IndianARCH’09

The TeAM

eDITORS

Apoorv Kaushik

apoorvkaushik@gmail.com

Jaskaran Chauhan

jc.1124@yahoo.co.in

MAGAZINe CORReSPONDeNT

Shweta Sethi

Surbhi Bharadwaj

GRAPhIC DeSIGNeRS

Apoorv Kaushik

Varun Mahopatra

MAGAZINe COORDINATOR

Tawish Tayal

SPONSORShIP INChARGe

Rajat Malik

ACKNOWLeDGeMeNTS

Saurabh Vashist

Dhruv Bahl

Nishtha Bali

Tanvi Mehta

Special thanks to Ar. Rajendra Kumar

From the desk of the PrincipalChandigarh College of Architecture

In the end I would wish each one of you a successful

journey in your chosen future whether on your own or

travelling along the “Garib Ratha”.

Once again, I hope, that you will find this issue of the

IndianARCH09 up to your expectations as, we, at CCA

aspire to inspire individuals to seek their true aim and

follow it to the end.

Pradeep Kumar Bhagat

Principal

It is an honour for Chandigarh College of Architecture,

a founding member of NASA association, to be

presenting this magazine to you, dear students, on the

occasion of the 52nd Annual NASA convention being

held at Chennai. I am quite sure that all of you would

enjoy going through this edition of IndianARCH’09, just

as you would enjoy participating in the convention,

cheering and winning laurels for your respective

colleges.

We must realise that architecture today, reacting

to globalization, is giving up both its inexpensive

energy saving juggernauts and simple environment

sensitive techniques and expressions. We seem

to be forgetting that our main purpose, being in this

field, is to be able to contribute to the society and the

world at large. It is evident that the need of the hour

is the conservation of the world resources and our

environment.

We are, no doubt, striving towards this same aim with

the emergence of energy efficient architecture and

sustainable buildings. But if we look back at our own

architectural history, we will realise that we have been

making use of environment friendly designs since

time immemorial, then be it the mud cottages or rock

structures. We need to recognise this rich culture and

go back to our old principles so that we are able to

help, not only ourselves, but also, the entire world.

The choice, however, lies with you, dear students.

The world of ‘glamorous’ architecture is forever

present to attract those who are weak enough to get

illusioned by it. It is sad to see architects practicing

merely for the sake of fame or for satisfying their

greed for material contentment. What we need to

understand is that we have to use the opportunity

presented to us by architecture to contribute to the

world, or else, we shall fail miserably at our chosen

profession.

So, it is for you to decide on which side you would

prefer to be on. In other words, whether you would

prefer hitting jackpots with “Slot Machines” or let the

great Master Architects inspire you.

IntroductionChandigarh College of Architecture

It is with immense pride that we introduce to you the

annual NASA magazine-‘IndianArch09’. I express

my gratitude to the Executive Council of NASA

for giving Chandigarh College of Architecture an

opportunity to publish this esteemed magazine,

the souvenir for the annual NASA convention. It has

been our endeavour to make the magazine highly

informative and benefiting for our readers. Through

the medium of this magazine, we intend to create a

community that is innovative and harmonious, build a

platform that celebrates intellect and individuality. And

most importantly, we hope to design a walkway for

preparing the young minds and future professionals to

navigate the world of tomorrow.

Passion, intelligence and skill has been the key

ingredients for creating wonders in architecture.

But the latest development in digital technology

have further made it possible to give architecture a

different dimension altogether. The magazine seeks

to incorporate these attributes within students of

architecture by the integration of artistic creativity and

intellectual curiosity. Eminent architects have always

modified and upgraded themselves by adapting to

the changing needs of modernity. Today, graduates in

architecture continue this tradition by acknowledging

the challenges posed by contemporary society within

a historically significant urban matrix.

I would like to thank the students of all schools and

colleges of architecture from whom we have received

an overwhelming response in the form of articles etc.

Also, I express my sincere gratitude to the architects

who have provided us with some highly informative

contributions.

I hope that you will not mind pushing architectural

boundaries and design technologies and prepare

yourselves to become Leaders in perhaps the most

complex of all professional arts - The discipline of

Architecture.

Sujay Sengupta

Dean of Students WelfareChandigarh College of Architecture

I am pleased to learn that the 52nd Annual NASA

convention is to be held at SRM University as it

celebrates its Silver jubilee. This gathering of the

architectural fraternity is an occasion to delve into

the problems faced by the modern world and the

role of architects in providing every individual with her

preferred environment. I am glad understand that a

publication of a magazine is planned to coincide with

the event. I hope the convention would help inspire

young architects and provide constructive and

innovative solutions for a better future.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the staffs and

students of School of Architecture & Interior Design,

SRM University, and wish them success in all their

present and future endeavors.

T. R. Pachamuthu

Chancellor

I am delighted to learn about the conduct of NASA

convention on the grounds of SRM University as

it celebrates the 25th year of success. It is indeed

an occasion to contemplate on and discuss the

direction of development in the field of architecture

and understand the need for better living spaces at

the individual level as conveyed by the theme of the

convention.

It is hearting to note the publication of a magazine

as a part of the proceedings. I hope the convention

emerges to be a hub of novel ideas to inspire and

encourage the architecture community.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the staffs and

students of School of Architecture & Interior Design,

SRM University, for having made an excellent attempt

to host this event to kindle and awake the students,

fraternity.

P. Sathyanarayanan

Vice Chancellor

Message from the Convention host UniversitySRM University

NASA & IndianARCh’09

NASA

The National Association of Students of Architecture

brings together students from around 120 colleges,

to form a community that is the largest organization of

the students of architecture in Asia.

The NASA community strives to provide a platform for

the students to interact with each other and practicing

architects and to share their experiences and

difficulties. This approach helps students to not only

gain valuable information in the field but also makes

them aware of what all innovations and ideas are in

vogue.

NASA organizes national level competitions to fulfill its

motto. These prestigious competitions see students

from various colleges participate and present their

ideas and concepts with gusto. The trophies cover

various aspects of architecture and are judged

on the basis of practicality and innovation. NASA

also endeavors to assist the society through the

radical and excellent ideas that come up during the

convention. The end product is used to help the

economically weaker sections by providing technical

advice.

This year, NASA has successfully made the event

even bigger….

Celebrating 52 years since its conception, NASA

has made the event a SAARC NASA event, with

participation from colleges coming under the SAARC

nations.

The Magazine

The Annual NASA Magazine, The IndianARCH, this

time around, is presenting its readers with an entirely

new format. The aim of the magazine is to introduce

the students to new concepts in architecture and to

present the older ones in a way that is original and

innovative.

It is important for the students of architecture to

understand the new concepts developing in the field.

We have included interviews of famous architects

so as to acquaint the students with their theories and

ideas. Contributions from students occupy a major

part of the magazine along with inputs and views from

teachers and practicing architects.

The Magazine has the cover story detailing out the

various aspects of “Fractals”. The varied possibilities of

the term and its applications in the field of application

have been discussed in the section.

It is hoped that the Magazine shall help the students to

gain knowledge and wisdom.

It is indeed an honour to address the students of

architecture and architects participating in the 52nd

annual NASA convention and on behalf of the students

and faculty members of the School of Architecture &

Interior design, SRM University, it is my great pleasure

to welcome all the delegates to this convention. Since

our university had hosted the zonal NASA conventions

twice in 2001 and 2005, it was our dream to play host

to the national convention and at the outset, I wish to

thank the Executive Council of NASA for giving us the

opportunity to host this prestigious event. At the same

time, I also wish to express our gratitude to the

management of SRM University for giving us the

facilities to host a convention of this scale, where

the logistics accommodating 4000 delegates for

4 days is stupendous. I would like to thank our Vice

Chancellor, Prof. P.Sathyanarayanan in particular for

his unconditional support, both morally and financially.

Most importantly, I would like to express my heartfelt

gratitude to the students and faculty of the SRM

architecture school, who burnt the midnight oil to

make this convention a success. I also thank the

students and faculty of the Chandigarh college of

Architecture for bringing out this souvenir, which is

befitting of the occasion.

It is our great privilege to host the 52nd Annual NASA

Convention 09, wherein students of architecture from

the other South Asian nations are also participating.

Apart from conducting the competitions for the 9

trophies and other events which are the mainstay

of all NASA conventions, we feel honoured to have

arranged the exhibition of the contemporary work

of European architects and another exhibition

highlighting the work of Bangalore architects. We are

thankful to Ar.Durganand for arranging the European

architects exhibition and to INCITE for the Bangalore

architects exhibition. Moreover we have also arranged

for the display of the portfolios of eminent Architectural

practices in India and I express my gratitude to all the

architects who had participated in this.

Over the past decade the SRM University had

been emerging as one of the premier privately run

universities in India, with campuses in Kattankulathur,

Ramapuram (Chennai), Trichy and Modinagar in Delhi.

The Survey by Education times of India ranking SRM

as the No.1 university among private universities

offering multiple streams of education, in 2009 only

confirmed the public perception. As a constituent of

this institution the SRM architecture school has left

no stone unturned to ensure the best in hospitality

and to provide food for thought. We hope that the

presentations & deliberations

by the leading national and international architects will

provide the much needed exposure to architecture

students and their mutual interactions would be

intellectually gratifying. We have also ensured various

cultural events to entertain the delegates and I

sincerely hope that all the competitions & events are

enjoyed by the architectural community and paves

the way for furthering the cause of architectural

education in the country.

Prof. M. Thirumeni,

Dean,School of Architecture & Interior Design,SRM University.

Message from the Convention host UniversitySRM University

The NASA President’s thoughts...

‘A change was with what it began....and a change is what we still hold on to!

A change for us...a change for NASA...a change for BETTER!’

IndianARCH, the official journal of the National

Association of Students of Architecture (NASA), India

has come a long way since its inception. The aim was

to act as a platform for architecture students of the

country to bring out their works to the other members

of the community and the general masses.

There are many journals available in the markets that

talk of the professionals and their works in the built

environment but none of them speak about the role

of a student. ‘The period of Consequences’, as was

described by Churchill, can definitely be altered, if not

shaped, by the works of the students of today, who

shall be the architects of a better tomorrow.

It was thus envisioned for a journal that highlights and

promotes the role of students in the built environments

of the future. This gave birth to the IndianARCH! Being

a student association, we had to face many problems

as for the necessary finances and also for that the

journal was to be handled along with our academics.

Things were never always smooth but with the last

year, we were determined to change the face of NASA

and IndianARCH! The vision is to transform the current,

yearly IndianARCH into a monthly magazine by the

year 2015!

And with this aim, we present to you the IndianARCH

’09. I would like to congratulate CCA-Chandigarh to

have come up with this excellent publication. As I had

mentioned earlier, a lot of changes have been brought

about in the past one year- the Louis I. Kahn Trophy

documentation, Introduction of three new trophies, the

SAARC initiatives- to name a few. Some of our friends

were sceptical about and feared the pace with which

we moved. I would like them to recall Nelson Mandela

in that:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate but

that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light,

not our darkness, that most frightens us.”

Thus, with the belief that the light of NASA shall never

fade and with a vision that it only grows, I would like to

put my pen down.

Thank you all for your support.

“Let soaring high be NASA’s nature....always!”

Vidhu V. Saxena

PresidentNASA, India

When the most hectic months of my student life have

finally come to an end, it’s a bitter sweet moment to

bid adieu to those sleepless nights and mind whirling

days. The thought that ‘we make the event’ has been

taken over by the ‘event makes the best of us’. Never

has there been an interaction so huge, so beneficial,

so unifying that has made us amalgamated. Pride

and Pleasure is what everyone from SRM University

feels now. Adding to our zest is the fact that hosting

the event on the occasion of 25th anniversary of the

University gives it a special feel.

The theme of the event, U2, has made us only believe

stronger that improved quality of life is precisely what

is required at the moment, and we as the future of the

industry can contribute more than what was initially

thought. The learning has been the most important

part of the event.

Yes, it has definitely taken our slumber and comfort;

but it has rewarded us immensely that the fore

mentioned seem regardless. I am more than proud to

be the convenor of such an event, the 52nd annual

nasa convention.

Abhishek

ConvenorNASA

At this juncture I am extremely exhilarated and proud

just by the very idea of my close relationship with the

52nd Annual NASA Convention 2009. With the com-

ing of such a huge event, comes a big responsibility

especially when themed on the quality of life, and

to fulfil it I hope we haven’t left any stones unturned.

No other platform would deliver then importance of

rejuvenation of the value of human beings in a better

manner.

When we look back, we come to understand how

much we have progressed, the tremendous learning

experience that we have cultivated while hosting this

event. And to be a part of such an event, it’s a pleasure

beyond words. I would like thank all the faculty mem-

bers, CCA editorial team & friends for their enduring

support. I’m sure that the journal and the convention

would bring the required change and keep up the

spirits of NASA. I would like to conclude with quote by

our father of nation,

“Be the change you want to see in the world” – MK Gandhi

Shiraz CP

Magazine CoordinatorSRM University

Messages by the Convention Co-ordinators

Notes from the U-Secs

NASA has come a long way since its conception. And,

today as we look forward to a new and exciting future,

we realise the importance of change. With this as our

aim we present to you IndianARCH’09.

A lot of effort has gone into the making of this magazine

and it would not have been possible without the

invaluable help and inputs from a lot of people...

I would like to thank the NASA authorities and the EC

members for giving CHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF

ARCHITECTURE this opportunity. I would also like to

acknowledge my college authorities, Our principal

Prof. Pradeep Kumar Bhagat and magazine in charge

Prof. Sujay Sengupta for guiding us at every step and

supporting our ideas, and the practising architects for all

their suggestions and advice.

Making this magazine has been a great personal

advantage for me as it has enhanced my skills of time

management. All challenges faced while making this

magazine have polished my abilities which will surely

have a good impact on my career. My team and I are

highly obliged to every individual who has shown his

concern and contributed. We really appreciate the

contributions from various colleges and students.

They are as important as my team who worked on this

magazine.

We hope that we come up to your expectations.

Tawish Tayal

U –SecMagazine Co-ordinatorCCA

National Association of Students of Architecture,

being a 52 years young body has undergone a

massive growth within itself during the past years. The

present structure, being known as one of the largest

communities of architectural students in Asia with

over 120 colleges of the architectural community as

members of this organization holds a great value for

us. The NASA in the approaching duration has a long

move to step to win a highest grade challenging its

own history.

SRM University, celebrating its 25th anniversary have

designed a numerous events in the forthcoming days.

And NASA being one among them and also being the

prime among them, SRM senses enormous pleasure

to host it.

I show gratitude to all the EC members for being

with us all the way through the preparation for the

convention and giving us the helpful and appreciative

implications. I also give credit to the General Council

for cooperating with us for various subjects.

On behalf of School of Architecture and Interior

Design, SRM University, I feel privileged to welcome

every single member of the gathering for the Annual

NASA convention 2009.

Welcome to U2. . .

Kunal Patel

Unit SecretarySchool of Architecture and Interior Design,SRM University.

community of architectural students all over India,

to bring about a change in the perception about

architecture presently prevailing in our country. It is

an anthology of innumerable radical ideas originating

every moment in the minds of young architects, who

are all set to change the common outlook toward

architecture. It is our endeavor to propagate the idea

that architecture is not merely a convergence, but a

confluence of science and art, abridging the distance

between two seemingly different disciplines where

human intelligence finds its expression and application.

Indianarch’09 has been a great learning experience,

as it has served not only as a means to bring together

the ideas of various young architects in the making on

a common platform, but has also been an opportunity

to interact with many renowned architects and

professors of architecture from all over the world.

The conversations with the big shots of the world

of architecture will indeed usher us into an arena

where we can see things in a different light and from

a new perspective. It is a rare happening that such

a vast number of people ranging from students to

professionals, and belonging to different areas and

levels of specialization, are brought together to put

forth their views, as has been done on FRACTALS –

our main article.

I find great pleasure in presenting IndianARCH’09 to

the architectural community.

Apoorv Kaushik

Editor, IndianARCH’09Ninth SemesterCCA

“I thank whatever gods may beFor my unconquerable soul.”

There are moments, as we contemplate our mortal

journey, that seem so overbearing and fatiguing

that one wonders if he would ever be able to break

away. Then there is the strain of unending work, of

responsibilities and of the necessary competition that

one cannot afford to neglect. As we forge into the

future, these moments seem to lengthen and become

almost overpowering. But have we ever wondered

what could be the reason for such instances.

The cause is not hard to decipher, if one but stops and

thinks…

Man is, constantly and simultaneously, being pulled in

all directions by forces that “thoughts” impose on him.

These thoughts are not his own but those of others

around him; of the various people who influence and,

supposedly, inspire him. Yet, the fault does not lie in

these forces alone.

An individual is free to choose what he wants and by

this freedom of choice, he also chooses the “thoughts”

he wishes should motivate him. They act on him

because he wants them to.

He lets chaos rule and prefers to follow the normal

“flow” and makes no effort to seek an order---- the

order that is all prevailing and eternal. For if a man

must, he should seek inspiration from himself.

All along the history of man and architecture, “eras”

have been defining the growth and progress of times,

then be it modernism, neo- classicism, gothic or post

modernism. Each era was inspired by one singular

spirit and idea of man. Even though the beginning of

each era was bound to cause conflict, it ultimately led

to the triumph of the immortal soul of the individual.

We are lucky enough to live in a world that accepts

new ideas and gives us the freedom follows a

no particular style or order. Each individual idea is

respected and given life to even though such ideas

are, for the moment, rare and still in the process of

growth. But we still have a long way to go. Open

mindedness and acceptance of ideas that might

seem alien but are true is the dire need of the hour.

The whole idea is take charge of one’s own self and to

appreciate those who, by their individuality, are trying

to give rise to a new era. It can be surmised in the

following lines...

“I am the master of my fate:I am the captain of my soul.”

Jaskaran Chauhan

Editor, IndianARCH’09Fifth SemesterCCA

“Knowledge we ask notKnowledge Thou hast lent

But, Lord, the will – there liesOur bitter need

Give us to build above the deep intentThe deed, the deed”

- John Drinkwater

It is not mere knowledge resting in a mind, that makes

one reach out to achieve something, but the will

that emerges out of a heart thirsting to achieve and

accomplish.

It is not just brick and stone that are needed to build

mansions, but hands with unwavering strength and

refined skill.

Architecture is an art that involves the intricacies

of scientific principles, but does not depend on the

advancement of scientific technology. Centuries

ago, when technology had not reached its present

form, man created architectural masterpieces like the

Pyramids, the Colosseum and the Taj Mahal, which

still leave us awestruck and shall do so till eternity. It

was not technological resources that created such

wonders but the will that sprang forth from the souls

of men, that was enough to empower their hands to

build impeccable reflections of ethereal dreams, in

form of solid and real structure.

Every deed done originates in one mind, but needs

tremendous effort from various sectors in order to

be accomplished. Every single person involved in

any effort, big or small always has something unique

to offer in terms of creativity and knowledge. The

publication of Indianarch’09 reaffirms the fact that we

are endowed with the power to conceive, create and

change. Conceive with originality, Create with novelty

and Change for the better.

Architectural students from all over India have been

a part of Indianarch’09, and thus this issue includes

ideas and visions of people with different fields of

expertise and varied opinions about the present

form of architecture and the future prospects.

IndianARCH’09 is a reflection of the will of the

editorial Pageeditorial Page

inside

ChandigarhWhere freedom finds form: CCA

Chandigarh: The City of Sun Space and Verdure

InterviewsChristopher Charles Benninger

Massimiliano Fuksas

Javier G. Pioz

Stefano Boeri

WorksStudio AMA: India Forum Tower - India’s Peak

Morphogenesis: Nullah Proposal

Harry Sir

ArticlesManu Sobti: Global India

B. Banerjee: The Master’s Reminiscence

Anil Laul: The Do or Die of the Financial Crisis

Philipp Rode: Mumbai the Compact City

Vikramaditya Prakash: Fractals and the modern Hindu

temple

KaranDev Mankotia: Architecture and Religion

Deepika Gandhi: Good Servant, Bad Master

Durganand Balsavar: Sustainable Urban Ecology

Aparajithan Narasimhan: U2 and the Indian city

Medha Gokhale: Traditional Indian Streets

Student’s SectionArticles

Graphics

Works

Short Messages

Where Freedom Finds Form: CCACHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

Richa Sarin graduated from CCA in 2009 with a Gold Medal for topping all ten semesters

Writing this as a fresh graduate, I am tempted to

indulge you with an insider’s account of what CCA is

and where it is headed. The Chandigarh College of

Architecture still emanates the creative energy with

which it was built, fifty years ago. The rich legacy of Le

Corbusier, the essence of the dream of Chandigarh,

the thought of where a modern Indian city should be

headed, blended to generate a concept. The physical

manifest of this concept is the campus of CCA.

Visited every year by numerous students, architects

and tourists from all over the country and the world;

its corridors have witnessed many a wide eyed on

their personal quest to piece together the teachings

of the great Le Corbusier. While the design philosophy

is etched in stone (concrete) and expressed in

the built form, you might be surprised to know that

Le Corbusier’s philosophy is not spoon fed to the

students. It is wisdom that just hangs heavy in the

air, for whoever is ready to breathe it in. It is omni

present, to be absorbed gradually into all those who

walk through its colourful corridors. The volumes

are fascinating and the perfect dimensions of the

courtyard are appreciated in every gathering held

there. The building stands humbly, waiting to awe

a student in the third year who’s felt an awakening

within. It is there for the first years, who once were

lucky enough to measure the periphery with their

footsteps.

The USP of CCA is amazing because it imbibes the

essence of Le Corbusier’s teachings. He wished

to imbibe the spirit of true modernism which, in the

words of Tagore, ‘is independence of thought.. ’.

The design philosophy at CCA encourages thought

process empowered by knowledge but never caged

by restricting ‘isms’.

The College has gone through various paradigm

shifts, largely because of change in Principals, all of

which have been for the better. The ideologies of

these exemplary educationists have been imbibed

in the program, one at a time. Consequently, the

curriculum is a wholesome amalgamation of various

activities. With a compulsory educational tour every

year and a two week long college fest, ‘Archo’ and

active participation in NASA, all - round development is

ensured for the students. These activities are backed

on you; will notice the impending and ongoing repairs

and maybe hear the consequent conversations

about the legacy of Le Corbusier. But stay in longer

for a closer look and you’ll notice the subtle passion of

the students towards learning and excellence. With

the internet and with intense global impact, studying

architecture has never been more stimulating. It

surely is the best time to be a part of CCA. If the alumni

are sending their children to CCA, it has to be doing

something right!

It is true that at fifty, it is an unsettling time at CCA,

but nicely so. The energy is changing its form and

it will reach you, make no mistake. The initiative of

this magazine is only an indicator. The ever evolving

system is headed to take off in a big way. It might

become the only educational setup to produce

master architects.

by a flexible design philosophy wherein each student

has hundred percent freedom in discovering and

developing his/her own design philosophy. This

initiative by the faculty that encourages design driven

learning is having multifaceted consequences.

The undercurrent at CCA is of change, is of growth,

is of self motivation; the best motivation of all. In each

batch, students are discovering the latent talent within

them. The most noticeable recent trend is the increase

in the number of students who are going abroad for

internships. The number was a mere three in 2006

that jumped to ten in 2007 and is at nine in 2009, all

from a batch of forty students. This is helping CCA

retain and expand its intellectual footprint. It is a joy

to discover the melting pot of global influences that

the College is turning into. The winds of change are

blowing softly in its corridors and studios. The day

is not far when there will be group discussions and

enlightening conversations, where students will share

the rich repertoire of their experience with the whole

college. In addition to the obvious benefits, these

students are becoming an inspiration for their juniors

as well. Students from CCA have bagged internships

with contemporary architects like Thom Mayne, Daniel

Leibskind, Zvi Hecker, Gerrard Melling, Zavier Pios, to

name a few. The persistent success of the well knit

CCA alumni family settled all over India and the world,

cannot be highlighted enough.

Surely, when you are in the campus you will notice the

Corbusier imprint, will experience the spaces grow

Facing Page: The CCA entry foyerBelow: The Courtyard; The backside

ChandigarhThe City of Sun, Space and Verdure

Sangeeta Bagga MehtaSenior Lecturer, CCA

Envisioned as the most charming capital of the world,

the last word in beauty and simplicity, Chandigarh

symbolises India’s independence and faith in the

future. The partition of 1947 saw Lahore, the historic

capital, ceded to Pakistan whereby, there was an

emergent need for a new capital to administer

redefined Punjab as well as regain the lost confidence

of the displaced, refugees. Chandigarh, a harbinger of

change, chosen from among thirteen other existing

towns was proposed to be the new capital and

finalised through an aerial reconnaissance survey. The

near vacuum of indigenous expertise to handle such a

bold experiment in urban planning brought on the

scene two visionaries; Le Corbusier the French

architect as the ‘spiritual director’ of the capital project

and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India’s

first prime minister . Utilising western skills a new

conception was developed which originated from

the exigencies of the project itself, suited to the local

climate, deployed local materials and methods to

realize Chandigarh ‘the City Beautiful’.

Ideally nestled in the foothills of the Shiwaliks, the

lower ranges of the Himalayas, 333m above sea level,

Chandigarh’s chequerboard plan is laid on a gently

sloping site, whose eastern and western boundaries

are marked by seasonal rivulets- the Sukhna Choe

and the Patiali ki Rao. As a socialist utopia too, it had a

mandate to fulfill-- to provide the best of amenities to

all classes of citizens. So the city had many first to its

credit, including being the first Indian city to have a fully

underground waterborne sewage disposal system.

Aptly hailed a city of convenience and comfort,

Chandigarh occupies an area of 70 square kilometers,

whose places of residence, work and recreation are

easily accessible from all parts of the city. Beginning in

1951, Le Corbusier played a significant role in ordering

the present urban form of the city. The city has been

developed in two phases sectors 1-30 in phase one

and 31-47 in phase two. Designed for a population of 1,

50,000 in the first phase and 3, 50,000 in the second

phase, its present population has crossed the one

million mark. Presently phase three comprising sectors

48-57 is being developed. The key elements of the

master plan are the well ordered matrix of the generic

‘neighbourhood unit’—the Sector and the hierarchical

street system of the ‘7Vs’- the Les Sept Voies.

Recognising the dual role of trees as elements

of cityscape and microclimatic amelioration, Le

Corbusier devised a comprehensive plantation

scheme, specifying the shape of trees for each

category of avenues- the Vs, keeping in view their

potential for cutting off the harsh summer sun.

These plantations have lent an imageable character

especially to the sector level market streets the V4s

which display a riot of colour during the blossom time.

A protected green belt, the ‘Periphery’, girdles the

town, which was introduced to set limits to the built-

mass of the city and as a measure against unsolicited

sprawl.

The two principal avenues- V2s are the Madhya Marg

(V2 station) and the Jan Marg (V2 Capitol), at the

crossing of which lies the City Centre --Sector 17. It is

the city’s commercial, cultural and civic hub , providing

an address to branded international chain stores,

hotels , restaurants offering exotic cuisine as well as a

hawkers market offering toys, trinkets, water balloons ,

and the like.. With the demand for entertainment rising,

and an accelerated spending power of the people,

three of the four cinemas in the City Centre are in

the process of being converted into multiplexes and

shopping malls. The other important areas within the

City Centre are the Bank Square, the General Post

Office, the Central State Library, Gallery of Portraits,

Town Hall, District Courts and other office buildings.

