Sthapati 2021

sthapati

2021

Cover Credits: Aniket Kherde, Harshita Hariharan, Shreyas Anilal and Vidisha Kumar.

(Inspired from unconventional design)

Find us at ISSUU and www.arp.iitkgp.ernet.in For suggestions and enquiries, contact at sthapati2021.arp.iitkgp@gmail.com

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INTERVIEW

The Masses^2 Brinda Somaya

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ARTICLE

The Sandwaves Christ Precht & Mamou Mani

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INTERVIEW

A Vernacular Twist Kengo Kuma Pg-20

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ARTICLE

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Hyperbuilding & India Tower OMA Pg-38

INTERVIEW

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Binary Addition Joy Mondal Pg-54

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INTERVIEW

The Human Quotient Dr. G. Shankar Pg-28

ARTICLE

Tecla WASP & MCA

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CONTENTS

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ARTICLE

Urbanism Cookbook

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INTERVIEW

Light is a multiple Daan Roosegaarde

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INTERVIEW

Prime factors in architecture Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas Pg-76

Yearbook

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ARTICLE

Expandable Homes Pg-94

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Department Works Pg-106

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PREFACE Welcome to the 13th issue of Sthapati. Sthapati is a yearly publication of SSAP, Department of Architecture and Regional Planning, IIT Kharagpur. This publication provides the readers with an educational and expository experience. Readers who are already aware of this publication will find it fascinating. It acts as a platform for new readers, connecting them with the world of architecture. People in this field have sensed that a shift in modern architecture will help resolve existing issues and pave the way toward a brighter future. Based on this, SSAP decided the theme of Sthapati 2021 to be ‘Embracing Evolution.’

The theme ‘Embracing Evolution’ focuses on all Unconventional ideas in Design and Architecture that diverge from the current and historical norms. In the literal sense, the theme means the willful acceptance of evolution. These ideas diverge from the pre-set convection and are bold solutions to our problems. The coming age is filled with hope and dynamism. As a result of this renewed vigor, we see the return and comeback of Vernacular Design grammar with a contemporary twist, the return and comeback of nature and biophilicbased spaces in our built environment, the pandemic re-emergence of responsive design, and the coming back of innovation in the public consciousness following a century of excessive focus on STEM subjects. This magazine gives you an insight into all the above things.

At the end of the magazine, there will be a small overview of the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning activities at IIT Kharagpur. These activities include Student work, Department Celebrations, Architecture competitions, Thesis, etc.

This magazine is designed so that readers find it interesting, easy to read, and well explained. SSAP wishes you to enjoy this publication and get something out of it; mayit helpyou get a newperspective on architecture.

Happy Reading!

SSAP Department of Architecture and Regional Planning, IIT Kharagpur

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DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND REGIONAL PLANNING

Founded in 1952, One of the pioneering Architecture Departments in India, IIT Kharagpur, was conceived to ensure holistic integration of the development of science and technology with the normative and cultural dimensions of human society.

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STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS (2020-2021)

President: Kushagra Ramnani Treasurer: Shashank Singh Vice president: Navya Murthy President Designee: Mansi Shivhare Treasurer Designee: Aman Gautam Media and Public Relation Coordinator: Sharon Rose Tamada General Secretaries: Jaswanth Doddi Shirin Goel Social and Cultural Secretary: Devaraj S Design Secretary: Anamoni Sai Siddhartha Magazine Secretaries: Anudeep Ramteke Namita Senthil Alumni Secretary: Abhinav M Web Secretaries: Aman Kant Saumya Prabhakar NASA Representatives Unit Secretary: Avi Agarwal Unit Secretary Designee: Rohit Jain

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HOD’S NOTE Prof. Abraham George Professor & Head Department of Architecture & Regional Planning Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

A visionary product par excellence is sthapati 2021, created by the young and creative minds of students of the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning, IIT Kharagpur.

It sets its sail across multiple fields of architecture, touching research and creative endeavors by individual architects and firms that set the trends in current architecture.

In the panicking times of the gripping pandemic, the sthapati 2021 has maintained a beautiful balance of topics with fascinating interviews with genius architects like Padmashree Ar. Shankar has nationally set a new wave in ‘appropriate and low-cost architecture.’ Vernacular architecture is given a new twist, as expressed by Kengo Kuma, which would inspire the young minds of the designers’ to well-ground their designs in this world of lost identities.

Expandable homes and Urbanism Cookbook would throw a vivid light on our thinking and current needs. Our students have always kept their creativity rightly mixed with technical requirements and are trained to be the best thinking minds in the Country. They have stood the pandemic’s demands and dire existence by bringing this feast to the readers.

Kindly enjoy reading sthapati 2021…

Best wishes to the Team of our brilliant minds…and hands of action!

Prof. Abraham George Professor & Head Department of Architecture & Regional Planning Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

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SSAP ADVISOR’S NOTE Prof. Arup Das Professor Department of Architecture & Regional Planning Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

The unveiling of Sthapati, the annual magazine of the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning, IIT Kharagpur, is a special event for all of us. Every person associated with the Department waits with bated breath for the moment of release of Sthapati. It has been a part of the rich culture of the Department and would continue to showcase it in the future as well. Our annual magazine has aged well. The content has gotten more prosperous, more diverse, and more informative over the years, reflecting the demography of the Department and its aspirations. These are exceptionally trying times that none of us have even experienced – the pandemic’s menace, lockdowns, and stringent restrictions could not tame down the spirit of the Sthapati team. These youngsters showed us the indomitable human spirit that can tide overall constraints and ride over all the waves. They had limited access to the Department’s infrastructure.

They were miles apart from one another, yet they improvised and adjusted to these challenges – a new order of coordination and team effort evolved from their resilient efforts. And to top it all off, the team did not cut corners or compromise on quality. I am sure the readers would agree with me on this!

This year’s magazine has been rightly themed as “Embracing Evolution’ and presents the works and ideology of Professor Kengo Kuma, Studio Fuksas, and Architect Brinda Somaya. There are dedicated sections on 3D printing technology and its role in the housing sector, which further justifies our theme.

I would take this opportunity to congratulate the entire team of Sthapati for coming up with this issue, and I am sure that sthapati 2021 will well receive it like all the previous versions of the magazine. I express my gratitude to all the contributors for sharing their knowledge and experience with our readers.

Finally, I wish this edition a grand success which it truly deserves.

Prof. Arup Das Professor Department of Architecture & Regional Planning Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

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PRESIDENT’S NOTE

A series of small things do great things brought together. And here we present to you the 2021 edition of Sthapati. I am proud that we could manage to successfully put in our efforts and finally bring forth this magazine. I thank the professors without whom it couldn’t have been done. Kudos to the whole team, especially the magazine secretaries Anudeep and Namita, for their incredible efforts.

I feel happiness and pride whenever I see the department being lively and multiple activities taking place, especially when we have organized those. That’s the satisfactory output of our efforts that happiness is the drive and the reason for The Students’ Society of Architects and Planners.

To bring all the people belonging to our department closer, conquer more significant achievements, and establish the prominence yet standing out of the ordinary, our people have always believed in working hard and achieving more excellent year by year. The students have continued to attain various laurels in architecture and other domains. I feel proud and privileged to be part of the Architecture Department at IIT Kharagpur for these five years, which have shaped me into who I am. I am thankful to everyone who has been a part of the journey.

In today’s ever-changing, highlyconnected and fast-paced modern world, there is an absolute need for architects and designers to be highly adaptive, which was re-emphasized considerably in the last year, making this edition highly relevant with its theme of ‘Embracing Evolution.’

I hope the readers enjoy it profoundly.

Kushagra Ramnani President SSAP 2020-2021

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The Department of Architecture has always taken pride in generating creative ideas and innovations, adding colors to the vast landscape of IIT Kharagpur; the SSAP council of Architecture department has acted as a steam engine for running the bandwagon of optimism, enthusiasm, and young minds striving to make a difference.

‘Sthapati’ has been one such initiative showcasing the “Archi” talent to the world. Every year the students work tirelessly to produce this magazine. Each dot of ink on the paper is thought out in detail and deliberated multiple times within the team. I sincerely salute the dedication of juniors’ batches for not compromising on excellence. Also, I feel grateful to junior batches for keeping the tradition moving forward in these testing times of pandemics.

I am hopeful that the readers will enjoy this year’s edition. The efforts put in by the SSAP team are highly appreciated.

Shashank Singh Treasurer SSAP 2020-2021

TREASURER’S NOTE

VICE PRESIDENT’S NOTE Sthapati is an intangible asset to those closely associated with it, especially in the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning, IIT Kharagpur.

The magazine team had done commendable work, and your innovation and persistence made all the difference in making this achievement possible.

It gives me immense pleasure to be able to address on this esteemed platform.

Indeed, it’s an exhilarating experience.

When life had given me a second chance to enjoy and explore the campus life, I made every possible effort to achieve that, which was possible only because of friendly faculty, a synergistic batch, and loving seniors & juniors. I will always cherish those fond memories.

This had been a great year of my tenure wherein I was directly involved in the departmental activities, planned, and took part in how they were curated.

I’m glad to acknowledge that, Sthapati acts as a guide for aspiring Architects and Planners. I hope the readers enjoy it and will be able to gain insights as much as we did.

Navya Murthy Vice President SSAP 2020-2021

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THE COORDINATORS

Nothing is constant except change, and the architecture realm is no different. This issue of Sthapati explores the various insights and projects by renowned architects, and their idea of change. Our main motive was to bring a plethora of upcoming high-tech designs along with vernacular ones that were revolutionary in the past under the same umbrella.

Being a Design Editor to Magazine Coordinator was a beautiful journey to learn the idea and effort behind creating a magazine. Sthapati is the pride of the department and its students. It brings us immense pleasure to present you with Sthapati 2021, an accumulation of creative ideas, innovative thoughts, and tons of hard work.

I would also take this opportunity to congratulate the entire team that made this vision a reality. It was an absolute pleasure guiding such juniors with constant enthusiasm and undying energy. A big shoutout to all the faculty members and Master’s students who were a part of the process.

Taking the past into consideration with the future needs this year’s edition brings unique articles to guide architects, students, and the entire community who looks for innovation and a break in a constant cycle.

I would like to thank everyone who has put their bits and pieces to produce the 2021 edition and would like to congratulate the magazine secretaries who we have been pushing each day tirelessly to make this dream come true. I hope the readers will find it interesting to read and appreciate the team’s effort.

-Avi Agarwal Fourth Year Undergraduate Student

With each article worthy of sparking a conversation, I hope this would definitely be a treat for the readers.

-Shirin Goel Fourth Year Undergraduate Student

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THE TEAM MAGAZINE SECRETARIES Anudeep Ramteke Namita Senthil MANAGEMENT TEAM Devaraj S Patini Vishnu Vardhan Vishnu Vardhan Yellamilli Yashraj Bagaria Devi Madhumitha Narla Harshawardhan Samarth

EDITORIAL TEAM Abhinav M Ankit Pal Rohit Jain Harshwardhan Tanwar Luv Singh Shreyas Anilal

SPECIAL MENTION Abhra Saha Aman Gautam Mansi Shivhare Saurav Chauhan Soham Saha Sheshant Singh Ankita Parekh Chanikya Gupta Kavin Renu Sree Pinniti Sai Siddhartha Sharvari Sriram Shalmali Sriram

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DESIGN TEAM Aniket Kherde Hrithik Kumar Garg Harshita Hariharan Jayadeep Kalluri Onkar Pal Rishi Kumar Vandan Gajbhiye Vidisha Kumar

Anudeep Ramteke

We cannot deny it being an enjoyable experience, from the very first day till the end of the line. All the opportunities and obstacles that we encountered on this journey made us learn new things and get in touch with many prominent personalities.

