A curation of our design ideas and inspirations for houses in Goa, contemporary art and architecture.
with a curation of our design ideas and inspiration for houses in Goa, contemporary art and architecture.
I speak to India Design ID, sharing my dream alternate profession in Auroville, and reminiscing a cherished memory involving Anupama Kundoo from her summer internship there. Also watch her expound the charm of New York City, and deliver a powerful message for change, directed at women.
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As our company policy, we certify all our development projects with green certification from the Indian Green Building Council.
Green Certification often gets a bad reputation as it is a standardized platform of measuring sustainability across various cultures and geographies. We follow the system as we find it to be a good way to keep ourselves accountable to the various aspects of sustainability from the very start of the design process. Certification forces us to keep detailed accounts, and make accurate calculations such that our sustainable efforts are not only in name but are real with measurable impact.
That said, certification is usually the starting point for us in our journey into sustainability. I firmly believe that ‘sustainability is common sense’. In architecture, it involves following sound design principles, respecting the land while planning new buildings and responding to the local climate and conditions.
To pursue sustainability,
we must try to conserve the natural resources within our own site (through rain water harvesting, renewable energy use and grey water recycling),
use materials and employ design ideas that keep the building interiors cool or warm (and reduce the use of air-conditioning and heating),
allow for ample daylight (to reduce the energy use for lighting during the day),
use half flushes in bathrooms along with aerators to reduce the water flow in bath and kitchen fittings (to reduce water-use),
maximize the use of materials that are produced locally, and
use materials with a high recycled content.
These strategies for me are the low-hanging fruit that are easy to achieve with minimal cost escalation in the process. It’s also key to understand the lifespan of materials (regardless of their green features). If they have to be replaced in a short period of time, then they fail the test of sustainability. Finally, to achieve actual impact, we have to think about sustainability at every stage and factor it in every decision during the design and construction process.
LINKS TO PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS:
This article was written by me for World Environment Day and published on realty magazine website.
It feels like we are at war. At war with a virus that has caught the world off-guard. It spreads through air and we don’t have a cure for it, yet. We all recognize that this event will be life-changing and hope that the world can emerge from this only slightly bruised but overall resilient with a strong sense of solidarity, love and respect for humanity. While all our energies are focused on this crisis, there is a bigger elephant in the room where humanity has been on a war footing for some time now, that of climate change as a result of human activities.
The past few years have seen unprecedented wild fires, droughts and storm cycles around the world. A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. In 2019, Okjokull became the first glacier in Iceland to disappear as a result of climate change. About 3.8 million hectares of primary rainforest was lost in 2019 alone. As per a report by Global Forest Watch, every 6 seconds, an area equivalent to the size of a football pitch of primary rainforest was destroyed in 2019. Entire islands have disappeared due to the rising sea levels in our oceans.
In March this year, while the world took a pause in an effort to contain COVID-19, we experienced and enjoyed cleaner air and cleaner waters- a definitive sign that humans are responsible for the environmental degradation that surrounds us. We have managed to pollute our glorious planet with poisonous gases and non-biodegradable waste, perhaps beyond repair. The silver lining is the speed with which the environment bounced back even with a temporary and short suspension of human activity. Pinning my hope on that, I wish that humankind can possibly mend our ways in an effort to bequeath a beautiful planet to our future generations.
Architects are generally taught to believe that they have the power to change the world for the better. We do this through design and also through advocacy. So even while we, as consultants, would recommend best practices, the conversion of ideas to real impact was marginal.
Many a times, Green Certification gets a bad reputation as it is a standardized platform of measuring sustainability across various cultures and geographies. The certification process forces us to keep detailed accounts, and make accurate calculations such that our sustainable efforts are not only in name but are real with measurable impact.
That said, certification is usually the starting point for us in our journey into sustainability. I firmly believe that ‘sustainability is common sense’. In architecture, it involves following sound design principles, respecting the land while planning new buildings and responding to the local climate and conditions.
To pursue sustainability, we must try to conserve the natural resources within our own site (through rain water harvesting, renewable energy use and grey water recycling), use materials and employ design ideas that keep the building interiors cool or warm (and reduce the use of air-conditioning and heating), allow for ample daylight (to reduce the energy use for lighting during the day), use half flushes in bathrooms along with aerators to reduce the water flow in bath and kitchen fittings (to reduce water-use), maximize the use of materials that are produced locally, and use materials with a high recycled content.
