy dynamic urban idylls of the future. Their research shows that ‘If we are to improve the real quality of life further, we have to direct our attention to the social environment and the quality of social relations.’ It is inconceivable that in the 21st century, we are unable to grasp the nettle of inequality and under privilege that Gandhi and intellectuals such as Mulk Raj Anand, the founding editor of Marg Magazine, fought so hard against. Anand in his seminal book Untouchable published eighty years ago in 1935 (after being
outraged by his aunt’s excommunication and suicide because she had shared a meal with a Muslim woman) hoped that technology in the form of the modern flushing toilet would obviate the need for a caste of people who were untouchable.
The design and function of urban areas is key to the well-being of most of humanity.
For the world’s largest democracy, though, the caste system itself seems untouchable. The rich are getting richer and the poor more exploited than ever. It seems that the ‘Spirit of the Time’ is transfixed, the Gandhian fight for democracy and equality is being sucked back in its bottle by corrupt and vacuous forces and the stopper securely welded on. Whilst we are awash with facts and figures, big data from globalised and national organizations, there is little awareness of some fundamental questions about the quality of our lives (health and happiness) and social cohesiveness (peace and prosperity). To be effective as individual designers, writers, thinkers and collectively as institutional organisations we need to recognise how integral the political is to the public and domestic, iconic and vernacular architecture and urban design and for each of us to play an active part to breathe life and integrity into the spirit of our time
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www.taringa.net
1. For an architect, what is more important to understand? The history or to live with extreme attention to contemporaneity? And why? It is to understand the emotions that architecture can arouse- past and present.
4. Is architecture today democratic? No, how can it possibly be when architects operate a macho culture with women in the minority and a very poor record of delivery for ‘the people’.
2. What in your opinion is the formula for a successful architect? Successful architect= ‘fire in your belly’+hunger for knowledge+inspirational story teller+teamworker+ just do it (brilliantly).
5. What do you see in the cities of tomorrow? A techie futuristic locale or a place with indigenous and historic concepts? Collaboration and communication with lots of opportunities generated by big data and hopefully with a concern for humanity and nature i.e new concepts rooted in past experience. 6. According to you which aspect of design signifies respect for humanity?
3. How significant is brand value? As significant as the product.
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IN TER VI EW YASMIN SHARIFF
Utopian ideas of Ruskin and Morris are examples of design that emerges out of a respect for humanity. Equality and a genuine care for the client, context and nature are at the core which involves standing up and fighting for equal rights and against the forces of greed and corruption. 7. Your definition for layman’s architecture? Wasteful 8. Is Vernacular Architecture - a museum for tomorrow’s Gen? Vernacular architecture needs to be living and dynamic to have any reality and value, that which becomes redundant will de facto be a museum if it survives the ravishes of development. 9. How green is a Green Building? As green as the users!
10. What according to you is transformation in the following regards ? a. House into home Houses are built by developers to profit from and homes are designed for people who inhabit them. b. Aesthetics – decorative to geometric to parametric to what Aesthetics are more than surface decoration.
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c. Architectural tools – past, present and future Tools that nurture a culture of collaboration steeped in equality, respect, fairness and inspiration
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Nandhini Ashok Photographer
Silhouettes Speak
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Darshini
MIDAS
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How did it all start, this love?
Love of the medium itself, love of colour and love of the absence of it. To me art is capturing the moment. Capturing it, harnessing it, trying my best to pin down fleeting impressions of form or colour. That is why I sometimes favour portraits. If done properly, it can capture the essence of someone’s personality; trapped in sweeping brushstrokes or the crisp lines of a pencil. It’s not possible to pick favourites, but in all of my dalliances these are the ones I have at least some level of practice in. Watercolour: She is the one I approach with some measure
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of trepidation mixed in with my excitement. She is speed. She is spontaneity. Ours can be an unpredictable, one sided love affair at the best of times. Which makes it all the more thrilling. Addictive. Watercolour can be controlled, but only to an extent, and with some difficulty. But each colour stains the page beautifully, chasing each other and creating countless new hues. She can look as delicate as stained glass, even when done with the largest of brush strokes and the simplest of colours. Water is what lends her that lovely transparency, giving watercolour the ability for clean precision as well as soft loose edges, depending on the mood of the artist as well as the artwork. Charcoal: He is a relatively new find for me and it was love at first smudge. He is bold. He is messy. He is beautiful. Our relationship has been fruitful and immensely satisfying so far. Our encounters leave me slightly tired but content. The control of charcoal depends on the size of the charcoal stick
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and its softness. He is less about drawing and more about smudging and using the paper white, at least for me. While using charcoal, my eraser also becomes a tool, lifting out the shadows with ease. He always has a sense of movement, and is more about form and shadows and highlights than details. He disintegrates into streaks of darkness when dragged across the page, leaving beautiful impressions on paper, but also leaving less beautiful residues of dust all over my fingertips and sometimes my face. Pencil: Ah, my old friend. My one and only. My lifelong companion. He is comfort. He is dependability. We have known each other long enough to discover all of each other’s secrets, faults, quirks and capacities. To me pencil is the medium I’ve used for as long as I can remember. From doodling caricatures of boring lecturers in class to spending hours detailing out
the curves of someone’s face in a portrait, he is the extension of my right hand. And sometimes my left, if I’m feeling rather adventurous. The familiar feel of the lead scratching across the page gives me the confidence that I can never feel with anything else in this world. Small, easily hidden in my pocket, he will be my friend throughout this uncertain journey called life.
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But art is not always about the medium. Or in fact the technique. For me, they are simply means to an end, a way to express myself. To lay myself out on the page and lose myself; leave this world with all its worries and fear behind, at least for a little while
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Angela Brady PPRIBA FRIAI Hon FRIAS
Our own History Culture and Identity, reflected in our Cities Places and Spaces is what tells people who we are and what we value.
What do our Cities tell us about ourselves? Can we identify where in the world a place is, from a photograph or a hearing a story? What are the key elements that give it individuality or anchor it in history? Or are we abandoning our History, Culture and Identity in the rush to transform our cities to be ultra-modern and keep up with the West or North or South or East? We need to look at our own patch first, no matter where we are in the world. We need to identify what is distinctive on our own doorstep. Often we can be blind to this.
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cities, places where people want to live, work and play in and visit or return to.
A rich urban experience is best
demonstrated where towns or cities have been able to adapt gradually to change over hundreds of years, so each era is a reminder of that history of people and buildings. History cannot not be added on to a project, you can’t reinvent history or create it after the event, although many have tried and failed. It is the flexibility of buildings and place that will keep the historic environment valid in modern times and that protective care we can give it that will attract others to visit something special. It is that ‘quality of life’ factor that people value in their evolving cities, that gives further opportunity for economic, social and cultural activity to sustain it. We need to make our
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Is it the speed of design and decision making that kills innovation and the long term value we should bring to these projects? If there was more time to think through design solutions, that hang on to these values would they be better for it? This lack of thinking time kills innovation and forces developers, to fall back on stock solutions that have led to the ‘proliferation’ of identikit cities - which, if they had more design and research time - could make them individual, special, and better places to live. If we are to transform our Cities to reflect the way we live, then we must base this design on sound values and local knowledge and include what is valuable to the community and not to the highest priced land or office floor space that leads the way. Local people need to have a say and contribute ideas too. Too often we scrape away the layers of history to rid our sites of “old stuff ” supposedly no one cares for and at
Top : Hanoi Vietnam Next Page Top Left : Clapton Portico, Hackney London Next Page Bottom Right : London from Historic to High-Rise blend
Too often we scrape away the layers of history to rid our sites of “old stuff ” supposedly no one cares for and at the same time obliterate the memories of those living and long dead, along with their stories that made places special and recognisable, their stories that make places unique.
publicised. Often the mistakes of the west are repeated.