We are very grateful to the HOD of our Department, Professor Abraham George, SSAP Advisor Professor Arup Das for their continuous support and guidance.

A special thanks to Mansi, Shirin, Avi, and all juniors, seniors, and our batchmates for their ever-invigorating words and support.

Thank you once again, everyone; your constant support and efforts reflect in each and every page of the magazine.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

SSAP (Students’ Society of Architects and Planners), IIT Kharagpur, takes immense pleasure in presenting before you, Sthapati 2021. At the end of the journey of Sthapati 2021, we have bound together invaluable inputs and hard work from various minds. A small suggestion here, or a bit of transcription there, has allowed us to get this beauty ready.

Namita Senthil

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A VERNACULAR TWIST AN INTERVIEW WITH KENGO KUMA

Q.

You once said, “You could say that I aim to ‘recover the place.’ The place is a result of nature and time; this is the most important aspect.” One of your upcoming projects in Milan depicts how biophilic interventions in design can usher healthy lifestyles and working environments.

How do you think Biophilia can protect us from such future shocks in the age of the pandemic? Can you cite some more areas where your team has incorporated Biophilic designs?

I think this pandemic disease is a good chance for us generally as humans to have the answers, as walking as a whole nature to the city is this one direction. In the beginning, we were just walking in nature and catching something and as agriculture started and as villages started and cities started. Cities are getting bigger and bigger, and this is a straightforward direction. And finally, the balance between nature and artifact has disappeared, and the pandemic has taught us that the balance is already gone and that this is an excellent chance for us to change direction as a starting point.

And intent of centuries as we started to build those skyscrapers and began to work in this complete box. Before the towers were built, we were working in the streets. Sometimes in the streets, sometimes in the garden, and our Milan project shows that kind of new direction. For our Milan project outside, the terrace is more important than the indoor space as maybe as people as always enjoy their life in the terrace & as it can be as a new living space as for the family, for the workers, for the community, and also the community is a public space, as a public space, it will be more important than before.

And I intend essentially modernization that destroys the healthy public space as the cars

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and as it is becoming a protagonist of the city as a walking experience disappear. I mean, essentially, that’s our Milan Project, we try to recover the healthy use of public space and it is very necessary for communication with the community.

Q.

You are a strong advocate of the use of local materials and local craftsmanship.

Why do you feel it is important?

Concrete and steel destroy all of our craftsmanship. So people believe that these concrete and steel are the world’s only ocean for constructing the enormous building, but, before all this, essentially as a community, our owned craftsmanship. I use some materials of the neighbors, and that kind of relationship created a business for the economy. But the global economy destroys that kind of intimate relationship between materials, craftsmanship, and buildings. And because of such destruction, every city in the world is very, very similar. We should go back to the situation before. That time was delightful because the craftsmen knew the materials, the details, which fit the lifestyles of the locals and the local climate.

In small villages and towns of Japan, we still have that kind of tradition.

“

You can do anything because all the methods and all design philosophy have already gone and you can be the pioneer, foreground of the new period.

”

Q.

Many of your projects portray the use of materials in novel ways. How does your team develop these technological advancements in material usage, especially wood? Are they derived from traditional practices or does your team develop its new methodologies of construction?

As a history of wood construction they are much longer than the history of concrete construction. The concrete structure we have just has a hundred years so it is very short. But we Homosapien were working with wood for so many years. Maybe homosapiens came from the forest and we worked with wood for 10,000 years or 20,000 years, that kind of long period so we know how to use wood, how to work with wood and especially as a carpenter as still keeping special technique to work with wood and then I tried to learn from them and sometimes I combined it as a technique with modern contemporary technology. e.g Sometimes we combine wood and carbon fibers and wood and the special brick and stone. That’s the kind of combination that pushes the future but still we have to learn many things from craftsmanship.

Sthapati 2021 | 21 ©Alan Richardson

Q.

Your projects have often been observed to incorporate vernacular concepts with a modern touch. Why do you feel this new approach to the vernacular is important?

What motivates your unconventional approach to renovate convention?

Vernacular craftsmanship is very much related to the local climate, the local topography, and the local vegetation. With this tradition, we can find the deepness of a place, and it is not nostalgic. It is a kind of finding process, and the results are kind of seen to reach out and to go deep into the place.

Q.

Do you think that architecture is still extravagant and ‘alienating’ in many places across the world? How do you think that approaching design with a local approach can make architecture more ‘humble and welcoming’?

Architecture is a kind of bridge that connects a place and the future. Compare it with art and culture for example. say music, music is a great thing, musicians cannot work on their own, musicians cannot use local material but an architect can work with them and the reality of architecture is the strength of architecture as information technology is stronger to find the future. The advantage of the architecture and the advantage of architecture is to work with real material and as we have the kind of advantage we should believe in the future of the profession.

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Sthapati 2021 | 23 ©Hufton+Crow

Sthapati 2021 | 24 ©Hufton+Crow

Q.

Several of your works try to give traditional building materials qualities that are quite contradictory. The stone facade of the V&A Dundee has an aesthetic lightness to it. What is the guiding principle behind such a unique thought?

Any examples you could state to how this lightness is particularly achieved.

I want to pick up the essential material of the 20th century, as people are using metal for the facade of the building. The metal facade is created with slices on after 2-3 centimeters and polish the surface like a paper and the metal is, is killing the essential material. It’s a pity. And because as we know the materials and the humans are creating our culture.

And so, I think it’s a way of using the material of the 20th century as abundant with that kind of close connection with the material.

And instead, I try to keep that depth of the material that the stone is an amazing material and the wood is an amazing material and as the paper is an amazing material. So, I want to find the depth of those materials.

©Hufton+Crow

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Q.

Your work on reimagining the traditional Japanese ‘Tsumiki’ is intriguing.

How can such traditional arts/games serve as inspiration for architecture? Are there any examples you could highlight?

Tsumiki is a triangular shape and I always play with a woodblock. The woodblock is tsumiki. Most of the woodblock is coming from Mesomeric structure, the mesomeric structure you know pulley across stones or staircase or that kind of approach and Tsumiki Is always up that thought. I want to find the new, old way of woodblock and I try to use multiple triangular shapes and apply the multiple triangular shapes to the woodblock. The triangular shape has a big potential, I think. The semantics already, a crown is associated with a triangular shape.

As further in light as American architects were Louis Kahn and Buckminster fuller.

Those architects had a new secret of triangular shape. As I want to refine the magical triangle and it can show as a new potential of new geometry. And in the 20th century, Cartesian geometry, 90-degree geometry, perpendicular geometry was dominating and was made as a buoyant big building. And the scale of those Cartesian geometries I tried to use as a triangular geometry, which’s sneaky as I designed, can hold the potential of new geometry.

©Ikunori Yamamoto

Q.

Covid has hit all professions hard.

Yet it’s our resilience that matters. Sir any particular issues your firm faced during this crisis. Any innovative ways in which it was tackled?

Yes, the Covid pandemic has pushed us to escape from the enclosed box as before plans of covid people were working in the enclosed box and skyscrapers are a typical example of that kind of enclosed box. Covid is called the risk of an enclosed box. It is a very great chance for us, I think we should escape from the box and we should find freedom after this enclosed box and there is a chance of freedom.

Q.

©Ikunori Yamamoto

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Any message you have for budding architects?

I think students are very very lucky because design methods and design approaches will be changed drastically after the pandemic and you can be the pioneer of your design period, you should be very brave. You can do anything because all the methods and all design philosophy have already gone and you can be the pioneer, foreground of the new period.

Sthapati 2021 | 27 ©moretrees

THE HUMAN QUOTIENT AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. G. SHANKAR

B. Arch from Kerala University in 1982.

M.S. from Birmingham School of Architecture, UK. Post Graduate Diploma In Journalism, Trivandrum Press Club.

Honorary Doctorate from University of Asia, Kathmandu in 2019.

Founder and Chairman of Technology Group, since 1987.

Habitat

Padamashree Awardee.

Q.

What motivated you to choose the path of green and humane architecture?

When I was young, I was a part of the popular science movement, the largest science movement in the world. It’s called Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad. As a young boy, a young boy of 12, I had the great opportunity to get involved in some of the promotional activities of Parishad. What do you mean by the promotional activity? We’re trying to use science, the benefits of science for empowerment. We were trying to use science to alleviate poverty and look at the welfare of people and things like that. So those days, I mean, around almost 50 years back, we were selling stuff like smokeless chulhas. And, you know, we’re trying to sell

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“

To me as an architect, we have to synchronize energies of poverty and environment to create beautiful expressions in architecture.

”

books on scientific knowledge and we’re trying to promote literacy as a primary tool and science education. When I was actually on the streets looking at the promotional efforts and when I was at some places trying to teach the fishermen, ladies and, you know, well, who are actually from the class of illiterate population in Kerala, we’re trying to teach them how to read and write.

And that gave me some precious insights into the social fabric of Kerala. For me, you know, the first time I was seeing poverty at such close quarters and I thought I had made a decision and that is probably at the age of 11 and 12, that whatever I am going to learn is going to be used for public benefits.

And architecture happened, you know, after

my pre-university. When I took architecture as my voca-sure subject, I was always very clear about what I wanted to do in life. I knew by the time that Houselessness was a big issue. I knew about the legacy of traditional knowledge. I knew about a bit of the Indian social fabric. I knew about Indian reality. And I learned how architecture responded to the context and the times in India. I wanted to further my exploration of that. And then I realized that you know, the kind of activity happening in the construction sector, especially in the housing sector, that’s contributing to a lot of loss of habitat. And that is why I turned to green architecture and always, you know, all my life I wanted to promote what I call

people-centric architecture, an architecture based on values and architecture based on truth and honesty. And I think I am answering your question: that is how I turn into a humane architect. That’s how I turn to green architecture. But let me tell you, Abraham. You know, we are losing options, now it has become a kind of empirical, it has become inevitable, It has become mandatory that there’s no other way. You have come to realize of late that the sort of activity that is happening in the building sector is contributing quite a lot to the climate change of this country. So there is no other option but to go in for the green and humane approach to architecture. And that’s why I think I am in that sector.

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Q.

As you’ve been known to consider Ar. Laurie Baker as your inspiration, do you think that you have followed in his footsteps or created a different impact in a similar field.

No, I have not worked with Laurie Baker.

Contrary to probably most of your perceptions, I have not worked with Laurie Baker, but as a student of architecture, I grew up with the buildings of Laurie Baker. I worked with big top-notch architects in the country, in the world, and I learned actually how to ‘not do architecture.’ I don’t want to name the people whom I worked with, but I learned through my experience that it’s not a way to plot architecture. That’s not the way to promote good architecture.

Laurie Baker was an exceptional architect who responded not only to the climate but also to the social climate of this country.

I think I would name him as probably the only architect who had found Indianness in architecture because he promoted the style of architecture. Let me come back to that again, not only to the physical climate but also to the social climate of this country.

I mean, he was basing his architecture on Gandhian principles of architecture, looking at local materials, local capabilities, local resources. Those days I’m talking about the 1940s and 1950s when India got independence, India turned into a new paradigm. But unfortunately, in the 1950’s we, instead of looking at strengthening the rural areas, went for heavy industrialization and led to huge upward urbanization.

Urbanization is created. I mean, it’s a phenomenon if it can be wished for. The world is urbanizing, so we can stand away from that. But, you know, of late, we are trying to combat the pressures of urbanization in terms of denial of opportunities to the marginalized and dispossessed, but the kind of pressure of infrastructure on the population, poverty, and the rest of it. At the end of it, let me tell you, the poor are getting more marginalized, and the rich are getting more and more powerful and richer.