These strategies for me are the low-hanging fruit that are easy to achieve with minimal cost escalation in the process. I also think that it is key to understand the lifespan of materials (regardless of their green features). If they have to be replaced in a short period of time, then they fail the test of sustainability. Finally, to achieve actual impact, we have to think about sustainability at every stage and factor it in every decision during the design and construction process.
To make sustainability a norm, the industry and consumer outlook also must change. We have found that most industry and product vendors still lack awareness on the importance of sustainability and green features in their products. Our perceived association that virgin materials are of superior quality, and reused materials are inferior, needs to change.
Government policy has sadly not been able to keep up with industry efforts and consumer desire for sustainable development. In Goa, when we started our practice in 2010, there was a subsidy for using solar water heaters. That subsidy is now being re-evaluated and not available to users. The policy of net-metering has stayed as a draft and has not been implemented. This makes the use of solar panels for power production not economically feasible for users.
While we endeavor to pursue sustainability as a hallmark in our projects, it is a struggle to achieve cost efficiencies. This process would be easier if we could avail of some government subsidies and programs. I believe that will attract a larger section of the industry to follow the path of sustainability.
As consumers, we should also look for ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Every small step makes a difference. We must remember that simple things can make a big difference. Climate change is a cause where the entire community must come together and play their part. The COVID crisis has evoked a sense of solidarity amongst us to fight a common enemy, I hope we can continue to utilize this positive spirit to fight climate change as well.
Team Grounded decided to head to Hampi for fresh inspiration. On day 1 we visited the Virupaksha Temple Complex, where we were left in awe by the magnificent Nine tiered temple. Next to the temple is the Hemkuta Hill, which left us so transfixed that we decided to spend the entire afternoon there watching the play of light against the monuments
I was invited by India Today Home to create a Masterclass for their readers during this lockdown. I recorded a session detailing how one can adapt the principles of Japanese Minimalism in the design of one’s home.
I chose two real-life examples by two contemporary architects I admire- Bijoy Jain and Kengo Kuma- to demonstrate how this has been achieved in their projects. Watch the video here, that has been reposted from India Today Home. This was something I really enjoyed making.
Read On
IMAGE OF MY SEED COLLECTION
Last week, I was interviewed by Priscille H Joseph on her podcast 'Design Talks'. She asked me what I mean when I say 'reconnect with nature'. I have thought about it, and more than anything 'reconnecting with nature' is about a mindset. We are constantly surrounded by the wonders of nature, 'a reconnection' is possible by simply being in tune with nature and its cycles, and to begin to observe and attach value to nature's wonders that surround us.
I enjoy observing nature closely. I personally have a special fondness for 'seeds'. I have become somewhat of a part-time seeds collector. I’ve gleaned quite a collection of seeds from my walks and travels, and they are peppered around my apartment. This is an obsession of sorts and I really enjoy admiring their unique forms.
Seeds come in many shapes and sizes. The primary objective of seeds is to disperse and propagate life. The size, shape, color and smell are all reverse engineered from their method of propagation. Some seeds have the ability to take flight, like the Dandelion and Maple Helicopter Seeds. Others are colorful to attract birds and some have a strong scent to attract large mammals. I am fascinated by this diversity. And more than anything, I am fascinated by the complexity of shape and structure that these seeds present. No person's imagery can do better justice to these wondrous creations than photographer, Mary Jo Hoffman and her Still Blog. I am adding some images below, breath them in....
I am due to attend the second Kochi-Muziris Biennale this coming weekend and thought that it was a great opportunity to go back to my notes on the first Biennale held in 2012:
"I loved the show (in 2012), thought it was very well curated, excellently sited in old historic buildings in the historic core of Kochi and was all about celebrating art. I loved the intertwining of art with the historic past of Kochi and its forgotten old buildings. I loved that the art was truly contemporary and site specific. I loved the juxtaposition of history and crumbling infrastructure with new age art employing multimedia technology.
Siting the biennale in old crumbling buildings in the historic core of a city was a masterstroke. I loved how the buildings (exhibition space) were left in their original state. Even when the first instinct would have been to patch them up and to quickly hide away the flaws behind several coats of paint.
The heat and humidity, the sound of the generator, and mosquitoes, all made the experience much more Indian. How wonderful (and democratic) that there was no attempt to air-condition the space, make it shine, make it comfortable for the elite patrons of art. The authenticity of the experience made the biennale specifically Indian with a strong focus on India's plurality of social structure, issues of development vs. displacement, the perception of heritage and other vestiges of the past.