Traversing north south along the length of the city,

adjacent to the City Centre is the verdant Leisure

Valley, the single largest parkland of Chandigarh, the

City of Sun, Space and Verdure. Along it are laid out

Below: Principal V2-Madhya Marg; Extensive Landscape along city roads and roundabouts; Sector 17- The heart of the city

open air theaters, sports and leisure activities as

well as theme gardens such the Zakir Rose garden,

Asia’s largest rose garden with more than 4,000 rose

varieties, the Bougainvillea Garden , Moonlit Gardens,

Terraced Garden to name a few. Summer evenings

and Winter afternoons witness the citizens enjoying

nature’s bounty, amidst numerous views of the

azure blue Shiwaliks in the north. The Leisure valley

also contains the “Cultural Complex” lying across

the City Centre comprising The Museum and Art

Gallery, the Government College of Art , the Pavilion

for temporary ‘Itinerant Exhibitions’, and the ‘Miracle

Box’ (cyclorama). The museum is part of a series by

Le Corbusier at Ahmedabad and Tokyo, Japan. It is

based on the theme of the never ending spiral utilizing

the effect of natural sunlight for illumination from its

roof lights, for its various interlocking floors which are

accessed through ramps. The City Museum initially

designed for temporary exhibitions depicts the history

and development of the city. Sculpted gargoyles, white

pebbled pools, a cast iron manhole cover inscribed

with the map of the city and the Corbusian Modulor,

interspersed with native bamboo plantations are the

other interesting elements of this cubic ensemble

in exposed burnt brick and reinforced concrete set

against the free flowing landscape.

A counterpoint to this is Nek Chand’s world

famous Rock Garden. An epitome of an individual’s

perseverance to fashion art out of industrial waste

and throwaway junk items, it grew parallel with the

constructions of Chandigarh, yet unattended by the

public eye. Today, the Nek Chand Foundation USA

works in raising awareness of the Rock Garden and

support for Nek Chand and his work which continues

to boost tourism in the city. The fragility of the

environment, the need for conservation of the earth’s

natural resources, and the importance of balancing

industrial development and sound environmental

practices are the lessons it reveals. The visit to the

Rock garden on the double decker Hop on Hop off

bus, ferrying tourists between the city sights, continues

eastward to the Boat Club and the Sukhna Lake. The

boat club was deliberately designed by Le Corbusier

three metres below the lake promenade so that its

view would not be obscured from the road. Credited

to PL Verma, the Chief Engineer of the Capital Project,

realized by building an earthen dam over the Sukhna

Choe as early as 1958, the lake was dedicated to the

citizens. The lake continues to be the citizens pride

and each summer prior to the Monsoon, “Shramdan”

through city level participation helps prepare the

Sukhna to receive the catchment from the Kansal and

Nepli rivulets .The Sukhna wetland is also a home to

the migratory Siberian seagulls and other fauna.

The lake promenade 2341metres long, presents a

spectacular view of the rising sun to the morning

walker and the sailboats and paddle boats are a

colorful evening sight once again with the mountain

blue backdrop! So important was the lake view to

its designer , that every single detail such the lighting

fixtures, entrance gateway , stone wall along the

promenade was sensitively designed so that it would

not detract the view of the lake. The promenade also

offers a silhouette view of the Capitol edifices in the

setting Sun. The Capitol Parc -la raison d’ etre of the

enterprise representing the think tank of the

administrative capital, occupies the geographical

head, symbolizing the celebration of democracy

in a newly independent nation-state. Comprising

monumental buildings flanked by the ‘Rajendra Park’

and the ‘Sukhna Lake’ on each end, the complex

stretches across the entire width of the city.

The group represents Le Corbusier’s largest and

most significant constructed architectural creation

where the architect put in his heart and soul for over

13 years, painstakingly designing and monitoring the

realization of its ingenious layout, its major ‘edifices’,

its ‘monuments’ as well as pieces of furniture, lighting

fixtures and works of art, including the famed enamel

door for the Legislative Assembly, monumental

tapestries and low-relief sculptures cast in concrete.

The Capitol Complex represents the plastic

inventiveness and sculptural qualities of Le Corbusier’s

works in ‘beton brut’—rough textured exposed

concrete. Le Corbusier’s Capitol for Chandigarh

comprises four ‘Edifices’ – the High Court, the

Legislative Assembly, the Secretariat and the Museum

of Knowledge (not realized)– and six ‘Monuments’,

all arranged within a profusely landscaped park-like

environment. While vehicular circulation was arranged,

and dug out where necessary below the esplanade.

Among the monuments, the Open Hand adopted as

the city’s mascot, stands as the material symbol of

the city’s ideology — …open to receive the created

riches …open to distribute them to its people…”

The 12.50m wide and 8.86m Hand, is sculpted out

of beaten iron sheets. A metal structure, designed

to work as a wind vane, holds it 27.80m above the

“Trench of Consideration” at its base. Another element

worth mentioning are the tapestries or ‘woolen walls’,

which expanded their earlier definition beyond framed

pictures to cover entire walls. Ostensibly created for

their ‘psycho-physiological’ properties to adorn as well

as acoustically treat the courtrooms of the High Court,

depicting different motifs drawn from nature, in vibrant

colours, these tapestries were designed as structured

compositions of several rectangular units whose

standard width was 140cm. (approximately the length

of the indigenous loom). Proposed to be woven locally

each of these nomadic murals was to provide

economic opportunity to village households, since

each unit was awarded to a family in contrast to

benefit to a single industrial house. But later the idea

was discarded and the East India Carpet Company,

Amritsar was assigned to deliver the consignment for

the inauguration of the High Court in March, 1955.

Below: Boat Club at Sukhna Lake; Open Hand - The city’s mascot; The monumental High Court at the Capitol ComplexBelow: Leisure Valley-Nature in the city; The Rock Garden

Envisaged as an organism the other accents of the

city were the Industrial Area in the east (close to the

railway line) and the Panjab University, PGIMER (Post

Graduate Institute of Medical Research), Punjab

Engineering College and other institutions in the west.

The head and heart were symbolised by the Capitol

Complex and The City Centre respectively, the Leisure

Valley was its lung space, while the rest of the matrix

was to be filled in through the residential sectors.

The sector surrounded by fast traffic V3 was

conceived as a self sufficient introvert unit, linked to the

adjoining sectors through its V4 shopping street, along

which are located the daily shops, and utilities. Vertical

green belts with the pedestrian V7s, schools, sports

facilities provided similar links in the opposite direction

and views of the hills in the north.

Often called the horizontal city, Chandigarh derives its

urban form from the low-rise cubic forms in exposed

brick, plastered, painted surfaces using locally

available building materials. This design vocabulary

generated from the exigencies of the prevailing

extreme climate and the constraint of a shoe string

budget, was enriched by elements such as sun

breakers, courtyards, verandahs, brick and terracotta

sunscreens. Another lesser known facet of the

Chandigarh experiment, yet a prime determinant of

the Chandigarh Style of Architecture are the city’s

Aesthetic Legislations prescribing volumes, facades

and materials for the constructions.

The City has turned fifty five plus years now and

continues to be a most favoured destination in the

country for tourists and settlers alike. As a modern

socialist utopia which has fulfilled the aspirations of

its citizens, Chandigarh continues to grow with new

developments such as the Information Technology

Park, Film City, Botanical Garden, a second lake in its

periphery and a mass rapid transport system along

the V2 Jan Marg to regulate peak hour traffic. The City has also been acclaimed internationally. Its inscription

on the UNESCO World Heritage List of Modern Heritage is underway and it is likely to be realized by June 2008.

Embedded in its history, an icon of the Modern Movement in India and abroad, it is second to none and continues

to grow, ever evolving in the process of change. Last but not the least the epicentre of this great experiment

in city planning has been the ‘think big’ attitude of its visionaries which is why the greatest experiment in urban

planning of the twentieth century’s greatest architect has been realised on its verdant plain.

Below: Enamel Door for the stately Assembly;The Assembly Building, by Sumit, First year, CCA

Below (Clockwise): Information Technology Park; Tapestry – Woolen Wall; V4 Shopping Street in a sector

interviews

A dialogue with Ar. Christopher Charles BenningerOn his journey into the Indian architectural scene, Le Corbusier and Bhutan(Ar. Benninger lectured in CCA on Le Corbusier Day)

IndianARCH: In your lecture, you spoke about

the megalomaniac trend of iconic buildings. Do you

attribute this to increased competitiveness to provide

a more attractive idea or to the ambitious needs of

clients?

Christopher Charles Benninger: this has a lot to

do with the clients also. I think it’s not just the architects,

but companies and individuals as well. For example, in

Bombay, some of the houses that people are building

for themselves, which are twenty storeys tall, are a

rather bad architecture, just to show-off. I think there’s

a general ego maniac, particularly in the richer families

because a lot of people have made quick money.

They don’t understand they have money because

they have quick business ideas, not because they are

particularly brilliant Michelangelos and they are unusual

in their energy and ideas. Suddenly you find people

writing books, it’s sort of the Mahatma Gandhis of the

21st Century.

I think there’s a huge egoism in business people who,

overnight, become billionaires and this architecture

in a way, expresses their desires as much as the

architects’. But I just think the architects are really into

the packaging and the imagery and into the glitter of

the facade.

IA: Our politicians often declare their aspirations to

convert our metropolitan cities into the Shanghais,

Dubais and Singapores of the world. Do you think

that Indian cities may soon tread the path of other

Asian economies ignoring urban infrastructure and

celebrating iconic architecture?

CCB: I’m afraid so. You look at Bombay, there are

so many new buildings coming up. I think there are

plans for the tallest building in the world. It’s bound

to do tall buildings. I think, probably in Bombay, there

are thirty tall buildings now, which is going to change

the face of the city. As it is, we don’t have enough

roads to take the automobiles, we don’t have enough

water, we don’t have enough sewage treatment

and now we’re going to cover it with towers, which is

going to generate more and more density and traffic,

when actually, Bombay should be dispersed. I think

you’re right, I think politicians make a lot of money

clearing these buildings. So, there is a nexus between

megalomaniacs, politicians who make money

and architects who are prostitutes, who would do

whatever people pay them to do.

IA: You addressed the idea of placing Corbusier and

his ideals on a pedestal being a mistake. Are you of the

opinion that campaigning for Chandigarh to become a

world heritage site is a folly?

Born in America in 1942, Christopher Charles Benninger has lived and worked in India for the past thirty-three years. He studied City Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Architecture at Harvard University, where he was later a Professor of Architecture. A Fulbright Fellowship brought him to Ahmedabad, India in 1968, and he returned as a Ford Foundation Advisor to found the School of Urban Planning there in 1971. He founded the Centre for Development Studies in Pune, India (1976) involving him in rural development and poverty alleviation work. He has prepared plans for the Governments of Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India. He has designed institutions, residential schools, business and luxury hotels, corporate headquarters and large scale housing projects.

CCB: I don’t think Chandigarh should be a heritage

site at all. A city is a machine for living—that’s Le

Corbusier, and machines don’t become heritage

sites. They’re supposed to keep on living and keep on

changing. It’s almost an insult to Corbusier to say that

his city would become a heritage site. You might make

his buildings or the Capitol Complex a heritage site, but

not the city.

IA: How challenging and daunting did you initially find

the task when the Government of Bhutan came to

you with the project of the National Ceremonial Piazza

in Thimphu? Did you do a background workshop on

the architecture? Did you conduct workshops with

the Bhutanese worksmen?

CCB: On a daunting scale of 0 – 100. I would say it

was 99 % daunting. I was actually wrapping up my

office after I had done the structural plan and I was

going to say goodbye to the Director General of the

PWD and he said – “You can’t leave, you have to sign

a contract because, don’t you know that the cabinet

passed a resolution that you have to design our new

secretariat, which is a very large project.” I said I don’t

know anything about this, my contract is over and my

guys want to go back to India. He said— “No, you have

to do this.”

So that was a big shock to me. I didn’t even know

there was a structural project, though in my master

plan I had a precinct for the site to become the future

Capitol Complex. And then we started working on it.

We actually spent months meeting people and having

conversations, particularly with the manpower

planning with civil service commission about what

were the future projections of the people who would

use it. Then yes, we had some public consultations.

We even put things in the press. Unfortunately that

was a mistake.

When you’re doing a project like a Capitol Complex,

even when le Corbusier was doing this project, i.e. the

headquarters in New York, there was a huge amount

of backbiting and harassment in the progress, so that

wasn’t really terribly successful.

But we interacted with a huge number of people and

I must say that there were three other architects who

had done plans for the Capitol Complex and they were

all rejected for various architectural reasons and mainly

His Majesty and I saw these plans and I agree that they

were like monk’s quarters.

I actually went up to Bhutan in my mid-thirties and that

was some thirty years ago by a jeep on gravel roads

because there were no airlines, no telephones, no

electricity, I mean we had small generators around the

whole town and I worked with them on some projects

at that time, so I’ve been involved with the context for

let’s say at least three decades. So it’s not like I’m not

fluent in Bhutanese architecture.

It’s a place that I, for example the prime minister, we

had him on screen at noon, he and I worked together

in 1970s so I know these people through my contact

and that’s much different from Zaha Hadid coming into

Facing & Below: Tshechu Ground, Thimpu, Bhutan

the tender and putting up buildings in the middle of

the city. So I’ve actually worked contractually with

them. A lot of things have nothing to do with buildings.

I’m also a planner so I worked on micro-level plans

or clusters of settlements and how you do micro

water shed planning, some small irrigation canals

and tanks to get inputs into agriculture inside. So I’ve

been involved with them on a range of issues related

to nutrition, healthcare, agriculture, food policy and all

kinds of things like that in the 70s and 80s. Only, out of

the blue, they say – Why don’t you come and make a

presentation? We have three contenders to do the

structural plan of the city. So I said – Why not, it sounds

like fun. So I went up and made a proposal and then I

was fortunate enough to get that plan. And they liked

it a lot, they liked the way I did the plan because it was

very efficient.

And then they asked me to do this. You see, I’ve done

actually three town plans for existing towns in Bhutan,

the Capitol complex being a new town, it’s so small

I’d really call it almost a village plan. It’s only about 120

acres or something, but in Bhutan that’s big because

settlements are very small. So it’s not at all that I came

into a strange place and started working.

IA: Are you involved in transportation planning also?

CCB: You have to be, if you’re designing a city. But

then, you don’t have to do all this computer modeling.

You know, like in Thimphu, if you look at the aerial view,

I had planes fly over the city and take photographs

so that we could do a ground coverage check of

the existing land use in buildings. And if you look at

the streams and the topography, you can pretty well

imagine that the city’s going to work and need some

sort of an urban core, a corridor that runs through the

city on which you can have mass transepts, so why

not save land? A kind of a 200 foot wide sort of a thing

goes through the middle of city and preserves the

land now. Then, within a year, we started building an

expressway on that.

Previously, to get into this area, you had to come along

the tops of mountains because streams came down

those routes, you’d go up, then back down, where the

streams came in, then back around the edge and

then back where the next stream came and it took

forever to get into this city, and then there were a lot

of accidents on these roads because people couldn’t

see around the corners or at night, they just went off

the edge. So we put a kind of a 6 lane expressway

right down the middle of the valley and it made every

thing so easy for people, particularly buses. And

they didn’t have any buses. We introduced that,

small buses into the city. All these kind of things really

changed the way people moved in the city.

There are people who do Ph.D.’s in transportation

planning. You can do transportation planning. Just

like you know we should really have a workshop and

just take plans of Chandigarh. May be get some data

like what are the densities, what are the land uses for

of them, like which one of these long roads can be

turned into an urban porter? Do we want subsidiary

porters or do we just want one? There could be 4

groups working and they can come with 4 different

answers to this whole thing.

IA: You came initially to Ahmedabad to teach, but

what made you stay back?

CCB: Why did I stay back? To me India always was a

frontier. See, first I came on a Fullbright Scholarship and

while I was just a student, I was asked to teach urban

planning. From someone I got to know about a very

dynamic politician who wanted to do housing for the

poor. So I went in and did some sketches, we needed

growing houses and we needed narrow blocks

because we wanted the networks to be cheaper and

the plots were narrow. We got involved but nothing

happened and I went back and taught at Harvard for

3 years. I had instantly made a new proposal to start

a school of urban planning, while I was a 24 year old

student. Then I got a letter saying the school is going

to start. Now, in America the option of founding an

institute at such a young age (I was 28 then) was not

possible so it was frontier. Here you could do things

which you can never do there. So I came back and

started that school. And a month after I started the

school, this politician that I had met 4 years earlier,

became the minister of Housing and he called and

Facing Page: Tshechu Ground site photographs, Thimpu, Bhutan

said – I would like you to do 2000 houses in Jamnagar

as well. I actually built 600 houses, not 2000, but again,

I was just 28 and I was given a commission to do low

cost township for people. And it just kept on growing

on like that till now. Every time I turn around, somebody’s

asking me to do something interesting. I came here

and gave a lecture 4 years ago and the Government

of Haryana asked me to design this Cultural Centre in

Delhi. So, I came to give a lecture and then it turned into

a project. I came here to do this Le Corbusier Day Panel

discussion and this morning somebody asked –why

don’t you design an international school in Chandigarh.

So, it’s like a roller coaster. I’ve never had to look for a

project; people keep on coming and asking us to do

very interesting work.

I also found another institution in Pune called centre

for development studies which does development

research, like watershed-planning and work in slums

and villages and what not. So, it’s just terribly exciting.

Whenever I go back to America, everybody is sleeping

out of work and they’re grumbling about the society

and I say- why don’t you get off your asses and change

things yourself? Why are you waiting for somebody

to give you a job? Why don’t you plan for something in

America since you don’t have any work? Why don’t you

use the time and do something interesting?

IA: What have you learnt from architecture in India?

CCB: I think one of the things I’ve learnt is that

architecture has to be very contextual. In fact I think

in each region in India, students should be looking for

a sort of contextual language in architecture. I’m not

saying a style or imagery like these digitals, but like,

probably in Punjab, Haryana and UP, up here, right out

of history, you can find some very contextual ways of

handling ventilation, entrances, windows, walls and

spaces and start developing some sort of a regional

architecture, which can be very contemporary. It should

not be ethnic architecture, but I think I’ve learned that

architecture, like you see the Bhutan work; I’ve used all

local craftsmen, local motifs. I haven’t even bothered

to try to design new columns. I’ve said –okay, they

know how to make these columns. So, I’ll just put it

together like a logo, say. But they’ve never made a big

space like that. You see they’ve never, in return, made

a space which is, given its not a stadium, its not an

amphitheatre but it’s a dance and singing plaza where

twenty thousand people can participate interface with

His Majesty and the Dalai Lama and all these people. So,

it’s a very modern and new space but built out of a local

set of Bhutanese architecture. So, I think that’s really fun.

And it’s a very contextual building. Everybody can say

its traditional Bhutanese architecture, but there’s never

been a space like that in the whole Himalayas for the

last thousands of years, so its fun.

Interviewing Team: Jaskaran Chauhan, Saurabh Vashist,

Apoorv Kaushik

Below: Tshechu Ground in the eveningFacing: St. Peters Dome by Dhruv Bahl, Fourth Year, CCA

Rendezvous with Massimiliano FuksasAn interaction on art, architecture and education with Massimiliano Fuksas while on his short trip to India

Apoorv Kaushik: What is the importance of good

teachers in architecture? Can architecture be learnt

only through education?

Massimiliano Fuksas: Referring to my personal

experience in Italy, an Architecture High School does

not exist, there is only the University. A law dating

back to the fascist period established the creation

of a faculty of architecture, somewhere between

Engineering and Fine Arts. The sum of the two

disciplines resulted in a course that was ferociously

difficult. There were 39 exams. 19 of these had to be

passed in the first two years, otherwise the student

was not admitted to the third year. To keep my

mother happy, I took all the exams which was crazy.

Despite all this I knew nothing which shows that one

can do anything without knowing anything. There

are hundreds of useless exams. I finished them all,

before the scheduled time too, so I spent 6 months

in Denmark. I visited Jorn Utzon’s studio where I went

back to work the following summer and, at the same

time, I began to look very carefully at contemporary

buildings. On the whole, I didn’t think they were that

bad. When I came back, I wasn’t so in love with

architecture anymore, but I began to do some work

on the subject. I read books, copied plans and cross

sections. I was simply trying to understand. The only

subject I was really interested in was the History of

Architecture. Contemporary art, on the other hand,

was my life, my real love. I have always refused to

revere any master, but there have been some people

in my life that I am thankful to and to whom I could

dedicate many of my projects. The first is Jurgis

Baltrusatis, an art historian, known mainly for his

studies on anamorphosis and the fantasy world of the

Middle Ages. He was Lithuanian as well and, when I

lived in Paris, we used to meet frequently. I really liked

seeing him as he reminded me of my roots and I could

speak to him using the few words of Lithuanian that I

still remember.

The other person I would like to remember is

Giorgio Caproni, one of the most important Italian

contemporary poets and one of the greatest

translators of Celine. His works have been translated

all over the world. He was my primary school teacher

and I often used to go to his house in the afternoon

when school had finished. We have always been

very close. He played the violin and adored electric

trains that we often assembled together. We built

landscapes, while I read him my poems, which were

clearly those of a ten-year-old child. I was mad about

poetry and his world. Another person I owe a lot to is

Giorgio Castelfranco who I have known since I was a

child. I met many artists through Castelfranco including

Giorgio de Chirico who I worked with for a while, in

his studio in Piazza di Spagna. At the time I did not feel

alive if I didn’t paint every day. Anyway, I am sure that all

my projects show that my reference points certainly

do not come from architecture. My interests as well

as my training have always been closer to art. I love

Burri, Fontana, Fluxus, Gordon Matta Clark, Beuys,

ArtePovera and Land Art, the world of violence and

poetry, the world of Krzysztof Wodiczko and Pierpaolo

Pasolini. In other words, I am interested in becoming

part of a process that is different from the architecture

in which we live every day.

AK: You have often emphasized on the importance of

youth in architecture…comment.

MF: If I should give a tip to young people naturally they

must use all the means possible without exception.

The real ability is to find the key of the problem without

fall in love of own work, that is of own painting, model

or virtual images for example. Forgetting itself every

moment and finding itself is being able to evolve!

Massimiliano Fuksas was born in Rome in 1944, where he graduated in Architecture at “La Sapienza” University in 1969. In 1967 he created his own studio in Rome, followed by studios in Paris, Vienna, Frankfurt in and Shenzhen, China. From 1998 to 2000 he was Director of the VII Biennial of Architecture in Venice “Less Aesthetics, More Ethics”. Since 2000 is the author of the architectural column founded by Bruno Zevi in the weekly magazine “L’Espresso”. He was Visiting Professor at several universities, such as the École Speciale d’Architecture in Paris, the Akademie der Bildenden Kunste in Vienna, the Staadtliche Akademia des Bildenden Kunste in Stoccarda, and the Columbia University in New York.

Below: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul;Church of San Paolo, Foligno

AK: What are your views on spirituality and its relation

with architecture

MF: Architecture is strictly correlated to spirituality

because it is concerned with feeling and giving

emotions. For example in one of my last project the

church of San Paolo in Foligno, spirituality has to do

with the light. Light has always been a synonym for

spirituality and it has always been like this as we see in

the art of the past. Great architectural masterpieces

have to do with spirituality in the larger sense of the

term. In my opinion the architecture I admire most are

Santa Sofia in Costantinopoli and The Sidney Opera

House by Jorn Utzon.

AK: Art, Architecture, and Poetry: is there a greater

art?

MF: All the arts have equal dignity and I firmly believe

that architecture is a contaminated art with cinema

or sculpture. We see again for example architecture

evolving in sculpture and vice versa, as it was

centuries ago with great architects as Bernini.

AK: Where do you think is architecture headed now?

What does the future look like to you?

MF: Now that we assisted in the fall of the dreams

of modern architecture which firmly believed that

architecture could change the society, there’s a big

chaos, the sublime chaos, as I referred to it more than

once but this doesn’t mean we are not looking ahead.

We always look ahead as architects.

AK: How do you think architecture is related to the

society?

MF: There isn’t architecture without care for Ethics

and for intense engagement in society, the creation

can improve general conditions, and along with

environment can be the future ‘fuel’ of the history.

In my job I hope to produce more ideas for more

people as possible. Because I believe architecture is

a democratic art and it should find again her popular

dimension and involve more people in the life of

buildings and cities.

AK: What are you views on digital architecture?

MF: The virtual technology is very useful. Virtual reality

affects realization of my projects and it allows to have

more control on the project and to imagine it better

before it is finished and takes a definitive shape. About

digital architecture I don’t have a definitive opinion. It

depends on the project.

AK: What do you think of Fractals? (You once said you

are against nature, and fractals is (in a way) learning

from nature)

MF: The theory of quanta and fractals clarify better

than anything else the strict relationship between the

nature and the mathematics /geometrical models.

Over a Cup of Coffee with Prof. Javier PiozAn interaction with Prof. Pioz in New Delhi of CERVERA & PIOZ ,discussing projects and varied interests from ‘Bionics’ to fractalsand the new era dawning on architecture

Prof. Javier G. Pioz holds a PhD in Architecture from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid, and a Master of Science in Building Design from Columbia University, New York. He has been Professor of Architecture at the Polytechnic University in Madrid since 1987, and lectures at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura.

Prof. María Rosa Cervera holds a PhD in Architecture from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid and holds a degree by the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid. She has been Professor of Architectural Composition at the School of Architecture of Alcalá University since 2001. She was elected Dean of the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura of Alcalá University in 2004.

CERVERA & PIOZ was founded by Javier Pioz and Rosa Cervera in 1979, the Firm has, since then, devoted itself to the creation of unique and emblematic buildings

IndianARCH: The field of bionic architecture has

turned out to be a fast emerging branch, yet there is a

need to educate people regarding the opportunities

and possibilities in this field, so how would you like to

describe this upcoming branch?

Javier Pioz: We are living in a world of 6.5 billion

people right now and growing very fast (it is very

serious). Thinking architecturally, to pass from 6.5

billion people to 12billion people would require to build

at least 4 times more, 4 times more skyscrapers, 4

times more single housing, 4 times more highways,

which means to spend at least 8 times more energy.

However, in the next 50 years the world should be

prepared to spend and use 8 times more energy than

today’s consumption and if we are scared for the

energy today, then imagine the situation in 2050!

As you can see during the last few years there is a

reason behind these new emerging ways like green

architecture and sustainable architecture. Sustainable

or green mainly means saving energy, and lately

you’ve seen that flourish. Now, Bionic was born before

the green concept, in 1960, but bionic was like a multi-

disciplinary, scientific procession to change different

aspects of natural science. Bionic is a philosophy, it’s

a new way of thinking and also a new look at nature.

If we are thinking that we need more efficiency or

more sustainable architecture, Nature is a best book,

because everything in nature is sustainable. From

the very beginning, the structures, the shapes in

nature are sustainable. When we had started working

on bionics in 1994 in Colombia University, our main

question was- ‘why every given building is built with

columns and beams? And why nature never builds

with columns and beams?’. If columns and beams

would be sustainable, then nature would also use it.