Unless you address this political question of,

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you know, unequal distribution of wealth and opportunities, I think it’ll be very difficult to understand the process of urbanization and architecture being a part of our life. We cannot have a style of architecture and then address these kinds of issues.

That is why I think houselessness, for instance, has gone out of our comprehension. It’s a staggering person that you’re talking about.

Many millions in this country don’t have, you know, a basic shelter. When I say shelter, I mean an adequate shelter. It has access to potable water, it has access to clean toilets, it has access to clean, you know, cooking areas and things like that. Many millions in this country don’t have access to those who live in completely unacceptable physical conditions. Then I said, ‘As an architect, what will you do?. Can you just tear at it and look at your pocket and your interest as a person who based his practice on, you know, what I call social engineering?’

I think it is criminal to look away. Instead, I was looking at it then trying to react to the situation.I was talking about Laurie Baker.

Let me come back to that again. He was the first person who talked about resource efficiencies. How critical is that? He was talking about energy-efficient architecture.

He was talking about sustainable architecture in many ways. And as I told you, I was growing up with Laurie Baker buildings and giving me a lot of insights into how architecture should be practiced.

A great difference in his style of architecture in terms of detailing and things like that. And I always have a feeling that you’re kind of being blown away with this British colonial style of architecture, and he was trying to blend some of the styles with Indian architecture, and there will be some mis Fences and things like that. But having said that, I respect his concern. But he was the first architect to express that concern to his buildings. And the Beta metical quantities of spaces that he created continue to mesmerize me. You know, mesmerize me, that is what he did.

The building is not only for the powerful

ACCEL IT Building, Kazhakuttam, Trivandrum

and the rich people who made our life that difficult but also to the, you know, masses, you know, and the vocabulary with which he was trying to phrase his architecture the shapes. The basic forms he played with all that thing and those things together made a magical effect on this sector of sustainable architecture. And he has become an icon.

I mean, let me tell you this, I feel I am privileged to have known a person like Laurie Baker, one of the most beautiful. I think beautiful is the feminine phrase, but one of the most beautiful human beings I’ve seen. Well, absolutely. Let me restate my statement. No contrast, no conflict between the word and the deed that was Laurie Baker.

Absolutely no conflict with the word and the deed. I sell them to people who don’t like conflict. That was Laurie Baker.

And that’s why I hold him in high esteem.

I still consider him as my mentor and like Dronacharya, whose architecture I learned.

But he continues to motivate me through hisbuildings. Sometimes I feel like holding his hand because when I’m in a crisis, I’m telling

you very frankly, when I am in a crisis at this age also, you know, every day is a crisis of management for me. Whenever I am in a crisis, I go to a Baker’s building to get charged again.

That’s the kind of influence that the Baker had on my style of architecture. You see, that a person who goes first gets all the flak, all the pain. And that is what Picasso once said. People who follow the path are much easier. I’m a follower of Laurie, so that was much easier for me.

But you said you have to adapt your architecture to the social reality, to the physical context, to people at large, or to make it more people-centric. You should understand that the poor, people living on the margins are dispossessed. They make the world, you know, they make our population. You are talking about 90 percent of people, you know, clinging to this thing.

So unless you react to them, what is the meaning of your architecture? And that is why I still vision Laurie baker as a mentor, as an icon, the one who showed me the way.

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Madhusoodhanan Nair Residence, Trivandrum

Q.

No matter how much environmental awareness there is, people still look for fancy houses and buildings these days, what are your views on this?

Unfortunately, I’ll talk about the Kerala perspective. In the 1970s and 80s, Kerala’s economic condition received a big boost because Kerala became a remittancebased economy. You know, people were working. They were sending huge quantities of money into Kerala, people were working across the world Mulcaire, Germany, Europe.

They gave a hefty contribution to Kerala’s economy, and people are building with that money. They were not investing in the productive sector. Instead, everybody was, you know, dumping into the houses. What happened was houses became symbols.

This should not be the way in architecture.

Houses became symbols, and they became symbols of greed and wealth and power.

One should realize that it is these people, the desire and the wealthy who made our

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life even difficult. People, even people who couldn’t afford, you know, these kinds of ambiance, went for such an expensive building and they could complete it. They became eyesores that destroyed the beautiful landscape of Kerala.

Let me tell you that I’ve got the 1970s and 1980s when Laurie Baker appeared on the horizon. And, you know, I still see such buildings across, I still see such buildings across Kerala. At this time, I see that I feel sad because Kerala has such a huge legacy of beautiful vernacular, because I always tell my students that where else in the world wealth in the world will we find such a profound style of architecture. In contrast, our vernacular architecture is so rich, so profound in every conceivable term that you’re talking about, so deep, but where are we now? Buildings have unfortunately become symbols of Greed, Power, you want to show off your Wealth, you want to put some Garish colors, pergolas, unnecessary things.

I hate all these things, in planning materials for the garish paints. Nature gives us so much in abundance, you know, nature in terms of texture, color, look at natural materials, and the usage of raw materials. Unfortunately, we’ve forgotten about these things, and we have gone through something. I feel sad about it.

I feel angry about it. I feel anguished, but what to do, I mean, people’s taste I mean, there’s a way this thing happened, I always tell people that white never loses its value. If you walk on the street wearing a white dhoti and a white shirt, it’s a treat to the eye, white will never go out of style, likewise, simplicity will never go out of style. People will learn from their mistakes and will come back.

I’m telling you, your architecture should be based on simplicity, color, the texture of all, your usage of spaces, your design should be very simple.

You should not be a statement of power and this thing. Using really simple methods, you can create beautiful architecture. Have a good look at some of the buildings that great architects produced like Frank Lloyd Wright.

Look at the beautiful forms of Guggenheim Museum buildings. I mean, I always believe that you know, form follows function.

Youknow, a function is the most critical thing.

“

Ours is a tropical climate and we should keep that in mind when we choose our building articles. Plastic-rich interiors in America will not be suitable for the climate of india or Kerla.

”

But looking at a function in a very creative way, you can create. I mean, the forms will appear, you’ll have the forms straightway.

Don’t work on the elevations unless and until you finalize the plan.

The plan is the most important thing. If you are very convinced that your plan is very functional and beautiful, then you can add magic to that, you can add a bit of mesmerizing quality spaces, and then obviously you get a beautiful different, creative elevation.

Madhusoodhanan Nair Residence, Trivandrum

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Q.

Amongst all the projects you’ve worked on, which one did you find the most challenging?

As an architect, you know, I mean, you will know, the journey will never end An architect will never be satisfied with a building. I mean, it’s the pursuit of creativity and you always want a better view of it, you know, to be very clear about it. I never wanted to do beautiful architecture. You can, of course. I mean, what I wanted to do is meaningful. I wanted to make my movement be a more democratic one, and I compromised a lot on probably the creative part of it.

To me, the more important thing was to reach out to hold hands and share the concerns and do something very meaningful. But doing that, I think I have created beautiful expressions of architecture too. It’s for the time, for history to decide whether the buildings that I’ve built for the landowners and the people living on the street are beautiful, people have accepted it and I am very happy about it.

Now, there is this perception difference between beauty and its, you know, its connotation. To me I think, to you ppl I mean, if you are looking at the budget, with a limited site, give us something very creative and something really meaningful, low cost, energy-efficient, sustainable energy ecofriendly building. I think most of all, it will be a beautiful building. You see, one of the things, one of the buildings

Bamboo School and Hostel, Trivandrum

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that I remember very vividly after college, had a person in front of me. You know, the elevator that we have, like a little boy, the both of us shared a love of Bengali cinematical music, even a free-lance journalist, those days didn’t have any security at the time and he got panicked and hit one of those senses of.

I don’t believe that he told Shankar I have only 10000 rupees. But will it be suffit for me and the one line of design brief that he gave me was, all I have, all the physical assets that I have is a shelf of books, I want a place to keep it safe? I want to breathe letters, I want to see books around me and that was the one-line brief that was given to me, nothing else, he had a small child at that time.

I created a deck space, which was a large berth for him and his little family. The remaining space was, a small space for living, a profound place to eat, a small space where he could read, a small place where they could spend some quality time together, probably a large window sill and things like that, and I built it for him, and I thought it was so beautiful for 10000 rupees, and that became a national icon in the sense, you know, I got international recognition for that building on the buildings.

These are memories, which I keep to myself, you know how effectively I can use the technologies and creativity to do something I have done for this journalist friend of mine who is unfortunately no more, he died after a few years. But the legacy continued, you know, the thing is that as an architect, I should also tell you about his story. He had a very young son at that time, 2 years old.

A few years back a young man walked to my home. He introduced himself as ‘my name is Manu’, he said ‘uncle you make my building, I don’t remember, probably you were a very young child at that time. Then he said I’m the son of so and so, that time I was shocked, I was just thinking about that two-year young. He said uncle I studied in some college and passed all the exams.

Today I’m an engineer working in Infosys

Bamboo School and Hostel, Trivandrum

and I’m going to get married. Space is not enough and I need a small room but I’m very particular that I don’t want to leave that space because that’s the space which groomed me and gave a lot of meaning to my life, just help me to put a room above the building I’ll be grateful.

So, the legacy continues when he comes back to me with such things that happened over time that’s how the legacy goes.

Q.

What do you think the primary motive of an architect should be?

An architect’s primary motive is to let people build their houses. There are a lot of people who want to make a house. It has to be done in a meaningful way. In a meaningful way, it means that there is a social context in which you will create a building. Social context means it contains the physical attributes of the land, right from the physical features

of the land to how you deal with the land, how to deal with the vocabulary of materials, how you relate to a person’s requirements.

All these things together will make meaningful innovation. I think that’s the primary duty of an architect. It’s pretty imperative for architects to not sell dreams.

They are educated and should tell the client, “Only this can be achieved,” or “Do it like this.”

If you explain to people in a simple language that only a particular thing is achievable, they will surely understand.

You tell them how it’s essential to cut down costs not only for him but also for the nation.

You need to talk about resource efficiency, but not only in your practice. If you can do something sensitively, passionately, and blend it with compassion, your architecture will be meaningful.

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Sthapati 2021 | 36 Elephant Rehabilitation Centre, Kottoor, Trivandrum

Q.

Any advice you would like to give to the student of architecture to excel in their field of architecture.

Excellence is a lengthy word that makes architecture, the invention in architecture very meaningful. You should relate to the physical climate and social climate. When I say social climate, I mean you should address the economic constraints in the country, social conditions, and the cultural scenario of the country. You should address all those things, only then your architecture will be meaningful, otherwise, I’m telling you, my dear friend, your architecture will be dark. Probably you’ll get some torch, you know, it’s not very sweet, people don’t have to look at the building and say “Wow”.

If that’s not the case, you can still make your buildings more creative and meaningful.

There are a lot of examples, including the buildings designed by Charles Correa. They are not only beautiful but also meaningful.

The Kanchan Ganga building in Mumbai is a masterpiece. So many great architectures are still there making buildings look at Lauri Baker, Charles Correa, those people are taking the greatness through their meaningful and precious path It is what B.V. Doshi is still doing. So we have several examples in the Indian context itself to look at and learn from them like that. This is what gets architecture related to both the physical climate and the social climate.

Then architecture will be meaningful.

“

When people are tempted by large houses there are many who miss the chance to own a house.

My attemptis to provide them with courage to construct low cost houses.