But what is alarming is the speed at which these cities are emerging, some based on undercooked master plans- This incredible speed of delivery is attributed to the financial model for development which has developers running up high interest rate costs at the early stages of a project, forcing them to design and build it as fast as possible. Our colleagues in China surrender their family life to an almost 24/7 regime and a similar effort is expected of Western consultants. That can’t be good for anyone, nor the long-term future of the design.
the same time obliterate the memories of those living and long dead, along with their stories that made places special and recognisable, their stories that make places unique. Starting from scratch with a newly scraped clean site is not the best way forward, because you then start with nothing. We need to look backwards in time, in order to go forward and keep the best for adaptable reuse. A holistic integrated design approach will have value.
We need to identify what is
distinctive on our own doorstep. Often we can be blind to this.
Clients often demand a landmark project as a symbol of their importance, whether they deserved it or not. In the past, buildings of significance used to be specific government buildings or places of prayer or worship. Today, modern icons tend to be for private corporations, banks or shopping centres, so the emphasis has changed from local community values - to corporate identity branding. Some icons may look fantastic, however, there are dozens of poor quality, steel and glass repetitious structures, unsuited to their climate with no sustainable features, rising haphazardly, creating dozens of faceless cities - if you look to China, the world’s largest and fastest developing economy, the scale is gigantic. Rapid growth has accelerated at lightning speed and even the ghost towns are not much 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 67
If this proliferates, it could be looked back on, as a wasted opportunity because of a lack of long term planning and seen as a waste of scarce resources. Even the space between buildings has changed radically. 100 years ago we used public spaces in towns and cities in a very social and public way. Since the introduction of car from the 1940’s the road infrastructure has radically changed old towns and cities and how we move about cities and how we experience public space. The domination of the car has pushed the pedestrian aside and demolished many buildings in their way. Roads have totally changed how we claim public space for
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In tandem with this we must safeguard our Identity, for this lies at the heart of what connects us to each other and to the world. people and we have been prevented from socialising and trading like we used to. But this is reversing as we value again local market and healthier lifestyles and rely less on the car. Our biggest challenge is addressing the built environment and seeking to leave our planet in a better place than when we found it. Water, air quality, food and clean energy sources must be resolved in a holistic way or we all risk not being able to live in our own cities.
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We need to think long term because we are committing others to the long term consequences of our design actions taken now
Sharmada Nagarajan Photographer
A few distant and slithery relatives comment on me living inside a shell. Well, it’s definitely better than squeezing into narrow pits of earth. And I believe form follows function. My shell works ergonomically, provides the necessary comfort and security. Now that’s architecture. Not some fancy looking hill with no space to breathe into! 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 69
Sanjana Ravi Photographer
Dance does not discriminate. You could be of any shape, or any size; any face or any race – dance will liberate you and breathe new life into your soul. 70 | nunc | 57th Annual Nasa Convention
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IN CONVERSATION WITH
SUHASINI IYER Excerpts from the interview held on 27.12.2014 at Auroville, Pondicherry
What in your opinion is the formula for a successful architect? I would say, for me there is no such thing as a successful architect. And there are no formulas because architecture is not an independent profession, but a collective enterprise where an architect plays a role of a conductor. When you have a huge orchestra you need to understand how each instrument works, likewise in an architect’s case, how every different components come to work not just design, building materials, climate, energy, sustainability, but also the human element and historical context and what is likely to happen in and around it also plays
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a role.Everything in this world is interlinked and interdependent and so there cannot be a formula because each act of designing is embedded within itself in a lot of other explorative inputs by agencies and individuals. So for me, successful architect is an oxymoronic term. To put it simply, an architect being as more of coordinator brings a scale of leadership that is combined with design solutions. How significant is brand value? I am quite ignorant about what brand value is! If you are saying, a Nike logo makes me think of shoes, yes! But if I look at a building and start thinking of the architect, then it means that the architect is producing Nike like shoes from
mass production. So branding and brand value for generic products that are used is different from an actual development in an ecosystem. In terms of getting clients, who gains an upper hand – amateur or established architects? You see every company started somewhere. Some are successful, others are not. Now, after some amount, it’s very easy for successful people and companies to say we did this and that, to put a brand into the market that got us recognition. But at the end of the day, it is a combination of many things including luck. And no successful person would say its luck! To be the right person at the right point with the right opportunity is not possible; you cannot in any
“... if that is democratic architecture, then I want to change professions!”
given circumstances put all this in alignment and be there. And the second thing is how concerned you are about putting people in a comfort zone to trust you with their development. And that’s one thing most architects today are arrogant about. They do not seem to think that they are co-creating with the people that they developed for and the end result is form follows finance today; not an architect, market value, land value, speculation trends. And these are all dictated by finance and we are all just one more service provider. Is architecture today democratic? Architecture has never been democratic and will never be. To be democratic you would have to
come to a system where everybody has equal awareness to make the right choices. Everybody is making their choices based on their level of consciousness and awareness and today democracy works globally in a political system based on two things: on appeal to lowest common denominator (the politics of our country) and appeal to lowest level of the masses while manipulating the system to remain in place. So, if architecture is going to follow that principle of democracy, we would continue to do what we have done since 1950’s which is anonymous boxes irrespective of culture and climate of the place. And if that is democratic architecture, then I want to change professions! What do you see in the cities of
tomorrow? A techie futuristic locale or a place with indigenous and historic concepts? I see neither. I see that the cities of tomorrow are dictated by cities of today. There is continuity which dictates certain choices that is tied to various things. One is the kind of socioeconomic structure that we have and how people have access to facilities and opportunities given by a city; and second is tied into the kind of opportunities people get irrespective of where they come from.Today in India opportunity is very limited. You can say India is booming, we have high single digit growth, inflation is falling, we have a fantastic new government that is going to show us good days, but the bottom line is 50% of Bombay still lives in slums, there is still poverty in rural areas, there is still no access 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 73
of infrastructure; in this kind of scenario you are going to deal with decision making in urban development. At the same time urban development is going to be impacted by the problem of natural resources in our country. We don’t have enough fresh water , the supply and demand system is in dispute, and energy generation in this country is in crisis; job security and life styles are impacted by this. Within this it’s going to be either us making hard choices, which is not possible within our democratic political system or like normal human history, disasters will push us to make hard choices. And I feel it’s going to be a combination of the two because the middle class of India is growing and as they get more purchasing power they desire clean environment, safe city streets, a less annoying public transport system or access to their own private vehicles dedicated roads and parking for them. But within all this, they control the media and the media is pandering to them. The rich don’t care. They can live outside the system. And the poor are imprisoned by the system; They can either vote or protest, which is their only participation in urban 74 | nunc | 57th Annual Nasa Convention
development plan. So for me, personally I think as long as we keep with the metros and first year towns as our main focus of development we are not solving these problems. And amazingly people don’t realize that migration is not so much in metros and first year towns. It’s often in towns like Trichy, Coimbatore, and even more in small towns like Pondicherry and Cuddalore; And the cities have opportunities because they are not so big and they don’t have such an unyielding administrative setup to actually develop into cities that have a little more quality of life. If I were the prime minister I would personally focus on towns which are 2 million and less and develop their economic opportunity and public infrastructure. Your definition of layman’s architecture? The architecture that gets to the common man are big public structures that are afforded by the rich and not accessible to the common man. So for a common man, what do you think architecture is? An architect for me is more about
Top : Auroville Earth Architecture (http://www.earth-auroville. com) Next Page : A Picture depicting a Factory during the 90’s (http://www.humsafar.info/)
“a lay person is constantly evaluating not just the quality, but the value of the structure and unless we change the value system to include something more than these boxes, the laymans architecture is just what the lower middleclass wants.”