So, Bionic architecture is learning from the way in

which natural homes are built in order to get the

knowledge to build a human home.

Taking the example of grapes in nature, each grape is

like a module, and in nature this is the way shapes are

formed: many modules working together. Now there’s

a difference between Bionics and Bioneumatics.

Bioneumatics is getting inspired from nature and

copying it, copying the module; Bionic questions why

nature is using a module. The answer is because it

turns out to be the most efficient tool to make shapes!

(Discussing Santa Isabel Health Care Centre, Zaragosa, Spain)To build a hospital is very expensive, and so is its

yearly maintenance. The problem here was to create

a hospital which is cheaper to maintain annually. The

bills of the hospital for the air-conditioning and heating

were very high so we decided to make a structure

in which air can move fluently. In nature this kind of

structure (image) is very well known with its capacity to

move the air smoothly inside, this inspired us to create

a structure for the hospital.

(Discussing Xi-Xi Wetland Museum, Hangzhou, China)

The challenge was to create a museum completely

self sustainable which required no energy from

outside, rather creating its own energy. Upon

researching, we found the water lily leaf. (Water lily leaf

has an enormous capacity to catch sunlight and to

convert it into energy) We used this capacity to catch

sunlight and to convert it into energy, creating a full-on

machine for converting energy. We believed that 100%

sustainable is not possible. But maybe we can reduce

about 70% of the load and at the same time

we can create a much more comfortable space inside

polygonaly. This is what bionic means, learning from

nature, but you need a research first. I’m practising

such knowledge accordingly.

IA: How exactly do you think that fractals contribute to

sustainability?

JP: Well yes! What is a fractal? This is a real fractal

(image). Fractal is like a chain of modules. Fractal is a

law. It is the most deceived law. This is mathematics,

you can create these with algorithms. But it it is in

nature, not by calculations but by logic. The term

‘Fractal’ was coined by Benoît Mandelbrot dating back

to the 19th century. Mathematics is very closely related

to fractals as it is the repetitive nature which derives

these algorithms and makes its place in development

of form with the use of fractals. Most mathematic and

geometricians at that time were concerned about

how to put a curve in a square. How to complete a

square with a curve? Which seems impossible! Many

mathematicians have tried to make an algorithm with

repetition able to re formulate the structure, and are still

working while success comes closer.

Fractal is like the most copious tool to understand

nature. You not only use fractals to know how nature

performs, but you also use fractals for other purposes.

But in fact we can say that nature builds its forms

using fractals. Understanding that fractal is a human

expression not a natural expression, nature does not

know anything about fractals. Nature is logic.

(Discussing Numancia Hospital, Madrid)

In this hospital, each louver is in a different direction

and is of a different size. This is larger, this is smaller.

(refer drawing) Depending upon summers or winters,

the sun changes its position. In winters the sunlight

goes inside. In the summers it cannot. It moves along

the way in which each one is placed, we can say its a

fractal, it is the logic of a fractal. If you can analyse how

the sun moves in on this particular space then you can

create the fractal, the law for this purpose, the purpose

of keeping the sunlight inside in winters and outside in

summers.

Below: Numancia Hospital, Madrid; Santa Isabel Health Care Centre, Zaragosa, Spain

consequent impact on the environment. By contrast,

the Vertical City Bionic Tower can accommodate

100,000 inhabitants using an area only 1km in

diameter, allowing the unoccupied land to be returned

to nature. (See image)

Most people say that one cannot live in this kind of a

space. Yes, maybe they’re right. It is much better to

be in a single house, facing the sea with a garden and

lawn, much better option. But 12 billion people cannot

do that!

IA: But a lot of people feel sky-scrapers destroy

nature…

JP: Now the question is ‘which option do you

believe destroys nature more?’ I believe the other

(conventional planning) option is a lot more harmful

to nature. People feel that a sky scraper will destroy

nature. But once you know what Bionic tower means,

you’ll realise it is not destroying it, it is preserving it.

IA: I agree with you. Rounding up, what advice would

you give to students who want to pursue Bionics in

architecture?

JP: My advice is ‘open mind’. Keep an open mind,

when you finish your studies, you are quite open

minded but eventually, on the professional scene you

start closing your mind, 2-3 yrs into work, your mind is

completely shut.

The challenge for young starters is to keep an open

mind, always. Secondly be curious. Do question. Why

the tree this shape? Why the scio? Why the sound...

WHY?

Interviewing Team: Apoorv Kaushik, Tawish Tayal

IA: You have a couple of projects going on in India.

Do you find it challenging (interesting) to work in India?

Keeping in mind the ideologies you have of bionics.

JP: For me it is a challenge you know, when I talk

about Bionics, people pop their eyes out and are like

“WHAT?”!! I believe in India very few people take care

of bionics, but a lot of people take care of nature.

Bionics is a like a net where you can put in the ideas of

respective nature. It is quite easy to explain to Indian

people how to use Bionics, however, it is a challenge

because when you don’t know something, you feel

scared about it sometimes. It is a challenge but it is

also easy because in India (and also in China) what

happened is, it is developing very fast. And it’s very

important when you create any architecture you

need an industry. With time industry will progress

and become open to all kinds of technologies, but

at the moment we are introducing the ideas, maybe

some years later we will have the proper industry.

Unfortunately we have to change a bit in accordance

to the technology in India, but we can change. We

have the future open because nobody takes care of

Bionics here. The same happened in China about 10

yrs ago. So we still have a way to go.

IA: It took a long time for Bionics to come to the

forefront. Do you think that now it’s time to move into a

new era of architecture?

JP: It is compulsory, we have a lot of people living

in the planet and we are bound to fall short of

space. Bionic Tower, the centre of Shanghai, is an

appropriate example of the present day requirements.

And its advantage is evident. (Drawing) There are

9000 skyscrapers in Shanghai, 100km wide, 9000

skyscrapers! Now Shanghai is a very rich city, maybe

you can build another 1000 skyscrapers. But there are

15 million people living there, and are moving towards

25 million. What it needs is a city in vertical, instead of

skyscrapers.

Now, under conventional models of ‘horizontal’ and

‘low-density’ town planning, 100,000 inhabitants will

occupy a space nearly 4km in diameter, with the

Facing Page: Xi-Xi Wetland Hotel Villa & Museum, Hangzhou, China; Intercontinental Twin Towers, Kolkata, India

Below: Bionic Tower

Walking down the street with Stefano BoeriOn architecture studies, Italy and India(Ar. Boeri was in CCA on Le Corbusier Day)

Apoorv Kaushik: As a student, did you have any

initiation towards architecture or did you develop

it later? How did you start building your style as a

student?

Stefano Boeri: Well I have a mother, who’s still

working as an architect. So, I remember very well

that I did my best to screw architecture. But I finally

understood that it was stupid. So I decided to lecture.

At that time in Italy and Europe, in the beginning of the

80’s, politics was very important. So, 80% of my time

went into politics, more than studying. And I really

started to understand architecture when I started

to do some small jobs myself. So, I think, it doesn’t

matter if you start with designing an apartment or a

small house or a public space. The point is that at a

certain point, you understand that your profession

has some resources, some values that are absolutely

exceptional. To be more precise, what I think is

exceptional in our profession is that we always have

to deal with two spheres- one is, we need to be open,

and at the same time, be closed because we have to

decipher what is happening around us. And for this

reason, we have to gather material, suggestions, ideas

and opinions.

Someone may ask you to produce a design for

a garden on a particular place. The first thing you

have to do is to think clearly of the possibilities of the

future of that space. So, this way, all work can be

done interestingly, and questions like: what could be

located here and how; which kind of material can be

used; what kind of environment, can be answered.

And that’s why, the other part of our profession is that

you have to be exclusive. This is because at the end

of your work you have to define one, unique, single,

individual configuration. You cannot go & say – “Well

I’m going to propose six versions”. While you can do

like this in initial design steps, in the end you have to

propose one.

And so, from one side you have to include, to be open,

to be generous, and from the other side you have to

exclude, to select, select, select until the end. On one

side you are a part of a larger group of people, you

are always teaming as a collective sphere, and on the

other side, you are totally in solitude.

AK: We have these two spheres in other professions

also. How do we combine them?

SB: These two spheres are not practiced as strongly

in other professions as we practice in architecture.

The idea is that you don’t need to establish a logical

convention between these two spheres or to be

precise. I think that these two spheres have to work

together from the beginning, without a too rigid

structure or connection. So it’s really more a sort

of a process of changes, random changes. Then,

sometimes, you have to do some unpredictable

synopsis at the time you are designing something and

then, as it happens, while you’re observing something,

you could, immediately, imagine that that space could

become another thing because you see another

possibility in that space.

So that’s architecture and that’s so extraordinary.

It’s something that really is amazing. But my opinion

is that in any case you should try to keep these two

dimensions separate as much as you can. I think the

best architects are schizophrenic. They have to be a

little crazy. They are schizophrenic because there is

a conflict between generosity and solitude, between

openness and exclusion and this conflict is pretty

strong. They should be capable of accepting this

conflict, as it is something that is a part of us and let

oneself generate through the facts in our life and our

profession.

STEFANO BOERI was born in 1956, studied architecture in Milan and in 1989 received his PhD from the IUAV, in Venice. He is a Milan-based architect and founder of the research agency Multiplicity participating regularly in architecture, urbanism and art projects. His professional studio, Boeri Studio is involved in several architectural projects and urban transformations. Since September 2007, Stefano Boeri is the editor in chief of the international magazine Abitare and from 2004 to 2007 he was editor in chief of Domus magazine. He teaches urban design at the Milan Polytechnic and is a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, Cambridge.

The profession is something that you do not neces-

sarily learn here, in the college. The college is useful,

it’s very important, it gives you a lot of good material,

but it’s important to understand and to learn there is

a very specific approach to use inclusion and exclu-

sion together. And this is something that you learn

only when you start working, when you start to design

something- a chair, square, a building or a loft.

AK: There has been an enormous support in some

European countries for architecture. In UK, Tony Blair

and Gordon Brown have championed the Olympic

park design and Nicholas Sarkozy & Jacques Chirac

have supported a lot of projects. Similarly in Spain too.

To what extent have projects been supported in your

country, in Italy?

SB: Well, in Italy, the situation is quite different. To be

honest, only a few times the government has sup-

ported architecture. An exception was the Venice

biennale architecture, what happens in Milan triennale,

when we don’t have to publicize or show we’re follow-

ing the evolution of contemporary architecture in Italy.

Besides, we should say that there are no laws, which

for instance, require the developers and the real estate

companies to compete when we have to decide

something regarding architecture. The one law we

have is about public construction and that’s all.

AK: Do you think that the architects of Europe and

America are not sensitive in the context of the sites

they chose and in projects they take up in Asia and the

rest of the developing world?

SB: No, I think there are architects who have been

considerate towards the kind of project proposed in

relevance to a given site in contrary to some other

architects. We should be careful because I do strongly

believe in designing not only to the human require-

ment but also considering the capacity of the place.

If we refer to Mario Botta, Mario Botta is someone

who is capable of repeating his personal obsession

everywhere. And for me he has nothing to do contex-

tually. There are architects who maybe are considered

enemies of conservation and of concepts, like

Nicholas, which are indeed probably more sensitive

designers because they are interested to deviate and

variate the language in relation with any specific place.

So, Nicholas is, in any place, doing something different

and, in my personal view, it is a very interesting way to

deal with the context. The architects, whom I consider

extremely sensitive to the context, are those who are

more or less repeating the same kind of language,

the same kind of style which is totally self-referential in

every place.

AK: You have often mentioned the importance of

urban spaces in city planning. How do u think can this

ideology be accommodated in the planning of Indian

cities, where space is a scarcity.

SB: I think there are some crucial steps we need to

take together, not only in India, but also in China and

Europe. The first step is to stop the expansion of the

city. So, first we need to understand the different ways

of the evolution or the development of the city which

are not necessarily related to extra physical growth

and physical expansion of the city.

Second part is that we have to create new, more

and more public places, in terms of what they call the

Public Sphere. Public sphere is simply part of intense

life where the social behaviors are not predictable and

not planned. Like in Indian cities, nearby the temples,

and the European piazzas.

AK: Italy has a lot of rich heritage and history across

its cities. So, while handling your projects, how do you

relate to that? Do you conserve…

SB: Well, heritage is also a constraint. It’s something

which obliged or supposed to have a special relation

with the history. From a certain perspective it is also a

chain. Sometimes there’s excess of cultural restraints

which have not allowed the architecture to be more

creative, to develop new idea, because to do the new,

sometimes you have to tackle the past. Except this, I

totally think that the history of heritage is a testimony

for the entire humanity. So we should be careful and

not destroy it.

AK: You just said that you need to relate to the past…

SB: When we have a heritage which is everywhere, in

every small city, in every village, like, you have a histori-

cal church, or a square, or a design of some powerful,

exceptional past, it’s very important to understand

what to do because, as I told you before, the best

way to respect the past is not to avoid the new. It is to

become capable of adding the new as a contribution

to the old, not as a continuation. So, sometimes the

new is the best way to balance the past. The history of

architecture in the fifties of last century with the archi-

tect like Rogers and Moretti, were capable to add new

architecture in historical context. Not destroying the

past, not simply lemmatizing the new into the past. So,

accepting that there is a challenge of a new presence

with just a dialogue. This dialogue could be interpreted

in many ways. Some times you know that to have a

dialogue with the past, it is better if you are completely

different from the past. At other times, it is important to

establish a certain connection. So it depends upon a

specific context. That is a why it is a complex language.

There are no set rules.

In any place you have to understand which kind of

relation you have to establish with what is present and

what is past.

AK: If we get specific to a country like India, then on

your way you have seen the so-called post- modern

buildings, the glass ones coming up in cities around

Delhi….

SB: That’s horrible. I think that is really a sign of

mediocre globalization which is killing, in this context,

the modern architecture. That’s the reason I’m

so fascinated by seeing your heritage, here, in

Chandigarh. Modernity in India, modernity in Iran,

modernity in Egypt, is very important, because it

is a global combination of something that is born

in Europe, then went on to the United States and,

ultimately, came here, together with something that

was born in Japan. So architecture is an amazing tool

to establish company nations. But this kind of global

post- modern, international combination is simply a

repetition of two or three mediocre ideas.

AK: Would you like to say something to the students

of architecture here?

SB: I think that to run a school or to be a student in

such a school in such a city is really complicated and

difficult. Because you are surrounded by the history of

architecture, the myth. And at the same time you are

surrounded by the day-by-day erosion. So you have

a heritage here, but at the same time you have to take

distance from it. And sometimes the best way to take

distance is not to cancel the principle, but to transform.

Below: Ex Arsenal at Maddalena Conversion, Stefano BoeriFacing: by Sanyam Bagha, Third Year, CCA

works

India Forum TowerINDIA’S NEW PEAK

Studio AMA, Spain; Ar. Rajendra Kumar, India

Skyscrapers are rapidly transforming cityscapes as

developers with lofty ambitions put up a growing

number of high-rises to give shape the nation’s identity.

Today, skyscrapers are an increasingly common sight,

where land is scarce, as in the centers of big cities,

because they provide such a high ratio of rentable

floor space per unit area of land. But they are built not

just for economy of space.

Like temples and palaces of the past, skyscrapers

are considered symbols of a city’s economic power.

Not only do they define the skyline, they help to define

the city’s identity. Many skyscrapers were catalysts

for giving nations a world identity and witnessed rapid

growth of real estate prices and other commercial

aspects.

In today’s context skyscrapers are considered to

give one of the fastest investment returns in real

estate sectors. Group of investors from North Spain

are planning to have a landmark skyscraper in each

of the continents. In this series Europe’s skyscraper

is Poznan Forum Tower in Poland which has been

designed by Spanish architect Jesus Marco Llombart

from Studio AMA in Zaragossa. The Poznan Tower will

be 240m tall, 285m including the spire and will have 55

stories. It is scheduled for completion in June 2012.

The India Forum Tower project is next in the same

series. The project is designed by Studio AMA, Spain

in collaboration with Ar. Rajendra Kumar of India. This

building is designed to become a national symbol,

and its design, shape and form shall express the spirit,

character and nature of India.

The state-of-the-art technology used in its conception

and in its construction shall also show the advanced

political and economical mentality of Indians. In other

words, it will try to create a new icon for modern India.

An emblematic building - 400m high with 155,600m2

of built-up area. The building will have an international

standard commercial centre, hi-tech offices, hotels,

high-end luxury residential apartments, and a private

club to accommodate more than 20,000 people.

India Forum Tower is a true reflection of our nation’s

identity with a planning concept of designing a facade

and creating spaces to which we, as individuals can

relate to. The biggest challenge for the architects

was to inculcate India in their design and portray its

perception internationally.

Since, India Forum Tower is not a conventional

skyscraper, it cannot be enforced at any other site.

It is designed specifically for India. “User says, it is my

unique building and building says, India is my unique

place to be in.” Architects believe that we look at

buildings and buildings look at us.

The cultural centre and the museum are one of the

main parts of the building which will draw visitors to the

building who are not occupants. It will be one of the

first of its kind of experiment in India. The sky deck will

be the main attraction for the people.

According to the architects, this building is going to

mark another milestone for development in India.

It will be a new landmark, not to be missed by any

international or national visitor and also the place

where all international commercial ventures, would

want to have a place.

India Forum Tower will stimulate a revolution not only in

the field of architecture and real estate but also act as

a ladder for India in its development.

Studio AMA: Ar. Jesus Marco llombart graduated from Slocum Hall School of Architecture, New York, did his M.S. in Architecture & Urban Design from Columbia University, New York. He is practicing from Zaragosa, Spain and is currently handing various scale projects in Europe and Africa. His profile includes a large number of hotels, cultural centers, schools etc. and a long list of awards.

Ar. Rajendra Kumar is gradutade from Chandigarh College of Architecture and did M.S.Arch from Politecnico Di Milano, Italy on Italian Government fellowship. He has worked in Spain, China and Italy and is doing projects of various scales in India. Apart form architectural qualifications; he is also a trained pilot.

Nullah ProposalMorphogenesis, New DelhiMorphogenesis is a design practice founded in 1996engaging in architecture, urbanism and environmental design

The ProposalTo use Delhi’s neglected Nullah network to

fundamentally transform the city. Delhi has 18 main

nullahs with over 15,000 branches, which were

constructed 7 centuries ago by the Tughlaq dynasty.

The nullah network is 350km long, contiguous and

criss-crosses the national capital. Currently, the nullahs

are just unhygienic drains that are seen as a problem

by the citizens of Delhi - they smell, breed mosquitoes,

pollute the Yamuna and so on. However, a relatively

small investment can turn the nullahs into a valuable

asset for the common citizen. The necessary changes

are:

Alternative Transport Network

Create walking/cycling paths on these nullahs to

provide commuters with last mile connectivity to public

transport (buses and metro). This will significantly

improve the effectiveness of the existing public

transport. Furthermore, people will be able to walk/

cycle for short distances (and it will be an enjoyable

experience). Since the nullah network is 350km long -

this would be a very important contribution to the lives

of the common citizens.

Alternative environmental Network

Use a system of micro STP’s, organic reedbeds and

aerators to clean the sewage entering the nullahs

at source. This is a well established system and it is

both environment-friendly and cost effective. This will

dramatically improve public health in the city as well as

help replenish aquifers. This will also reduce the need

to spend large sums on building large sewage plants

and interceptor canals.

Alternative Cultural Network

The new network could be used to trigger a number

of new urban activities ranging from tourism to sports.

For instance, some of the nullahs are 700 years old

and were built to provide water to Delhi’s old cities.

Thus, many of the city’s famous archaeological sites

are situated on the nullah network. Most major cultural

venues in the city can be interconnected through this network, including Commonwealth Games venues, historical monuments, museums, theatres, stadiums, etc. to create a new walking network to drive next

Overall Map - Nullah Proposal

generation tourism.

The initiative aims to reuse the neglected water drainage system of Delhi; the ‘nullahs’ to progressively bring

about sustainable change within the city. These nullahs can be transformed to enhance the social, cultural and

transport (pedestrian and cycling) networks of the city as well as restoring the River Yamuna. This can be done

by using the existing waste and underutilized land to recycle and re-create. Water and green being natural

attractors; the condition would be set to weave an eco-sustainable system through this network. The nullahs

restoration project presents the hidden opportunity that lies within Delhi by establishing a green and sustainable

network as an alternative and democratic source of engagement within the city of Delhi.

www.delhinullahs.orgwww.morphogenesis.org

Site Area: 1 Kanal

Built up Area: 2735 sq ft

Cost of the project: Rs. 25 Lakhs

Team: Ar. Sukhjeet Kumar, Ar, Naresh Kumar, Trainee

Tawish Tayal

White has always been the peace of mind a person

wants. Here is an architectural example proving the

same.

The project was made with the aim of giving the

inhabitants so relaxed etmosphere that all their

tensions get vanished.

This seems to be a dream but is a true experience in

Mr. Bhanot’s Residence in Sec-2, Panchkula.

Private ResidenceLine of Force Architects, Panchkula

Ar. Harendra Singh was born and brought up in a small village called Chinnka, district Chamoli, Uttrakhand. After completing his Bachelor’s in Architecture from Chandigarh College of Architecture in 1999, he exhibited his works on product designing especially furniture design. He established his professional practice as an architect with his own enterprise named ‘LINE OF FORCE’. He is a national award winner in sculpture making by Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi. He also won a national award for a Police Memorial in Jammu. He is a specialist in sculpture making, interiors, institutions, hotels and residences.

Client’s requirements: The ground floor initially

accommodated a bedroom, dining room and kitchen.

But the clients, however, needed 3 bedrooms,

drawing room, lobby, sitting area and study. As the

requirements were less according to the ground

coverage that could be attained, it was preferred

that the structure should look different from the ones

already present in the vicinity. It was felt that a modern

look could be incorporated and at the same time, it

was required for the house to have a peaceful outlook.

Architect’s visionAs far as the planning was concerned, it did not take much time to finalize the concept. Yet the main chal-lenge was to attain an environment of peace in the interior spaces.

So, we decided to play with white in the exteriors as well as the interiors.

As our site was North facing, we decided to use masses and lines, since, light could not be made use of. Glass usage was avoided in the front facade.

Solid planes and masses were used to ensure a lively facade.

The entire house is a congregation of irregular geo-metric lines. This irregularity breaks the monotony of the facade. The front door in timber serves as the visual focal point of the observer.

The interior spaces have a dynamic quality that seems to stem from the way the interior elements have been placed.

Sky lights have been provided for better lighting.

articles

Global IndiaProvoking Narratives on ‘Other’ Urbanities

Prof. Manu P. Sobti

INTRODUCTIONIn his two classic meta-histories on the urban artifact,

Spiro Kostof emphatically argues that urban form

is read correctly only to the extent of our critical

familiarity with the precise conditions that served as

its generators. On similar lines, Clifford Geertz – the

so-called purveyor of small things – in his prolific

writings deliberately chose not to formulate grand,

overarching theories, instead found meaning in the

thick descriptions prevalent across culture, time and

space. If Geertz’s definition of culture as “the stories

we tell about ourselves” in fact resonates true with

academics and intellectuals around the world, to

what extent have we actually written the stories that

patiently await recording and writing? How often have

we stepped outside the comfortable confines of our

own geographical settings to objectively view the

settings of cultures that are far removed in intent and

content? How critically have we viewed ‘unfamiliar’

architecture and cities through pedagogies that

negate clichéd bipolar opposites, and instead employ

methodologies emanating from thick descriptions?

Even today in most architecture schools situated

within the United States and Europe, few (if any)

options exist for students to examine the non-West

via specialized architectural and/or urban electives

offered on a regular basis. The stock Architectural

History Survey course predictably skims across

Islamic, Hindu, Arab, and other exotics through the

confines of a single session, leaving the design

student seemingly perplexed. While the so-called

non-Western world is already several steps removed

from comfort zone of most students, their instructors’

perceived ‘unfamiliarity’ with the subject matter is

no further encouragement. Rudofsky’s claim about

chroniclers presenting us with a full-dress pageant

of formal architecture, conveniently skipping several

centuries and cultures, in his brilliantly provocative

Architecture Without Architects, still rings true today.

Schools beyond America and Europe are no different.

While their curriculums arguably view architectural

and urban history course content as the essential

backbone to the design studio sequence, these

courses still remain predominantly organized via

chronological and dynastic categories, versus any

and served as residences for the extended

recognition of ‘global events’ and thematic context.

In continuation, the Western world is seldom viewed

objectively, its star architects and signature buildings

effectively show-cased as passing fads within the

larger scheme of things. In bland terms indeed, most

discourses in architecture schools today worldwide –

both at the building and urban scales - simply do not

engage thought-provoking scenarios beyond their

own shores! Researchers have frequently pointed to

the paucity of ‘appropriate’ and critically-conceived

text-books as instrumental to this prevailing scenario

– the West ill-equipped for the non-West, the East for

the West. It seems more likely, however, that this is not

so much a predicament owing to the unavailability of

textbooks and source materials, as it is reflective of

how this knowledge of the ‘other’ is still effectively ‘un-

connected’ to an ongoing and mainstream discourse

on design.

Similarly, invigorating research on urbanism of the

‘other’ – cities, urban fabrics and legislative processes

– has not fared any better. Few urban design studies

in architecture schools encourage broad debates

on the intrinsic nature of urbanities in Asia, the Middle

East or the new, if entirely characterless cities of China.

For all practical purposes, schools in America and

Europe perceive Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata

as urban conundrums, Dubai as an anomaly, and

Chonqing alongside the Three Gorges Dam as the

creation of an aggressive state. Meanwhile, at schools

in Asia, particularly India, where visceral reaction to

the pressing issues of urbanity would have been

predictably expected, the usual scenario is either one

of ‘impotent’ pragmatism, or ‘micro interventions’

which cunningly remove themselves from the grips of

the larger context. Meanwhile, within this latter setting,

any critical review of Western urbanism is virtually

non-existent, although ‘opportunistic’ references to

curtain-walls, morphed volumes and ‘embryologic’

space abound in student and professional work.

THE GLOBAL INDIA URBAN DESIGN STUDIO SERIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEEThis nature of discussion on the compelling issues in

Urban Design Studios (2008 – 10)School of Architecture & Urban PlanningUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA

global urbanity lies at the center of a new doctoral

research concentration involving active collaboration

and resource sharing between the faculties of the

School of Architecture & Urban Planning, University of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Art History Department,

University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the first year since

its formal inception in 2008, Buildings-Landscapes-

Cultures (hence BLC) faculty have pushed students

into thinking about buildings and space as inherently

connected to social, political and economic networks

that contain these constructs. Research thinking and

design learning are emphasized within the BLC, as

dual areas that reinforce and inform each other – in

other words, the historian must develop the ability to

read the physical attributes of the city and ‘map’ it out,

while the designer must come to term with ‘seeing’ an

artifact. On these lines, and given the interests of some

of the current BLC faculty, the Asian (read ‘Global’) city

has figured prominently as a tool to learn from, with

and about.