”

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By Hans Werlemann © OMA

HYPERBUILDING O MA - Office F or Me tr opol i tan A r c h i t e c tu r e

Project: A self-contained city in the Phra Pradaeng peninsula Client: Hyperbuilding Research Committee Office Year: 1996 Status: Study Type: Mixed-use Location: Bangkok, Thailand Site: Phra Pradaeng, a peninsula on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River Program: A self-contained city for 120,000 inhabitants with housing, education, culture, welfare, medical facilities, amusement, industry, retail (total area: 5,000,000m2) Collaborators Structure, services: Arup Partner in charge: Rem Koolhaas Team: Yo Yamagata, Xavier Calderon, Donald van Dansik, Luc Lévesque, Kohei Kashimoto With: Frans Blok, Oleg Nikolaevski, Jose Molmans, Kristjan Kaltenbach, Stijn Rademakers

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Description: Although the concept of a Hyperbuilding initially seems irrevocably linked to older, developed societies, on closer inspection, the advantages of hyper-concentrated structures and programs are more evident in societies undergoing the drastic upheaval of modernisation at full force. In other words, the Hyperbuilding may be less credible in the almost ‘completed’ urban conditions of, for instance Japan or the US, where strictly speaking it would have little significant qualities to add, than in a developing condition where the virtues of the hyperbuilding, the provision of an enormous controllable critical mass, could be a demonstrable advantage.

If this hypothesis is true, it would follow that it would be interesting to play down rather than play up the technical aspect of the hyperbuilding. Although the Hyperbuilding – a self-contained city for 120,000 – is clearly the ‘next step’, it should not be confused with high-tech. It will only work if we can combine the visionary ambition of the hyper-scale with a de-escalation of its technicality, with a degree of elementary simplicity.

To test this hypothesis, we have looked at the city of Bangkok. Maybe its greatest quality in the context of this operation would be that Bangkok is a city on the edge of the tolerable. From its traffic to its haphazard development, to its politics, it is a city of crisis. It is therefore by definition a city that is ripe for experimentation.

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The Hyperbuilding would have to be adjusted to this context. In Bangkok this means reducing the reliance on commuting by introducing a place where people can stay in the city. The site is Phra Pradaeng, a green reserve on the west bank of the Chao Phraya river on the other side of the city. The density of the Hyperbuilding contrasts with the virgin environment, which is close to the new business development and important urban infrastructures.To preserve the environment and the necessary proximity between home and work space, the Hyperbuilding is a self-contained city, but it is not disconnected from the surrounding urban dynamic. To achieve urban variety and complexity, the building is structured as a metaphor of the city: towers constitute streets, horizontal elements are parks, volumes are districts, and diagonals are boulevards.

The Hyperbuilding has multiple transportation systems: four boulevards with cable cars, gondolas and train elevators connect the hyperbuilding with the city below, six streets with high and low speed elevators are the main vertical connections and a walkable promenade of 12km goes from ground level to the top. The Hyperbuilding can be read as the integration of several buildings into a larger whole. The different elements support each other in every sense: architecturally, they form an integrated complex; technically, issues of stability, access, circulation and servicing are organised collectively; urbanistically, the entire building becomes an urban quarter of a new kind.

By Hans Werlemann © OMA

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INDIA TOWER

OMA - Office For Metropolitan Architecture

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Sthapati 2021 | 43 Image courtesy OMA

Project: India Tower Status: Competition 2008 Client: Dynamix Balwas Group Location: Mumbai, India Budget: N/A Site: Marine Drive Program: 81,700m² for hotel, apartments, retail, conference facilities, support services Collaborators Engineering: Arup 3D rendering: Maria Derencova and Martin Gallovsky Model photography: Frans Parthesius Partner in charge: Rem Koolhaas Project manager: Iyad Alsaka Project architect: Adam Frampton Team: Guilherme de Bivar, Mitesh Dixit, Zachary Heineman, Martin Hejl, Ravi Kamisetti, Alexander Menke, Agustin Perez-Torres, Adrian Phiffer, Patrizia Zobernig

Sthapati 2021 | 44 Image courtesy OMA

Description: Despite its transformation into a cultural and economic hub, Mumbai lacks an architectural symbol that projects its cosmopolitan identity. Most of its existing ‘monuments’ refer to a colonial past and become anachronistic when confronted by the 21st century energy and diversity of this island mega-city. The imminent arrival of towers emulating the Dubai formula appears equally dubious as a means for Mumbai to express itself.

Situated along the curving expanse of Marine Drive at the southern end of the city, the India Tower – which contains apartments, a hotel and conference facilities

is composed of an architectural language and materiality familiar throughout the city, yet its form remains distinct. The tubular tower is separated into two symmetrical halves, which become wider where they meet in the middle, offering an exceptional moment of transparency in a mid-air lobby.

Rather than confining public life to the ground like the typical skyscraper, here that vibrancy is elevated in an expansive central node.

The sky-lobby is an intersection of all paths within the tower and a panoramic platform for any possible activity to unfold. The gesture defines the India Tower’s visibility in the skyline and establishes it as an innovative and convincing symbol of the subcontinent.

Image courtesy OMA

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THE MASSES^2 AN INTERVIEW WITH BRINDA SOMAYA

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Q.

Most of your projects have a distinct resemblance to Indian Traditional Architecture. How do you explore these traditional practices that may not have been documented or existed in architectural archives? Any examples from your experience?

In a country like India, which is complex and not at all homogenous, it is so disparate and there is a multiplicity of everything, whether it is religion, ethnicity, languages, culture or the arts. I don’t think I can separate India and the “Indianness” from myself. With over four decades of practice in a country like India my buildings speak for themselves about my beliefs and ideas of a sustainable practice. The diversity of my work is what I enjoy the most.

I have built from the Himalayas to the south of India, from Bengal to Kutch and through the central plains and heart of our country, from Jharkhand to Indore and from Uttaranchal to Kodagu. Our ancient scriptures have always told us to tread the land lightly, and I think that is a belief which I had from the very first building I designed over 40 years ago.

This was long before ‘green’ became such an important word in an architect’s practice.

I believe there is a need for professional concern with the environment and an improved quality of human life for all Indians. We have to go beyond buildings and work with programmes that transform the society. An architect’s responsibility and role go much beyond buildings. We have to think about many things when we design and build. We have to protect the built environment as well as the unbuilt environment, whether it is open spaces or the natural landscape. I also believe that India not being a rich country and having a huge number of existing buildings, we have to recycle, we have to retrofit, we have to restore and we have to rebuild. We cannot always build everything anew because of the embodied energy that exists in existing buildings, even in ordinary ones. So, that’s why I say that we as architects are guardians of the built and the unbuilt environment.

Q.

What is your take on the importance of vernacular architecture in the Indian context?

One of the privileges of being an architect in India continues to be the opportunities to travel. Our country is vast and beautiful with magnificent diversity in geography, culture and tradition. All these have been my source of inspiration for design and remain one of the most fulfilling aspects of my profession.

When I started my practice, it was the late ‘70s and modernity was becoming more apparent, but my childhood was very different.

I was influenced by what India offered culturally and historically at that time. I was being taken by my parents to Nalanda; to the temples of Konark and Khajuraho to the wonderful temples of the South, to the Taj and to Hampi. We were taken to different parts of our own country and we didn’t separate architecture from art or music from history. The building types have included reconstruction of villages to hi-tech campuses, from orphanages and animal hospitals to state-of-the-art corporate headquarters, from the village school to the most elite schools in Mumbai and from conserving iconic heritage buildings to turning garbage dumps into parks.

“

Architecture reveals many climatically specific responses to shading and daylight, ventilation and breeze and thermal capacity.

”

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Bhadli Village, Kutch

Q.

Pergolas are your hallmark design aesthetic. How do you think the diversity in the usage of pergolas adds to various styles of architecture?

We use Pergolas as a device for climate control, they provide relief from the heat and glare of the harsh sun whilst allowing cool breeze to pass. It connects the inside to the outside and creates a transition zone for interactions. Architecture reveals many climatically specific responses to shading and daylight, ventilation and breeze and thermal capacity. Example; Gokaldas, Nalanda

Q.

The project of Nityanand Ashram and the problems associated with it were unique and unexpected. This project of yours shows that a minor alteration in design can affect someone’s life to a great extent if the correct problem is identified.

As we know that you have a lot of projects in the city of Mumbai, we were pretty curious to know if you came across the issues in slums or if you could shed some light on what can be done for their betterment and help the community?

All of us who have grown up in India have seen absolute wealth and dire poverty and in Mumbai everything coexists in the same space. You can be living in a Rs. ten million

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worth apartments but you would see slums from your living room window. It is something which is always there, so we really can’t forget it. I feel being in such a space does bring a lot of sensitivity. However, when it comes to resolution of these issues, there are no easy answers. Many people have been grappling with these issues and trying to come up with solutions which aren’t easy either. There has to be political will, bureaucratic will and also the developer’s will. We often leave the developers out of these conversations and portray them as greedy people. We have to work together to remove greed and come up with new ways. We keep trying the same methods and want different results. There are so many studios and colleges that have come up with creative solutions for affordable housing. The government must reach out to them. However, I feel strongly that till we don’t have a resolution, we must upgrade the slums in terms of providing them with water, electricity, schools, and healthcare.

We must invest to make slums more habitable. All the people living there are not uneducated and impoverished people who want to live in filth and dirt. They just can’t afford any better. We can upgrade the slums with smaller investments rather than building ten storey buildings that nobody wants to go into. These people need to be

rehabilitated appropriately as often they might sleep in one room and have a small workshop in the other. When you move them into a tower on the eighth floor, their livelihood is at stake. My personal belief is that we have to understand the importance of slums and it is not some sort of aberration or some sort of black mark that we want to wish away from an otherwise seemingly beautiful city. It’s a very vital part of the city.

The problem with slums is the ownership of the land. But this informal housing is always going to be in our cities. How do we improve the lives of people in the slums? Why not give them some right over their land so they can invest money and build better houses?

Why not give them proper sanitation? Why not take care of their waste?

Q.

Your unique ability to help society with architecture is indeed inspiring. The VOICE, a school for Rural girls in Vasai, India, is a shining example of your work with BGOs to reach out to Society’s most disadvantaged. What are your guiding principles to design such cases?

Based on the requirements for this project which included classrooms and dormitories for 80 children supported by a cafeteria, library and administrative facilities we proceeded with our concept. This was to create an inspiring yet protective group of buildings for the children. In the first phase

the two dormitory blocks with the cafeteria physically creates an enclosed play area for the children. We intend to use local materials and detailing, as we have done earlier in similar projects, so that our children “belong” to these buildings and the buildings are part of their vernacular heritage. Their comfort level will be high in these buildings.

Buildings must be designed appropriately to climate, the site, the construction methods, the materials used and most of all for the user. When these points are taken care of the complex will automatically become eco-friendly & sustainable. At the same time, we are aware of changing technologies and improvements that must also be incorporated into design today, whether it is in the rural or urban context and we intend to do so. We believe that while architecture has to fulfil various requirements, it finally has to uplift its users beyond the boundaries of the bricks and stones that surrounds them and raise their spirit to a higher plane through this spatial experience. That perhaps is the difference between a building and architecture. We enjoyed designing the Voice home. To dissect its parts and explain its evolution further than what we have said will lessen its worth. It is a complex that must be experienced and enjoyed and hopefully will raise the spirit of the children as they move through its parts horizontally and vertically.

Bhadli Village, Kutch

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Q.

Rural communities that were once shattered in the aftermath of the Bhuj Earthquake are now vibrant, shining beacons of hope. Your work to rebuild homes and villages hand in hand with the local populace and NGOs has enabled this change to take place. What do you feel is the impact that architecture has on our community? What are the factors you consider while designing for the community?