dealing with patronage. If you don’t have somebody asking you to do a project, you are not doing it. So we are tied to the demand and supply of the market. For me, if you see historically post independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister and he worshipped industrialization. As a way to get India out of the cycle of poverty, he pushed for large scale western anchored projects like Chandigarh. He called factories the temples of tomorrow. And what did it do? It made, the lower middle class and the middle class aspire for a certain kind of built environment which was a boxy brick and concrete structure because for them it signified the arrival into the next stage of India. The government being the biggest developer until the early 90’s did all the necessary planning and there was no real need for architects except for large scale projects. So most people thought if it is good enough for the government, it has a certain value in terms of resale or investment, so it’s good enough for them. And that stuck. Post tsunami when we tried to do rehabilitation and reconstruction, in spite of very tedious and minute participation projects where we questioned the people about their comfort zone, lifestyle, family structure and different spaces used; to get them to value their own local traditions and building materials and lifestyle. Unilaterally they all wanted a box. A
box which was uniformly dotted with equidistance back and front with the road in the front and backyard and a water point with a toilet outside the building. But for them that had an economic significance; they said if something happens tomorrow it has a value, because the person purchasing it has the same aspirations as the one who has it. Now, to be able to change that, projects coming up have to find a whole new direction of development. So a lay person is constantly evaluating not just the quality, but the value of the structure and unless we change the value system to include something more than these boxes, the laymans architecture is just what the lower middle-class wants. What the middle class wants is a little bit glorified by the upper middle class and the government and the PWD still wants those boxes. And developers except for the very high end are still only looking at the boxes, which is slightly modified to look better in your 3D max. They say give a little cantilever here, a little creeper there but it’s still a box which has nothing to do with the climate, the local environment, the human values, security. I have been doing green buildings and they don’t work as green buildings. Why? Because the environment around lacks security and privacy, and contains insects, noise, dust and so people close their windows,
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FAST FORWARD Nirmal Kulkarni (with the sound still playing) WARNING: The author is not responsible for the excruciating frequencies generated as a result of this reading material. In the 1920s, when Le Corbusier floated his idea of “The Contemporary City” for 3 million people, Mumbai, was also undergoing infrastructural changes, to accept the avatar of an industrialized city. Thereafter, until now, and beyond to 2050, the Megacity of Mumbai is expected to grow at alarming rates, based on current projected statistics. The poster explores the scenario of these metamorphosing ruptures, coalescing into a singular entity.
Transformations for tomorrow occur only due to actions (or inactions) taken today. Just as our today is informed by the same hind-sight, an impossible question which comes to mind is, how does humankind not have the ability to accurately forecast conditions and possess the wisdom to act accordingly. Forecasting the future is limited to a chosen few as proven by history. ‘TRANSFORMATIONS - Spirit of Time’ somehow to me has a quality of ‘Genius Loci - Spirit of Place’. The association seemed obvious because of the Space-Time matrix. So, if there is ‘placeness’ for space, would there then be a kind of ‘nowness’ for time. For the search to find the equivalent of such a theory, one may have to travel the three realms of time, namely, the past, the present and the future. The investigations of such a ‘nowness’, may lie possibly somewhere in the realm of the present. Who knows? Each to his own. Meanwhile, the visions which come to mind, represented in the poster, are captured below in the vivid expression of such a future. “Dynamic contortions get juxtaposed on the veneer of the built fabric shooting up to the skies in towers of slime-mould regenerating rapidly from memory spores, arching towards vertical ‘dispersal’. The Slum towers resonate with an incredible energy, giving rise to fantasy bubbles, within the stratosphere which they reach up to. The mindbody connects within communities aspiring for the elemental, unleashes creative forces, powerful enough to generate conditions, pulsating with a vibrant, yet spasmodic microlandscape. Fractelized geometries implode upon itself in kaleidoscopic panoramas. People transit between cities, between the urban and the peri-urban, between the mundane and the esoteric, and between relationships. This continuous transfer of mobility, within the realms of the body-mind, manifests in an acidic effervescence. There is little difference here, between the solidified and the melted, the old and reconstructed, the tangible and the disembodied. The real, the temporal and the delusional occupy the same space. Touch vacillates between a fractured syntax, and a coherent pattern. Pure arts just like pure sciences blend into a plethora of eclectic knowledge preserves. Physics & chemistry fuse, actioned by the multidimensional diffusion phenomena. The technology converts to Super-Jugaad through interference in migration velocities.
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It appears to be a time-lapse video, (a FAST FORWARD with the sound still playing) played out in real, accelerated space-time, redefining the term – architectonic.” Note - Those who wish to unfold this time-lapse/fast-forward of a narrative will find great many lengthy stories hidden in every frequency
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“
Architects like Rachel Armstrong have applied research data from chemistry and synthetic Biology to devise a system of ‘Life-like’ units and have proposed its application in an urban city scale.
“
TRANSFORMATION IN ARCHITECTU source:http://gizmodo.com/5-smart-building-skins-that-breathe-farm-energy-and-g-1254091559
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The
twenty first century has witnessed an expansion in the territories of architecture to non traditional arenas by propelling creative solutions for global issues and human development. The process of design is also shifting from conventional methods to innovative, heuristic and holistic methods that generate diverse outputs. The symbiotic involvement of architects in various fields like graphics, urban planning, transport design, product design etc has also augmented the aesthetic quality and creativity component of any creation.
The Global Status Quo As we progress towards the future, impending issues of climate change and depleting resources have become a global concern. Work in every field involves adhering to sustainable guidelines and keeping environmental impacts in mind, be it technology, agriculture, politics, art and architecture, etc, Buildings cannot function as stand-alone entities serving only primary functions, shelter and aesthetics. Architects are challenged to create more versatile buildings in the future that are self sufficient, creators and sustainers of energy, resistant to natural disasters, and enhancers of wellness of their occupants.