In fact, the physical structure and complexity of

the quintessential Asian city has often presented

an incomprehensible tabula rasa to the student

researcher and designer. For one, its plethora of

urban conditions seemingly defy ‘normative’ logic,

especially traditional descriptions of so-called rational

space making, At a second level, new forms of

accelerated urbanization in such developing global

contexts, frequently embody radical innovation and

profound change, producing an unprecedented

urban place where architecture is no longer high art,

and is often produced beyond the singular control of

the designer. Architecture and building interventions

are then, merely the means to an end, positioning

their designers as inconsequential components

manipulated by a larger framework of politics and

economics. Therefore, as cities modernize beyond

professional control, no longer is the architect, urbanist

or landscape architect able to sufficiently describe, let

alone influence, large areas of the urban realm as even

in the recent past. How must the designer then begin

to engage with the urban artifact of the Asian world?

It may be argued that this double crisis of disciplinary

paralysis with respect to the Asian city warrants the

urgent need to study the complexity of the urban

artifact on its own terms, through its multiplicity

of evolving agents and actors, relationships and

consequences of relentless urbanization. Most

importantly, and to the dismay’ of the old-fashioned

scholarship, no longer is architecture and city-building

about conceiving ‘beautiful’ and ‘complete’ buildings –

rather it is about ‘opportunistic assembly’ or ‘bricolage’

in the manner described by Levi Strauss.

This myriad of issues have framed provocative student

design and research investigations initiated within the

GLOBAL INDIA Urban Design Studio Series held at

the School of Architecture, University of Wisconsin-

Milwaukee USA between Spring 2008 and 2010,

problematizing how conflict, contestation, adjustment

and reconciliation between the past and present are

embodied in the making of architecture and urban

form in the Indian city. In sharp contrast to the ‘static’

notions of architectural and urban artifacts presented

in the History Survey, these design studios suggest

that designers shall have to prepare for a future

wherein the Asian city will challenge our prevalent

notions of space with non-space, the specific with the

ordinary and transient, memory with opportunity, and

permanence with impermanence. Not all shall be as

exotic as the beautiful Taj Mahal – for long the bench

mark on how far the non-Western Survey would

extend. Instead, students now consider how the Taj is

but situated in close proximity to the intensely crowded

city of Agra. What kind of design choices must then be

considered?

Within this prevailing scenario, the first of UWM’s

exciting GLOBAL INDIA Studio Series (2008) examined

the traditional marketplace at Madhavpura (Delhi

Darwaza), located on the northern fringe of the

traditional organic-accretive city of Ahmedabad in

Western India. Established four centuries ago, and

tenaciously surviving in the midst of urban legislation

that cares precious little for history, memory or the

elements of place making, this marketplace struggles

to come to terms with the need for new infrastructure,

and the subsequent loss of ‘familiar’ space. Yet the

merchant guild and its mahajan (guild leader) see

a future where they can reinvent themselves as

successfully as in the past. How aggressively would

their aspirations then transform the urban space

contained within the traditional commercial block?

How radically would new storage blocks and trade

infrastructure cut into residential urban fabric that

has accommodated Madhavpura’s activities for

centuries, and served as residences for the extended

families of its many merchants? How casually shall

traditions of the past be removed to make way for

the future? Such was the nature of questions the

students confronted in the process of thinking about

Madhavpura’s transformation.

While an intensely historical context, Madhavpura’s

view into the future was never contemplated as a

slavish imitation of the past. Instead, pre-existing

building typologies were systematically ‘excavated’ for

elements that would facilitate invention, recombination

and enhancement. At a second level, the kind of

urban space contained within the ‘ring’ of commercial

establishments at Madhavpura was capitalized as a

‘commodity’ which lead students to devise diverse

uses for it across their suggested time-lines. Even

more so, the twin acts of demolition, building and

re-building were envisaged as deliberate stages of

growth and ‘un-growth’ wherein ‘historical change’

was enacted as an ‘urban spectacle’. When students

realized how this had been similarly choreographed

at the St. Peter’s Piazza under Bernini, the great

fire of London, or the un-making and making

of Haussmann’s Paris, Ahmedabad’s accretive

urbanity seemed to suddenly fall into place within the

framework of David Christian’s ‘Big-History.’

The GLOBAL INDIA Ahmedabad Urban Design

Studio was done in close collaboration with students

and faculty at the School of Architecture, CEPT

Ahmedabad. Dialogue with CEPT students was

initiated through a two-week elective workshop

and an Urban Mapping charrette that looked at the

artifacts and structure of the city in January 2008.

Following upon this success, Spring 2009’s GLOBAL

INDIA Chandigarh Urban Design Studio was yet

another opportunity for SARUP-UWM students to

closely work with their counterparts and faculty at the

College of Architecture, Chandigarh. This focused

study on the city of Chandigarh was initiated via an

intensive, two-week Urban Workshop, accompanied

by a series of lectures.

As one among the few ‘designed from scratch’

cities of the Indian sub-continent, Chandigarh held

special significance for participating students as

being the work of the iconic architect Le Corbusier,

who endowed it with several important works of

architecture. At another level, Chandigarh presented

a unique tabula rasa viewed in radical contrast to

Ahmedabad’s historical urbanity. If Ahmedabad was

seemingly formed by the collective, Chandigarh was

based on one man’s vision, and fed by the growing

aspirations of a newly-forged Indian democracy.

Fifty years after its inception and eventual inclusion

among UNESCO’s World Heritage List of Cultural

Icons, Chandigarh therefore remains a provocative

enigma in its successes and failures. How does

it connect to the past, present and future? How

‘Indian’ is it’s embedded Indian-ness? What shall the

city become in the decades to follow? These were

among the plethora of questions that the enrolled

students encountered as they developed a series of

interconnected design interventions in the heart of

Chandigarh’s bustling urban core.

Students first produced a common document that

examined the city and detailed out its need for change.

Individual design projects then engaged the urban

fabric both within and without the site - one chunk

at a time, or as critical appendages that extended

the meaning of activity and place. The task at hand

was to propose a public, commercial center for the

city of Chandigarh positioned strategically within

the precincts of the existing Sector 17 market. This

center was in the vicinity of/along the footprint of

Corbusier’s yet unrealized PTT building. Owned and

built wholly by the Union Territory of Chandigarh and

leased out selectively to commercial enterprises and

retailers, this commercial center served to invigorate

the City Center, exponentially expanding its current

commercial and retail space needs, and creating a

nexus for diverse activities that found expression in the

heart of the city.

Most importantly, this commercial center was

avowedly public and urban in its many manifestations –

it provided unlimited accessibility and guided freedom

to the public in terms of activities and the scales of

usage (specifically within its ‘public-designated’ areas).

The city center also enthusiastically embraced the

scenarios of change, based on how commercial

and public spaces would potentially transform in the

decades to come – therefore entertaining design

possibilities that recognized this continuous process

of change (a prospect also examined in Ahmedabad).

Given the high commercial value ascribed to property

in all of Chandigarh, and especially this part of the

city, the City Center explored the specific possibility

of vertically expanding upon the prevailing urban

guidelines. Much to the surprise of the local design

professionals, who have viewed Corbusier and

Chandigarh with kids gloves; this studio recognized

that Corbusier’s original proposal for an eleven-storey

PTT building was a suitable starting point for the

design proposal, especially given the fact that all of

the buildings of Sector 17 are based on a consistent

urban design code. This project, in its unique set of

requirements, was therefore viewed as demonstrative

to the urban future of the city of Chandigarh, and how

its making could thereby critique the urban legislations.

Sector 17 was a unique urban space within the city

of Chandigarh, conceptually linking to the Capitol

Complex and the adjoining sectors. It was also the

sector positioned closest to Corbusier’s magical

Leisure Valley – a ‘river’ of green stretching north-east

to south-west through the urban fabric. This valley

was located to the relative west of Sector 17, and

accessed via a street crossing. Would the proposed

City Center’s possible proximity to the north-western

edge of Sector 17 and its pronounced proximity to

the Leisure Valley give it an opportunity for special

character? Would its commanding position within

the plaza of Sector 17 be communicated by its

volumetric monumentality or alternatively, through the

interconnectedness of its diverse parts? How would

the complex public-private interactions work within the

intervention ‘envelopes and cores’? Finally, how would

the language of the Commercial Center critique the

surrounding works Corbusier, Drew, Fry and

Jeanneret, yet respectfully state variation and

change? Finally, how would the nature of the plaza

itself change, in how it deliberately entered within and

without the interventions?

LEARNINGIn effect, SARUP’s GLOBAL INDIA Ahmedabad and

Chandigarh Urban Design Studios provided two kinds

of critical lessons for participating students. At the first

level of urban mapping, examining the Asian city was

an opportunity to come to terms with the limitations

of normative approaches to urban layouts, in effect

opportunities to devise other ways of looking at the

urban fabric. It was highlighted that physical ‘measure’

gave way to Lynchian imageability, interpreted and

fathomed through multiple cross sections that

revealed activity patterns, experience and the sense

of place.

At the second level of design language, this

understanding leveraged itself into thinking of

public place-making in the Indian context, as an

environment literally created through building

fronts (versus buildings) – identified as ‘soft edges’ -

elements adaptable through the vicissitudes of time,

transforming in each epoch – frequently modifying the

intrinsic nature of the building core embedded within

these edges. This was most critical to understanding

the rigor yet indeterminism of urban typologies that

have prevailed through history, lending readily to

radical change. Also insightful was the realization

that the Asian city is an iterative process creating a

palimpsest, fertilized by piece-meal additions. Large

scale or mammoth projects would therefore disrupt

this process, artificially modifying the traditional

typologies and structures. Finally, those successful

built interventions within the Asian city were not

monuments extraordinary, rather frameworks for later

development.

Through the successful avatars of these two design

courses over the past semesters, the students within

SARUP-UWM’s Building-Landscapes-Cultures

Research Concentration – researching cities and

enacting scenarios of change, observed that the

pedagogical value of both was greatly enhanced

by a preliminary study/component that introduced

students to self-discovered ways of looking at the

non-Western world, and thereafter uniquely mapping

this ‘new and unfamiliar’ world using discourse

and methodologies particular to the discipline of

architecture. In 2008 & 2009, we attempted to

make a modest foray in this direction, employing

an INDIA Winterim Project (as a preliminary three-

week visit to India) to introduce students who would

later continue into each of the two mentioned

courses. While working closely with local Indian

students in four architecture schools in India, each

participating student was encouraged to maintain a

set of logbooks, which initially served as a canvas of

observations, and later developed into a complex,

very personal system that encoded their many

observations. Most importantly, these logbooks were

not seen as albums or collections of images, rather

as opportunities for self-dialogue and interrogation. In

summary, these did not seek to provide easy answers

to negotiate cultural differences, instead addressed

difficult questions.

This nature of interventions within the structure of

the Asian city also complemented looking at global

architectural production via a second BLC course

entitled “Signature Buildings in Geo-Political Context”

– offered to students from UWM’s Milwaukee and

Madison campuses. Taking off from where a typical

history survey ends, this course sets the ‘big-picture’

of architectural production. Versus the design studio,

it posits that the history of world architecture should

be viewed as the evolving product of catalytic

interactions across and within cultural boundaries.

Buildings conceived through time and space,

especially those that guide the elements of memory,

have seldom evolved from within the confines of a

single culture. It is therefore critical to look at building

and design traditions from both within and without,

especially in terms of how architects and designers

synthesize diverse, cross-cultural influences. In its

detailed, ‘thick-descriptions’ of selected buildings

conceived across time and space in every continent

and culture, from the ancient world until present-day,

this course evolves a comprehensive model that

effectively transcends traditional categorizations of

chronology, politics and style, producing a synthetic,

interdisciplinary understanding of history within

the rubric of an overarching architecture history

survey. In its labeling of special buildings across time

as ‘signature buildings’ it focuses on how these

structures are seemingly endowed with pregnant

symbolism and meaning, often including the

superlatives of scale, form and function, and setting

the tone for important developments in each epoch.

Likewise, their architects are often ascribed special

status within the specifics of cultural contexts that vary

greatly in their socio-cultural, economic and political

content.

Within the purview of this course, Zoser’s architect

of legendary fame – Imhotep - is examined

alongside Marcus Agrippa’s Pantheon, Sinan’s

Sulaymaniye, Jefferson’s University of Virginia, Mies’

Farnworth House, Gehry’s Bilbao and several more.

Presentations demonstrate provocative episodes

within the longue duree of world history - the grand

framework where the theater of architectural history

plays itself out. Meanwhile, the knowledge of the

Western and non-Western worlds that is imparted to

the students, makes the retrieval and re-combinations

of ‘connecting stories’ particularly rewarding. Legends

of Alexander’s expeditions and his meteoric rise to

fame, for example, serve to connect the momentous

events of antiquity, while the foundation of Byzantine

Constantinople or Chingiz Khan’s Mongol onslaughts

serve yet another. In ‘filling the spaces between

the pebbles’ we are also concerned with how the

meanings of terms such as monument, designer,

urban and the suburban constantly change with

geographical and cultural shifts.

Stepping ‘outside’ the confines of ones own shores

has therefore been a valuable learning experience

for students within the BLC research concentration

at UWM. The GLOBAL INDIA studios, given their

extensive travel, experimentation and design

charretting, are extremely popular. The India Winterim

Program is over-subscribed, and average enrollments

in the ‘Signature Buildings Course’ have doubled since

its introduction two years ago. It is time more schools

begin to relish the idea of ‘unfamiliar’ terrain!

Facing: The Getty Center, Los Angeles, by Apoorv Kaushik, Final Year, CCA

He shared the memory of his fascinating walks in the

meandering hilly roads of his native town La Caux de

Fonds with all and, wherever he got the opportunity, in

different scales and proportions.

Writers express their memories with pen, artists with

brushes and architects with their buildings.

A walk in the curving, twisting roads of a small town in

the midst of woods in the Alps region in Switzerland

was an experience where nature revealed its

surprises for him.

Born and brought up in the sleepy Swiss

watchmakers’ community, the picturesque nature

could not offer the aspiring young man opportunities

to explore his potentials.

He saw the world, explored what he saw, absorbed

the essence and experimented throughout in his long

architectural journey.

Opportunities and aspirations brought him to the big

city, away from nature. It was there that he dedicated

himself to find rational solutions to the problems of

The Master’s Reminiscence Ar. B. BanerjeeFacultySCOA, Pune

the emerging urban community of the Machine Age.

His concerns extended to the global context for the

society as well as for the Architectural fraternity. He

anticipated the future needs of the urban people and

suggested several model houses suitable for modern

lifestyle.

He changed himself from Charles Edouard

Jeannerete to Le Corbusier.

He was commissioned for urban houses in cramped

site areas, where he used vertical circulation to link all

the spaces inside the building.

He orchestrated the sequence of spaces for this inner

journey from nature to nature or from the ground to

the sky. He introduced ramp inside a concrete box

where different levels swinging in and out were called

“promenade architecturale”. His fascination with ramp

could be seen in many of his buildings where interior

and exterior spatial events were linked using ramps.

All four of his creations in Ahmedabad are composed

using ramp in different ways, making the vertical

journey an experience in relation to the surroundings.

Much as the ideas expressed below may seem

absurd and utopian, please read this over a few times

with an open mind. Pass this on to decision makers

who you feel are ready for change and want to think

outside the Box. For those who may not have heard

this before the quotation below may be of interest.

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind

of thinking we used when we created them” - Albert Einstein.

Call it the RECESSION, call it the DEPRESSION, call it

what you may, it’s just a matter of terminology. Job

loss, lost homes, industry closing down, are the order

of the day. Banks post losses of Billions of Dollars, get

bail -out packages and come back for more. Much

the same holds good for other trades and revenue

generating activities. Stimulus packages worth Billions

of dollars are being doled out to boost production and

Banks are being encouraged to lend more only to

boost consumption in order to curb layoffs as industry

has no option but to cut production or simply close

shop. It’s all the proverbial “dog running around the tree

trying to catch it’s own tail”. President OBAMA will, one

hopes, wave the magic wand and America will help

save the situation and all will be well in a year or so. Or

so we would like to imagine. And yet the source of the

problem is being over looked.

The source of the problemThe root of the problem lies in the concept of treating

“Land as a Resource and it being the main Driver of the Economy”. Study the base of any traditional economy.

Land was never a tradable commodity and could not be bought or sold. However the asset built upon the land had a tangible value and could be traded and transferred. The concept of “Mother earth” was based

on this ideology. A false notion of wealth has been built

around the concept of value of land as an indicator of ever increasing wealth. This is the single largest

reason for the Subprime Crisis and therefore the

tumble down of the entire economy. Even the thought

of re-examining this concept is seemingly absurd,

but it is here that the corrective actions would need

our attention. Much is being said about the need for

change in the Banking System but the directions

are targeted towards “Tweeking” the Interest rates

and making for easier Credit only to once again feed

the system that caused the collapse in the first place.

Major International Economists and Heads of State are

talking about the need to revisit the Banking System

but no tangible direction seems to be emerging.

We talk about the GDP (Gross Domestic Produce)

of a Nation. The key word here is “Produce” and land

value cannot be termed as Produce. That which is

generated from the land can be a produce and added

to the GDP but mere land transactions of land for

Value cannot and should not form a part of the GDP of

a nation. Toady even Governments are dependent on

land transactions as a major source of revenue. The

land did always belong to the people of the nation and

not to the individual and the Government technically

does not have a fundamental right to part with this in

favour of an individual.

Problem 1There are two basic components in the value of

property. One is the cost of the land and the other is

the cost of the asset built on the land. The two need

to be delinked. If the land was leased by the state for

a period of say 50 to 99 years, (as was the case until

the recent past), one of the main components of

the installment or EMI would be reduced. The asset

built on the land could attract interest as is the usual

practice. The lease components would be paid to

the state directly with the installment of the asset or

the built form being paid to the bank or the developer,

as the case may be. In the present day practice the

bank finances both the Land and the Asset on the

land. The bank only finances 75% of the value of the

asset being built on the land and holds the land as an

additional security or collateral. This amounts to the

bank admitting that the 25% margin money is fictitious

and the valuation of the project has not been done

accurately. 25% as cautionary holding should be

considered more than adequate if honest valuation of

the project was done in the first place. Holding land as

additional collateral fuels the tendency to forward trade

land, thus adding to rampant speculation in property.

The additional collateral is in turn is shown as an asset

The DO or DIe of the Financial CrisisAnil LaulCEO and Principal Architect - Anangpur Building Centre

held by the bank thereby shoring up the on books

net worth of the Bank artificially. This in turn gives the

bank additional leverage for borrowing more money

from the open market and /or the Federal/Central

Banks. The Developer comes into the picture here

and borrows considerable amounts for projects

by using land as collateral, then building expensive

dreams to unsuspecting buyers who see profit in

much like the builder seems to be floating in. The

underlying assumption here is that land value will

always increase and therefore the risk taking ability

of the bank is enhanced. The willingness to lend is

enhanced and in order to feed the viscous cycle that

has come into play, monies are lent for risky assets.

There is an artificial market that comes into play and

the unsuspecting borrower sees money and growth

of his net worth in the future and ends up borrowing

well beyond his means much as the banks have done

from the financial system. With the amounts borrowed

having become larger than the ability to pay, defaults

occurred on a massive scale and the land values

dropped. Often the monies borrowed were more than

the value of the property inclusive of the interest factor.

The banks suddenly found that the value of assets

reflected in their balance sheets dropped dramatically.

As is the case with all bubbles, here too the bubble

of the ever increasing value of land had suddenly

burst. With defaults on payments by the borrowers,

the lending capacity of the banks almost came to

a standstill as the borrowing capacity of the bank

and it’s net worth is based on the asset value held.

These are now termed as toxic assets. If the banks

continue to hold these properties any longer and with

the continuing drop in property values, the losses that

would be posted by banks would grow even larger.

The choice now is between “the Devil and the Deep

Blue Sea”. So the need for further Bail Out Packages.

The question uppermost in most people’s mind is

whether the Bail Out Packages being doled out would

help turn the economy around. President Obama may

state that he has inherited the problem, but then he

is now in the driver’s seat and must therefore provide

the solution. It has to be one that would not repeat the

mistakes of the past. Other Heads of State have much

the same problem but as usual we look to the

perceived “Most Powerful Nation” to take the lead

in these matters. But it is here that the problems

originated in the first place. The US today is the most

“Debt Ridden Nation” so it is obvious that we are

looking in the wrong direction.

Possible solution 1The solution therefore lies in not feeding the system

that has failed, but to make a complete turnaround.

The change needs to be a Radical one. One such

solution lies in breaking up the Toxic Assets into two

distinct parts. One would be the Asset Component on the Land and the other would be the Present

Booked Value of the Land i.e. the reduced value as

per the prevailing market rates which are far lower

than those during the boom period. The banks

would be responsible for the recoveries on the Asset

Component. The Land Component would stand

transferred to the state which would attract an annual

lease amount directly payable by the homeowner to

state, with the lease amount being paid on a monthly

basis. The lease period could be say 50 to 99 years as

was the case not so long ago. It would be a great idea

to use the term “Custodian of Land” rather than the

“Owner of Land” in all future documents. One recalls

a famous statement made at various Conferences

on Sustainable Development which states that “We have not inherited the Earth from our forefathers, but hold it in custody for the future generations”. Suddenly

makes sense and could be practiced in spirit and

deed.

Repercussion or Advantage No 1

On the face of it and at a first glance, one may perceive

the leasing policy as a huge loss of revenues for the

state as Tax on property transactions are seen as one

of the major revenue earners for the government.

But this is not so. Most importantly the state would

not have to dole out the huge packages for the failed

economic institutions and the industry. This is tax

payer’s money and they were not responsible for the

present crisis. This may be in fact be a huge earning

that may be far higher than the state expects to get

from the anticipated dividends from the monies being

invested in the Banks. Even if the lease amount were

to be more than the dividend expected from the bank,

not having to pay the huge installment plus interest on

the principle land cost would enable people to move

back into their homes. A further Bonus for the state

would be that the continuous rate cuts being made

may also not be required.

Repercussion or Advantage No 2

The state does not have to part with considerable

amounts of the so called bail-out packages. The

funds required, have to come from some source

and these are often being borrowed by selling bonds

to the people or from other countries. This amounts

to further debt only to fight the present debt ridden

system. Borrowing from other countries by selling

bonds is a very short term and myopic view and seen

as a quick fix solution. What happens if the economy

does not recover as anticipated and the countries

that have bought the bonds, insist on the refund of

their monies lent or invested. (One suspects that the

economy will never recover to the levels of the recent

past as it was based mainly on land values and not

the tangible product of the Nation). In such a situation

should they fight a war to recover their dues and

simply invade the borrowing country to recover their

wealth? For the countries that may float their own

bonds for the public, the situation would be equally

dangerous. How would they repay their debt to the

people, should their policy fail? These countries would

have a rebellion on their hands.

Repercussion or Advantage No3

UK is exploring the other option of simply printing more

money, close to 75 Billion Pounds. It is the beginning

of the same mistake as made by Zimbabwe, though

not at the same scale. The British Pound would fall in

the International Market and they would have to pay

more for the goods they import thereby coming a full

circle without having moved forward. Much the same

is expected of the US. When and if the British Pound

or the US$ diminishes in value and if their International

Debt increases, countries may begin to ask for their

payments in Gold, much like India had to pay a few

decades ago. Would the world declare the country

that demands their money in Gold as a terrorist state

like as was the case in Iraq when Saddam Hussein

refused to trade in the US$ ? The excuse was

“Weapons of Mass Destruction”. Daring to threaten

the US$ or the British Pound? Iran is threatening to

trade in any currency except the US$. Much the

same allegation is being made for Iran as a dangerous

Nuclear State. Iran has delayed this action and so has

the US delayed it’s attack on Iran. Of late, China has

more recently been making much the same threat

even though put in a veiled and diplomatic manner.

A rather long explanation but a brilliant analysis may be seen at the link may be seen as below: video.google.

com/videoplay?docid=4343898391323537541

Repercussion or Advantage No 4

In using land as a source of income by giving it on

lease, the state has a continuous flow of funds for all

times to come and can plan development projects

accordingly. Anyone can simulate this and tweek

income as in this proposal vs the present day system

of outright sale and the results would stun the die-

hards of economics. Continuous and balanced

growth as opposed to sporadic development is

infinitely better and more sustainable.

Repercussion or Advantage No 5

In taking over the value of land as a state asset, the

government does not part with any money. This

process would also bring down the unaffordable EMI

payable by the home owner thus making his debt

payable. Business transactions would commence

and the economy would get a boost. Banks would be

compelled to indulge in efficient banking transactions

rather than those that they have been practicing.

Repercussion or Advantage No 6

Many have stated that this would be against the “Great

American Dream” and the “Free Market Slogan” now

touted all over the world. But this is not so. In fact the

results would be quite the contrary. The present dream

has turned sour and it is time to make a fresh start.

What good is the dream, if when you open your eyes

one finds that it was only a dream and one is standing

at the end a precipice. The reality, when you wake up,

is that you are left with nothing? It’s great to have a

dream and chase it—but with feet firmly on the ground

and the willingness to adapt to the need for change.

Repercussion or Advantage No 7

So what happens to people who own their property

and are not in debt against their property? Would they

become poorer? On the face of it ---Yes. But since

property prices would drop dramatically, the amounts

required to lease it (purchase as in the present

sense) would be lower. Therefore in effect, since the

differential purchase power would be the same, the

rich person would still be as rich in comparison. Wealth

is a comparative concept and is not a mere numbers

game.

On the other hand those who believe in the “Free

Market” they could continue to do so. This corrective

action is for those who suffer this economic

turbulence. Those who believe that value of land

and it’s tradability makes for good sense, it can be

business as usual. Their concept of passing on their

wealth by way of Land can very well run alongside

the proposed corrective action. Since many people

would choose the more economical and affordable

proposal, the race for property would slow down and

gradually find it’s even pace. (This would not in any

way affect the housing market, the main driver of an

economy after agriculture since construction would

be termed as the asset and not the land). Banks would

reduce the lending against Land Values and forward

trading would gradually get phased out. This is a self

regulatory process and would require no major law

enforcement and we do know that the best laws are

those that come from within rather than those that are

enforced through a legislative process.

Repercussion or Advantage No 8

What happens to the builder’s game? They would

get properties from the state on lease, build on it with

business as usual and transfer to the homeowner as

the asset value plus the lease value. The speculative

aspect of Land as a tradable commodity would be a

History. Efficient building systems and management

would become the determining factors for a

successful business enterprise. Never in the history of

man has so much artificial wealth been generated by

trading on land. The Governments of today are more

dependent on sale of land for their working rather than

product or the produce of the Nation. GDP is a term

which measures the wealth of the Nation based on the

Gross Domestic Product. It is the “produce” here that

is the prime consideration and not the notional wealth

of trading in land.

Problem 2 -The one that got awayOne set of businesses that seems to have got away is

the Insurance sector. Where did all the excess money

come from? One believes that the Insurance business

exists to protect one in the eventuality of natural or

manmade calamities or distress. Premiums paid are

invested in bonds and businesses so as to generate

further revenues so as to help generate more

revenues so as to reduce premiums that people are

expected to pay. This perception has people pay large

sums so as to protect their properties.

