The architecture in India is changing like everywhere else on this globe. This change is mirroring the changing socio-cultural values of that society. Thus, a majority of the buildings are being designed mainly with the commercial context in mind, where saleability and glossy wrappings are replacing inner spatial content; where the measurable values of the size, cost and profit are taking over the immeasurable values of simplicity, beauty, honesty and sustainability. It is becoming a commodity and losing its sanctity like everything else.
Today’s architecture has become a great guzzler – guzzling tremendous amounts of resources as well as energy to maintain new higher standards of comfort, luxury and greed. It is a major contributor to climate change and unsustainable practices. Our designs today are taking us further away from nature. They are also distancing us from each other by creating closed, controlled, invulnerable and non-interactive spaces. With easy access to global happenings in architecture, architects in India tend to take design ideas and inspirations from these different, inappropriate contexts.
Laya – a sustainable residence in KolhapurThere is too much data and knowledge, but very little wisdom to use it appropriately.
The important initial stage of conceptualization in any design needs to grow out of our attitudes and objectives in life. Once they are in their rightful place, technologies, as tools, can help in their realization into a built form. Today, unfortunately, we see a perfection of means but a confusion of goals….too much data and knowledge, but very little wisdom to use it appropriately.
To me, the major challenges are of changing our disconnected, selfish, greedy, commercial mindset to an integrated, connected, compassionate one. Only then can we create an architecture of disarming simplicity, sustainability and goodness. Then any materials and technologies adopted for the fulfilment of these design objectives would be alright.
