The ultimate goal of design should be to formulate an
innovative built environment that responds to the needs of a given time and
society, He believes in the collective responsibility of transforming human
habitats into a futuristic, intelligent environment that spontaneously responds
to and meets the human need for space, amenities, health, finance and social
equality without endangering heritage or natural and non-renewable resources.
What's the
role of an architect today?
The architect today is not only endowed with the
responsibility of designing spaces, but also the imagination and innovation of
a larger environment that fulfills future aspirations of a rapidly developing,
peaceful and healthy society. Architecture, in the contemporary context, stands
as one of the most significant disciplines as it is among the saviours of our
built environment, social and natural landscape.
Today, more than ever before,
its significance is in the hope of a future that brings back nature, culture
and art into the built environment. In order to respond to the contemporary
issues regarding sustainability and smart and intelligent development,
architectural designs have moved beyond the design of buildings to involve
planning and configuration of larger complexes and urban spaces consisting of
buildings, nature, structures and infrastructure.
The ultimate design
goal...
Whether it is residential design, urban design or any other
design discipline, the ultimate goal should be to formulate an innovative built
environment responding to the needs of the time and society. Architecture today
is perceived as a collective response of different design disciplines like
interior design, residential design, commercial design, conservation, urban
design and urban planning. The need of the design fraternity is to imagine a multi-disciplinary
approach towards imagination, innovation, and planning of spaces - whether at a
building level or a city level.
What's your
most memorable project till date?
I believe that every project is a reflection of its time,
context and environment. Each project is like a journey of rediscovering the
significance of space, its function and persona with respect to its
requirements. For us, every project is memorable and special as we believe that
each of them has allowed us to redefine the role of architecture and architects
in shaping the future of our built environment.
Let's talk about
energy...
At present, there is an urgent need for saving our rapidly
depleting natural and non-renewable resources - the most important one being
energy. The industry is currently experimenting with technologies and designs
of buildings and urban environments that save, store and produce energy, and in
the same respect, 'zero energy buildings' (which consume zero energy) and 'net
positive buildings' (that produce energy) are trends to watch out for.
Buildings of tomorrow are gradually being envisioned as urban generators of
energy, which would not only save resources, but stand as a hope for
sustainability.
Two sides of a coin...
Architecture and interior design are like two sides of the
same coin - both are intertwined in their pursuit of a perfect expression of
the built environment. A perfect design should seamlessly blend the two to
create continuity in the spatial experience from inside to outside, both
aesthetically and functionally.
Where do you
find inspiration?
Two of the most inspiring architectural designs for me are
Fatehpur Sikri Complex at Agra and the Louvre at Paris. The former is an
age-old complex, which I believe is extremely contextual, as it is a magnificent
example of a great architecture which simultaneously bears the character of an
outstanding urban design. It is a truly inspiring example, which exhibits how
good environmental design, space aesthetics, public space design, and art can
coalesce into one masterpiece.
Fatehpur Sikri, to me, is not only a
well-designed complex but a space bearing the cultural heritage of Agra. The
Louvre, on the other hand, exhibits how traditional architecture can coexist
with a modern masterpiece in harmony. The glass pyramid is a modern
intervention, which has immortalised the historical context on which it stands.
What makes
for an iconic design?
An iconic design must stand out and ideally become a
flag-bearer of a new trend or an idea. It must go beyond its own age into the
future and exhibit a significance that has not been previously explored and
hence, show a new direction in the field of design and technology. Essentially,
iconic architecture should involve innovation of aesthetic statements,
technology or ideas about a better environment and society.
Retaining our
'Indianness'...
Today there is a need to look at avenues which embrace our
cultural continuity even though we may cruise ahead in technology and global
economy. Our cultural symbols, which have been preserved as activities, rituals
and faith in different corners of India, deserve to be conserved and must find
their rightful expression in our future built environment. There is a long
unfinished responsibility of defining 'Indianness' in global modernism through
aesthetics, functions and technology, which still remains a major challenge for
all Indian architects.
We need to search hard for the signs and symbols that have
identified our land and us for ages; methods are needed to be innovated to
translate these symbols and messages into architectural vocabulary. We believe
that the search for global Indian modernism will be a great pursuit for our
future generation that would collectively require the contribution of
conservationists, urban planners, urban designers, geographers, historians and
anthropologists in defining a future development that would simultaneously act
as a tool to conserve our cultures and our identities.
How does one
select the right architect?
The same way one selects a doctor or a lawyer. The most
important thing is the comfort factor; the architect must be able to understand
and respond efficiently to the aspirations of the client. The architect's past
body of work, approach towards architectural design, time commitment, number of
current assignments and the ability to respond to contemporary socio-economic
conditions and aesthetic trends in design are some other factors worth
considering.
Architecture
in Bengaluru...
Bengaluru has historically enjoyed an amazing natural
geography, climate and a beautiful terrain with immense greenery. The city
became an important business hub during the economic liberalisation of the
country in the nineties.
Unfortunately, the aspirations and the development envisioned
could not be efficiently contained in the broader planning model, which has put
a huge pressure on the incongruous urbanisation of Bengaluru today. Both built
and natural infrastructures are being stressed and are seen to be struggling to
match the rapid growth of the city. This calls for an urgent need for a
holistic vision of sustainable urbanisation.
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