The rehabilitation of the earthquake devastated Bhadli village, attempted to combine the architect’s involvement as a design professional with socio-economic responsibilities. Several villages in the Kutch region were devastated, I was commissioned to rebuild Bhadli village, there were debris all around and a veil of sadness. We helped residents rebuild their homes and, in the process, empowered the community. I think these social projects enables me to be aware of and sympathetic to those we are building for and building with. We have been constantly engaged with community, conservation and the contemporary, each require creativity in different ways and all three are equally important to my practice. I believe an architect needs to go beyond the boundaries of just buildings.

There is so much to be done, whether in a village or tribal areas or the metropolis.

Unless architects are able to meaningfully engage in civic projects, the discipline will be peripheral to society. I believe that if we nurture the seeds, the tree will grow.

While exciting architecture is being built all over the world and thus expanding the vocabulary of contemporary architecture, we architects in India have to find our balance in design, enabling us to be part of the new and creative experiments ahead as well as part of what has gone before.

We work on computer aided design with its digital technology. We need to include all new creative ideas in our practice. ‘Creativity’ flourishes when new ways of looking at the same problem are brought together, when people with different backgrounds, training and experiences bring together their perspectives.

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Sthapati 2021 | 51 Bhadli Village, Kutch

Sthapati 2021 | 52 TCS Campus, Indore

TCS Campus, Indore

Q.

Our world has very recently started to shift its focus towards biophilic design.

However, your work in Colaba Woods, back in 1989, is just that. Additionally, most of your projects are spatially planned to incorporate green spaces within them.

What is your take on the importance of green spaces to human environments?

I feel the development of exterior space is as important as the development of the building and the interior spaces. Landscape designs are important because they contribute significantly to the well being and the quality of life of the people using the space. They provide a broader context to the space. Landscape is integrated in our design. Whilst making our buildings energy efficient, we use landscape as an essential feature. The internal courtyard provides cooling along with greenery. Strategic landscape design is done to prevent heat gain, reduce water and energy consumption as well as create an ambience of well-being.

For example: Zensar technology, open spaces of various scales designed a hierarchy & fortified the campus as a cohesive complex. Water bodies and the greenery create a microclimate in the voids.

Example: Nalanda School with courtyards of various sizes which work as circulation and play spaces.

The Colaba Woods is an example of what ordinary citizens with dedicated architects can do for their city. The story of Colaba Woods began

in the early 1980s when the Tata Electric Companies took over an eight-acre plot of land from the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) at a nominal lease. The plot originally was a refuse dump and had some hutments and two PWD quarters in it. Today, this green forest in the concrete jungle at Cuffe Parade is the lung of the locality. Apart from the greenery, it has several other facilities such as a jogger’s track, an amphitheatre, a reader’s corner, basketball courts, children’s’ play corner and large areas for relaxation. The amphitheatre is used as a venue to address issues of social importance like drug addiction, rehabilitation etc., as well as plays and shows.

The readers’ corner provides facilities for street children to study. It worked as a catalyst and now such gardens have been created all across Mumbai. The need is for professional concern with the environment and an improved quality of life for all people. Hence, the need is to train new kind of professionals who can intervene and be effective both in our poorer villages and our wealthier urban areas. We need designers who can plan, design and implement new developments, working interactively with the community at large. If we follow the role of the traditional architects, we cannot meet this need. I believe this can be done without compromising on creativity, innovation or quality of design.

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BINARY ADDITION AN INTERVIEW WITH JOY MONDAL

Design Computation Consultant Architect (B. Arch 2012, Jadavpur University, Kolkata) Founder & Director of WEsearch lab Leading research & design projects as part of rendering design computation consultancy to architecture firms School of Planning & Architecture, Delhi | CEPT University, Ahmedabad Teaching subjects focussing on parametric design, and AI and machine learning in architecture

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Q.

What inspired you to pursue your career in the field of AI and Machine learning in Architecture?

Architecture is riddled with processes that follow soft if-else logic but have inarticulate documentation of the said process. Take the process of column beam placement on floor plans, for example. Before the layouts are sent to structural engineers for detailed calculations, architects spend significant time deciding the placements manually.

Imagine the number of work hours invested in repeating the same process across the world.

AI can automate such processes and emancipate architects from a repetition of labor. Another problem plaguing the architecture industry is the utter lack of tools that can estimate a user’s emotive response to the built environment. For example, we cannot objectively predict which urban spaces will feel safe and beautiful and to what degree to which genders or ages. Consequently, we cannot objectively undertake design interventions to increase perceived safety and beauty. All interventions being

designed right now are shots in the dark. AI can quantify and, more importantly, predict such subjective evaluations of design. In short, I naturally gravitated to the use of AI to explore meta-architecture, i.e. to explore better processes of conceiving architecture.

Q.

How do you think computational design is transforming the way we see and experience the built environment?

From the perspective of the business of architecture, the application of computation in design has significantly reduced the effort needed to produce a design. From the perspective of conceiving the better design, the progress in performative simulation (for example, daylight levels, energy load, CFD, structural calculation, etc.) has made it very easy to design indoor spaces that are physiologically comfortable. In the next decade, I am expecting changes in the way architecture is sold. One such change will be AR/VR aided interactive, experiential walkthroughs at the point of sale of real estate.

SAFE or NOT AI tool being developed to predict safety perception of any cityscape; will be used to detect spots in cities that need immediate intervention.

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Q.

Could you share some of your experiences and live examples you have observed of this technology benefiting the field?

Before I cite a few examples, I need to warn you that the use of generative tools is not a goal in itself. One needs to be sensitive to the demands of a project and then decide which tools are to be used. On a personal note, I have predominantly worked on city planning, facade design, and tool building.

In city planning, using universal parametric representations has helped us change the configurations of the built mass in virtually no time. Typically, after every meeting with all the stakeholders, some of the design specifications change (e.g. land use distribution, property setbacks, road widths, etc.). If these changes are to be done manually, we are looking at a week’s work! In the case of facade design, we have married gradientdriven parametric aesthetics with building performance. In most cases, the amount of porosity in the facade design is guided by the daylighting levels needed in the spaces behind the facade. The porosity always changes based on the space types and the direction in which the facade face is oriented.

So, in a way, we are using performative indices to generate the visual gradient.

Lastly, in the case of tool building, we have automated processes that deploy the same logic of drawing generation across all project types. We have automated column-beam placement, automated working drawing generation of standardized elements such as staircase and toilet, and automated MEP layout generation.

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Wormhole Installation; explore a labour intensive low-cost (200 USD budget) workflow of assembli

ing laser cut pieces of a free-form surface in the context of developing South-east Asian countries.

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Q.

How will these digital tools-especially plugins based on generative design, will somehow disrupt the traditional practice of the natural iterative process of designing and redesigning?

In the realm of avant-garde, the use of generative tools has already become the industry standard. Even the Zumthors and Adjayes and Aravens, who are known for imparting tactile sensibilities in design, use generative tools. But, the human resource needed to use such tools comes at a premium.

Therefore, in the larger context of run-ofthe-mill practices, such tools may not have any impact in the near future. Specifically, in the case of India, such tools will become ubiquitous (just like AutoCAD is) only when all colleges start to teach these tools, thereby reducing the human resource cost.

I must add that I would not frame the relationship of generative tools and traditional processes as an adversarial binary. Each medium offers a different kind of control. Each medium is suitable for a different kind of investigation. Some projects do not have the budget for us to invest time in the use of generative tools. In other projects, building a generative script (which involves identifying variables and the ranges of variance) is always preceded and guided by traditional sketching.

Façade geometric systems inspired from parquet flooring patterns explored for an office building.

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Q.

One of your TEDx workshops where you were discussing the bad designs in architecture, around 98% of the buildings are poorly designed and their relation to the budget of the client. Do you feel the introduction of Artificial Intelligence to this field will help the problem of poor design?

If yes, what can be the possible ways?

There are multiple demographics and threads of thought related to this question.

Firstly, given the minimum amount of charges architects need to levy to design a residence, our service becomes unaffordable for around 98% of Indians.

They tend to get local masons or drafters to decide their design. Consequently, we witness visual diarrhea and poor design quite literally in every city of India.

The only way to cater to more than 2% of the population is by reducing the cost of operation. The best way to reduce the cost of operation is to automate the process using AI. This hypothesis does lead to existential questions. Will the 2% that can afford architects also avail the automated solution? Will architects lose jobs similar to the way bank clerks lost their jobs in the 90s? The answer to both is a resounding no! Automated solutions will undoubtedly generate designs that will be significantly superior in quality compared to what gets constructed by local masons or draftsmen.

However, the mass-customized designs will not match the quality of hyper-customized designs conceived by architects. The 2% that can afford architects will always flock to architects.

It is pretty similar to buying suits. Shoppers Stop, Big Bazaar, and other retails have made their suits cheaper. Suits are accessible to more people. The retails also provide mass customization in terms of size and color.

However, the best suits are still bespoke – made with personalized measurements and with incredible choices in fabric, cuts, buttons, styles, etc. Those who can afford bespoke suits still buy bespoke suits. Those who cannot afford bespoke suits, at least get a decent suit from the retailers.

Sightline analysis of 2,65,232 sightlines from 6,028 seats to optimize seating layout of the main auditorium in Pragati Maidan Redevelopment project.

Q.

Architecture is a field of subjective art and creativity; will it be possible to sustain the art and creativity with AI and machine learning? If Yes, Do you think machines will replace Architects in the future?

Yes indeed! In 2018, Christie’s (one of the most famous art auction houses) sold a portrait painting for half a million dollars. The portrait was “painted” (more appropriately, “statistically crunched”) by AI. The coders trained the AI program with 15,000 portraits. Upon iterations after iterations of training, the program was able to generate portraits considered original even by art experts. This was a seminal moment in the evolution of AI as this was the first time something qualitative was addressed using AI. At the heart of it, AI is competent at detecting patterns in any data set. Subsequently, AI combines those patterns to generate new data. The process is identical to the way we get inspired by different ideas. With more time, AI will progressively be able to deliver better subjective output, including architecture. Machines will never replace architects. As discussed in the previous

answer, they will provide better design solutions to people who cannot afford architecture consultancy.

Q.

What projects is your team currently working on?

As a design computation consultant, amongst other projects, WEsearch lab is working on Pragati Maidan Redevelopment and Indian International Convention & Expo Centre. Simultaneously, we are developing an AI application that will predict urban safety perception of any design or cityscape with respect to genders.

Designers will be able to change compositional elements of design (such as road, vegetation, built mass, etc.) with realtime updates of safety scores. We have recently ventured into the product design space. We are redesigning hand-held rickshaws using topology optimization. The aim is to reduce the weight of the hand-held rickshaws by at least 50% to make them less inhuman.

Q.

Do you have any message for budding architects and students?

Escape the competition with authenticity.

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“

Escape the competition with authenticity.

”

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Façade geometric system responds in porosity to the spatia

al daylighting requirements of different parts of the design.

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THE SANDWAVES Mamou-Mani & Studio Precht (in collaboration with Design Lab Experience) Team: Studio Precht: Chris Precht, Fei Tang Precht, Andreas Stadlmayr, Zizhi You Mamou-Mani: Arthur Mamou-Mani, Ayham Kabbani, Nina Pestel, Sash Onufriev, Youen Perhirin Design Lab Experience: Mootassem Elbaba, Hibah Elbakree, Nausheen Baig Fab.Pub: Giovanni Panico, Holly Hawkins Format Engineering: James Solly, Sara Andreussi Special thanks: PSU university students, Afan Sufak Manziel, SMI, Rely

Description: From dust to dust, from sand to sand, from cradle to cradle. The Sandwaves is the largest sand-printed installation to date and is part of an event called the Diriyah Season curated by Design Lab Experience. It is made of 58 3d-printed elements that form a continuous ribbon for people to pass through, calm down or meet up. The modules are perforated to show an honest portrait of their structural capabilities.