Let us examine the basis of the premiums paid for

protection of one’s property. As pointed out earlier

there are two components in any property. One is

the value of the asset built on the land and the other

is the perceived market value of the land itself. When

a property burns down or collapses as in the case of

natural calamities, the land is intact. Why then is the

value of the land taken in the determining value of the

property and thereby the premium payable for the

purpose of insurance? The land would be intact. It

would not disappear. Apart from the high EMI being

paid by the homeowner, he or she is also expected to

pay a high insurance premium. Much is being made

of the EMI’s that homeowners are finding impossible

to pay, but the Insurance Sector seems to have

managed to evade attention.

It is this excess money that found it’s way into the

Mutual Funds and the Wall Street fuelling the fire and

inflating the balloon that has now burst. With the state

being the owner of the land, and the likelihood of the

land not catching fire or disappearing, the Insurance

premiums could be slashed. This in turn would reduce

the EMI’s and making property and a decent roof over

one’s head available to all. Terrible for the Insurance

sector as also the Wall Street and other financial

fantasies, but we are looking for corrective action and

is these sectors are the proverbial “Sacrificial Lambs”

so be it.

On the one hand we have the AIG coming back for

more after four bailout packages and on the other

hand there are the over optimistic finance experts

raving and ranting about the smallest upward trend in

the market. The few up trends are only hiccups before

the final death knell unless some drastic actions of the

nature as proposed above are put in place. It’s now

DO or DIE.

Pessimistic - NO, being realistic - YeS

All of the above corrective actions and proposals

sound too simple and common sensical and they

are. But then the stakes of the decision makers,

who make the most profits from the misery of the

common man, would be threatened. The perceived

risk, on the face of it, would seem are very high. The

government would lose the revenues generated

through transfer of the properties when they change

hands. The Developers responsible for the bubble and

the dreams they sell, would be threatened. But one

would look at the upside. There would be stability. Less

bailout packages which come from over taxing the

people that the system was trying to save in the first

place. The wealth of the rich would grow because the

productivity would increase with stability and deflation.

The purchase power of people would increase

and demand would grow. There would be more

investment in tangible production. Wealth is a relative

concept and is a comparative term. (Whereas 100

US$ may mean nothing in the US but is a tidy fortune

in some of the developing nations. It is because we are

fed information from institutions like the World Bank

that the per capita income of a particular nation like

Cuba is US$ 2 per day, that seems a pittance, alarms

us. But US$2 per day is a comfortable income for that

family in Cuba. Why is the World Progress measured

in US$ which has no bearing on the living cost index of

the particular nation being commented upon?)

With speculation on Land being contained, the rentals

would decrease. Inflation would be contained and so

would the need for protests for increase in salaries and

allowances. Utopian, may be, may be not but worth a

shot. This is more likely to succeed when compared to

the huge bail out packages which are illusions of the

present day. Even the so called Bail out is the tax

payers money in the first place. The G20 threw up

no tangible direction but concluded with the need to

make way for raising One Trillion US$ to feed a failed

system. And of course one more round of discussions

at another venue.

The Developing Nations

The problem emanated from the US and has

found it’s way into the other developed nations as a

consequence of their Over Consumptive ways. The

Developing Nations on the other are caught up in

this downturn because they are heavily dependent

of exporting to these Consumptive Nations. The

developing and more so the underdeveloped

countries need to consume at the domestic level

but work to produce for those who consume more

than required. The solution for this imbalance would

therefore require an additional perspective. Most

developing Nations are located within the Tropics. It

is here that one has the largest amount of Flora and

Fauna and it is here that you have the maximum

produce from the land. It is here that you have the

most disease and it is also here that you have the

maximum anti dotes to the disease. It is in these

regions of the world that you have the maximum

dependence on Nature but it is also here that you

have the most Environmental Degradation. Myths and

Religions in these areas are woven intricately around

respecting the Elements and every aspect that helps

Human Survival is worshipped in one form or another.

Be it the Sun God’s or the Moon. The water or the Air

we breathe. Be it Fire or the Herbs and Plants that

the Earth produces or the manner and Celebration

of Life and the bounties of Nature. They are all woven

intricately into the daily lives of the people. And yet,

strangely enough, in today’s world, it is here that we

have the most hunger and Poverty. It is these regions

that are considered the most backward.

The developing nations which produce and feed the

voracious appetite can hardly afford to feed their own

population that produces the product for export. So

how does one bridge this divide and abnormality?

Most Government programs fall short of their

objectives even though the good intent may exist.

Much is made of lack of infrastructure being the main

reason for the disparity between the rural areas and

the developing areas. One main aspect that needs immediate attention is the ability of the rural areas to store their produce and hold for better value at a later date. Just prior to the elections, hundreds of promises

are made to the Rural poor and the dire need to

increasing their income. These are usually proposed

by dole out which never reach the very poor or the

marginalized. These are hard working people who end

up getting the least for their toil.

The main reason for this imbalance is their inability to

hold their produce for some time so as to get a better

price for their product. As and when they harvest

their crop, they are under pressure to sell at the local

Mandi’s (whole sale markets) to enable them to pay

their debt for the seeds and fertilizer that they had

bought on credit at high rates of interest, for their

agricultural product. If the state funded Grain Silos

and storage systems at the village level, the farmer

would be in a position to take loans from banks against

the stocks he holds by way of the produce stored in

the Silos. This could be done at the level of groups of

farmers or even at the village level. As and when the

prices rise, it is the farmer who would get the benefit

of the produce. As it is the state is doing much the

same in the grain silos that are built at the state level.

However in the case of the state the produce is

bought through agents or wholesale buyers who pay

a pittance to the farmer.

One visited Sudan several years ago. The main

problem facing Sudan was poverty and hunger even

though it has both the Niles flowing right through this

country. The land is fertile and the produce of this

country fed most of Europe. At one point in time one

Sudanese Pound fetched more than Two US$ and

yet in the early 90’s One US$ gave one more than

450 Sudanese Pounds. So what went wrong? When

this grain bowl had a bumper crop, the Europeans

bought their harvest at low prices as they had the

storage facilities. And yet when the Sudanese had

a bad harvest, they had to buy back grain at several

times the price. Over years, this country became

impoverished. With my expertise in Geodesics I was

invited to design efficient Grain Silos. Having designed

a prototype and signed the required documents one

had to forego this deal as no Bank was willing to honor

their Letter of Credit and I was discouraged by many.

The long and short of it that the problem identification

was bang on and one did for the first time understand

International Trade and Food Espionage. We now see

much the same situation within countries at the State

vs Farmer levels. With Sudan having made strides in oil

exploration, may be this aspect is history but there is a

lesson to be learnt here.

Much is being made of good infrastructure being

the main driver of the economy by way of roads and

connectivity. This may be good for the industry but it is

not true for the farmer who needs the most help and

is the main economic driver. He does get his produce

to the local wholesale market even now. Yes there is

the need for improvement of these roads but cannot

be the main focus. If the grain and the produce is

stored at the village level then the smaller wholesalers

can come into the village and buy what they need.

Chances are that the wholesaler would want partial

value addition, such as cleaning and small packaging,

to be done at the village level itself. This would add

further to the economic growth of the village. Essential

food products such as grain, pulses onions, garlic

and a whole lot of spices etc can be stores for long

periods. Nature has designed that essential food

products are available to man around the year so as to

provide a continuing income to the tiller but the faulty

market systems have it otherwise. This then is the root

of the problem and this should be our area of focus.

At the state level, the produce is often badly stored

and 10 to 18% is lost owing to this. A large amount is

contaminated with pesticides and rodent droppings.

In India 4 % mouse droppings in the food we eat

is considered an acceptable standard. This was

approved by the High Court some years ago and

made it to the front page of a daily widely read

newspaper. This land mark decision was taken after

it was averred that the presence of mouse droppings

had hit more than 10 %. Stored at the local level, the

farmer would ensure that this is contained as to

him, every grain matters. At the central or state level,

callousness creeps in and responsibility cannot be

pinned and people are none the wiser. It’s a losing

situation for all and more so for the farmer who gets

a pittance. It all boils down to conserving the produce

of the land and getting wealth down to the man who

Produces rather than the Trader (the Government

being the largest culprit in this game in most cases).

With more wealth at the village level one would uses

a newly coined term RUBURBANISATION. The race to

get to the Trade Centers where the perceived action is

would cease and so would the pressure on the land in

these urban centers. The advantages far outweigh the

few losses to some vested interests.

The developing nations have one other corrective

action that needs attention. The mania of speculation

through property trading with the government being

an accomplice in this lopsided perceived progress

is still in the incubating stages and this disease and

be nipped in the bud. Take the elections in any of

these countries. The moment a minister is elected to

power, the first rung of officers that report to him in

confidence are the Land and Revenue officers. The

first and most important information required from

this level of officers is the potential land development

areas and how these could be rearranged to suit

the convenience of the Minister newly elected. It is

here that all monies spent on the expensive electoral

process that the money is to be retrieved and remade

in anticipation of the next election.

Until the recent past the Land and Revenue were

from the village and maintained the records on

behalf of the residents of the village. These officers

now report to the local government bodies for the

convenience of revenue collection. This is a British

legacy left behind by the British and is cited as India

Specific but this has a direct on how the Banking

Industry as practiced Internationally wove this into their

financial fabric. The officers such as the Collector etc

from the Local bodies which are at the Town, District

or State Level are beholden to the political bosses.

Development plans are drawn up at the highest

levels for the convenience of the political bosses as

Land as an asset is perceived to be the best form of a

quick buck. Often development plans go awry as the

consideration is not the need of the influence area but

the greed of the decision maker. This cancer took root

when developing nations were asked to Use Land

as a Resource by the International Funding Agencies

such as the World Bank etc. The concept was that

land values will and can never drop and therefore the

risk taking ability of the bank amounted to No Risk.

This is the root of the problem and the solution must

therefore target a corrective action in this area of

economics.

In the final analysis, we must get back to using the

Produce of the Land as a resource and measure our

GDP on this basis. Land was not and cannot be used

as a tradable commodity and be an indicator of the

wealth of an individual or nation. The economic order,

as we have it today, requires a serious revisit.

I am not an economist, but I do respect and study

traditional wisdom and practices. I hope this would

stir up a debate and somewhere down the line some

lateral thinking would emerge.

Anangpur Building Centre (The ABC of holistic human settlement design) Faridabad, Haryana - 121003 (India) Telefax: +91-129-2512364 Mobile: +91-98100-59691 email: anillaul@vsnl.com, anillaul@rediffmail.com URL: http://www.anangpur.com

Facing: Colour Riot at the Dilli Haat, New Delhi

Mumbai: The compact megacityNEWSPAPER ESSAY

Philipp Rode, Executive Director, Urban Age Programme, and Associate, Cities Programme, London School of Economics and Political Science

In Greater Mumbai, the equivalent of more than twice

the population of Denmark shares 450 km2 of land.

The key driver of Mumbai’s compactness is its physical

geography. There are only a few places where the

composition of land and water demands the creation

of a city. The natural harbor of New York, the bay of

Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro are prominent examples.

So is the opening of Thane creek, the largest natural

harbour on India’s west coast. Protected by a 650

km2 island extending into the Arabic sea, the bay

is now almost entirely urbanised by present-day

Mumbai. About a third of Greater Mumbai’s population

lives on the southern ‘finger’ of the island, with more

than two-thirds of the jobs located there. Attempts to

shift jobs to more accessible areas of the region have

initially failed; Navi Mumbai on the other side of Thane

creek remains a ghost city and its vast amount of

housing and office buildings are only slowly beginning

to be occupied. This is largely seen as a result of real

estate speculation and greater interest in developing

South Mumbai, where the chronic shortage of office

space promised far higher returns.

Implementing transport infrastructure and organizing

mobility while sustaining a strategic vision for

development of the city is one of the most critical

pressure points of urban governance in Mumbai.

The exceptional densities of the city result in similarly

unusual transport patterns. By far, the largest group

of commuters in Greater Mumbai, about 55 per

cent – walk to work. Most of them are able to reach

their workplace within 15 minutes or less, making the

most significant contribution to the city’s extremely

low average commuting times of 25 minutes, a sharp

contrast to the London average of 42 minutes. The

distribution amongst other modes of transport is less

surprising. Twenty-two per cent use trains and 14 per

cent use buses as their main means of travel. Two

wheelers account for 3 per cent, motor rickshaws and

private cars each for 2 per cent of the commutes.

Access to the city is not a mere question of modal

choice. In Mumbai, it dictates location, proximity

and daily routines more than in most other cities,

particularly for the urban poor. The enormous value

attached to city access is expressed by the

compromising living conditions. Personal living space

of less than 3 m2 is accepted as long as it keeps the

promise of employment despite residential densities

– in some cases of just two-storey slum houses –

higher than the vertical urbanization of Hong Kong or

Manhattan.

City access further relies on a high degree of urban

mix. The fine-grain topography of urban environments

cater best for the enormous need for constant

exchange, not least due to physical proximity allowing

for inexpensive and flexible non-motorized travel. In

India ‘the poor need to live close to the rich.’ However,

higher housing standards, whether in terms of living

space or amenities, are traded for ease of access.

Ironically, centrally located informal dwellers are often

re-located to allow for new transport infrastructure,

further increasing the overall demand for mobility.

Each family will be offered a 20 m2 apartment at no

cost. However, the new housing units built at the

fringes of the city do not reflect any of the cultural and

professional requirements of those being resettled.

And the long and expensive trips to the centres of

urban activity have deprived them from city access.

Mumbai has inherited the most extensive urban rail

system on the Indian subcontinent. About 300 km

of suburban rail served by 95 stations make use of

the city’s linear geography, moving 6.4 million people

daily. However, the railway’s success has become

its greatest enemy. Passengers suffer a degree of

overcrowding unknown on any other rail system of

similar size. Each minute, trains arriving at Chhatrapati

Shivaji Terminus and Churchgate Station inject 2,000

people into the city’s historic core during rush hour.

Nine-car trains designed to hold 1,700 passengers

travel with up to 5,000 commuters, with an average of

13 people per day killed in rail related accidents.

Regardless of Mumbai’s density and compactness,

the city experiences a massive increase in motorized

vehicles, generally following the same pattern of most

cities in developing economies. Between 1991 and

2005, the number of motorized vehicles more than

doubled from 0.6 to 1.3 million. With a total of

6 million cars, motorization in India is still relatively low

and almost exclusively an urban phenomenon. And

while no city in India is prepared to accommodate this

growth, Mumbai’s dense urban environment proves

particularly vulnerable to the flood of vehicles. The

city’s streets cover only about 11 per cent of its surface,

compared to 21 per cent in Delhi and 22 per cent

in New York City. And while the number of vehicles

multiplied 37 times over the last 50 years, the length of

the Mumbai’s road network only doubled. Congestion

is severe and due to the high stress levels of driving,

the lack of parking and the overall affluence of the

owners of those cars, about 70 per cent of private

cars on the street are driven by chauffeurs.

The most significant road expansion programme is a

controversial multi-million dollar off-shore ring-road,

the Sea Link. The first segment, the 5.6-km Bandra-

Worli Sea Link, is currently under construction. This

US$350 million project boasts an eight-lane bridge,

promoted as a new landmark for Mumbai. Built

exclusively for fast moving vehicles, it is limited to four

wheelers and above, thus catering to the city’s 2 per

cent of the population with private cars. In one hour

it will serve just about the same amount of people as

two trains arriving at and leaving from Churchgate

Station. Although not designed to accommodate

mass transport, recent political pressure may require

two dedicated lanes for buses.

The latest plans for the city assumes that the total

population within the metropolitan region will increase

to 34 million by 2031. Within 25 years, an additional 12

million people will need to navigate the city’s territory.

Strategic planning for the location of homes, jobs,

retail and other activities will end up as the single most

significant transport strategy. Of similar importance

will be the recognition of the fine grain, mix-use urban

legacy that has made Mumbai such a unique mega

city. Mumbai has the ne-time opportunity to merge

a strategy that improves the standard of living while

maintaining its valuable compact urban form.

This article appeared in The urban Age India Newpaper

Fractals and the modern hindu templeDr. Vikramaditya PrakashProfessor of Architecture, University of Washington Seattle, USA

While there is ample precedent in modern

interpretations of churches and synagogues and

mosques (by well famous modernists such as

Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn), new and modern

interpretations of the Hindu temple are seriously

lacking. Unfortunately, the Hindu temple is so

completely trapped by expectations of an ‘iconic’

image – stereotypical shikharas and ornamentation

built by rote -- that it seems difficult to conceive what

a modern Hindu temple might even begin to look

like. Perhaps this is because the temple’s clients, and

even the worshipping public, likes to make sure that

its expectations regarding what a temple must ‘look

like’ is satisfied, rather than trying to investigate what a

contemporary Hindu temple should be. And given that

issues of religion are considered to be so sensitive

in India (you can’t even improve a road just because

a small temple might be on it) most people, advisedly,

shy away from broaching the topic of modern

interpretations of the temple. In addition, there is the

fact that the language of modern architecture is so

closely aligned with the modern Indian nation state and

its ideal of secularism, that it has become anathema

to take on an explicitly religious topic from within

the canons of modern architecture. Such were the

convictions of modern India of the 20th century.

Yet, I would submit, that the work of re-thinking the

Hindu temple has to be done, and it has to done by

the new 21st century generation of Indian architects

and thinkers – all us student readers of this NASA

magazine. If you don’t take on this task, the space of

religious architecture will continue to be dominated

by a narrow minded vision of what a a Hindu temple is,

and it will remain eternally shrouded by the politics of

religion. You cannot simply rest on the expectation that

somewhere, somehow there is a class of pundits who

are maintaining the ancient canon of temple design

and construction, intact and secure. This is much too

serious a responsibility to be left unexamined in the

hands of pundits. Their job is to keep tradition intact –

that they do well. Ours is to invent the future. In thinking

about the architecture of the new India of the 21st

century, of a self-confident player on the global stage,

surely we should be able to dig into the heart and soul

of Hinduism, of Hindu temple design principles and

philosophical propositions, and having understood

and digested them, re-interpret and re-express them

in new light, in a new way, with new forms.

Temples are not repositories of dead tradition; they

are not, in other words, places of superstition that

are put together with ‘magical’ formulae that have no

real rhyme or reason. There is a vast body of modern

literature – and a vast amount of that is in English,

for those of us who cannot read Sanskrit and other

ancient Indian languages – that amply documents,

describes, analyses and critiques the very many

complex, and indeed fascinating and persuasive,

concepts that go into the design of a Hindu temple.

Unfortunately, most of this literature remains confined

to religion studies, anthropology, philosophy, and

other disciplines of humanities. It rarely makes its

way into schools of architecture, or essays in Indian

architecture. In schools of architecture, we are largely

still taught with colonial period textbooks that

categorize temples simply according to their ‘style’,

with little or no understanding of the conceptual

basis of temple design. And, so, unfortunately, our

understanding of the principles of the Hindu temple

tend to remain confined to thin diagrammatic

facsimiles such as ‘the nine-square mandala’ or

‘northern style temple vs. the southern style temple’. All

this has to change.

There are many concepts that can be used as

beginning points to investigate the Hindu temple.

There are notions such as ‘bindu’ and ‘samsara’,

‘prakrit’ and ‘purusha’, ‘atman’ and ‘Atman’, ‘maya’

and transubstantiation, ‘shunyata’ and ‘aakar’, and, of

course, ‘moksha’ and the more Buddhist ‘parinirvan.’.

And so many, many more. I am not a scholar of religion,

but I like to read. I am an architect and an architectural

historian. I am currently writing a new History of the

Architecture of India, trying to sketch out the ‘story’

of the Indian architecture, as the story of competing

ideas in Indian architecture, and of the people who

supported those ideas, and lived and died for them,

and, of course, turned them into the stones of

architecture. As I study these, I read books from every

disciplinary background and I try and digest them as

best as I can. I rarely look at the old colonial books

on Indian architecture; I can’t stand the discussion of

‘styles.’ But I do look at the buildings themselves, in

real life or in print, and study them from an architect’s

perspective. I ask myself: how is the plan organized?

How does movement and circulation occur? What

kind of light comes into the building? How do shade

and shadow articulate the exterior? What materials

are used? What are the formal principles that are used

to organize all the elements? And so on. Just to wit:

faith is not the issue here; whether you believe or not,

the point here is to understand the temple from the

perspective of a professional. It is no different than any

other building program.

These kinds of questions motivated me recently to

conduct a studio on the modern Hindu temple, in the

institution where I teach in Seattle, at the University

of Washington. The occasion was that the Hindu

community of Seattle is organizing itself to build a

grand new temple for themselves, and although they

put me on the planning committee of the temple, I

was dismayed that they wanted to build yet another

rather stereotypical conception of a Hindu temple.

I was even more dismayed, however, that I could

not point them towards any good new modern

interpretations of temples. So I decided to teach the

studio, to at least open the topic academically. Seven

Masters level students signed up – none with any

background Hinduism or the Hindu temple, but all

with great talent and insatiable curiosity. They have

each produced a work that is as passionate as it is

interpretive. Separately, we have made a publication

that documents all the projects. Here, I am presenting

one of them, Nathaniel (Nate) Gilberts, simply because

this student’s interpretation gels with the topic of your

publication: fractals.

When Nate saw the shikhara of the Kendariya

Mahadeva Temple at Khajuraho, he saw fractals. If you

look at it closely you will see that the shikhara is, infact,

composed of a lot of mini-shikharas. What this means

is that no matter which scale you study the shikhara

at, it appears the same. This self-similar pattern of

organization is what we call fractals. Now, a shikhara

is conceptually a model of the universe and so if the

organizational pattern of the shikhara is fractal, what

this implies is that according the core principles of

Hinduism, the universe is organized fractally!! This is an

amazing and inspiring idea.

Setting aside ideas of astrology and superstition, my

student Nate, decided to investigate how he could

re-use the principals of fractal geometries to imagine

a new contemporary temple, without resorting to

stereotypical Hindu temple imagery. The results are

given in the accompanying graphics. I hope they are

self-explanatory. I would welcome questions, queries

and comments on Nate’s project.

Dr. Vikramaditya Prakashhttp://faculty.washington.edu/vprakashvikram.prakash@gmail.com

Architecture and religion has been at good terms with

each other throughout the ages. It appeared religion

was the moot point in architecture for inspiration and

guidance in how it should go about. Both these factors

had so much depended on each other that they

became imminent in talk of all the erstwhile civilizations.

They registered themselves in folklores and day to day

events of their people.

Architecture as a free vehicle in giving its form having

de-linked from religion had very little role. Architecture

never had such a role as free from such clutches as

most of the time architects imagined themselves to

be. Yet world over we have so many examples of

architecture as form giver to religion that the role in

itself was quite in abundance of variety, sensibilities and

whatever people could gather from it that architecture

in itself became religion. Whole galaxy of architectural

forms from the past which people engage so well

in so many ways and thoughts that it seemed there

was some kind of freedom in architecture available to

exercise in mind and action to fructify.

People term architecture in relation to religion and then

other socio-economic attributes to it would emerge in

natural sequence.

So religion gets freer picture, more intelligible, more

characteristic of its function through architecture.

Phenomena such as the great aura of monumental

pyramids, Buddhist serenity in form and expanse

planning in various routes in the Deccan India and

elsewhere in Central Asia created role of architecture

more permanent one. It emerged as real focus of

activity in all ages to come, be it medieval times,

classical period, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Mayan,

Buddhist in Kyoto and many places in South Asia,

there could be innumerable icons coming into forms

in every nook and corner of the world. The process is

ever progressing.

The role of architecture in taking course to other

functional derivation manifested in multiple forms

each contributing to new beginning. Their histories

dating back thousands of years so were the doctrines,

myths, and methodologies in worship were so

Architecture and ReligionKarandev Singh MankotiaSenior Lecturer, CCA

varied, yet they reached out to universal truth of

ethical tolerance toward others. Their creators were

exemplary folk who attained a mastery of self-

knowledge that bent them to kill evil and seek the

highest examples of good.

Also emphasized are the religions that revealed the

genesis of cultural icons and having decisively formed

world civilizations order put on differing, but not

exclusive, views of ultimate character to each of say

mercy and benevolence in Buddhism, morality and

ethics in Confucianism, respect in Shinto’s, devotion

and mystical unity of divine Self in Hinduism, obedience

and perseverance in Judaism, love for the Creator and

one’s fellowman in Christianity, and submission to the

will of Allah in Islam.

Now these universalities on much profound basis,

testament of early truth whatever form resulted in

architectural manifestation.

People world over go to places and respect those

sensibilities enshrined in authentic structural form,

icons adding meaning to very existence.

Architecture thus becomes more potent force as

do the religion. Idea of its becoming such is further

sign of what direction people will move in, whether

to negate it or digress from it or whatever. It is the

question that sets people in more creativity, in search,

in motion. The roles in universal leadership require

more comprehensive approach, whether it is shaped

by climate change or any other issue which may come

about in future. Whether architecture will be the force

to suit that ideology it is for people to think.

Availability of resources and human longevity would be

combined factor in the realm of architecture in what

forms it could generate to engage future generations.

Its creativity and technology sense to perpetuate

the future cause in architecture would be engaging

professional pursuits.

Images: Mayan, Egyptian and Japanese Architecture

Change is the only constant and considering the ever

expanding horizons of human endeavours, evolution

is always a positive thing. Even if the immediate

explorations may not be “desirable” they will pave the

way for things not yet conceived. Innovation occurs to

fill changing human needs. This is called progress, and

it’s good.

As with every other field architecture will also change.

The industrial revolution with its new possibilities of

materials and building techniques paved the way for

the Modern Architecture movement. Structures in

steel and glass were decried by purists as aberrations

that barely fitted into the realm of “real architecture”.

Today we find ourselves at the crossroads again.

The theory and practice of Digital architecture has

spawned endless debates on the direction in which

architecture is heading today. Before we blindly

accept the notion of purely computer generated built

environments there are a few pertinent issues that

need to be addressed. There are some reservations

that most architects have while warming up to this

new way of building.

Architecture needs reason. There is no place for

pure aesthetic whimsy. The first and foremost

apprehension is that architects and engineers seem

to be creating structures in an intellectual vacuum,

without any real world context. We are increasingly

being bombarded with apparently bizarre designs

being generated with free-form computer modelling

tools. One can only question the architectural and

aesthetic merit of most of these proposals at the risk of

being labelled conservative and regressive! Wherein

lies the danger that the computer is supposed to spew

out forms and spaces that are infallible and immune to

criticism. This assumption marks the decline of theory,

underestimating the role of critical analysis of the

building brief, and the rise of ‘cool’ digital techniques

and technologies .If the digital technology does not

influence the design thinking, design method and

spatial theory, then it can be treated as merely a new

tool and a welcome addition to the architect’s palette.

On the other hand, if in the coming years all the above

mentioned parameters are challenged and changed

by digital architecture, it will then be more than a

theory. A case in point is writing by hand or with a type

writer. Can the tool change the very fabric of your

language? Will you still be able to communicate your

intent either ways? Or will the ingenuity of the tool

overtake and nudge you into expressing your creation

in a form you did not even intend to? It takes a lot of

maturity to be able to use any tool as a servant and

not let it become your master. The difficulty for young

designers then is not in how to use these technologies

but which to use and when to use it. There seems to

be an increasing peer pressure in the profession to

succumb to the morphing, warping and complicated

curvatures of virtual space. The emphasis on the

practical methods and potential of digital fabrication

and assemblage of the real is getting obscured in the

pre occupation with the realm of the virtual world and

its representation.