URE THROUGH
DESIGN INTERDISCIPLINARY
A A S I Y A
A S L A M
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Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Design The beginning of any architectural solution lies with acknowledging the bigger picture and realising the impact that buildings have on the environment. Hence architects must address buildings as markers contributing in a significant way to the world to arrive at solutions. Collaborative and interdisciplinary design can be approached to attain ideal solutions in a wholesome manner. Interdisciplinary design includes generating ideas by interacting with various other disciplines right from the initial design stage. This means that architects, engineers, policy makers, ecologists, the public etc, will work together from the start to frame the problems to be tackled, undertake research, disseminate the research findings and arrive at feasible solutions. A multidisciplinary approach has led to success in fields such as Biomimicry where architects team with ecologist, botanists, zoologists, horticulturists and environmentalists deriving solutions from nature. Le Corbusier declared biology
‘to be the great new word in architecture and planning‘. Architects have collaborated with scientists, physicists and engineers to explore the applications of nanotechnology and Smart materials in architecture to design responsive buildings that conserve energy of operation. Parametric design originates from mathematics and with the help of computer tools has ensconced its place in architecture. Emerging technologies have also combined robotics and architecture to generate spaces that assemble and dismantle themselves and adapt to new environments. Various architectural practices around the globe have succeeded in forging links with other disciplines in creating pragmatic design solutions. Architects like Rachel Armstrong have applied research data from chemistry and synthetic Biology to devise a system of ‘Life-like’ units and have proposed its application in an urban city scale. These synthetic units will create a sustainable artificial reef to raise the city of Venice from its current submerged level.
Buildings cannot function as standalone entities serving only primary functions, shelter and aesthetics.
Top Right : Light weight structure with high performance polymer envelope. source:www.exploration-architecture.com Bottom Left : Rachel Armstrong’s protocells will prevent venice from submerging source:living architecture Next Page : Environmental responsive Smart Facade created by emulating the properties of human skin source:http://www.archdaily.com/tag/decker-yeadon/
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Significance of common interactive tools
Collaborative and interdisciplinary design can be approached to attain ideal solutions in a wholesome manner.
Bringing different disciplines together requires a common platform for interaction in the form of digital tools that are user friendly and whose outputs can be easily interpreted. With the emergence of BIM platforms, various professionals can work on a single model that can be shared easily but controlled individually. While BIM platforms have proven beneficial at a later design stage, the need for a similar platform at the early concept stage is necessary. Digital tools are catalysts in interactions between various disciplines and make design process more seamless. Various digital and technical tools also create multiple iterations of a problem at hand and professionals can render distinct solutions on a common platform. Digital technologies have stretched the limits for feasible design solutions, giving architects a broader spectrum of design possibilities.
Conclusions
The Decker Yeadon’s firm, combined mechanics, biological emulation and synthetic chemistry to devise a self regulating facade system that automatically responds to environmental conditions to conserve building energy. The double-skin glass façade contains a series of engineered ribbons that are made up of polymer materials that respond to electrical impulses created from tapping solar energy. Architect Michael Pawlyn and his team at exploration designed The Eden Project Biomes by emulating the building form from nature and creating a lightweight building envelope with the help of a team of structural engineers, architects, horticulturists and biologists. The innovative idea transcends conventional greenhouses as it is selfheating for most of the year. The weight of the assembly of ETFE panels over steel is less than the weight of the air that it contains.
The characteristics of interdisciplinary research allows a nonlinear approach to design where architects must identify the various stages in which professionals from different field may be involved. In terms of output, interdisciplinary design can be applied to building form, structure, materials, building maintenance or even developing a building strategy. Research on interdisciplinary design and architecture transform buildings into farms for growing food, harnessing energy, healing and repositories of information. We need various other approaches that would gather architects, designers, engineers, biologist, physicists and scientist together, to serve the common greater purpose of reducing environmental destruction and improve quality of life through innovative and pragmatic solutions. Our formal architectural education must also facilitate the scope for interdisciplinary interaction along with architectural curricula. Education systems in our country have not reached an apogee in this transformation of architecture and a radical change is necessary from our formal stream-lined learning process
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Conceptual Illustration
Silvinus Clisson Pragash 82 | nunc | 57th Annual Nasa Convention
To
start off, I would like to proclaim myself as a compatriot of Chennai. Growing up here in Chennai has a significant influence on my life and also in the way I have evolved along with the city. The Chennai city’s identity is contested by the rapid aggression of globalization and consumerism. There is a constant tussle to establish supremacy over these aspects through looking back to the roots of Chennai. Heritage becomes a way through which we reconnect our self to our identity or the attribute which renders our identity itself. According to Heritage, Memory and Identity (a book by Helmut K. Anheier, Yudhishthir Raj Isar) “Heritage is indispensable to having an identity and cultural memory; losing a heritage is like losing a key bit of both. Heritage has come to be used as ‘proof ’ of past, tradition, belonging, and therefore proof also of right to place, representation and political voice.” But there is a parallel debate about our true roots. The British have left their long lasting influence on Chennai
Changing names is an attempt to change history itself.
Starting from the organization of the city and even the names of the roads, leaving behind their legacy and the memory that they ruled these plains. Even Chennai as a name is from the recent past. The change was part of a nationwide drive in which the names of the cities were modified to Pre- British regime versions fueling the political mileage for the politicians. These changing of names were unnecessary and it’s a political issue rather than a public consensus which is difficult to arrive in such
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photographer : Sharmada Nagarajan
a hugely populated nation and the common man never gets a say. Anyone can say what’s there in a name? The name does create a mental image of any entity. Changing names is an attempt to change history itself. It is for a fact that we have been colonized by the British and they influenced our urban set up and living. But it is insane to sterilize this memory from people because by doing so it rather downplays our struggle to freedom than epitomizing it. In recent times in Chennai, the Chennai Corporation is on this rebaptism drive of Chennai roads. Corporation of Chennai wanted to replace those roads with colonial names with the names of Tamil scholars for instance Chamiers road has been renamed as PasumponMuthuramalingarThevarSalai. Though the name of Mount road has been changed to Anna Salai lot of people refer to its old name due to the memory of its past embedded in peoples mind. This duality is prevalent across the map of Chennai Mowbrays Road with T.T.K.Road and General Patters Road with Thiru-Vi-Ka 84 | nunc | 57th Annual Nasa Convention
High Road. The Chennai Corporation didn’t understand the discourse between names and inhabitants complex rendition of space with relation to the name. Whenever I hear Mount Road my memory travels back to the shopping walks which my dad used to take me when I was a kid and I used to be fascinated by these huge painted hoardings outside number of theatres in mount road. I wanted to see them movies just because the hoardings were great. This memory is not going to die but rather going to be passed on. So when the name of this place has been changed it sure a kills a part of this memory of mine and the heritage of that place too. I am sure that everyone has such memories interlinked with lot of fine threads and names being one. The unwarranted and disjoint rechristening cut these threads leaving us in state of disgust and anger. We rather call them what we remember them to be has they are part of our identity and heritage which we draw upon to resist global sterilization and for epitomizing our cultural
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Sharmada Nagarajan Photographer
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Sharmada Nagarajan Photographer
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CRITICAL REGIONALISM IN THE CONTEXT OF INDIA GUGHA PRIYAA MIDAS
source:pixabay
Paul Ricor described critical regionalism as-”how to be modern and still continue the tradition as a part of revivalist movement in architecture”. Critical regionalists emerged in the 80’s to counter the lack of identity or called by some as -the lack of humanity, due to the huge abstractions done by the international style of architecture. This concept was analyzed by the famous theorist Kenneth Frampton who accepts modernism but wants it to bridge with the past eliminating high levels of abstraction. He emphasizes that importance needs to be given for tectonics, climate, light and topography, opposing the concept of universal site. A building needs to be judged merely by its experience and emphasis needs to be given to tactile as much as visual qualities. He stands for reinterpretation of vernacular elements.