The perforation and the shape of the Sandwave creates different shades of transparency along the pavilion. As visitors pass through, the sculpture builds narrow alleys and wide plazas, surrounding them in an immersive installation. The Sandwaves is a manifestation of the kind of innovation that is needed for our time. It uses local materials combined with cutting edge technology to create buildings that are ecological friendly and respond to a native culture and building traditions.

Photo credits: Roberto Conte

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A modular urban installation 3d printed with sand and furan resin. A parametric lattice thickening based on structural forces, flowing benches dancing around palm trees creating a calm oasis. It is such a pleasure to work with a team who believes that technology can help the planet, willing to explore and experiment with new techniques and to inspire with new possibilities despite the big challenges -Arthur Mamou-Mani

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Q.

Why did you choose to use work with sand?

AMM: We both believe in the craddle to craddle approach to design, using materials that can go back to their natural state, leaving no trace.

We asked ourselves what is the most common raw material around so sand came naturally to our minds.

Q. Photo credits: Roberto Conte

Q.

How did the Sandwaves project come to be, and what is its function?

AMM: The Sandwaves are part of an event called the Diryah Season. Design Lab Experience contacted Chris Precht to do a project similar to his studio’s SoundWaves.

Chris thought it would be better to come up with something new, he gave me a call to collaborate on the project. I love his studio’s approach and believe it is very aligned to our values. We decided to join forces, bringing technology and nature closer through a more holistic approach to design.

The projects is used as urban furniture, benches, but also form a journey through the beautiful historical site, a place to relax and contemplate.

“

What are the benefits and challenges of sand-printed architecture?

AMM: It’s not a strong material so we ended up with very thick members and each piece was about 160kg. Our engineers Format generated parametrically the lattice thickness based on the material property.

The process of printing with sand is mostly use to create custom metal mould for casting. With a bit more time we could have reinforced some of the key elements with some metal cast within the lattice with the tensile and thinnest members in metal.

Q.

“The Sandwaves is a manifestation of the kind of innovation that is needed for our time” – can you expand on this?

CP: Building in an ecological way, also means to build with local materials. In Bali that’s bamboo, in Austria that’s wood and in the Middle East that’s sand. The first buildings ever constructed were done in sand. We all know what’s needed to build sand-castles.

So building with sand is deeply rooted in traditions and childhood memories. But with

A 3d-printed installation in sand and furan resin (cellulose of pine-trees and corn kernels). The lattice-thickness is based on structural forces and connects visually to the pattern of palm-trees forming a homogenous, natural appearance.

-Chris Precht

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Photo credits: Roberto Conte

new technology it’s possible to use the material in an innovative and interesting way.

Q.

What inspired its organic and perforated aesthetic?

CP: The aesthetics are drawn from patterns of the surrounding architecture and plants.

Bris-soleils, ornaments and palms all have a similar effect. We tried to adapt the sandwaves to its background in a very organic way.

Q.

Is furan resin the stuff binding the sand? we’re using Furan which is a binder made of cellulose of pine-trees and corn kernels.

The ExOne printer has two buckets of fine sand with a scooper that adds layers of sand whilst a roller deposits the resin. Once done, the print has to be removed from the soft sand like archaeological remains, it is black as a result of the chemical reaction. We had to sand blast it with the same sand.

Photo credits: Roberto Conte

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TECLA Technology and Clay

The first eco-sustainable house 3D printed from raw earth is now a reality

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TECLA - Technology and Clay 3D printed eco-sustainable house model in local raw earth Massa Lombarda (Ravenna, Italy) Mario Cucinella Architects: Architectural and Furniture Design WASP: Collaborative 3D Printing Technology Project

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Tecla 3D printed house WASP + MCA interior

WASP - World’s Advanced Saving Project and - MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects have completed TECLA - Technology and Clay - the first eco-sustainable housing model 3D printed entirely from local raw earth.

This genuinely innovative and pioneering approach was conceived from the start as a joint project between the two firms, who worked closely throughout the project’s design and construction.

Metaphorically inspired by one of Italo Calvino’s ‘invisible cities’ - the city in continuous construction - the name TECLA evokes the strong link between past and future by combining the matter and spirit of timeless ancient homes with the world of 21st-century technological production.

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Tecla 3D printed house WASP + MCA night

Born from the vision of Massimo Moretti, WASP Founder and a research project by Mario Cucinella, Founder and Creative Director of Mario Cucinella Architects - TECLA responds to the increasingly serious climate emergency, to the need for sustainable homes at Km0 and to the great global issue of the housing emergency that will have to be faced - particularly in the context of urgent crises generated, for example, by large migrations or natural disasters.

Located in Massa Lombarda (Ravenna, Italy), TECLA has become a reality thanks to the eco-sustainability research of the SOS - School of Sustainability (training center founded by Mario Cucinella), the pioneering research projects of Mario Cucinella Architects and the collaborative 3D printing technology of WASP. TECLA is an innovative circular housing model that brings together research on vernacular construction practices, the study of bioclimatic principles and the use of natural and local materials. It is a nearly zero-emission project: its casing and the use of an entirely local material allows for the reduction of waste and scraps. This and the use of raw earth make TECLA a pioneering example of low-carbon housing.

Tecla 3D printed house WASP + MCA interior

“

TECLA shows that a beautiful, healthy, and sustainable home can be built by a machine, giving the essential information to the local raw material. TECLA is the finger that points to the Moon. The Moon is the home, as a birthright, for everybody on the planet. From TECLA on, that’s getting possible.

Massimo Moretti – WASP Founder

”

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The technological research of WASP, specialised in Km0 3D printing from raw earth, has led to an innovative 3D printing technology called Crane WASP, the first in the world to be modular and multilevel, designed to build construction works collaboratively. TECLA uses two synchronised printer arms simultaneously, thanks to software capable of optimising movements, avoiding collisions and ensuring streamlined operation. Each printer unit has a printing area of 50 ​​ square meters which therefore makes it possible to build independent housing modules in a few days.

For this project, Mario Cucinella Architects not only explored housing solutions in formal aesthetic terms, it also studied the building’s shape in relation to its climate and latitude. In addition, the composition of the earth mixture responds to local climatic conditions and the filling of the envelope is parametrically optimised to balance thermal mass, insulation and ventilation according to the climate needs.

TECLA is a composition of two continuous elements that through a sinuous and uninterrupted sine curve culminate in two circular skylights that convey the ‘zenith light’.

The atypical shape, from the geometry to the external ridges, has enabled the structural balance of the construction - both during the 3D printing phase of the envelope and once the covering is completed - giving life to an organic and visually coherent design.

With an area of ​​about 60 square meters, it comprises a living zone with a kitchen and a night zone which includes services. The furnishings - partly printed in local earth and integrated into the raw-earth structure, and partly designed to be recycled or reused reflect the philosophy of a circular house model.

Tecla 3D printed house WASP + MCA interior

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In brief: TECLA can be delivered with 200 hours of printing, 7000 machine codes (G-code), 350 12 mm layers, 150 km of extrusion, 60 cubic meters of natural materials for an average consumption of less than 6 kW.

Massimo Moretti and Mario Cucinella Tecla 3D printed house WASP + MCA

TECLA partners Institutional Partner Comune di Massa Lombarda, Ravenna, Italy With the collaboration of SOS – School of Sustainability: Sustainability Research Capoferri Serramenti: Doors and Windows Cefla: Mechanical and Electrical Services Frassinago: Landscape Design Imola Legno: Timber Fittings Lucifero’s: Lighting Design Mapei: Infilling Blend Optimisation in 3D Printing Phase Milan Ingegneria: Construction Geometry Optimisation for Self-Supporting Structure Officine Tamborrino: Recycled Cardboard Seating Orange Fiber: Recycled Fabrics Primat: Earthen Flooring Rice House: Infilling Biomaterial (rice husk and rice straw from rice cultivation waste) Ter Costruzioni: Construction (together with WASP)

Sthapati 2021 | 72 Tecla 3D printed house WASP + MCA landscape

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We like to think that TECLA is the beginning of a new story. It would be truly extraordinary to shape the future by transforming this ancient material with the technologies we have available today. The aesthetics of this house are the result of a technical and material effort; it was not an aesthetic approach only. It is an honest form, a sincere form.

Mario Cucinella - Founder and Creative Director of Mario Cucinella Architects.

”

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Y E A R S

STHAPATI

P R E V I O U S

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PRIME FACTORS IN ARCHITECTURE AN INTERVIEW WITH MASSIMILIANO AND DORIANA FUKSAS

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Q.

The design of many of your firm’s public spaces is unconventional and intriguing. Be it the Admirant Entrance Building, or The Polygonal Mobile House.

What are your general guiding motto and principles when designing such spaces?

DF: For our entire career we have escaped being labeled and demarcated with a specific philosophy or style. We believe that the project must work with all its complexities, in relationship with the context. We design buildings for people, buildings that can be inhabited, and serve as springboards for a vibrant community. We believe there are multiple ways to approach architecture.

Various factors influence a built form.

1. The context it is situated in.

2. The people looking to inhabit that space.

3. The nature of the material to be used.

These factors influence the form that materializes. A combination of these elements is what gives rise to a specific architecture and organization. We do not restrict ourselves to one thought process or one defined method. The language evolved in every project is characteristic of that one. Urban settlements will continue to grow, expand and morph over time. To face these new changes, architecture needs to become simpler and smarter.

Q.

Phasing out old concepts is a difficult task and often met with resistance. How do you balance the introduction of new outof-the-box ideas in the field of Architecture and Design, while keeping it familiar with the user at the same time?

MF: Architecture belongs to people, we need to design buildings and cities considering mobility, the environment, and other political, social, intellectual, and economic factors. Cities must essentially be crafted as a landscape that is a confluence of both economy and geography. There is no future without innovation and design must continue to consider new forms and ideas, even if out of the box. Since man remains the center of our projects, the main user and the major customer, innovation becomes functional to the fruition of the building.

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© Leonardo Finotti_Shenzhen_70501_20X30_131126-015D

Q.

A lot of your firm’s work focuses on sustainability and novel technologies.

The use of transparent solar panels in the proposed Sveta Nedelya Square, or the thoughtful systems employed in the already constructed New EUR Convention Centre. How does the studio deal with the high cost of adopting alternative technologies?

DF: It is fundamental to integrate into new buildings technologically innovative solutions to minimize the environmental impact; our work is focused on this goal from the earliest design stage. Through in-depth study of the intervention site, we design buildings that maximize their efficiency and are better integrated into the built context.

Public greenery integrated into the built space, new technology plant systems, and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle mobility are the primary objectives of our urban projects. Highly sustainable energy production systems are a key feature in both projects at Sofia and Rome. The costs of alternative technologies choices are high at first but are amortized over the life cycle of the building.

Q.

In the wake of the pandemic, there has been a lot of focus on Urban resilience and how Architecture can help us attain that. How do you think your projects add to urban resilience on the site of construction and its surroundings?

DF: The pandemic has completely disrupted our life and our way of conceiving domestic spaces, cities, and public areas. I think that our projects respond to the needs of the community. We have designed mostly public and civic buildings, always centering the design on a human being. The world of architecture will surely have to keep up with the enormous social change this emergency has led to. We have all discovered ourselves as fragile and unprepared to face this pandemic. We must learn from our mistakes and as architects we have to continue designing places suitable for different needs, making the most of modern technology. A designer-architect must be capable of responding to new challenges, using technological innovation to design objects and buildings that adapt to the new way of living, probably different from what we were used to.