It felt great to walk from one building to next, one space to next, even as one was sweating like crazy, while there was little or no breeze and strong relentless sun overhead.. all because you could not get enough of the ART.
It was interesting to note that many artworks reflected the theme of displacement, conflict and human rights violation due to development or over-development in India. It was wonderful to find contemporary art that was truly a reflection of the most pressing issues in our country today."
More updates soon on the Biennale this year...
I was fortunate to visit the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City last week, and was struck by the powerful, vivacious, full of life Frida.
Frida contracted polio very early in her life and then met with a road accident as a teenager. This left her with multiple health issues for the remainder of her life. Here is what she had to say about that: "Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly"
The above statement sums it up for me. Lesson learned: Do not limit yourself...limitations are for lazy suckers. Life is to be passionate and to follow your heart...
Fearless, powerful Frida, we love you...
Image courtesy of NYTimes.
'Pollen from Hazelnut' is an artwork installed by the sculptor Wolfgang Laib at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in January 2013. I was fortunate to have been a witness to this unbelievable piece of work and it has stayed with me all this while.
The installation is made with bright yellow pollen that the artist has carefully collected from the surroundings at his studio and home since the mid-1990s. In 2013, he finally laid it out as a rectangle on the gray concrete floor in the museum's atrium. I am captivated by the whole thought, the process, the dedication, the love, the artistry and the joy of the piece. Visually stunning, the piece exhibits components of smell, color and most importantly feelings and beliefs.
I can't remember the last time I had such a strong emotional reaction to a piece of art.
Below is a short video of Mr Laib and his process of creating 'Pollen from Hazelnut'. He calls his process 'a quite work', we love every moment of it and hope that you will love it too..
YUMMM !! Six different Bagels with six different toppings (above) and fried Montanara pizza (below)
Just returned from a quick whirlwind tour of New York. Along with my usual New York fix of bagel and cream cheese, pizza (this time it was the fried Montanara !!) and beer, J Crew and Anthropologie, I put in the needed effort to expose myself to cutting edge design and designers. This is my way to continue to be inspired. Nothing seems impossible when one is in this great city and one does not have to look far for inspiration. There is a more than average concentration of talent and creativity here. I aim to soak in as much as I can whenever I am back.
Dress by Norma Kamali, Oscar de la Renta and Rudi Gernreich (Photo Credit)
First, I made it to a great fashion exhibition commerorating designs and American designers that have had a notable impact on fashion in the last 50 years. The exhibition was conceived by Diane von Furstenberg, who is one of my favorite designers. I love her use of bold colors and playful prints while keeping the outfits fairly simple and elegant in cut and design.
Photo 1: A dress by Halston, Photo 2: (from L to R) Dress by Thakoon, Yeohlee Teng and Proenza Schouler, Photo 3: Dress by Sidney Wragge (Photo Credits: Link)
The exhibition ranged from fairly simple clean designs to the very detailed over-the-top designs including the gorgeous Norma Kamali, black parachute cloth and feather jacket, skirt and turban, circa 2011, and Oscar de la Renta, silk taffeta gown with black Guipure lace bodice, spring 2012 (shown above in photo).
Peter Woytuk Sculpture at Columbus Circle with the Museum of Art and Design in background
Next was a walk along Broadway on the Upper West Side to see some site specific sculptures by Peter Woytuk.These sculptures are playful and whimsical. They comprise of oversize animals and fruits in the little green strips or plazas along busy Broadway. They are great as they bring a touch of surprise to the commuters and travelers. They appear out of nowhere and their scale, size and sometimes color forces one to stop and take notice. It is a way for nature to reclaim the city while providing the busy New Yorkers with respite from the everyday....
Pair (Spooning) at 107th Street
The Acorn Bench at 73rd Street
My favorite, Kiwi at 72nd Street
My favorite was the giant kiwi at the 72nd Street station. At least 5meters in height, with an equally large belly, this bird in bright blue sits on its butt and seems to be very happy ! The sculpture somehow made me think of the animated movie 'Happy Feet' and I imagined this kiwi skidding through ice and having the time of its life....screaming 'wooohooooo'!!...... Such is the power of art, it can transport the viewer from a dry hardscaped train station to icy glaciers and feelings of childlike exhilaration !
More on architecture in Part II, to be continued...