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Reassembling the past during colonial periodThe colonial approach towards architecture was a major preset for our traditional approaches of buildings. Little response was spared to the local and traditional wisdom.
Previous Page : Rashtrapathi Bhavan Bottom : Victoria Memorial, Kolkata
Nevertheless, in comparison with most British architects, Sir Swinton Jacob’s work respected the local building tradition and skills and developed Indo-Saracenic structures. In a sense, the indo sarcenic architecture went on to uphold imperial architecture in some way. Indo Saracenic had a strong official control of architecture which became abundantly clear in the planning of the city of Delhi by Sir Edwin Lutyens who used geometric planning where tree lined streets diverge and meet at hexagonal nodes, attempting to include all historical wonders into the new city. Edwin Lutyens included a lot of abstraction
of traditional details creating a symbolism demanded by politics. Thus, Delhi stood as a symbol of British imperial power and dominance. There was a constant recreation of chattris, chajjas and use of domes and arches to create an Indian character. Modernism in post-independent IndiaThe central emphasis of the swadeshi movement was that of self reliance as a tool against colonialism. It also needed to reflect the Gandhian principles of simplicity, asceticism and minimalism. Instead of having a built form as an national identity, Gandhi’s ashrams were built more in the spirit of sustainable environment which emerged as the modern movement. The first truly modern building is Golconde ashram, Pondicherry by Sir Raymond. Much more sensible in responding to the climate ,the building did not pay heed to any political issues.
source:pixabay
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After 1947, Nehru compelled the leaders to look into the future rather than the past which ironically called for a revivalist phase where people started looking for a symbol for the new government. Modernism at this point seemed attractive since it remained untouched by the past which led to the invitation of le Corbusier for the city planning of Chandigarh which, people expected would solve the conflict of a symbol for India. There has been constant criticisms that Corbusier never tried to understand India and many say the city of Chandigarh has no soul dismissing it as artificial and colorless. It lacks a sense of personality and belonging. He is accused of merely transferring his vision of abstract concrete structures on to Indian alien soil. Even today the iron grid pattern has to be followed not allowing the city to change just for the sake of preserving le corbusier’s heritage which many complain as soulless.
We are at a juncture where architects need to be keenly aware of creating a lasting meaning to their constructs.
The planning was meant to be such that people can walk around or jog in the city and vertical and horizontal expansions were ruled
Edwin Lutyens included a lot of abstraction of traditional details creating a symbolism demanded by politics.
out to focus on becoming a green city. This type of rather stretched city planning does not work out for Indian people-for example, laborers not being able to travel by foot the immense distances. Claimed to be designed as a workers’ city, many of its workers have migrated to other states from Chandigarh. Many buildings are unseen behind rows of trees. His buildings like the legislative assembly has not responded well to the Indian heat which has cracked and stained his concrete. Indian architects’ manifestations-
regional
1960s and 1970s saw a change in the movement from a strict modernism towards a more humane vocabulary. It brought with it a unique form of sensitized international style which was indigenous ,regional and rooted in place. Charles Correa, Balkrishna Doshi, Raj Rewal were cited as potent examples of critical regionalists by Alexander Tzonis. Charles Correa believes in creating
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Instead of having a built form as a national identity, Gandhi’s ashrams were built more in the spirit of sustainable environment which emerged as the modern movement.
a pluralistic identity -one that is non mono centric .An identity that is dynamic and constantly changing. An individuality that is genuine and not seemingly picked up. Gandhi ashram in Ahmadabad, Kanchenjunga apartments in Mumbai brings the deepest principles of regionalist sensibilities into modern architecture. Charles Correa’s Vidhan Bhavan in Bhopal represents a palace for democracy perhaps, stands as the most powerful example of post independent India. Raj Rewal does not believe in simply copying and recreating from the past, but rather interprets from precedents to solve problems. He tries to reinvent modernity in our own cultural and traditional terms. Pragati maidan complex of permanent exhibition adapts handmade technologies of in situ to fabricate the largest space frame in the country that brings local relevance in the most comprehensible way. Sangath studio, CEPT campus demonstrates the potential of bringing in localized architecture that echoes cultural sensibility. India international centre in New Delhi by Joseph Allen Stein represents a more organic and deep connection to the landscape and the textures of the locale. The Belgian embassy by Satish Gujral effortlessly brings in the regionalistic approach by an appropriate intersection between tectonics and local material skills. Incorporating India’s heritage self consciously into architectural expression is always complex. We are at a juncture where architects need to be keenly aware of creating a lasting meaning to their constructs. A great depth of understanding of various factors like art, culture, tradition, material, climate, light have to be reinterpreted into modern building typologies with high technological building systems
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kathiresan Mano
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The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation. - Albert Einstein
Many of Modernity’s transformations cannot be imputed to mere economic globalization tendencies, being instead linked to profound changes in cultural habits and ways of living which causes interaction and impact that are so far difficult to understand. Cities have experienced a fundamental social, cultural and economic transformation in recent decades. This process has affected the continuity and development trends in the urban housing environments and in the quality of life. The most important issue is to understand these new dimensions of culture-space relations which are affected by the global world culture and to develop a new conceptual framework in order to analyze these new trends.
Conceptual Illustration
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Today where everything is changing rapidly and global relations and networks are in the spotlight, it is essential to redefine the dynamics of spatial development. The present age is not characterized by a particular architecture of the house and it’s very hard to identify a new type of physically describable spatiality as an answer to the needs of contemporary living.
Changes in the family’s structure as well as in the ethnic and social composition of the cities demand a change in dwelling spaces
The changes in the family’s structure as well as in the ethnic and social composition of the cities demand a change in dwelling spaces and some common demands formulated within different social groups and cultural areas like the demand of the inhabitants for more space, consequent to the new and different ways of using spaces of the houwse. If the time spent by each inhabitant within the domestic walls diminishes progressively as the complexity of life increases, it is nevertheless true that the activities taking place inside the house are many, and increasingly varied. As the role family in the correlated to economic
and meaning of the society have changed, variations in cultural, and demographic
source:pixabay
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source:pixabay
concusses a re-thinking of the domestic design and the ensuing spatial consequences are heterogeneous and diversified, depending on the geographical environment and the design tradition in which they are formulated and experimented. The concept of sharing spaces and services is a preferred design feature in many European and American countries that see in this a possible answer to the new needs in terms of habitation. Such a proposal allows for increasing the space available for the inhabitants, virtually extending the surface of their house by including the common areas; at the same time, it can help the appropriation of spaces, and, above all, the creation of links between the various users stimulating interaction between the various users of a space or a building. The project thus carries an increased social responsibility, playing a
fundamental role in the creation of a network of the different actors, indispensable today to face the rapid urban, demographic and social changes in the making. Creating links between people can also be one of the possible strategies to prevent social troubles, the development of fractures and the phenomena of social, ethnical and generational ghettoization. (Lanz, 2008) The economic and social drift taking place in Europe along with the world demands for a sustained change, necessitating the redefinition of the public realm and housing. And in this context, it becomes essential to focus on the quality aspect of the environment, newly developed in urban areas. In the process of searching for quality in the urban environment, especially in housing environment it becomes necessary to identify what determines the “of good quality environment�?