In a scenario where a bunch of numbers and statistics

dictate the form and spaces of a built environment

where is the scope for the architectural philosophy

and theory that raised the profession from a trade to

an artistic venture of high intellectual merit?

Compounding the problem in a developing country

like ours is the gap between architectural education,

society culture, and digital architecture. The

education system has hardly been able to keep up

with the rapid change of the digital technology. Our

traditional architectural education is still based on

the philosophical, social, historical and psychological

theory. This has given rise to generation of designers

lacking enough exposure and maturity to discern the

validity of their own creation. The challenge then for

all of us is to analyse how architecture can continue to

speak for itself and what risks are posed in forsaking

architectural theory. Maybe we need to remember

that the computer is just one tool in a large shed of

creative devices. It is a tool for materialising ideas not

for generating them in the first place.

On the Urban level think of the impact of each and

every bulbous creation screaming for attention at

every nook and corner. What about the fabric of

the city and the visual clutter it would create? As an

imminent architect once said that in the ancient times

each city had a consistent and distinct fabric with

Good servant, bad masterDeepika GandhiLecturer, CCA

maybe one odd cathedral as a landmark. But today

the problem is that every building wants to be that

cathedral. A choir sounds intriguing because everyone

tries to blend in rather than shout out the loudest to get

heard and seen

And let’s not even get started about the socio

economic impact of a tool that allows you to go

straight form the creator to the manufacturer totally

by passing the builder. What of the millions directly or

indirectly dependent on the construction industry.

So before we foray into this fascinating world of

possibilities we need get our priorities right and use

this tool wisely to achieve the parameters that will form

the basis of any architectural endeavour for years to

come.

From Top (CW): Selfridges Birmingham, Future Systems;Soundcloud, B+U Architecture; Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier

Sustainable Urban ecologyDurganand BalsavarSRM University, Chennai

Ar. Durganand Balsavar is the Principal architect of ARTES-Human settlements development center, Chennai. He has been involved in the CMDA Second Master Plan process and is a visiting Faculty in several Indian and International Universities. This paper is part of a larger research on Urbanity and Ecology. at Harvard University, Cambridge.

coordinated actions may have to be initiated from the

micro-scale of the household to the state and national

levels and importantly in the international context.

In that sense India has to prudently deploy new

energy efficient technologies and reorganize urban

consumption of resources.

The fast burgeoning urbanized populations in India and

China has a consequent impact on the consumption

of energy resources. Alongside such consumption

has evolved the consumerist society of high

technology with increased consumption of electricity

and water supply. Greater awareness of indigenous

and traditional knowledge of energy efficient design

could ameliorate the situation. A scrutiny and

establishment of standards for energy efficiency of

buildings requires to be done indigenously with a

better understanding of local climate and resources

rather than callously adopting international standards.

hijacking Sustainability

Dr Adrian Parr, in her book “Hijacking Sustainability”

explains the manner in which several multi-national

companies have been forced to move their

production facilities to Asia. The impact of stringent

environmental regulations in developed countries

could also have indirect bearing on developing

countries still in the process of finalizing their blueprint

of environmental protection. She also cites figures

from a United Nations study showing that half of

the multi-national companies in the Asia-Pacific

region used lower environmental, health and safety

standards than those they adhered to in developed

countries. Dr Parr cites examples of a report by the

Basel Action Network that approximately eighty

percent of North American electronic waste ends up

in Asia. Many of the developing nations accepting this

e-waste may not have the appropriate technology

needed to safely recycle or dispose the same.

While recycling may at face value appear the most

appropriate way to manage the environmental

impacts, the outdated methodology could produce

toxic wastes that are harmful to the environment.

Conserving Nature

Another process of ameliorating the urban

At the culmination of the first decade of the twenty-

first century, India is an optimistic country. Even as

the cardinal cities orient to address the future, the

deliverance of a better quality of life for all sections of

society needs to be addressed.

The two debates of sustainability

The two major issues that confront India’s post-

independence urban process are the “Nature versus

Development” and “Citizen’s Participation” debate.

Urban development in the present context of climate

change needs to ensure a minimal adverse impact

on the environment. Participatory Urban Planning also

needs to eschew an inclusive growth process, which

calls for a paradigm shift in the notion of justice, equity

and urbanity.

The historic disregard for environment

While Harrapa, Srirangam and Jaipur epitomize the

mystical traditional Indian city, Lutyen’s New Delhi

fossilizes the desire of Colonial powers over the

last two hundred years to indigenize, during their

transformation from traders to rulers. Like the Euro-

centric industrial revolution, British administrators in

India focused on the creation of New Colonial cities.

Unlike the traditional Indian city, these cities had broad

roads for cars and trams, large railway stations in

steel, Town Halls, museums and well established

educational institutions. On the other side, this

colonial development also involved indiscriminate

deforestation in the promise of a new “civilized” world

of industrial growth. Urbanization in independent

India unwittingly assimilated this “colonial” disregard

for the environment. The Western developed world

too unwittingly ushered in technologies with adverse

impacts to the environment. Nandan Nilakeni

interestingly describes India as the “afflicted passive

smoker when it comes to the emissions that the

developed world has created over the last century”.

Today, in order to mitigate the adverse impacts of

climate change on the urban poor, a series of t

environment would be the conscious introduction of

green parks and probably urban agriculture as well.

It also facilitates bio-diversity in conserving natural

species. Besides exploring the symbolic and poetic

realm of urban growth, perhaps a more pragmatic

initiative to discover a sustainable connection with the

natural environment

Much has been debated on Chandigarh as the

symbolic post-independent modern city. What has

been as relevant has been the gardens created by

Nek Chand from recycled ceramic waste (see image).

Ironically, the Chandigarh master plan guided the

course of other Indian cities. The imposition of the

geometric plan became the unquestioned norm for

Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat, Jamshedpur and several

other industrial towns. The ancient reverence for

Nature was forgotten. The form of the city impacts its

way of life. For instance linear cities like Mumbai and

Kolkotta can rely on the rapid transit corridors and the

rail as their lifeline. However cities like Chennai and

Bangalore need to actively explore a unified transport

network of multiple modes. Most often squatter

settlements emerge close to places that provide job

opportunities. Integrating this factor with the conscious

planning of cities could dramatically reduce the need

for public transport, which is socially determined by

quality, cost, time and convenience. While there is no

specific quantification of the impact of climate change

on urbanity, a gradual consensus is evolving on its

possible impact – (MEA 2005) – in terms of increased

temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, extreme weather

conditions and sea level rise. Climate change has

posed complex challenges to the urban processes in

India.

Sustainable habitat Mission

The National Action Plan on Climate Change proposes

a Sustainable Habitat Mission to give an impetus to

energy efficiency in the urban planning process. It

proposes to address these issues by evolving ; - urban

waste management and recycling norms, building

energy consumption norms and affordable housing

in appropriate technology and through better facilities

for public transport. Urban growth in India has been

sustained by the enterprise of the urban poor. The

urban less-privileged survive despite being formally

excluded from the institutional processes of the urban

process. At a macro-level, reorganizing therelationship

between the urbanized settlements and the neglected

rural hinterland would be essential as part of the

Nek Chand’s ecological urbanity

climate change strategy. The resilience and

innovativeness of the social and cultural institutions to

assimilate the tenets of this mitigation process cannot

be assessed at the present juncture.

Urban villages and Participatory Planning

Several urban centers and towns are more a

conglomerate of villages, rather than an urban

expression of metropolis. This condition is fortunate

and provides the needed space and time for

reorganizing the nature of urban development. In a

broader context, providing affordable and sustainable

housing remains the most critical challenge to the

urban process. Studies reveal that probably half the

population of Mumbai reside in shanty dwellings

occupying fifteen percent of the cities total land

area. The resettlement of these slums would be

an essential factor in future urban development –

affordable housing, security of tenure, innovative and

cost effective designs, assurance of basic amenities.

Community participation in the decision making

process is critical for sustainable democratic urban

development. Key areas to be addressed would be

land management and tenure, affordable and unified

public transportation systems, a clear policy on urban

dwellings, employment opportunities, education and

healthcare systems.

Its not about idealistic manifestos or “green” slogans,

but sheer common sense to transform our urban

development to respect and protect the ecology,

reduce harmful emissions, address affordable

and dignified housing, unified transportation and

infrastructure and the humane workplace. To

rediscover the foundations of the equitable and

sustainable post-independent Indian City is a collective

pragmatic choice.

artesindia@gmail.com

Below: Rock Garden, ChandigarhFacing: The Pyramids, Egypt, by Gagandeep Singh, CCA

U2 and the Indian cityAparajithan NarasimhanSenior Lecturer, SRM University, ChennaiPrincipal Architect - AN Projects

The numbers are mind boggling. Every day 300

families migrate to Mumbai, by 2050 50% of the Indian

population will be urban – which means about 60 –

65 million which represents a 100% growth from the

already overcrowded cities in its current state, Delhi

ships water from Ganga despite Yamuna’s presence,

Chennai’s population density is 24,700 people per sq

km. Are these cities ready to double their size in the

next few decades, and how? Should they double their

size, or their carrying capacity? What can be done?

On the global front, apart from the worldwide

recession, cities are back at the forefront of

mainstream economics. Over the last half of the

previous century, suburbanization combined

with rapid disinvestment and degeneration of

urban neighborhoods was rampant along with

the automobile boom in leading the economic

bandwagon. With globalization, however, the

increased need for collaboration and human

interaction in leading business decisions and

the lifestyle of the modern ‘knowledge worker’

has brought urban areas that have an attractive

atmosphere for such interactions and lifestyles into the

limelight.

Where does this leave Indian cities? Apart from the

historical fabric and cheap technical labor, they hold

little attraction at a global level. The infrastructure for

a friendly urban atmosphere and pedestrian oriented

neighborhoods which is the main draw of the ‘global

cities’ is virtually non-existent. Survival instincts take

over and the entire urban experience provides scenes

of various survival mechanisms – some legal, some

illegal, some approved, some not, some sustainable

and sane while others are obscene and ludicrous in

terms of a social and cultural fabric.

The best illustration that brings out this experience

is that of Pondy Bazaar in Chennai. Comparing this

urban district to another similar district in Washington

DC – Georgetown, the biggest difference is in the pace

of life on these streets. While the laidback atmosphere

in Georgetown allows you to have a wholesome

experience of the urban fabric, life in Pondy Bazaar is

frenetic and the survival instinct is rampant in full

splendor. There are no street side restaurants and

street bands and cafes that let you relax and spend a

balmy summer evening. No, not in Pondy Bazaar. It is

all about fighting traffic to find a parking spot, shop and

get out as fast as you can for there is nothing to let you

enjoy the setting.

Where does this survival instinct come from? What

is the main driver behind such frenetic and feverish

urban activity? Why is there a lack of quality in our

urban experience? Partially, the answer lies in the large

migratory population that throng our cities in search of

a livelihood and a better life for their future generations,

it lies in the failure of our agricultural system that leads

thousands of farmers to suicide, it lies in the lack of

investment outside of ‘Economic Zones’ and ‘export

oriented policies’ that came with our economic liberty.

As a result, we are ‘Caught in the Middle’ to use the

term framed by Richard C. Longworth in his book

‘Caught in the Middle’, where he describes how

the American Mid-West once the cradle of the US

economy is now a derelict and abandoned region

better known as the ‘Rust Belt’, is caught in the

middle between the old economic setup where they

were productive and the new economic policies

of globalization where they are marginalized. Their

skills and training do not render them useful to the

new economy and the old industries where these

communities were successful have also taken the

Silk Route. The blue collared workers find themselves

out of favor due to lack of training in the ‘new’ industry

and their acquired skill is of no use anymore. And he is

talking of America, where access to education is not

an issue.

In the Indian context, given the size of our population

and the access to basic facilities outside the

preferred urban/economic zones, we face a larger

conundrum. Decentralized economic opportunity and

a widespread investment and development portfolio is

the call of the hour to provide for inclusive growth – the

latest political mantra in India. Whatever the merits and

demerits of the Nehru era, the investment in education

and science however farfetched it seemed at the time

has been our savior in the last two decades. Similar

vision and commitment is called for from a policy stand

point. The aim should be to stop migration to cities and

provide opportunities for a better life wherever there is

an existing human settlement.

The means of achieving this goal is not farfetched or

utopian. We have had successful examples like Amul

that have created a business model to emulate. With a

cooperative base and a capitalistic outreach, Amul has

been able to channelize economic opportunity to the

grass roots shown by the development of Anand in

Gujrat. Similar setups with an organized retail sector at

the helm can help bring prosperity to the grass roots of

our country. With this kind of a setup, redistribution of

wealth acquired is also channelized and realizable, and

does not remain a pipe dream.

At the moment, we are pinging our hopes on ‘trickle-

down Reaganomics’ it seems, with no mechanism

other than a Robin Hood story in place to redistribute

wealth to foster ‘inclusive growth’. Our built

environment also reflects this thought process at the

policy level as can be clearly seen on ‘IT Highway’ in

Chennai. Not so long ago, this was a road flanked by

farm lands, marshes and backwaters, with buildings

flung far and few in between, interspersed by villages.

Today, it looks like a mixture of confused glass

containers waiting to be shipped out of an otherwise

derelict village. Clearly, the conundrum is because

the community is not being developed in an inclusive

manner. The inhabitants of the glass containers are

shipped in and shipped out on a daily basis and their

money is also spent elsewhere. This is exclusionary

development and not inclusive growth.

Urbanization of the human population may be an

irreversible phenomenon. However, it does not

mean that existing cities have to bear the brunt of this

phenomenon. Through decentralized development,

newer urban regions can be created which will

enable a better quality of life in every environment

and render the possibility of an access to livelihood

in one’s preferred environment. It does not mean a

return to Ebenezer Howard and his Garden Cities, but

networked transit-oriented development with high

density urban centers at transit hubs and a hierarchy

of high-speed long distance rail, short-distance

rail and surface trams that enables development

footprint to be low and allows men and materials

to be transported in an efficient manner. It means a

revamp of the existing urban fabric in the current cities

to enable transit-oriented development and efficient

resource utilization. It means that current cities should

not be disinvested; rather require more attention and

investment to alter the cancerous urban fabric of

today to make them truly ‘Global cities’ in the shadow

of which the smaller centers can then prosper.

Below (L-R): Pondy Bazaar, Chennai; Georgetown, Washington DC

Streets…

When this word comes to mind, the scenario of

transport road network occupied by vehicles & fast

moving life suddenly flashes in the front of our eyes.

Today in the world of technological advancement

in fields of communication and transportation, the

word ‘Street’ has disappeared from the dictionary

of urban planning. In the past this word was used

interchangeably. It was conceived as a path, an

avenue, a route, a highway road, a boulevard and so

on. All these have similar meaning, but there exists a

minor distinguishing line between the street and the

road.

Today road is considered as an ordinary line

of communication between different places

predominantly, used to carry wheeled traffic to some

end or journey. While Street may have these attributes

but more importantly it is a linear surface along which

movement occurs between two lines, houses or

shops, says the dictionary.

Street is one such social interactive public space,

which contributes to the physical, perceptual and

visual dimension. It not only links public and private

realm but is a place where we mingle with people of

diverse culture, economic and social backgrounds. Ar.

Louis Khan wrote “The Street is a room by agreement.

It is a building block of urban design and extension

of urban life. The city with vibrant street life is the key

for making the works as a piece of design. It is a true

room of the city more than its ceremonial plazas and

squares”.

Apart from the social dimension, functionally street is

one of the most important elements, which shape the

city fabric. The built form and the open spaces come

later.

Think of a city. What comes to the mind? It is a street.

Thinking of traditional Indian Street, it can be said that

it has multifunctional attributes which not only serves

as linking elements but also strengthen the legibility of

the city. However, today in the era of privatization and

globalization, street is looked upon as a commodity.

Traditional Indian Streets - A socio-cultural expression Ar. Medha GokhaleFacultySCOA, Pune

Consumerism is shaping new lifestyles of people

thereby changing the meaning of ‘street as a

interactive space’.

In this increasingly standardized, consumer oriented

and technology dominated world, streets as social

spaces are undergoing transformations. Some

are getting erased out of the fabric and some are

getting trapped inside the invisible boundaries of

upcoming estates, enclaves & complexes. Streets,

that once were informal -interactive places and

important modes of visual communication, are today

being looked upon as modes of transportation-

predominantly to be used for vehicular traffic or for

commercial display, thus slowly moving towards

standardization.

However, when I visited Rajasthan there were

traditional settlements like Jaisalmer, Jodhpur that are

presently uninfluenced by this wave of globalization

and economic competition and still retain their original

character and socio-cultural attachment. The reasons

may be varied… low population densities, lack of

advancements in technology, lower literacy rate and

so on. But despite these reasons, these settlements

still present us with visual identity, socio-cultural

trends of the historic era at the time of evolution and

are the dominant examples of imagibility, legibility

and expressionism. These aspects are eventually

reflected in the settlement pattern, built form and the

streetscapes.

Physically, cross sections of the Indian street reveal

the configuration of path space, profile of ground

plane and the sectional character of building

facades that affront the street. Its architectural

personality is determined by the building facades

that form boundaries of a space. Façade widths,

their projections, recessions, heights, transparency,

material, color, texture, window patterns, composition,

ornamentation are the attributes that contribute to

street character. Such variety along with the curved

and meandering street patterns offer their unique

experience as we move along the route. This is

prominently highlighted by historic towns of Rajasthan

like Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.

carved elements behind which there are open courts

and terraces making them fairly porous in plan. The

street is used by children to play and adults to socialize.

Each house has a plinth projecting on to the street,

commonly used as verandah at ground floor with

no openings on the street except the entrance door

approached by steps. Intricately carved zharokhas

(balconies) at upper floors are also a design feature.

These verandahs are used as informal interactive

spaces where people do not have strong notion of

privacy. The house starts opening as one moves up

from the street. With compact organization, the house

and the street become very close to each other.

Hence, almost all the dwellings are planned to open in

court with few punctures on the street façade. Human

scale is maintained giving a sense of proportion.

Because of the pedestrian scale of the town, people

know each other and there is little evidence of

anonymity.

Hence, in today’s fast pace of city expansion and

transformation, conservation of historic streets and

influence of socio-cultural change on their visual

dimension needs to be paid serious attention to!

Talking of Jaisalmer streets, these are more than

mere paths- they are public spaces too. These are

not only compact networks of two to three meter

wide streets abutted by two to three storied dwellings

creating cluster spaces, but they also create a

sense of enclosure and provide cool shade, thereby

responding to climatic conditions. These streets have

divided the city into rectangular blocks, which are

commonly termed as ‘Padas’.

Thus Streets, through their physical attributes present

us with historic significance, activity pattern and

ambience. These are basic factors, which contribute

to the social dimension of a street as public space

and, thereby, make it an interactive public street.

Streetscape is the first and immediate element to

highlight the character and tradition of the area at the

time of evolution and represent the city. Streets are the

first to get noticed, stating the history of its evolution in

terms of the period of construction, occupation, socio-

cultural trend and lifestyle of people of that era.

These blocks show continuous façades of exquisitely

student

Every moment of the day, we are surrounded by

a number of objects, whether it be a pencil or a

building. If one is asked to list the things that one can

remember, it will become a never ending task. But

there lies a very interesting fact among all the objects

in this world, living or created by us - each object has

a complementary element to it. This is not only limited

to the physical objects but also includes sensations

and actions, such as the perception of joy and

sorrow, hot and cold, tranquillity and discord. All these

complement each other. This complementary nature

of things establishes a sense of balance amongst

them all , and our sensations are such that a slight

disparity makes us edgy.

It’s hard for one to picture a fruit which is half an apple

and half a banana. Symmetry is another way of

complimenting an object. It’s a human tendency to be

attracted towards a symmetrical and rather peaceful

space. Nature embodies in itself a complex miscellany

even in the symmetry of any object. While an object

varies from another of the same kind, it has a self-

similarity of smaller molecules resembling the basic

shape of the object. This diversity in nature is being

explained on the basis of a mathematical study of

similar shapes and their relationship to natural shapes

known as Fractals. It’s the play of numbers, involving

several mathematical equations which concentrate

on understanding the intricacy in nature and its

organization.

A detailed study reveals that every object in nature

is comprised of smaller parts which are in fact a

duplication of the basic shape of the object. In a fern

leaf for example, there is a progression of a self similar

form which forms the structure molecule. The same

can be observed for trees, ridges, mountains and even

clouds. Every structure does not fit into the concept

of straight lines and symmetrical triangles reducing

in progression as proposed by Karl Weierstrass, and

Waclaw Sierpinski. Hence the extensive study done

on forms and structures unveils a new world of several

different units, each different in shapes and sizes, and

each being a unique fractal.

The evolution of this concept has been slow and has

taken place with different questions being answered

by different people. An overlook at this history

answers some questions that have been enigmatic for

a very long time like, explanations to the new shapes

being evolved, stability of the solar system, motion of

object under defined circumstances etc. The credit

for compiling all the research and coining the name

fractals goes to Benoit Mandelbrot. It was concluded

that even stocks exchange rates and growth rates,

when plotted on paper take the shape of a fractal and

are hence repetitive. Mandelbrot exclaims that Nature

played a joke on the mathematicians. The structures

that they created with complex mathematical

equations have turned out to be inherent in familiar

objects all around us. These new set of structures

were also called a Gallery of Monsters.

We are all well versed with the Euclidean geometry-

lines, ellipses circles etc, however, this new world did

not necessarily fit in the pre-defined. In order to deal

with non-integer dimensions, as was required, Fractal

geometry was defined. Fractal geometry is very

much at odds with the Euclidean geometry which

we see around us in our man made environment;

clean curves, smooth surfaces, perfect parallels and

perpendiculars. These are not in accordance with

nature; they have no aesthetic ‘depth’. No one wants

to see a park or garden consisting of cones and

triangle. It might be argued that this is because we

enjoy plants and trees as a ‘break’ from the simple,

tidy and monotonous geometry of everyday life, but it

really goes further than this. A smooth polished piece

of marble or beautifully grained wood offers far greater

attraction than a smooth polished surface, owing to a

certain degree of disorder. Not that it is suggested that

complete disorder has any appeal: untidiness appeals

to no one. But as with marble or wood grain, the

beauty of fractals lies in their ‘order within disorder’.

Described in algorithms, fractal geometry forms a set

of instructions on how to form fractals. The images

that one sees in everyday life may inspire the definition

of fractals, but that isn’t where it ends. They have

innumerable possibilities.

FractalsAn Introduction

Apoorv KaushikCCA, Chandigarh

The main characteristics of a fractal may be enlisted

as:

- Irregularity

- Indistinguishability of most magnified images of

fractals from the unmagnified version.

- Non-integer dimensions

- Self similarity

Fractals go beyond normal imagination, which itself

is as vast as space and as varied as this world. They

have given a new way to observe and study the

various aspects of daily life. Fractals are an expression

of the essence of nature and are being applied to

architecture, as to many other fields. It has been a long

an eventful journey through the field of architecture

with fractals. In one form or the other, even

unintentionally at times, we have incorporated this

phenomena and have developed many more from

this one, which is truely enthralling in every sense.

What makes fractal exploration so intriguing, is the

features which are detectable on zooming. They

are always changing—teasing us with a little bit of

familiarity, and tantalizing with new and unexpected

twists. With just a single fractal shape, one can explore

forever and never see everything it has to offer. The

further we zoom, the more likely we are seeing

something that nobody has ever seen before.

To get a fairer idea of what we are dealing with, the

following analogy can be considered. A relative size of

a fractal is such that, a small fractal image—perhaps

only 640x480—contains over 300,000 points. Each

of those points may require running a number through

the fractal formula more than 1,000 times. This means

the formula has to be computed more than three

hundred million times. And that’s a mild example.

Extreme images can involve more than one trillion

calculations.

Looking over at the architectural aspect of fractals,

every form has developed from many such small units:

fractals. Indigenous architecture presents complex

rhythm structures to the observer. There is a fractal

mix of order and surprise which will put you in awe as

we move further.

INTRODUCTION

Human being was always in search of shelter from

the prehistoric period. As he started his journey, the

invention of new materials for safe and comfortable

shelter was the prime concern. Animal skin was used

for protection against harsh weather conditions. The

humans and the environment were finely tuned.

Connection between humans and environment got

disconnected when poor quality design started. We

have degraded almost every major ecosystem in the

world thereby compromising on basic natural factors

like air, water and soil.

In the future, the houses we live and the offices

we work in, will be designed to function like living

organisms, specifically adapted to place and able to

draw all of their requirements for energy and water

from the surrounding.

Man is always the focal point for all design as he is the

user of the space. It is possible and within our reach

to design innovative and creative designs which lead

to sustainability. Even when we understand these

designing criteria the gap between understanding &

application remains the same. Hence we need to be

bio-inspired.

Multiple inventions have been developed in the

fields of medicine, robotics, material science, and

engineering. However, there is currently only a small

amount of research within the architecture community

that explores Biomimicry.

BIOMIMICRY

From the Greek word ‘bios’ meaning life and ‘mimesis’

meaning imitation. In simple words Biomimicry is the

‘Inventions inspired by the Nature’.

Biomimicry is a new science that studies nature’s

models and imitates or takes inspiration from these

designs and processes to solve the human problems.

e.g., a solar cell inspired by a leaf, self cleaning paint

inspired by lotus leaves, a bionic car inspired by box

fish, East Gate Centre, commercial complex in Harare

inspired by termite mound etc.

Biomimicry uses an ecological standard to judge the

Biomimicry: A New Way of Living Palash DeolankarIIT Roorkee

rightness of our innovations. After 3.8 million years of

evolution, nature has learned- What works? What is

appropriate? What lasts?

Biomimicry is a new way of viewing and valuing nature.

It introduces an era based not on what we can extract

from the natural world, but on what we can learn from

it.

Industry also imitates nature. For the designing of

Crystal Palace Joseph Paxton used the structure of

a lily pad as inspiration in 1852. Also, Wright brothers

were avid bird watchers, and their airplane wing

design was modeled after birds.

APPLICATION

One major application of Biomimicry is the field of

Biomaterials, which involves synthesizing natural

materials and applying this to practical design. One

of the major advantages of biomaterials is that they

are normally biodegradable. In addition, the extreme

temperatures and hazardous chemicals often used in

manmade construction are usually unnecessary with

natural alternatives.

Spider silk is one of the most sought after biomaterials,

gaining a reputation as the “Holy Grail” of biomaterials.

This material, produced by special glands in a spider’s

body, has the advantage of being both light and

flexible, and pound for pound is roughly three times

stronger than steel: the tensile strength of the radial

threads of spider silk is 1,154 Mpa while steel is 400

Mpa . The web is composed of two types of silk, the

major ampullate silk, which forms the dragline and

web frame, and the viscid silk, which forms the glue-

covered catching spiral.