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Q.

The Peace Peres house in Tel Aviv sings of time and patience, narrated through a series of wrapping layers of concrete and glass. What is your take on the role materials and other design elements play in architectural storytelling? Any examples you could mention?

MF: I am more interested in substance than materials. We build with substance, which participates in the magic and alchemy of architecture. The “material”, in the traditional sense, is something inanimate.

We use “classic” materials differently and rediscover them in such a way that they become unconventional. For example, in the cemetery of Orvieto, tuff was used ‘dry’, without any type of mortar between the blocks, cutting the corners at 45°.

In the design of the New Milan Trade Fair Rho-Pero and the Nardini Auditorium and Research Center in Bassano del Grappa (Italy), we worked with glass and fiberglass to achieve extremely iconic curves and shapes for the buildings. In the Ferrari Research Center in Maranello water and its reflection are the main elements and materials of the project. In Terminal 3 of the Shenzhen Bao’An International Airport in China, The symbolic element of the plan is the internal and external double “skin” honeycomb motif that wraps up the structure. Through its double-layering, the “skin” allows natural light in, thus creating light effects within the internal spaces. The cladding is made of alveolus-shaped metal and glass panels of different sizes that can be partially opened.

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Don’t give up, keep studying and always feed your passion

”

© Maurizio Marcato_Ferrari_FUKSAS_025

Q.

Your prior background as an Artist is inspiring. How has art influenced your practice and general design philosophy?

Any instances you could mention in which visual art had informed some innovative design solution?

MF: The process of the thought behind my work is more like the one of a visual artist. At first, there were only my paintings. Despite the advent of modern technology, I still feel that the best way to design is to paint.

For me, it is a stimulus to conceptualize architecture, a tool to increase tension. The emotion is lost if the tension doesn’t grow. I don’t have a distinctive creative style. I don’t want one. I have fought all my life against the concept of style. If I run away from style and formalism, inspiration and the freshness of the ideas create an acceleration that creates a direct result specific to the context. I’d like my architecture just to be recognized by an emotion, a strong emotion.

Architecture is in my eyes an emotional matter. We can talk about what comes first and next, but the birth, which is the focus point, has got something miraculous, unintelligible, unique, and unrepeatable.

It is something that fills a space. When a new project gets completed, I can just feel amazed and proud. For several days I sketch ideas and craft models, I paint to canvas. The idea springs from the investigation: when it wants to, not when I do.

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© Ramon Prat_FUK-303

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Q.

A revolution in the building structures is required during the present times?

DF: I believe that the revolution would have to occur at two scales: The macro-level of entire urban centers, and the micro-level down to single homes. The cities of the future will no longer be megalopolises but small diffused centers, fragmented over the territory with a modern digital and technological network, with infrastructures and buildings compatible with the new housing needs. Regarding the scale of the home, there is a need to conceive this space in terms of flexibility, adaptability, and utility.

Interior spaces should be easily separable with transparent and movable walls, to subdivide rooms according to contingent needs. In addition, in new buildings, a free floor should be made available to residents for common activities.

Q.

Your messages for budding architects.

DF+MF: Don’t give up, keep studying and always feed your passion.

© Archivio Fuksas_ (23)

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LIGHT IS A MULTIPLE AN INTERVIEW WITH DAAN ROOSEGAARDE

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Q.

We admire the ‘Urban Sun’ project that your lab developed. It is a revolutionary idea that the world currently needs. Can you tell us how you conceived the idea of this project?

The powerful light of the sun supports all life on Earth. We dreamt about an Urban Sun floating above our cities and could help to enhance our well-being. Our world suddenly became filled with plastic barriers, warning stickers, and social distancing. I asked myself, “how could we clean our cities of the coronavirus?”.

I wondered if light could help restore safer encounters in public spaces and if we could not be scared but curious about our future and how to live within our new normal. I remembered reading about a wavelength of far-UVC light at 222 nm that can kill viruses while remaining safe for humans and animals. So Urban Sun began.

Q.

How far-UVC light is used in the ‘Urban Sun’ is unique. Were there any other prototypes or models that your studio developed where you planned a similar concept of working with far-UVC to combat coronaviruses?

Studio Roosegaarde has been researching the power of light for many years. The self-funded Urban Sun begun in 2019. The COVID19 pandemic made the project much more urgent.

Urban Sun was created by my team and me, along with external experts and scientists from the Netherlands, the US, Japan, and Italy. The Urban Sun’s far-UVC light source is measured and calibrated by the Dutch National Metrology Institute VSL. Urban Sun meets the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) safety standards. The first Urban Sun design is meant for 4 or 5 people, but the design is scalable. While the technical simulation shows a public square of 100m2 and 3500m2, a larger space could be covered.

Q.

The pandemic has changed the course of our lives completely. Is there anything that the field of design currently lacks and needs to focus more on, considering the imminent changes that the pandemic has caused globally?

I think there will come a time where we will have to change our values, and the pandemic has shown that even with all the money in the world, you can be sick or can’t meet your friends, and you’re still not happy.

I think true beauty or true luxury is not a Louis Vuitton bag or a Ferrari, but knowledge about clean air, clean water, or clean energy.

I’m 41, even the younger generation and the brands embrace that thought, so I think it will be part of our new default, of our new standard. I also think the role of technology is crucial.

Right now, we are feeding computer screens with our hopes, our dreams, our desires, and what do we get back in return? A “like” – that’s a bad deal, so we will renegotiate our deal with the computers, with the machines, where it’s not just George Orwell dominating us, and we are feeding it, but more Leonardo da Vinci, where technology helps us to inform, to feed, to suggest, to explore. So, I think it’s a shift of values and a shift of control.

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Let’s uproot the audience’s obliviousness to the natural world with our innovations and make the world a better place!

”

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Q.

Some of your projects, such as the ‘Van Gogh Path’ and ‘Windvogel,’ are excellent lighting examples without actually using electricity. Does your studio aim to achieve energy efficiency or also to create energy from existing means?

Our desire for “Schoonheid” (a Dutch word with two meanings: ‘beauty,’ which comes from creativity, and ‘clean,’ which comes from clean air and clean energy) drives our practice to create better conditions for urban environments. Cities should be livable again by rethinking processes and upgrading urban structures for a better quality of life.

Schoonheid is an activator for change, for citizens, makers, NGOs, and governments to value and empower Schoonheid as a creative force. Together we make new dreams, new designs, and innovations for Schoonheid for today and tomorrow. We are all makers, not consumers. We should be a part of the solution instead of the problem. It doesn’t matter if this problem is from today, as the pandemic, or in the future, as climate change disasters. Our mission is to seize the opportunity to embrace Schoonheid as an activator for our new today. We should not be scared of the future but curious. The energy efficiency of generating sustainable energy is a part of creating Schoonheid.

Van Gogh Path

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Q.

Our cities can be magical if we can put creativity in solving complex problems that our urban fabrics are facing. How do you begin with designing and developing solutions for the urban realm?

From an early age, I have been driven by nature’s gifts like luminous fireflies or jellyfishes. There is this notion of enjoying nature while also trying to upgrade and improve it, to make liveable places in urban environments for everyday life, is something that inspires me. It’s not only about inspiration but frustration. My ideas come from irritation with why the world is the way it is. When I look outside my window, I do not understand society anymore. It is very confusing: traffic jams, air pollution, rising water levels, CO2 emissions. So I can do 2 things; complaint, hide in a room and blame somebody else. Or I can say; well we have created this situation, let’s design, let’s engineer our way out of it. In that way, I feel like an activist, but not with signs shouting on the streets, but as an activator; showing the beauty and the potential of a sustainable society.

Q.

A lot of your work focuses on the power and beauty of light and the visual impact it creates. What are your eyes? The power of light in design and human society. Why do you feel it’s important?

All our artworks exist of an interplay of light and poetry where beauty and innovation merge to create a new dream landscape.

We have to imagine the future if we want to create it. Light is our language. There are things that we can do that we don’t yet know about. Of course, my work is about using the power of light, but, first and foremost, it is about beauty: clean air, clean energy, and clean water.

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Q.

Can you tell us about some upcoming projects and their target domains that your studio is currently working on?

I am presently working on a project that will be celebrating Darkness and the light of the stars. Without giving too much away, broadly speaking, it is about turning off all the lights in a city. All the signs and billboards, all the shops go dark. You would still be able to see the stars. It is all about celebrating something within the community. Darkness makes visible the light which we do not see. We tend to use light in a very crude, ornamental, and brutal fashion. When you look up, you will see the stars.

Windvogel

Q.

Do you have any messages for budding designers and architects?

As a boy I always had people telling me what I wanted could not be done, and I always considered it to be my job to prove them wrong. So thanks to all the collaborators, manufacturers, designers and project managers working with me to make that happen. With my designs, I visualize the majestic beauty of the natural world and let people reimagine the urban jungle of the world’s most impressive cityscapes. Let’s uproot the audience’s obliviousness to the natural world with our innovations and make the world a better place!

Windvogel

Windvogel

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“

As a boy I always had people telling me what I wanted could not be done, and I always considered it to be my job to prove them wrong.

”

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EXPANDABLE HOMES STUDY AND FINDINGS ABOUT EXISTENCE OF EXPANDABLE AND SUITCASE HOUSING IN INDIA

1.INTRODUCTION Today’s desired housing model takes up too much space, is built on expensive land, has high initial construction costs and wastes energy. On the other hand, there is a high demand for affordable dwellings, but at the same time it was found that people, in particular young first-time buyers, are looking for dignified homes and not for small houses that would feel cramped in the near future. The question is thus: how can we utilize the available land and resources as efficiently as possible, ensure costefficient construction and living, and provide dwellings that fit the residents’ lifestyles over the years? Rethinking spatial use of

“

Although many houses have been razed and new buildings built in its space the houses still have a sense of identity and independence. A tested design which proved that a community housing can still have an identifiable and unique character.

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”

dwellings and introducing design concepts in response to changing lifestyles and demographic trends are, therefore, significant if sustainable buildings are the target. While talking about the term expandable, it means a home which can be expanded to cater the requirement of different users/activities/times. It’s an approach to nullify the need of new housing while increase in the members of the family or increase in activities in the house.

In Indian context, the layers of expansion can easily be traced in typical village houses or in historical monuments. (The houses, buildings, complexes, cities started growing as per the need of the hour). In Indian cities, the term expandable only treated in a very layman/jugaad way, where the house expands into the setbacks/roads or building up on the terrace or expands its use to the streets as a space of congregation and perform day to day activities, unfortunately such cultural and iconic activities are not part our vertical Slum apartments.

While this approach has evolved with time, which leaves a specific space in the house and invites the users to build/expand according to the requirement (Alejandra Aravena’s housing) with an individual character and gives the ownership associated to the users. It can also be said that the design plays an important role while shaping the needs of future in current structure (which leaves options for the users to customize, re use the spaces as per the upcoming requirements of existing as well as new users). (Basulto, 2009)

2.RELEVANCE

2.2.Changing lifestyles:

Numerous reasons put focus on the necessity of Expandable Housing in current world scenario. Relevance of expandable housing in the rapid urbanizing Cities can be easily established by evaluating factor like Affordability, Changing lifestyles, Material efficiency and sustainability, Non-planned expansion, Mobility, Flexibility and Time Management.

Changing lifestyles are partly due to more social diversity, but also the transformation of a traditional family drives the need for adaptable houses. After marriage and having children, increase the need for livable space in a house. Moreover, less traditional family compositions emerge increasingly.