Home is not an isolated object, but part of a larger organic system of interrelationships.
This thesis supports the idea of multivalent family structures influencing the shape and appearance of individual houses, should, in turn, influence the community fabric. Redefinition of workplace, living 57th Annual Nasa Convention | nunc | 95
photographer : Sharmada Nagarajan
The post-industrial home design tool shall be a product suited to the information age.
space, and community space are becoming increasingly necessary as post-industrial culture continues to surge forward keeping in mind that the home is not an isolated object, but part of a larger organic system of interrelationships. The homes designed with the proposed tools would ideally be connected to a larger urban planning scheme that addresses issues of transportations, scale, zoning, community space, and density. New approaches to planning in the urban areas would be worth exploring in subsequent research regarding emergent SMART cities and land use.
The house, as a principle means for individuals to engage architecture
on a very personal level, has the potential to radically redefine the built environment. Taken seriously, 96 | nunc | 57th Annual Nasa Convention
this claim implies a dramatic shift in industries as well as in architecture, and represents a movement toward free architecture that is commensurable with contemporary existence. If what you sell is the perception of privacy and exclusivity, then every new house is a degradation of the amenity. However, if what you sell is community, then every new house is an enhancement of the asset? - Vince Graham
As Lebbeus Woods states, “As this evolution continues in the West, and continues to spread itself into other cultures around the world, more individuals will achieve an unprecedented degree of mobility and choice, with all their existential benefits and burdens.� Human freedom, the
ability to freely move within social and political space, is at the heart of post-industrial architecture, and by extension, implicates the design and construction of houses and the way individuals choose to live in such constructions. To summarize, the post-industrial home design tool shall be a product suited to the information age. It shall be responsive to a wide diversity of family types, ranging from married couples with children, to groups of unrelated co-habituates. Like clothing and cars, the home shall be marketed as a symbol of lifestyle and thus have the ability to be designed in various styles, ranging anywhere from abstract-constructivist to rational-classicists. Just as manufacturing industries are shifting into a client-specific customization market, so too should the house.
Just as manufacturing industries are shifting into a client-specific customization market, so too should the house.
Housing is a research lab of the new architecture. The current findings, experience and the pace of changes that have taken place in the last 50 years, are heralding everfaster changes.This shall serve a basis for discussions on theoretical and practical solutions for the housing of the future, create new ways of presentation and open new fields of research to practice responsible architecture in a contemporary context.
“An environment that cannot be changed invites its own destruction. We prefer a world that can be modified progressively against a background of valued remains, a world in which one can leave a personal mark alongside the marks of history.� Kevin Lynch, What Time is This Place
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1.For an architect, what is more important to understand? The history or to live with extreme attention to contemporaneity? And why? Local context and attention to detail in bringing contemporaneity with due respect to the context and climate. The architect must educate and make the community aware about the history, context and challenges of continuity. 2. What in your opinion is the formula for a successful architect? There is no formula for success, but methodical hard work can often lead to success which is very relative, in terms of money making/quality work/ commercial success/satisfaction.
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3.
How significant is brand value?
Whose brand, whose value? Brand, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder... and value, if any, is in the conscience of the architect... 4.
Is architecture today democratic?
Democratic, yes, but a corrupted democracy. 5. What do you see in the cities of tomorrow? A techie futuristic locale or a place with indigenous and historic concepts? Chaos will reign supreme with some oasis of techie, futuristic and surviving indigenous and historic
INTERVIEW HARIMOHAN PILLAI
6. According to you which aspect of design signifies respect for humanity? Respect for climate 7.
Your definition for layman’s architecture?
Hands on, participatory... specially when architect becomes part of it hands on... instead of sitting in office. 8. Is Vernacular Architecture - a museum for tomorrow’s Gen? Never... vernacular is pragmatic architecture and forever. Each generation returns to the roots
9.
How green is a Green Building?
Brand Green is greed in disguise... 10. What according to you if the following regards ?
transformation in
a. House into home When occupier makes changes to suit own comforts, culture and changing needs, a house becomes a home
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b. Aesthetics – decorative to geometric to parametric to what? evolutionery c. Architectural tools – past, present and future Human hands... always
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Today’s world with global climate change
leading to rising sea levels and unprecedented disasters, a flaring gap between the socio-economic classes, an increase in population and myriad human rights violations can often be difficult to face; there was always a dream about a world in which all of societal misfortunes have been answered- a utopian city. The first published book about these fictional societies was by Sir Thomas More describing about the visionary system of political and societal perfection -these dreams strived for progressive metropolises that improved the lives of their citizens. The utopian concepts have been influential in art, literature and particularly in architecture. Science and science fiction often influenced the city designers in the 20th century.
Conceptual Illustration
There was always a dream about a world in which all of societal misfortunes have been answered- a Utopian City.
The modernist movement that began to shape after World War I, which made architects to draft and imagine entire new cities that supported utopian ideals. Their utopian visions focused on new technology and were based on new social orders, but all were cohesive under avant-garde and cutting-edge architecture. Each architect’s ideals varied, they all held one thing in common: they could never be built. They’re visions suffered from a megalomaniacal belief that one person’s idea could change an entire society, each architects’ plans are admirable in their experimental efforts. Germany faced a tough time due to the recession and inflation in the 1910s. The situation in the soon-to-collapse German Empire looked rather grim. So it’s no wonder that many early modernist architects idealized cities that came straight out of the most vivid of their dreams. In 1914, Danzig-born Paul Scheerbart published his manifesto “Glass Architecture.” Unquestionably utopian in thought, Scheerbart believed that the visually dazzling properties of glass- manifests the modern emblem of the time which could rise culture to a higher level, and transform the habits of “Old Europe.” In a
U TO P I A A NEW beginn ing samyuktha natarajan Midas
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world dreamt by Scheerbart, brick buildings would be replaced by radiant colourful glass, “as though the Earth clad itself in jewellery of brilliants and enamel.” Though Scheebart’s writings were purely imaginative, they had profound influence on German expressionist architects several years later, especially by Bruno Taut. His vision promoted the psychological effects of glass, supporting the idea that refracted colours shining on the glass cityscape could elevate residents’ moods. Taut’s Glass Pavilion for the 1914 Cologne Deutscher Werkbund Exhibition exemplified his utopian ideals.