BIOMIMICRY AND ARChITeCTURe

History of architecture in the 20th century can be

looked upon as a history of buildings emulating

machines and technology. The machine, such as

the internal combustion engine has been the symbol

of progress and mankind’s mastery over nature for

the last hundred years. The machine has allowed us

to achieve comfort in any climate, to traverse long

distances in short amounts of time and has

revolutionized everything from food production to

the manufacture of clothing. It is not surprising that

machines are the ultimate metaphor for the buildings

of today. Le Corbusier, one of the 20th century’s

greatest architects even went so far as to say that

“houses are machines for living in.”

FUTURe PROJeCTION

As architectural evolution took place, we have seen

different construction techniques which help in

human’s comfort and protection from harsh climatic

conditions. The journey started with load bearing

structures where vernacular building materials were

used. The concrete came into existence in the 18th

century and this new building material changed

the world. The reinforced cement concrete frame

structure with the rigid form of building can be seen

very frequently till today. The age of curtain walls for

the internal cooling and heating system came into

existence but the overall rigid form of the building

remained same. More and more use of steel structure

with tensile building material now helps in flexibility of

the spaces.

The ever-changing building skin was possible only

because invention of new building material. A time

will come when structure and skin will be combined

together and more flexibility will be the prime concern.

There is an urgent need for the multifunctional space

in the future where building will function by computer

operated systems.

We need change - In terms of material, construction

technology and thinking.

We need Biomimicry!

Below: Bird’s Nest, Water Lily

I was five

When I met him

An impressionable age

The old man stood

At the end of the road

Staring at the huge

Sprawling house

‘’I like to play with lines’’ he said

“I designed that house “he said

“My bricked up dreams “ he said

I held him in awe

Stupid me!

I often cursed him

Later in life

Cursed him

For igniting the spark

Cursed him silently

When i

Fought with my parents

I wanted to be an architect

I wanted to brick up my dreams

Cursed him volubly

When I worked

n worked at college

Measuring, cutting

Measuring, cutting

Drawing, always drawing.

Cursed him

When people sneered at me

“Architect”?

They’d ask

”ohhhhh…..”

In that voice

Stupid old man!

Cursed him most of all

Because I loved

Every minute of it.

One day though

There I was

Wrinkled and bent

Bricked up dreams… Chhavi AryaCCA,Chandigarh

And I stood

At the end of the road

Watching a loving couple

Embraced beneath an arch

I had bricked up

Watching a couple o’ kids

Playing in a backyard

I had designed

Ah! I thought

Unexpected laughter

Bubbled inside me

The old man had been right after all

Playing with lines

And floors

He’d said

Building homes

Spaces to interact

Designing life

Bricking up dreams

With a smile

I turned away

To find a young boy looking up at me

He seemed around five...

Facing Page (L-R): The Grand Mosque, Mecca; Chapel at Ronchamp, France by Le Corbusier; Chapel’s interior

Fractals – Anti fractals & Its interpretation in Sacred Architecture

Shaiwanti GuptaMNIT, Jaipur

Architecture, as we know it, is not just composition

of 2D – Element or a detailed plan of a building

juxtaposed by a flamboyant elevation. It is an art that

stimulates moment, something that creates space. It’s

a reciprocal relationship of form and volume that infuse

certain emotions of wonder, peace or mystery.

Fractals literally stand for the repetitive modules

that reduce themselves by a certain scale. But let

us not limit it to the creation of patterns or a novel

architecture. It is the presence of a fractal in an

architectural space that enhances its emotive sense.

“One prayer in this-my mosque, is more efficacious

than a thousand in other places”

The fractal order in a natural holy mountain Arafat and

man-made creation of Mecca may be quite similar

but it is this fractal that defines the very nature of an

organized complexity that not only is a repetitive

pattern but also an organic interpretation, a way in

which life exists.

A minimalist building altogether defies the existence of

fractals. The ornamentation from a scale 2mm to 2m,

which corresponds to the human scale of structures-

Size of the eye, finger, arm, hand etc is eliminated. This

can be defined as an ‘Anti-Fractal’ approach.

Deconstructive style being characterized by

unbalanced, chaotic forms can approach a statistical

fractal but have no patterns on single scale or linked

across different scales.

Does that leave the Chapel at Ronchamp

a less emotive architecture? There is least detail

as one approaches the building. Apart from the

abstract geometry it leaves nothing in detail on

magnification, a typical attribute of anti-fractals. But

inside it, is the perforated north wall that brings in

the drama. Addressed differently, can these rays of

colored light become a fractal of space that magnifies

with kinesthetic movement, change their scale and

intensify their form?

Can the concept of making a holy place for Christianity

over the time of some 2000 years contain a fractal

element in its space? The treatment of light that

remains a more philosophical fractal here, magnifies

itself through the time-line. And the structural element

of Gothic magnifies itself as it moves back from

Romanesque to the construction of Basilica.

Fractal here does not remain as a pattern to be scaled

in the ratio of non-integral terms but an interpretation

of what it does, how it is relevant in a space and why it

needs application in the real world.

A pilgrim’s journey of faith to the Grand Mosque in

Mecca vanquishes the worldly desire and leads to a

spiritual evaluation.

But does architecture play a role in any way that can

lead to such a strong emotional impact and a spiritual

satisfaction?

Architecturally speaking, Mecca is a marvel. Here the

delicate details and intrinsic geometry in each element

stands apart and is a gem of its own.

In such a place, where the same pattern of very small

detail scales a measurable human form, a minaret

that stands beside, of a scale much larger relates to

something that cannot comprehend to a mere human

scale. It is this realization that in a micro way infuses

faith in that which lies above us all and is much grand

than our existence.

INTRODUCTION

An historic building is one that gives us a sense of

wonder and makes us want to know more about

the people and culture that produced it. It has

architectural, aesthetic, historic, documentary,

archeological, economic, social and even political

and spiritual or symbolic values; but the first impact

is always emotional, for it is a symbol of our cultural

identity and continuity – a part of our heritage.

From the first act of its creation, through its long life

to the present day, a historic building has artistic and

human ‘messages’ which will be revealed by a study

of its history. A complexity of ideas and of cultures may

be said to encircle an historic building and be reflected

in it.

NeeD FOR CONSeRVATION

To preserve historically valued buildings and

their cultural features.

To enhance the importance of valuable history

to the public age.

To restore the derelict and decaying conditions

to a newer and preservable state.

To add value to oldness by preserving it intact.

To cause a revival of usage and public

participation as a community activity in

restoration.

Evolution of mankind from ape to man has seen

transformation through ages. Mankind has sustained

over these ever changing ages through flourishing

and desperation of the civilization.

absolute truth.

Understanding historic Urban Settlements(PAZHAYARAI – THE RUINED CITY)

R. Balaji, School of ArchitectureHindustan University, Chennai

“Civilizations flourished along the river “.

Man derives basic necessities of Food, Clothing, and

Shelter. Man thrives on them for existence.

Man rose to power, evolved kingdoms with guilds and

feuds.

“One Man ruled and other man obeyed “

South India, one among the mightiest kingdom among

the world. Her territories are ruled by so many powerful

men.

River Cauvery flooded and flourished SOUTH INDIA

and its considered holy. It is responsible for the fertility

and robustness of Tamil Nadu.

A number of civilizations have had their births at the

lap of this holy river. Some of the ancient civilizations

that prospered were Chera, Cholas, and Pandyas.

The Vijiayanageras , the Hoysala and Chalukyas. The

Chera, Chola and Pandya Period were also known as

the “GOLDEN AGE” of Tamil Nadu.

The Cholas were the most powerful among the other

rulers. The Chola period has been classified to three

periods namely, EARLY, MEDEIVAL and LATER.

Earlier the Chera, Chola, Pandya ruled their respective

kingdoms with great power and

dominance. These three dynasties

were in constant struggle with

each other vying for hegemony.

Kalabhras subjugated the Tamil

country after defeating the ancient

Chera, Chola and Pandya Kings.

Thus 300 A.D. saw the fall of the

mighty Cholas and during this “Dark

age “the Chola Empire almost

completely disappeared from their

native. This Dark age of the Tamil

history came to an end with the

ascendancy of the Pandyas and

the Pallavas thus reviving the Chola

dynasty.

The Chola dynasties were at the

heights of their power continuously

from the later half of the 9th century

till the beginning of the 13th century.

The Chola King Vijayalaya Chola

was one among its ancient kings

and held Pazhaiyarai as their capital

city for nearly 200 years. It was

during this time, the Cholas set the

first milestone of the medieval period

by 846 A.D.

Ref: ‘Pirkaala Cholar Saritharam’- Sadhasiva

Pandithar

“The Post-Sangam period saw the

rise and fall of the Chola Empire.“

Ref: ‘The Cholas’ – Neelakanda shasthri

Tamil Nadu, one of the most ancient Empires

ever seen in the Indian history. It dates from the

PALEOLITHIC period. Remains such as potteries,

burial pots and cave paintings have been discovered

by archaeological survey, thus proving its ancient

ethnicity.

history of the ruined city, Pazhaiyarai

A pure river side settlement.

This ancient settlement has very little mentions in

historical records and its presumed to be included

under Kumbakonam, the temple city.

Pazhaiyarai was believed to be the birth place of the

Chola king who first invaded the kingdoms, defeating

Pandyas and Pallavas.

This was framed as the first capital city after the

invasion by the Cholas.

The Somanatha Swami temple lies in the centre of

the settlement surrounded by Pazhaiyarai Vadathali

(Palace) in the north, Araimetrali in the south and

Thenthali in the south.. The temple has been revered

by the verses of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar.

This is said to be the birth place of Mangayarkarasiyar,

a saint amongst the 63 nayanmars. The scene of

Ravaneswara holding Kailasanathar in his hands is

beautifully carved in this temple.

The ancient Pazhaiyarai was bounded on the East by

Marudhanallur, on the west by the Suntharaperumal

temple, North by Arasalaru and South by Kudamuruti

river.

This capital city with its vast fertile land is bordered by

the four padai veedu -

Puthupadai veedu – in the North-west

Manapadai veedu – in the South-west

Pambapadai veedu – in the South-east

Aariyapadai veedu – in the North-east

The king beautified this plane by implanting over

thousand Lingas as temples.

This capital city enclosed numerous small villages:

Veedu, Paadi, Paalayum, Thali, Kovil, Eecharum,

Padugai, Kudi, Puram, Seri, Medu, Pettai, Nallur, Oor,

Savadi, Thidal, Agragharam, Kai, Vanum, Thoopu,

Kottai, Mutrum, Maligai, Veli, Theru, Aaru, Suzhi, Katti,

Maathi, Kulam.

Settlements in this capital city were planned in

accordance to the peoples’ line of work. All these

panoramas made Pazhaiyarai a very authoritative

capital in the Chola history. Later when Raja Raja Chola

came to power, he shifted the capital to Tanjore, since

then Pazhaiyarai lost its charm and shrinked into a

hamlet village, thus became a place of desolation even

till today.

ChANGe OVeR TIMe

Pazhaiyarai unlike many great civilizations, which have

flourished over time, has been completely neglected

from the canvas of history.

“Ever in the history of the world there has never been

such a long period of reign as a supreme power for

nearly 430 years. They have never been equalled.”

Ref: ‘Earlier Cholas’ - Sethuraman

PReSeNT SCeNARIO

A careful study of the finds of ‘Pazhaiyarai ‘ throws a

flood of light on the social structure, religious, cultural

glory, artistic excellence attained by this place in the

past.

Location: Pazhaiyarai, 6km from Kumbakonam,

Thanjavur District,

Tamil Nadu

India

Coordinates: It is ordinated in the latitude of 79.23’E to 79.38’E.

Terrain: It is a low lying fertile delta plain flourished annually by

numerous rivers like Cauvery, Arasalaru, etc. It is a

gentle slope from North to South. It has an elevation of

about 24m from sea level.

Earth science:Soil is basically alluvial rich in minerals that promote the

growth of plantation crops.

Climate: It has a moderate climate with hot summers and

occasional rainfall.

Rainfall: Some occasional rainfall from March to May, annual

rainfall – 1115mm

Temperature: It has a mean temperature range of about 32.2 ºc to

36.8 ºc.

Social structure / context:- Hamlet village

- Homogenous group of people.

- Comprising mainly of Hindus

- No traces of historical social structure

- Village panchayats held

- People live hand in hand with one another

Human ecology:It has a total population of about 350 which turns up to

be sparse.

Physical:- The physical aspects of the village are similar to any

type of village in South India.

- The Somanatha Swami Temple is the focus but the

village has developed around it.

- The roads are parallel to each other.

Cultural:- Cultural essence is lost

- People here lead a simple life, not strictly governed by

rules and principles

- But festivals and ceremonies are always celebrated

with the same pomp and posh

- Virundhombal, a term that is ethnic to Tamilians that

talk about the society and people.

- Culture and tradition has shaped architecture

- Rearing cows gave rise to cattle shed.

- Open cooking gave rise to the construction of open

kitchens.

- Self modified Architecture gave rise to thinnai which

was built for the relaxation of weary travellers.

Religious context: - Worshippers of Lord Shiva known as Saivites

- Worshippers of Lord Vishnu known as Vaishnavites

The Cholas were strictly the followers of Lord Shiva

There is a pointer in history especially during one of

the Chola kings Karikal Cholan that a severe clash

between saivites and vaishnavites happened.

Transportation: - The settlement is located 6kms approximately from

Kumbakonam.

- Its located, 2kms from patteeswarum and nearly

3kms away from Dharasurum.

- The best mode is taking town buses or mini buses

from Kumbakonam

- The dharasurum railway station is nearby.

CONCLUSION:The futures’ in the air,

We can feel it everywhere,

Blowing with the wind of change.

Winds of change are necessary,

As the ancient theories rest on assumptions that

makes no sense.

Its always necessary for a change to be of a positive

degree. But in today’s world change of a particular

subject leads to its extinction or conclusion. This

is what happened in case of Pazhaiyarai, the city

which was once a mighty capital of a dynasty, later

faded loosing its essence and now its yet another

hamlet village in Kumbakonam with very limited

developments.

These are evident enough to frame Pazhaiyarai as an

urban settlement in history.

This historic urban has thus carved its niche in the

canvas of history.

Facing: Construction Site, Singapore, (Edited Photograph) by Apoorv Kaushik, Fianl Year, CCA

Traditional architecture and urbanism require a sense

of modesty and humility from the individual creator

towards the sacred creation of the universe as well as

a basic institution that concepts of beauty, harmony,

justice, truth and rightness are permanent and

universal. Christopher Alexander a brilliant architectural

theorist proposed that the basic laws for architecture

and urbanism depends upon scientific rules rather

than stylistic dictates which can create new buildings

that duplicate the intensity positive, nourishing feelings

of the greatest historical buildings , without copying

neither their form nor their style. A fractal structure

is a structure in which there’s some observable

structure at every level of magnification and different

levels of scale are very tightly linked by the design.

In contradiction modernist buildings have no fractal

qualities i.e. not only there are very few scales but

different scales are not linked in any way.

Fractals In New Architecture Niyati ShettyL.S. Raheja School of Architecture.Mumbai

Generating mathematical fractal on different scales

Fractal properties are seen mostly in traditional

buildings as well as folk architecture Most of the cities

are fractal right from the paths streets to the shape of

the facades and placing of trees which is seen vividly

in cities like Paris ,London and Venice which has been

mathematically measured by people like Michael batty

and Frankauster.

Fractals have two related characteristics: they show

complexity at every magnification; and their edges and

interfaces are not smooth, but are either perforated

or crinkled. A fractal has some connective structure

at different scales. Historical cities are richly structured

at every magnification, whereas contemporary cities

enhance the largest scale but suppress everything

else.

When an urban interface is not permeable, it is

convoluted, like a crinkly meandering river or folded

curtain. A building edge couples by interweaving

with its adjoining space, creating another type of

fractal. This folding arises spontaneously as a natural

consequence of urban forces; for example, portions

of buildings that grow outwards onto the pavement.

Despite the obvious threat to public space, it seems

that this process represents a natural evolution of the

built boundary into a more stable fractal form.

Fractals have two related characteristics: they show

complexity at every magnification; and their edges and

interfaces are not smooth, but are either perforated

or crinkled. A fractal has some connective structure

at different scales. Historical cities are richly structured

at every magnification, whereas contemporary cities

enhance the largest scale but suppress everything

else. A city has to do with the largest scale, whereas

human beings connect to the human scales. The

most important urban structures exist on much

smaller scales, going right down to the detail in the

materials.

One of the stated aims of modernism was to eliminate

any architectural interface with fractal dimension.

These were replaced by long, straight roads, and

reinforced with the strict alignment of buildings.

The reason given was to clean up the perceived

messiness of older cities; yet that messiness was really

the organized complexity that made them alive.

Take a wire and compress it longitudinally, fairly evenly

along its entire length. It will buckle and crinkle, creating

a fractal boundary of dimension greater than one.

Generating an architectural fractal

Pull it to straighten it out, again evenly along its length,

it will first straighten, and then it will break into aligned

pieces so as to be able to extend its length. This

creates a fractal line with fractal dimension less than

one.

Crescent at Bath arises from compression, and so it is

crinkled on the human scale.

Fractal generated by tension and breaking Traditional

villages show an infinite range of fractal interfaces

between their building fronts and street. There, one

finds gentle curves that are crinkled on the small scale,

and lines that are only approximately straight on the

large scale. Even in formal planning, a curved structure

such as the Circus and Royal Crescent at Bath arises

from compression, and so it is crinkled on the human

scale.

Traditional villages show an infinite range of fractal

interfaces between their building fronts and street.

There, one finds gentle curves that are crinkled on

the small scale, and lines that are only approximately

straight on the large scale. Even in formal planning, a

curved structure such as the Circus and Royal

Curvature arises from longitudinal compression.

Another point is the scale on which the fractal

dimension is measured: great urban environments

use fractals on the human scale, whereas dead

environments deliberately remove them. For example,

a colonnade is useful when the intercolumn spaces

are roughly between 1m and 3m, i.e., comparable to

the human scale of movement.

Non-fractal structure suppresses the human scale

A portico is a fractal on the human scale

Natural structures are fractal, whereas only traditional

buildings are fractal. Modernism teaches us to

eliminate fractal structures and to replace them with

non-fractal built structures. This philosophy does not

respect a tree or an older building. The eradication

of the fractal qualities of our cities and towns has

lead to the philosophical, psychological, and physical

separation of human beings from their environment.

at a contemporary city -- it fails miserably as an

environment for children from infants to teenagers.

Environmentalists increasingly blame architects for

damaging the natural environment, but the damage

extends far deeper.

This interactive art project (figure) investigates in

experiential ways the generative power of Palladian

architecture taking “La Rotonda” as the starting point

of the digital journey. The purpose of the project is

to expose the visitor to spaces generated through

abstract rules starting from a known familiar pattern.

The interactive character of the digital space allows

the visitor to experience La Rotonda both as pure

geometrical abstraction starting from the plan,

and section drawings, and as anthropomorphic

digital architecture allowing human orientation in

the virtual space based on behaviours acquired

through interaction with real architecture. The visitor’s

actions generate new patterns of possible Palladian

architecture representing the digital reflections of the

real Palladian spaces.

The movie explores interactions between the inner

and outer spaces of the Palladian digitally generated

forms of architecture. The investigation is meant

to emphasize the idea of a new space conception

related to the specifics of architectural space in an

artificial changeable environment, developing along

the historical line described by Siegfried Gideon. The

new forms of digital architecture are explored from the

perspective of their relation with thought, perception,

and multiple dimensions of human existence in the

information age.

The proposed interactive art project provides a basis

for qualitative analysis synthesizing principles for

virtual architecture design as a basis for the creation

of spatialized information spaces. New directions

of design and development for Internet portals are

investigated based on the transfer of architectural

composition and structures to the organization of the

digital medium.

Digital Reflections of Palladian Spaces - Interactive art. Screen shot. Project developed by Daniela Sirbu, University of Lethbridge

This image (figure) explores in experiential ways

the idea of a fourth space conception rooted in

the specifics of the digital medium. Change the

relationships between the interior and the exterior

of the virtual architecture and their coexistence

in simultaneous shots are investigated in order to

experiment with differences and similarities in the

perception of represented and real spaces.

This movie investigates the interplay between the

evolving character of the digital architecture and the

development of new patterns of human behaviour in

interaction with the changeable virtual environment. It

explores a digital architectural space in development

taking as a starting point Palladio’s villa “La Rotonda.”

The architectural space is first exposed as pure

geometry, then it is investigated as a growing

abstract construction evolving from a nucleus pattern

provided by “La Rotonda,” then it is explored through

interactions between emerging inner and outer

spaces, available for exploration on multiple planes.

Starting from architecture as abstract form, the

movie attempts to link the beauty of pure geometry

with human thought, perception, and the multiple

dimensions of human existence. The movie begins

with abstract representations of architecture, and

then develops towards an exploration of evocative

values of an active and changing digital architectural

environment. The movie investigates the poetics of

the evolving architectural forms and how these are

related to the original starting pattern.

The movie development is characterized by the

coexistence of a number of parallel universes. An

accumulation of details is used as an operational

device throughout the movie to provide references

toward the coexisting different universes. The

development in time of the visual composition is

operated through manipulation of visual perception

shifts from one meaningful element to another.

Throughout the movie, shots staging emphasize the

exposition of different artificial worlds. The viewer is

floating between emerging universes that can never

be seen concretized. Transitions in the movie are a

very effective device, a counterexample of pictorial

continuity in the sense it is performed in classical

Hollywood style.

Imaginary Palladian Spaces - Movie. Screen shot. Project developed by Daniela Sirbu, University of Lethbridge

“Whatever is good in its kind ought to be preserved in

respect for antiquity as well as for our present

advantage for destruction can be profitable to none

but such as live by it”

-Nicholas Hawksmoor

The oxford states that conservation is to prevent

something from loss or wastage or damage-be it

forest, water or old buildings- they are all the same.

Though conservation of water and forest is of prime

importance, it is a sad fact that old buildings across the

globe lack that privilege.

Today conservation of old buildings or rather

historically important buildings presents a different

ideology. In a very commercial world the historic

importance of a building is valued only if it can

generate back the funds invested in it. Any historic

building, if conserved has to be functional and a

source of income. Recently I had visited a government

office housed in a colonial palace. Originally the palace

was built with intricately decorated cornices, ceilings

and columns. It was at its time a prime example of

colonial art and architecture. Though the palace still

stands, many years after its construction, its historical

significance is lost among the wild that grows beside it.

These days the “in” thing is to revamp any structure

of historical importance into a tourist centre where

the guide narrates the history of all the people ever

been there and the tourists ooh and aah after him. Still

undoubtedly, making a monument a tourist centre is

a better option than letting nature take its toll. In such

situations conservation architects have to work within

the current constraints and still be effective advocates

for all the buildings, which pass through their hands.

One such architect in India, presently battling to alvage

the magnificent architectural history of our country,

is Ar. Karan Grover, Secretary of the Heritage Thrust

of Vadodara. Karan Grover and Associates, has

emerged into a multi-disciplinary organization with

an in-house engineering team which is seen as an

integral part of architectural design activity. With the

idea that the traditional architecture of India was the

most sustainable of all, the practice attempts to

An apologist’s crusade Vani. SSCOA, Pune

conceive buildings and design projects that are very

Contemporary, at times Futuristic in appearance, yet

Indian at their heart. Grover’s architecture reflects

his concerns with the heritage and built landscape

of India. He believes that India demands something

more than merely adopting the western norms of

architecture. The long architectural history of this

country and the development of its style to cater to

climatic needs provided the framework for this search.

Grover has always spread the urgently needed social

commitment to the conservation of both endangered

historical buildings and rapidly depleting water

supplies. He believes that Indians are oblivious to the

role that they are playing, in the rapid depletion of two

national resources: water and ancient architecture.

India’s architectural heritage, a vast archive of

accumulated technical knowhow and reason, is being

drained along with its rivers and lakes.

They say conservation does not guarantee immortality.

Perhaps the thoughts of delaying mortality are the

reason behind Karan Grover’s efforts. One such

work of his is the old city of Champaner; which was

recently cited among the World Heritage Sites by the

UNESCO. The history of the Champaner-Pavagadh

archaeological park dates back to pre-historic times,

when it was first inhabited by the Stone Age man.

Subsequently, early settlements were recorded in the

6th and 7th century AD when the site became part

of the Maitrak dynasty. With the decline of Maitraks in

the 9th century, the region came under the influence

of Gurajar Pratihar and Parmara rulers. It then passed

into the hands of Khichi Chauhans of Rajasthan. The

site’s Muslim period began with Sultan Mehmood

Begada, who shifted his capital from Ahmedabad to

Champaner fort in 1484.This region came under the

Mughals in the year 1535 when it was plundered by

Humayun.

The architecture here is a blend of Muslim and Hindu

styles. The Muslim monuments, like the Jami Masjid,

Nagina Masjid, and Lila Gumbaj are typical of the

Sultanate architecture with medieval Hindu influence,

attributed mainly to Hindu artisans. The site includes,

among other vestiges, fortifications, palaces, religious

latter being largely fuelled by Niraj Jain, a BJP member

from Vadodara. In spite of the obvious advantages

to the local people from the world heritage site

status of this area, which include strengthening

of the local economy due to increased tourist

influx and consequent reduction in the labour

migration to surrounding cities, the anti-heritage

lobby is complaining against the restrictions put on

construction of commercial and residential structures

in the protected zone, lack of local consultation, and

they feel that Muslim monuments are getting more

attention than the Kalika Mata temple, the latter

complaint has obvious communal overtones.

The fact that we find the question on conservation

worth discussing marks the essential difference

between the two views of conservation and

underlines the fact that what we do is conditioned by

our motives in doing anything at all.

buildings, residential precincts, agricultural

structures and water installations, from the 8th to

the 14th centuries. This site is the only complete and

unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city in India.

Slowly, the traditional engineering and Knowledge

are being rediscovered, the main significance of this

site lies in its understanding of the traditional water

networks which is emerging as an area of scientific

research. And for Grover who is constantly working

to save the dwindling sources of water and historical

buildings, this was the cherry on the cake. The

challenges of the Pavagadh hill were substantial, but

still water was being stored.

The efficient system of rain water harvesting is another

source of knowledge which is an important landmark

for the holistic development of the area. Sustainable

balance, as a measure for development, although

a rare phenomenon, is being maintained here even

today. The community has developed this very

spontaneously.

The water was collected in large catchments by

diverting it from small rivulets and stored at a higher

plane to keep the ground water recharged. The

city is dotted with thousands of wells which catered

to the requirements of the individual households.

The royal palaces had elaborate systems of water

channels running through the inner rooms for

creating comfortable and cool environments for the

inhabitants.

The Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological park is

a first living heritage site which house about 4000

people in it. The landscape around the park, the

various architectural features the reserved forest

beside it and the Kalika Mata temple on topof the

Pavagadh hill all together make this heritage site a

fantastic tourist spot. Due to this commercialization the

citizens of this city will be highly benefited.

It is unfortunate how all fundamentalists, both Hindu

and Muslim, share a general dislike for all that is good

and beautiful in this world. Currently a debate is raging

among the pro-heritage and anti-heritage lobbies, the

Below: Jama Masjid, Champaner, Gujrat

There’s nothing like a recession for bringing

architecture back to its senses. With less being

built, there’s time to think. Overblown stylings are

out the window. New Puritanism stalks the streets.