The incidence of divorce enables singleparents’ households and remarrying creates new composed families. In addition to this, the lives of people are extended and many of the aged prefer to spend the remainder of their lives in their own homes. This generates the need for an architecture that helps inhabitants to age at home peacefully. Both these households are prospective home owners, and their needs can be fulfilled by models.

2.1. Affordability: Natural resources scarcity is not the only concern in construction of housing but it also depends upon availability of economic resources. Currently affordable housing is one of the priorities in India. As one can clearly understand, choice should be made either by comfort level or budget, instead of going for both simultaneously.

This point arises in people life because initial cost of buying or construction of conventional dwelling is too much. Financial resources are usually scarce in order to build affordable housing. One of the greatest investments in the popular Indian population is always when purchasing a home, retaining the same degree of comfort required.

It calls for innovation from developers.

Therefore, a crucial element is to reassess how spaces are used and to question conventional housing though. As the life progress peoples’ financial condition improves and they often look for bigger house. That either have to infuse more money in floor construction or they prefer to relocate.

Maintenance seems costly therefore people prefer to relocate that in turn cost more the previous option. It includes brokerage, registration fee, Additional resources, Cost of furniture, fitting cost and many other hidden costs. If people consider the Adaptability and expandability of their initial home from the time of is construction phase, they can overcome the relocation cost.

2.3.Material efficiency and sustainability: Growing environmental awareness lead to the creation of green technologies, that sustain valuable resources, but at the same time also another facet of adaptability: material efficiency. Material production is energy intensive. Therefore, in the first place, reducing the demand for material would lead to reducing extraction of natural resources, reduced energy demand and other environmental harms. On the other hand, the there is less utilization of material resources when a building is having long life cycle. That also reduce the environmental pollution. If from the initial stage of construction adaptable material is used then it results in less demolition waste and wastage of material as building will not be destroyed but reformed according the future needs of individual.

Expandable house is need of today’s versatile Demographic Composition.

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2.4.Non-planned expansion:

2.5.Mobility:

A house has regularly to oblige a few family units over its life expectancy. Every family unit has its exceptional way of life and living propensities. Once inhabitants move into their new home, a life cycle process begins.

Regularly, this cycle expects transformation to fit the house to the necessities of the new family unit. Extending the kitchen or adding new dividers are instances of these adjusting measures. At the point when bigger transformations are required, as far as development outside the border of the house and when the plan can’t foresee on the future uses, applying bigger changes to an abode design become mind boggling and expensive.

Mobile homes can be purchased for a less expensive rate than permanent houses in a significant number spots in the nation.

Trailers are known to be the simple onthe-pocket housing decision of endless individuals no matter how you look at it and this notwithstanding the normal bias that will in general frequent it. The points of interest are genuine yet not quickly selfevident. The Most Important factor to be consider is Portability. It is a misleading statement that Mobile houses value reduce throughout some stretch of time. This is valid in the event that they are in parks yet Mobile houses ashore by and large go up in esteem.

Demolition and rebuilding of home is and classical example of such task. In rural areas initially a single hut built to cater single family. As time progress, Family increase and another hut attached to first one built to increase and this process continues and we can see cluster of 4-5 huts all over the village that hold a joint of 15-20 member living together. This non planned expansion of house is called alienated growth and many time conflicts occur in between villager due to such unplanned expansion. But it also highlights the need of a planned expansion.

One can say that buying a Mobile house can return him double the value of investment in just 10 years. Yes, house may need maintenance in near future but this fact remains same for all the house at some point in its life cycle. Mortgage payments will reduce with the passing year and Price of land will go up at the same time in compare to permanent House.

TF 64 typology of Ten Fold Engineering

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2.6.Flexibility: Many time people live in a house just for short duration like Weekends, Vacation or etc.

There is no need for that building to occupy all space on land with a Library, Living room, Games rooms or many other rooms. Instead House can be made flexible in the sense that House can be folded or rearranged itself into a box like structure in the absence of people and can expandable itself when people want to move in. Like sliding of floor, retractable roofs and awning and many other structural engineering helps into achieve such house. For example. SLIDING HOUSE BY DRMM ARCHITECTS, SUFFOLK, UK. In Indian context many people live in their farmhouse during summer and winter vacation only. So, they can expand the house when they live and when they don’t stay there, house can get compacted and open space can be used for various other activities.

2.7.Time Management: Time is a crucial factor and its importance is less visible in common practice. But if talk about Post disaster scenario, Housing for effected people are most important aspect.

Currently there is huge time gap between the shifting of an effected people from temporary housing to permanent housing.

Like temporary housing can be provided with few days but Permanent housing may take years to complete.

Affected communities need to recover from the shock of disaster and regain their livelihood as soon as possible. Modular housing could be the key to future as it has potential to reduce the time taken in construction and can be provided as a permanent housing to affected people.

Time efficiency is the inherent property of Modular housing construction. It can be a future strategy for the delivery of permanent house to affected people in timely manner.

3.EXPANDING THE TERM ‘EXPANDABLE’- CASE STUDIES There are diverse case studies of different models of expandable housing in different contexts. Two case studies are identified, analyzed and discussed to understand the concept of Expandable housing. In a few cases, the expansions were planned in initial design phases while in others the users expanded their houses to meet their growing needs.

Range of Portable modules at Ten fold technology

The houses can unfold without using machines, manual labor or foundations. The prefabricated unit can expand to up to 64 m2.

3.1.2.Why Expandable Housing?

Suitcase housing is a prefabricated system of expandable housing which is much flexible and also transportable in many cases.

The portable housing can play a big role in post-disaster housing as it takes lesser time to install. They can be used in brownfields reduce the cost of buying out land for the construction of house by up to 30%. The portable houses can also be attached to land and convert in large structures. It offers 64 m2 of living spaces with 30 m2 of storage space.

3.1.1.Brief

3.1.3.Lessons Learnt

Ten-fold engineering is a manufacturing company known for its portable design solutions to bring mobility, efficiency, ease and reliability in houses. The modular house works on the applications of lever system.

Suitcase house can be stacked vertically as well as expanded horizontally. It is a bit costly module in current times but with more research and mass production, the overall price can be brought down.

3.1.Suitcase Housing Modules

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Cluster of houses around a common courtyard.

3.2.Belapur Housing

3.2.2.Brief Concept

Concept for the housing is based on hierarchy of based on community spaces starting from a shared courtyard among seven houses of 8x8 m. The houses do not share any common walls making them independently and they can incrementally.

The project is based on clusters of 7-12 homes sharing a common courtyard of 8x8 meters and hierarchy of common spaces.

3.2.1.Context High density low rise and affordable housing in Navi Mumbai.

These houses do not share any common party walls making them truly independent and available for incremental development.

Three such cluster forming a greater module of 21 houses.

Clustering of the modules.

Clustering of houses and then to create a module.

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3.2.3.Lessons Learnt Although many houses have been razed and new buildings built in its space the houses still have a sense of identity and independence.

A tested design which proved that a community housing can still have an identifiable and unique character.

4.TYPOLOGIES & USER SCENARIO. (EXPANDABLE, MICRO & SUITCASE) Let us graphically understand limitations of each typologies in India such like income groups/social statement/privacy/ more floor space, more storage etc.

Incremental is preferred to support individuality and sentimental owner ship among the users. (An urban fabric speaking different stories of different times).

To understand applicability of Expandable House, we can assume four realistic User scenario of the Indian society.

“

Expandable Housing incorporate Affordability, Material efficiency, Sustainability and many other factor which is required for Developing Indian Society.

”

Different User Scenarios

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The table below briefly explain details regarding different Typologies and their relevance to different User scenarios.

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5.CONCLUSION Potential of Expandable homes is discussed in relevance to peoples, changing lifestyle, reducing cost of building over its life span and cost effective materials in Indian context. As the time pass, city progress so the people.

Their lifestyle, Economic status, Social status and expectations rise with rising Technology around them. Housing is the basic need and its need to be adaptable with the changing Community. Various existing practices have shown how Expandable Housing incorporate Affordability, Material efficiency, Sustainability and many other factor which is required for Developing Indian Society.

So after summarizing all discussion we can say Expandable house is need of today’s versatile Demographic Composition and people need to understand and appreciate the importance of its adaptability with the evolving Indian Society.

M Bharat Kumar

Sheshant Singh

1st year, Master of City Planning, IIT Kharagpur

1st year, Master of City Planning, IIT Kharagpur

Puru Varshney

Gaurav Varshney

1st year, Master of City Planning, IIT Kharagpur

1st year, Master of City Planning, IIT Kharagpur

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URBANISM COOKBOOK

Description: The love for food - both eating and making, was the inception of this quirky idea. Another thing we city planners have a passion for is urbanism - the intersection of lifestyle and conservation. Driven by this hunger for urbanism, we created a graphical cookbook that would make the complex topics of urbanism easy to digest for people outside the profession of planning as well.

The “Urbanism Cookbook” is a recipe for healthier streets in a post-covid city. It is a conceptual toolkit - which addresses the problem of scarce activity spaces for communities in urban areas. A platter of interventions - which serves all the age groups and provides spatial equity for pedestrians and non-motorized transport.

The utensil we have used is the most accessible public space in the city - the streets. You can choose ingredients according to your context (as per taste), map out the area, delineate road types, and identify pedestrian-only zones on which tactical urbanism interventions can be done.

Finally, add “tadka” - the people, and the nutritious platter is ready to be served!

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NUTRITIOUS PUBLIC PLATTER Serves all

Time: 1-2 days

A nutritious public platter comprises of large portions of public transit + healthy feeder modes such as cycles and electric rickshaws, with private modes consumed sparingly.

Where is my Right of Way?

The COVID crisis gave us a once in a lifetime opportunity to reimagine streets as public places.

The idea is to change our consumption pattern from fast roads to livable streets! This can be done by reclaiming the road spaces for public activities.

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INGREDIENTS

Mobility fuel : last mile connectivity

Play areas for children on the streets

Tactical urbanism using everyday objects Edible streets for food security

Urban forests – zero maintenance lungs Meetings between all the stakeholders Wayfinding elements and legible signage

Tactile paving and streetlighting for safety

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Regulated vending zones for an active street edge

METHOD

1. Map out the third spaces in your sector.

2. Delineate the road types & add wayfinding elements & add edible streets.

3. Identify the pedestrian only streets and add the rest of ingredients as per taste.

3. Garnish with the secret ingredient – people, and serve!

Ayushi Dhar

1st year, Master of City Planning, IIT Kharagpur

Ankit Senapati

1st year, Master of City Planning, IIT Kharagpur

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DEPARTMENT WORKS

INSDAG

WINNER ADVAITA-CRICKET STADIUM CUM CRICKET ACADEMY Mudita Kumar Ananya Singh Parmar Anuranjan Singh Arun Gautam

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THESIS DAMENTIA CARE AND NEUROHACKING RESEARCH CENTER Gunjal Jain

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INTERIOR ANTRIKSH INTERIOR DESIGN Third Year Undergraduate TL Haveen Hrithic

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DESIGN

SHELL SCAPE INTERIOR DESIGN Third Year Undergraduate Pamula Jai Chandra Pranav S V Sai Jyotish

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STUDIO

IDAYA ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN - III Ashutosh Kumar Verma Deepa Fageriya Sayak Biswas TL Haveen Hrithic

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WORKS CHANDRANI ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN - II Second Year Undergraduate Nilabhra Mondal

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DEPARTMENTAL

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ACTIVITIES

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YEARBOOK

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SCHEDIASTIKS Sthapati 2021 | 117

YEARBOOK

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MCP

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