Inspired by this notion, he planned two modern utopias modelled on this idea of the city as a machine:
Le Corbusier experimented with a series of highly utopian urban planning concepts, stemming from his visions of an ideal city that hoped to reunite citizens with a highly ordered and open environment, elevating culture on a universal basis in 1920’s and 30’s. He believed that architecture should be as efficient and simple as the industrial machines that had ushered in the modern age. Inspired by this notion, he planned two modern utopias modelled on this idea of the city as a machine: the Ville Radieuse and the Ville Contemporaine. Both would have massive skyscrapers housing millions of people. Parks and green areas would divide these massive cities into zones of productivity and leisure. Plan Voisin, an idealistic mega project in central Paris was created by replacing the old buildings with monolithic 60-story towers set within an organized
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street grid and ample green space. Corbusier believed the efficient plan could transform society by raising the standard of living for all socio-economic levels, thus sparing the country another revolution. However, the Plan Voisin actually divided housing based on class, illustrating the flaws in his utopian aspirations. The plan was outright rejected, and the frustrated architect ventured outside Europe to spread his ideas. Corbusier’s urban plans never materialized, except for his later master plan for Chandigarh in India, the success of which is still talked about today. Corbusier´s master plan kept some key aspects proposed by Mayer and Novicki, especially spatial relationships between key elements (government, city centre, university and industries) and the superblock principle.
Pushing the cult of the machine age further into experimentation over decades Archigram was founded in 1961 by London-based architects Warren Chalk, Peter Cook, Dennis Crompton, David Greene, Ron Herron and Michael Webb; they formed the collective Archigram that, after humble beginnings, soon dominated the architectural avant-garde in the ‘60s and early ‘70s. Their pop-inspired ideas of mobility like walking cities in particular and radical urban design have inspired many contemporary architects and continue to inspire futuristic designs today. Archigram’s buildings were excitingly playful, hyper-consumerist, and technologically driven, largely as means to revive
Each architect’s ideals varied, they all held one thing in common: they could never be built. They’re visions suffered from a megalomaniacal belief that one person’s idea could change an entire society, each architects’ plans are admirable in their experimental efforts.
the profession. How workable their architectural designs were in practice is debatable, but they sure inspired quite a few fellow architects, but retaliated against the conservative, well-mannered nature of British modernism. Till today experimentation and revolutionary thoughts continue to make dreams of the ideal cities come true. Today’s architecture challenges to test the limits and invent new solutions to some of the unaddressed problems for the betterment of the citizens. And the dream continues…
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source:www.itslife.in
Suhasini’s Interview Continued from Page 75
put down the curtains and switch on the air conditioner. So what is the use of having high u value? it makes no sense. If the outside environment is not convenable to inside that you have built, forget it! So it’s better it’s a box. At least it’s cheap! Is vernacular architecture- a museum for tomorrow’s generation? For me vernacular architecture is not heritage architecture... in case of Pondicherry, part of the town inspired by the vernacular language of its heritage. It has 4 different parts of which is the French quarter which, a fusion between tropical architecture of India with tropical interpretation of French culture. Architecture is also a language. You have a common vocabulary in grammar, but you can interpret it as poetry or fiction or non-fiction. Vernacular is also a language inspired by the local heritage which in turn is inspired by the kind of
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conditions that were there before fossil fuels were injected into our life. That means you’ve got materials within local transport which was either animal powered or human powered; craftsmanship which had no electricity or fossil powered for mining, transforming, producing and installing as many of the buildings didn’t even have fans or lights they had to make it climatically compatible; as they did not have disposable income with fixed deposit, mutual funds and everything, they built incrementally and for me, the vernacular becomes a key to the future sustainable architecture. So when you look at pre-fifties building you have all the solutions required to build a sustainable green architecture today in the same area except of course we have a few problems with climate change, traffic and pollution of air, water, litter etc. So vernacular language is not a museum piece, it is our living classroom. How green is a green building? A building is only as green as the environment it sits in both urban and green field, nothing can be isolated. Something which is sustainable and green has to adapt to its environment. It cannot be a lead rated platinum building
“vernacular language is not a museum piece, it is our living classroom. “
sitting in the middle of smog and traffic.
What according to you if transformation in the following regards ? a) Aesthetics-decorative to geometric to parametric to what? Aesthetics are an architect’s way of saying beautiful and is its subjective to the culture. In India when I was growing up, everybody who had five minutes more than they had work, involved in saying “god! How ugly you are! whose going to marry you?!” because within a cultural paradigm, there are certain accepted norms of what is considered beautiful and it can move out into another one with a completely different idea of beauty. But it does not mean either of the cultural paradigms is wrong. All ideas of beauty are subjective to a few things. For example, no matter what kind of racial, ethnic type people come from, some are always considered beautiful, whether they are blonde blue eyed or dark skinned with flat faces when they have symmetry, which is radial or actual. Humans are actual symmetry where a line is drawn and left corresponds to right. Anjelina Jolie might be considered beautiful, but she’s being pushed by Hollywood as the idea of beauty, which may not be consistent with places like South East Asia. Similarly, in India, during 50’s and 60’s plump was considered beautiful; now unless you look like your parents didn’t feed you for the first quarter of your life you are not beautiful. So these norms change because they are impacted by inputs outside your control or manipulated by other things, so aesthetics is a very subjective quality, but certain aspects not subjective has a lot to do
with proportions both radial, actual and context. The same applies to a building which is perfect aesthetic, but totally inappropriate to Chennai because it was nice, minimalism with no overhangs, blank boxes, clean facades and floating pergolas and just a sand bed and gravels and now erase the background and make into some kind of Northern European country which has double glazing and you don’t live outside at all and most of the time because of the cold that arose permanently you have something which is very aesthetic somewhere else but due to influences of media and today’s political manipulation minimalism in india is blank boxes where actually it was simple, workable vernacular language that was used by habitat without too much decoration and ornamentation and the same language for richer person’s house with a more formalized ornamentation became a palace and with symbolism added became a place of worship but there was an underlying language. Aesthetics is not a standalone thing,it has a context. b) Architectural tools - past, present and future The Sumerians, who did the first writing using a Cuniform on wet clay progressed to writing on papyrus but some claimed that unless practised on clay you are not actually writing and same continued for writing on stone. Now somebody who works with a keyboard all the time will never develop handwriting. Architecturally, in today’s world access to information is different from 20 years or 100 years ago. Finally, its the expression itself that is significant and the tools used keep evolving. There is a very fine line between the expression and tools of expression. At the end of seven years of education you absorb 30
% which goes back into the system and the chain continues until no one realises what it is. When questioned people reply with clichéd slogans rather than expressions linked to thought processes. Because architecture today is a combination of 3 things including academia as the idea of education is how to learn and constantly living a life of seeing and experiencing. Say, you are in cafe and the someone next to you is using an ipad and you take a peak at the images. A few days later the headlines read something related and this triggers your explorative sense because there was a window open in your mind by accident and this builds up your experience. This culminates in your design by looking out for opportunities to express what has been learnt and develop a taste for it and start to question it. Many architects actually unfortunately think that their creation is coming from somewhere inside them. But there is nothing new under the sun. It’s disillusion. Whatever you are creating without even being aware is your subconscious reproduction in different formats of what you have learnt and what you have explored or exposed to. And finally the best architects are the ones who merge learning and exposure into experiential learning and then being able to put into formats that make sense in design. Tools are only peripheral, hence focus on the process and not on the product as it will change. Today’s kiosk could be entire university tomorrow. But the process used for one will help you with the other. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of focus today only on the product unfortunately
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Navya Polavarapu Subham S MIDAS
BARS AND CAF
MOTT32 BAR AND RESTAURANT,HONG KONG
N ASIAN HYDERABAD
Subtle and classy, especially the al fresco seating on the first level, with its greenery, high-ceiling fans, which come with a spray mist, perfect for those balmy summer evenings. The restaurant inside is spacious enough, with its own bar, and an interactive kitchen, buzzing with activity. On the second level are a set of four private dining rooms. For those who want to nurse their drinks with snacks, there is a separate bar at lobby level.
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Lauded for its “rich texture”, “theatrical environment” and “sophisticated” detail.It is an atmospheric underworld dining experience. The restaurant is littered forgotten heirlooms,Chinese propaganda and industrial materials doubling as furniture and light fittings. It combined chinese decor with industrial design elements. Located underground, with no natural light, the designer embraced the constraints of the venue and used them to create a theatrical and exclusive experience as guests are guided downstairs through a long, snaking corridor.“Inside the restaurant, bricks twist and turn and form shapes inspired by wind patterns. Light fittings are housed in metal mesh cages and former vaults become exclusive booths. Delicate detailing combines with raw materials, such as concrete and metals, to create a bold design that sees Western and Eastern influences combine.”The goal was to explore Hong Kong culture both present and past.
TRUTH COFFEE SHOP,CAPE TOWN Designer Heldane Martin,considered the form factor of espresso machines and coffee roasters to be somewhat similar to the Victorian futuristic fantasy style found in the aesthetic of steampunk. The hope was also to personify Truth’s attempt at roasting the very best coffee by offering a perfectly executed space.
THE VINTAGE EMPORIUM, LONDON Just off Brick Lane, the Vintage Emporium is a quaint Victorian style café that doubles as an antique boutique. You couldn’t ask for a more nostalgic place to bring your laptop and spend the afternoon surrounded by old record players and relics of a bygone era, working peacefully in this cozy home away from home. Just don’t bother asking to try on any of the antique shoes– Victorian women had miniscule feet.
Every inch of the coffee shop is packed with visual candy from large saw-blade tabletops to beautiful overstuffed booths and an ornate array of coffee making equipment that looks absurdly complex, almost like interior of a World War 2 submarine. If that wasn’t enough, Martin also crammed the space with vintage typewriters, Singer sewing machines, and old candlestick telephones. The design even extends to the restrooms which have exposed copper pipes, old extending mirrors and victorian tap levers.
BLUE FROG LOUNGE,MUMBAI The Blue Frog Lounge is designed in cool blue shades with psychedelic lights to suit your moods. Anglo-Indian architect Serie has completed the design of the Blue Frog acoustic lounge and studios in Mumbai, India. Why the name “Blue Frog”?? Well, the moment you step into the lounge, you’ll be struck by a vision similar to frogs sitting on lily pads. For unobstructed people and performer watching, you’ll see staggered heights and angled booths atop a glowing blue lake of light, giving the impression of floating in a warm lake under the spring moonlight!!
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FLYING ELEPHANT, CHENNAI
OLIVEBISTRO, HYDERABAD MOCHAMOJO,MUMBAI This project is unabashedly over the top and revels in sheer excess. Created a unique spatial experience for the patrons who will hopefully take in multiple cultural references and a design vibe to be transported to another age and time. Forever retro!
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The bistro sits perched high amidst the city’s seven hills at the scenic Durgam Cheruvu, looking out over what the locals call ‘The Secret Lake’, on whose serene shores teals gather and peacocks strut. Its rough white walls and flowered alleyways of cobblestone are reminiscent of a sun-washed Greek island. Step inside and it’s all stonework, unmatched furniture and old pictures - a classic rustic bistro with a huge, big heart.
An architectural masterpiece, spanning over seven levels, is designed toinvoke a theatrical indulgence. Chennai might be changing but it always has one foot in the past and likes clinging to its conservative heart. The Flying Elephant’s interiors reflect this ethos - it’s largely contemporary and high-energy but you can’t escape the odd classical touch. There’s a wheel of an old railway engine that supports the dramatic reception counter and an old restored elevator that travels at the same speed as ‘change’ in Chennai
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Sharmada Nagarajan Photographer
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the environment and people. 3. How significant is brand value? Brand value is significant only to the extent that the brand is committed to a design direction or cause. Architecture today in striving to have a freshness many at times displays a flippancy and shallowness often seen in fashion design. 4. Is architecture today democratic?
inter view
Unfortunately Governments have abdicated their jobs of providing a framework of good infrastructure and proper planning that will allow architects to fill in buildings of great value for the people. Developers are the real planners today and we see very little democracy. 5. What do you see in the cities of tomorrow? A techie futuristic locale or a place with indigenous and historic concepts?
Dean D’Cruz Mozaic
1. For an architect, what is more important to understand? The history or to live with extreme attention to contemporaneity? And why? We need to live in and design for the present, but provide a continuity and smooth transition from the past. Today’s contemporary architecture is driven by easy form making computer software and while these buildings may look dramatic, their costs in building and running are usually unjustified. 2. What in your opinion is the formula for a successful architect? Architects needs to be sensitive to the environment and social issues. They need to be in touch with the world today and understand needs that go beyond the client’s brief and challenge it if it conflicts with
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I actually see a combination of both, very much like the earthiness of images from Star Wars. But I do see a greater integration of green open space with dense dwellings where resources of food, energy, water etc are local and not usurped from rural areas. 6. According to you which aspect of design signifies respect for humanity? We need to work less on ego driven lavish projects and cater more to the deprived like the poor and disabled. We need a much greater support for community projects that will make social difference. 7. Your definition for layman’s architecture? A simple architecture where people can build themselves using local materials and basic technologies. Over- specialisation of architecture, using expensive materials and technologies has led to alienation of people from their habitats. 8. Is Vernacular Architecture - a museum for tomorrow’s Gen?
Vernacular architecture is as valid today as in the future. Vernacular does not mean a past historic architecture, but one that evolves sensibly and sensitively using materials and skills locally available. 9. How green is a Green Building? Rating systems do not necessarily define Green Buildings. It’s all about the sensible application of mind. 10. What according to you if transformation in the following regards ? a. House into home It is the transition and personalisation of a space, allowing the user to connect with it.
b. Aesthetics Aesthetics is simply a connect that gives visual pleasure and can vary based on culture and time. c. Architectural tools – past, present and future Architectural tools have evolved over the years from very basic equipment of the past, to sophisticated visualisations available today and possibly supporting the virtual worlds of tomorrow. What remains constant and essential is our ability to dream
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Sruthi Photographer
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Lakshmanan Palani Photographer
When a magician waves his hand saying “this is where the magic is happening”, the real trick is happening somewhere else. (The above text is a dialogue from the movie ‘Now You See Me’)
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