By and large, this is a good thing. For instance, the

last recession brought down the curtain on the

unlamented ticky-tacky decadence of the post-

modern, Lawson-boom era. A new generation of cool

modernists was born. But what does this one herald?

Less is definitely more when it comes to dumb

shopping malls, nondescript speculative office blocks,

sprawling edge-of-town housing estates, indoor ski

slopes, mass-market tourist developments and just

about anything in Dubai, a wholly invented place that

future historians and archaeologists will have

From empire State to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre How recessions produce fine architecture

hugh PearmanAn expanded version of the article published in The Sunday Times, 4th January 2009, as “All hail the New Puritans”

a lot of trouble explaining. But don’t run away with

the idea that, suddenly, nobody is building anything

anymore. They are. In the Great Depression of early

1930s America, the incredibly ambitious building of

Manhattan’s three great skyscrapers demonstrated a

dogged confidence in the future that turned out to be

fully justified. Thus we have the Chrysler and Empire

State buildings and the Rockefeller Centre, always

my favourite because it expands into a complete

city district at its base. Given this precedent, I’m not

remotely surprised to find that, though some plans for

new City of London skyscrapers are on hold, others

are not.

In Britain, the Odeon-like Royal Shakespeare Memorial

Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon by Elisabeth Scott

was built during the same slump, 1929 - 1932. Oddly

enough its 100m successor by Bennetts Associates

with theatre consultants Charcoalblue is being built

right now - within the shell of the old building, during

another big recession. The much tighter new 1,000 -

seat theatre will open in 2010.

But back to the City of London. Richard Rogers’

proposed 737-foot Leadenhall tower - nicknamed the

Cheesegrater, just across the road from his famous

Lloyd’s of London building - is to have its construction

halted for the time being at foundation level. But

the1,016-foot “Shard” by his old chum Renzo Piano at

London Bridge is powering ahead. And while you

occupied. Good riddance to them. On the plus side,

however, some promising cultural projects have made

it through the madness.

Despite everything people like to say about the alleged

maladroitness of Liverpool, it is now well advanced

with its new 70m Museum of Liverpool (over leaf) on

the revived Pierhead. Shame they sacked the original

Danish architect - shades of the Sydney Opera House

there - but at least it’s there, and will open in 2010.

Meanwhile in London, we shall shortly be seeing a

13m extension (into a former public library) of the

Whitechapel Art Gallery, courtesy of Belgian architects

Robbrecht en Daem. It will open in April, nearly double

its previous size.

I find myself wondering about London’s biggest

cultural project, Tate Modern’s 215m extension into a

brick-and-glass ziggurat behind the old power station

of the original building. Last time I checked, they were

still hoping to get the thing done ultra-fast in time

for the 2012 London Olympics (a revised planning

application goes in this month, January), but had

raised only one-third of the money. Unless director Sir

Nicholas Serota has some magic cash fountain, I’d

expect some backpedalling soon. Which would be

a shame, as now is a great time to build. It’s getting

cheaper. So if a powerful city like Birmingham can find

the wherewithal to build its proposed new cultural

quarter (central library and Birmingham Rep

can’t help wondering about an equally controversial

project, the 500-foot hooded cobra of Rafael Vinoly’s

Fenchurch Street tower (the stop-or-go decision

there is planned for March) things seem set fair for

another supertall example, the 945-foot “Pinnacle”

on Bishopsgate. That’s better known as the “Helter

Skelter” because of its spiralling shape, and is by

American architects KPF. To put it in context, that’s half

as tall again as the existing Tower 42 (previously the

NatWest Tower) or Norman Foster’s newer Gherkin.

Take a stroll through the City today and - although

there are perhaps fewer cranes than there used to be

- you’d almost think there was a boom on, what with

big lower-rise developments under way by the likes of

France’s Jean Nouvel or London’s Nicholas Grimshaw.

Further west you’ll find Piano doing another of these

big-but-not-skyscraperish commercial schemes right

next to Centre Point at the end of Oxford Street, while

Rogers is well advanced with his enormous ultra-

luxury apartment blocks for the Candy brothers in

Knightsbridge. These, of course, were all begun long

ago and - barring absolute economic Armageddon -

are too far along to stop now.

Around the country, we can all breathe a sigh of relief

that the bubble of speculative apartment building

has burst. Most of those formulaic new blocks

pepperpotting city centres were driven not by need,

but by overseas investor clubs transfixed by capital

gain, who often had no interest in seeing them

Facing Page: The Emipre State Building, New York; The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, London

Below: The Shard (Proposed), London

combined), now’s the time to get on with it. And if

not - well, there are plenty of defenders of the existing

Brutalist 1970s library.

One group of people who always look on the bright

side during a recession is the conservation lobby. Less

good existing stuff gets knocked down. For instance,

the City of London was making big plans to expand

its office empire both east - into the old East End - and

west, into Smithfield. Those plans are now on hold,

with overblown plans for Smithfield axed and a new

architect, John McAslan, appointed to come up with

something more appropriate.

Across the UK, you’ll find lots of schools being

built - some good, some awful. Many hospitals and

clinics. Even a surprising amount of private housing,

in expansion zones like Milton Keynes, Ashford and

Didcot. Big new inter-city railway stations, such

as London King’s Cross by John McAslan (again),

and Birmingham New Street by rising stars Foreign

Office Architects, are in hand. And there’s always our

Austerity Olympics. The work cannot stop. The main

stadium is now emerging.

Stuff, then, is happening. But stylistically? Well, the New

Puritans are triumphant at the thought of the death of

the weird-shaped icon building. It’s not dead yet - Abu

Dhabi is still collecting the things, for instance, building

itself a cultural history overnight - but the end of its

reign is perhaps in sight, for the time being. Did the

year that saw the death of Jorn Utzon, architect of the

Sydney Opera House and thus the progenitor of the

whole icon craze, mark the end of the line? Only, I think,

until the money returns. But when it does, history tells

us that the architecture will be different.

Every artistic movement has its decadent phase,

followed by a clearing out of the aesthetic stables.

This time will be no different for architecture, but for

one interesting detail. Last time round saw a return

to clean-cut modernism and the ruthless expunging

of post-modern ornament. This time round, some at

least of the New Puritans are getting very interested in

ornament again. Odd though it may seem, we may be

in for quite a bout of pattern-making in the next wave

of buildings. But they’re more likely to be a sensible

shape.

Below: Museum of LiverpoolFacing: High School #9 by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Los Angeles,

by Apoorv Kaushik, Final Year, CCA

For the proponents of steel in construction, the real

challenge lies in the residential sector, to overcome the

resistance of people like you and me to steel houses.

Will the Rajarhat project help to do that?

October’07, the International Iron and Steel Institute’s

Annual Conference and Meetings in Buenos Aires

added another dimensions in the Indian architecture.

Winners of the 1st International resource on

sustainable and innovative use of steel in residential

construction, Piercy Conner who has been lauded

by the British Counsel as an firm that has emerged

in the last five years as one of the most conceptually

advanced architectural practices of its generation,

extending the theory and practice of architecture in

Steel Structures SYMHOMES MK1, KOLKATA: A NEW DIMENSION TO HOUSING IN INDIA

Umesh AgrawalMIET, Gondia

a way that demonstrates a profound understanding

of its cultural and communicational possibilities

presented their winning designs before the global

steel industry. The first steel residential building in

India and construction will create a lot of interest in

many spheres throughout the country and beyond.

The construction site for Living Steel’s Kolkata

demonstration is to in Kolkata New Town, called

Rajarhat, which is located 10km to the North-east of

Kolkata’s (formerly Calcutta) Central Business District

and about 1km from Kolkata International Airport.

Sanon Sen & Associates, Kolkata, are supporting

Piercy Conner’s efforts to finalize the design plans for

build.

JALIS ARE USED IN THIS STRUCTURE FOR THE VENTILATION PURPOSE, WHICH IS AN ELEMENT ACCORDING TO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA.

Piercy Conner believes that contemporary housing

rarely deviates from the accepted model of sealed

cellular spaces, which often fails to respond to

demographic and environmental conditions. So in

designing for the Indian location, their self-imposed

challenge was to create an economically viable

alternative that would be “expressive, joyful and

responsive to the environment.” Their solution is

based on a dwelling design Piercy Conner calls

SYMHOUSEMK1. Symhouse conceptualizes the

symbiotic relationship of a sealed, conditioned

contemporary living space enveloped by a permeable

responsive outer skin. As the two “natures” permeate

each other, the in-between spaces become an

outdoor room and the internal spaces engage with

the landscape. The concept creates a hierarchy of

community, semi-private and private spaces that are

designed to encourage engagement within the local

context, while still providing secure and safe homes.

The landscape is used to reinforce the idea of event

spaces, and a secret garden creates a semi-private

retreat.

This project mainly for HIG’s in Rajarhat will provide

homes for around 750,000 people and cater for

some 250,000 floating population will have high

quality infrastructure including wide roads, bridges,

large public open spaces including water-bodies,

educational institutions, medical facilities, sports and

cultural facilities in addition to basic infrastructure like

water supply, power supply and drainage

A BUILDING WITH SKIN

Folding steel trays with differing design cuts create a

unique rain, privacy and sun screen. The permeable

outer skin is created from a series of steel panels that

are positioned according to layered data from sun

path studies, key views and privacy. Based on the

data, 10 typical screens were created in folding steel

trays with differing laser or plasma cuts. The resulting

façade is reminiscent of many screens and freezes

found in Indo-Islamic architecture. The screens act

as partial rain, privacy and sun screens, while also

animating the building and effecting a dramatic day to

night visual transition.

STANDARDIZeD AND PReDICTABLe

SymHouse aims to standardize component sizes

and assembly processes. The external steel screens

are all of the same dimensions. They are constructed

using a simple fixing system, standard to all panels,

which can be assembled with minimal training. Similar

principals apply to the frame, floors, glazed and solid

elements. This standardization supports buildings that

are predictable in construction, cost certainty and

quality, but most important, that allow builders to take

advantage of India’s largest resource: its labor force.

These buildings can be constructed by a relatively

unskilled workforce, while achieving an acceptable

finish quality to attract potential purchasers.

“KIT OF PARTS” STRATeGY

The SymHomes delivery strategy is based on a factory

produced, precise “kit of parts” and simple robust

detailing. The assembly process borrows from high-

speed commercial office construction, utilizing the

existing supply chain infrastructure. SymHomes uses

a series of identical rectangular units arranged around

a central core to maximize the economies of repetition

as well as shared core areas, such as the stairs, lift,

and community space.

The structure has a steel frame with concrete floor

slabs on profiled metal decking. The structural frame

is fabricated as individual elements within the steel

fabrication shop and assembled on-site using bolted

connections. This approach will enable the “kit of

parts” strategy with significant repeatability, unit-to-unit

and floor-to-floor, accuracy with precast elements &

locally available semi-skilled labor can be employed to

raise the building.

Steel houses may sound outlandish but they are

quite common in many parts of the world, especially

Finland and Australia. Tata Steel built a clubhouse and

two bungalows in Jamshedpur entirely of steel. But

these were primarily showpieces put up by the steel

manufacturer to show that it was possible to make

steel houses, and that people could live in them. Steel

structure requires less time to construct, which is very

essential for the fast growing population of India, but

the Indian population which has mould themselves to

live in brick and concrete structures, can live in these

steel homes?

Below: by Ankita Thakur, CCA, Chandigarh

MeANING OF A GReeN BUILDING

Green buildings can be characterized as those

where a conscious effort to minimize the negative

and encourage the positive impact of the buildings

on both the indoor and outdoor environments has

been made. The practice of green building typically

includes attention to the following primary concepts

and systems:

• Sustainable/durable/low maintenance building

design and operation

• Energy efficiency and conservation

• Site/land management, sustainability, reclamation

and conservation

• Water efficiency, management and conservation

• Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

• Outdoor Air Quality

• Material and resource management, recycling and

conservation (including the re-use of building materials

and products)

• Innovation

Each of the above major concepts and systems

may be broken down into many specific and detailed

components. A covered entry over an exterior entry

door, for example, may be one way of reducing water

intrusion, which is one way that maintenance may be

reduced in accordance with the NAHB Model Green

Home Building Guidelines.

GReeN BUILDING RATINGS

Most buildings, even existing buildings, may be

considered “green” to some extent. The previous

example of a covered entry is one way in which many

homes could be considered green. Similarly, when a

community decides to enforce or encourage water

conservation or enforce requirements which address

urban heat island issues, these may be considered

“green” initiatives. Federal government sponsored

programs such as Energy Star (Energy conservation

voluntary performance standards for new buildings;

mandatory for federal buildings) and Federal Energy

Management and Planning Programs, address

energy and energy conservation, which are green

building principles. Should all these buildings be

considered “green”? To answer this question, as well

Green BuildingsTHEIR IMPORTANCE AND RATINGS IN PRESENT DAY SCENARIO

Siddharth KhitoliyaFaculty of Arch & Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

as to give further weight and definition to the term

“green”, green building rating systems have been

developed.

These rating systems seek to establish minimum

criteria and methods by which green buildings can be

measured, compared and evaluated. Green building

rating systems typically grade a structure on a scale

so that various levels of “green” may be verified or

certified. A point system is often utilized, with points

given for each environmentally friendly concept

implemented. The criteria analyzed and the relative

score assigned to each criteria satisfied, however, may

vary significantly from one green building rating system

to another. In the United States, a handful of local

jurisdictions have developed their own green building

criteria or rating systems, but typically only for low-

rise residential structures, such as governed by the

ICC International Residential Code. More prominently,

the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

(LEED) green building rating system, developed by the

United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has

been utilized for a limited but fast growing number of

“green” commercial structures.

The CURReNT STATUS OF GReeN BUILDING

The groundswell of interest in green building in the

United States continues to grow and gain momentum.

We hear of “the greening of America” regularly in

the media. The Federal Government and more

and more state and local jurisdictions require that

government owned buildings as well as government

sponsored or funded projects be built to green

standards or they may give some form of incentives

to expedite private or corporate projects that are built

green. Why? Because such buildings typically cost

significantly less when considered over their expected

life span, may not cost prohibitively more initially, than

conventional structures, have less negative impact

on the environment and may significantly reduce

the huge amount of financial investment required

for infrastructure (such as new water treatment and

power plants).

Even though green building continues to gain

significant momentum, it is still very much in its

federal, state and local jurisdictions, corporations

and designers have overwhelmingly looked to the

aforementioned LEED Green building rating system

as a basis for the assessment and certification of the

anticipated performance of a building with respect

to “green” attributes. A major reason that the LEED

program has become so popular and prominent

may be that it is a system which can be administered

and certified by USGBC staff, rather than putting a

significant burden on local building departments.

The USGBC is a not-for-profit organization which

is not affiliated with the federal government. Over

2,100 LEED-NC (LEED for new commercial

construction) projects were registered in the year

ending September, 2005, In the same time period, the

states of Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Rhode Island,

Colorado, Maryland and Michigan either mandated

LEED projects for government buildings and projects,

or provided tax abatements or credits for LEED

certified commercial buildings. The USGBC not only

rates and certifies green buildings, it also has programs

to train and certify LEED-accredited professionals. As

of 2005, twenty-two thousand professionals were

LEED Accredited.

It is important to note, however, that being LEED

certified does not mean a building has no negative

impact on the environment, and the LEED program, as

well as all other green building evaluation systems, are

in the early stages of their development

GReeN BUILDING FOR ReSIDeNTIAL STRUCTUReS

With regard to single-family dwellings, two-family

dwellings and townhouses (low-rise residential

structures typically regulated under the International

Residential Code), a handful of local jurisdictions

across the country have developed and are

administering their own residential green building

programs and rating systems. As noted earlier, till

date these programs have typically been voluntary,

with incentives given (such as shorter permit and plan

review times) to generate interest in the programs.

While there are a fair and growing number of voluntary

residential green building programs in the country, as

noted earlier, there is also an emerging trend toward

mandatory requirements in communities which have

infancy. While it is true that even ancient thatched huts

could be considered green buildings, the concept

of controlling and measuring the impact of the

construction of modern buildings on the environment

is quite new and revolutionary, especially at the level

of detail required by some green building rating

systems. The determination of what are the proper

applications of new concepts such as life cycle

analysis (LCA, which seeks to determine the overall

environmental impact of and total energy consumed

by building products, from extraction of raw materials

to manufacturing, transportation, how they are finally

disposed of, etc.) and embodied energy (which seeks

to evaluate criteria similar to LCA, but for all products

and materials in an entire building), for example, are

still in their early stages of development. And what

value should be assigned to a materials effect on the

ozone vs. its effect on water, for instance, can be very

subjective. Some of the criteria and methods used to

evaluate green building systems can, in themselves,

be very arbitrary and unscientific, and may vary

significantly from one rating system to the next.

GReeN BUILDING RATING SYSTeMS FOR

COMMeRCIAL STRUCTUReS

Although similar green and sustainable building

concepts can be applied to both commercial and

residential structures, there has been a divergence in

the development of the rating systems for each. As

alluded to previously, although there is an emerging

trend toward mandatory green building, even where

jurisdictions have adopted green building programs,

corporate and commercial buildings are not typically

required to be “green”

(As defined by a green building rating system), except

in special cases as part of specific government

sponsored projects. Yet more and more such

buildings are voluntarily built to “green” standards

every year, even where jurisdictions have no green

building program whatsoever. At the federal, state and

local levels, more and more government agencies

are requiring that buildings utilized for government

purposes (not privately or corporate owned buildings)

be built to “green” standards.

For commercial buildings in the United States,

had previous experience with voluntary green

building programs.

On a parallel note, although energy is only one

component in the green building scenario, it may be

of interest to note that the city of Austin, Texas (which

in 1991 became the first city in the U.S. to implement

a green building program) recently announced plans

to make “Zero-Energy Capable” homes mandatory

by 2015. The intent is that such homes will be energy

efficient and adaptable to be net-zero energy efficient

homes in the future (when on-site energy generation,

such as solar photo-voltaics could be designed and

installed with minimal modifications to the structure).

The City of Austin contends that such homes could be

approximately 60 percent more efficient than homes

built to current codes.

FINAL ThOUGhTS

Over time, more and more “green” materials and

methods will appear in the codes and have an effect

on current code text. But the implications of green

and sustainable building are so wide and far reaching

that their effects will most certainly not be limited to

one single code or standard. On the contrary, they

will affect virtually all codes, and will spill beyond the

codes. Some green building concepts may become

hotly contested political issues in the future, possibly

requiring the creation of new legislation and/or entirely

new government agencies. It is certain, however, that

the greening of the codes is inevitable, the greening

process will continue to demand the time and effort of

many individuals and organizations which safeguard

the public health, safety and general welfare with

regard to the built environment.

REFRENCES:ICC Green Building White Paper - March 5, 2007 , Prepared by Allan M. Bilka, RA, Senior Staff Architect, ICC Technical Services

Below: by Ankita Thakur, CCA, Chandigarh

Below: by Abhishek Verma, CCA, Chandigarh

housing for the year 2050Ritesh Redkar and Sai Satish Rao

SPA, New Delhi

DISCLAIMER: This is not a travelogue but simply my

way of saving money and effort that would have

otherwise gone into narrating the same story all over

again over numerous STD calls. And for the same

reason, is quite lengthy too. I hope you have enough

patience to go through this.

The month of June started with a journey that was

very different from the regular study tours I had been

to. The train journey was of barely 18 hours. But the

true journey was a journey to a very different phase of

my life that would last for at least 5 to 6 months. This

fact was highlighted by the number of people who had

come to see us off at the railway station, even at 3am!

Other than immediate family members, a few fortunate

ones had some relatives present at the station. To cut

a long story short, once the train arrived, we placed

our luggage and only after every mother’s mandatory

list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ was over, did we settle down in

our berths.

Indian railways have a funny sense of time, because

even after everything was over, the train refused

to move; long enough for our parents to actually

get bored and wanting desperately to get rid of the

train and us. “ata jaa ekdache” might have been in

their minds. To their relief, the train started soon and,

other than the heat, we went on smoothly till Hazrat

Nizamuddin railway station.

As soon as we got out of the station, we got a taste of

the ‘Delhi attitude’ in

the way of the taxi drivers. The way in which they

negotiated the fare made a few of us shudder at the

thought of spending the next months in such a place.

To deal with them was a real tricky issue. And to make

matters more difficult, none of us speaks polished

Hindi. When we quoted an amount for the fare like in

any bargain, they ridiculed us by saying, “moongfali

nahi bech rahe hai!” However, we finally managed a

decent bargain and made our way to the hotel, Pal

Regency.

First two days in the capital were spent by us, some

14 architecture students searching for a decent

accommodation. By decent, I mean ‘habitable’ space

The Delhi Story…So Far…So Good Vedang BagweSCOA, Pune

for human beings as the rooms that were shown

to us, termed miraculously as “flats” were, in fact,

illegal boxes stacked over each other with minimum

possible light and ventilation, it being the most

important criteria for designing any space according

to our architecture teachers. We took the assistance

of flat agents and property dealers to search for

accommodation. First day yielded no fruitful results.

However, on the second day, (3rd June) we finally

managed to hunt down two apartments, one for girls

and the other for boys. They were about a kilometer

apart, with a ring road separating them.

Girls moved in on the same day, while boys decided to

stay at the hotel for another night.

4thJuly is celebrated as the American Independence

Day. Exactly a month before that, on 4th June, I virtually

lost my independence as a student and got set for

office life. Since Karol Bagh (where the hotel was

located) is close to Connaught Place (where my

office is sited), I left by auto. As a new comer in a city,

I prayed that the driver stick to the shortest route. My

first glimpse of Connaught place was, architecturally

speaking, spectacular. The colonial buildings at the

end of the street framed a view of two architectural

masterpieces- Ar. Raj Rewal’s STC on left and Ar.

Charles Correa’s LIC on the right and Palika Bazar in

the center.

I had spoken with Ar. Morad Chowdhury the day

before. He had given me the leave of coming late on

first day by about half hour. Those of you who know

about my punctuality would consider this as a grave

mistake on his part. But surprisingly, I reached office

a full hour earlier and found it locked. I memorized the

location of the building and then set out for exploring

Connaught place. Wimpy’s, Mc Donald’s, Pizza Hut,

British Library, offices of national and international

airlines and “many beautiful people” were the first

things I noticed around my office. However, I could

not (and still haven’t) find a cheap tea/coffee stall.

After enquiring about bus stops and schedules, I finally

decided to head to my office.

Apprehension, tension and anxiety were not felt as I sat

idly, reading the day’s newspaper. Architects

people and of course our dear bosses! Office has net

access on a single computer (the place I mailed you

this from). Other than that there are a lot of things over

the LAN for a geeky guy like me to find out. Drawings

and presentations of the various projects of the firm

are all interesting to explore. We’re allowed to listen to

music on ear phones.

Without which, trust me, everyone in the office would

fall asleep. All in all the motto of the people here seems

to be ‘Work while work and play while play’…

Traveling to office is quite a challenge and acquiring

comfort in the process is entirely in the hands of lady

luck. I learnt this the hard way on the first day, when

on my bus journey back home, all I could see was the

Sardarji in front of me and the lady beside me. The

bus was packed to its maximum possible capacity!

And to add to it, the driver seems to be hell bent on

testing all of Newton’s laws of motion that he might

not have even heard of. I have realized that to restrict

your state of motion irrespective of the multi directional

state of motion of the bus is ‘n’ times more difficult

than solving an equation of the same thing. Mumbai’s

local train journey seems easier than my 45 minutes’

bus journey. The mood for the day is set right from the

morning bus journey. Enjoying a window seat for the

entire journey is a ticket to a pleasant day. Listening to

music and plunging into Chetan Bhagat’s ‘The Three

Mistakes of my Life’ is the icing on the cake. However,

the route of the bus fascinates me the most. I am

bound to cross the ‘axis’ (connection of Rashtrapati

Bhavan and India gate) everyday. The magnificence

of both these colonial structures will always be awe

inspiring for me.

I once did try the Delhi metro, by changing bus routes,

but realized it turns out to be double the money and

hence is reserved as a luxury. There is a direct metro

from Lajpat Nagar (where we stay) to Connaught

Place, but presently they are laying the tracks in huge

pits dug alongside roads. I reckon the phase two of

metro will take at least two more years. I simply can’t

wait so long to reach office! But all said, the experience

of metro journey was awesome. It feels proud to see

such advanced system operating in the country.

working in the office slowly started coming and I was

welcomed by Deepti, an architect under Chowdhury

sir, who would be guiding me. Well actually, in the

firm of Kanvinde Rai Chowdhury, it’s only the three

of us (Me, Deepti and Sir himself) who complete

the ‘Chowdhury’ part of the firm. There are about 7

architects and trainees under Kanvinde sir and some

accountants and clerks sum up the rest of the office.

First day at office was spent looking at portfolios of

ongoing and past projects. Deepti had to leave half

day and so, it was just sir and I, post lunch.

13th June ‘08

Architect Morad Chowdhury is the grand old man of

Indian architecture. The only analogous personality

that comes to my mind is Ex PM A.B. Vajpayee. I was

really amazed at Chowdhury sir’s agility, memory and

alertness despite his age. He’s 75+!

Most of the projects are government projects in

Srinagar…and so delayed by about 10yrs. We had

a nice chat on the situation of Jammu Kashmir and

Srinagar after lunch on the first day.

His knowledge and information is really vast. At

the time, I realized that my decision to train under

him was a wise one. He’s amongst the few living

architects from the first generation of Indian

architecture. Learning the subtleties and practicalities

of architecture ‘directly from the horse’s mouth’

fascinated me. To see him decode the drawings and

think at various levels (structural, design, aesthetic)

simultaneously is really an ‘out-of-the-college-studio’

experience. On one of the following days, he explained

to me the importance of structural knowledge for

designing toilets… for almost two hours. Sometimes

it does take patience to understand his concept; I

suppose that would come his age and seniority. I’ve

also heard about his hot temper, but fortunately, I’ve

not been at the receiving end till now.

Others in the office are almost of my age and are very

helpful and friendly.

There’s a person from Sangli too. Lunch time’s the

time when we all relax together in a small lunch room,

mostly chatting and gossiping about other office

After surviving the bus rush and reaching back home,

we were greeted by dry taps for the first few days.

The water problem persists. Delhi water authority

has queer timings of releasing water. And so, all the

buildings have typical black ‘sintex’ tanks on top,

which have to be filled at odd times like 3 or 4 am…!

The problem, however, seems to have been solved

as of now with the installation of an automatic pump.

Other than that, we have all the comforts in our 2 BHK

apartment. It’s on the second floor of a row house,

close to the ring road and we have completed the

arrangement with a TV (with set top box), fridge, sofa,

one double bed, wardrobe in one bedroom and gas

(with Faber chimney). Aur kya chahiye? You’d ask…

But we dint stop there. We also employed a maid to

clean up the floor and our clothes every week. Food

here is cheap and there’s a variety to choose from.

McD’s, Domino’s, CCD and small dhaba-like hotels are

all there. A budget meal costs around Rs20, which is

equivalent to the lunch most of us get in office; in terms

of quality and quantity. But we have to buy drinking

water in big cans. My average expenditure after all

this is about Rs6500. This is a pinch on the pocket;

especially because my stipend’s not yet disclosed. A

month’s suspense will hopefully make things clear.

These were ‘in short’ my experiences in the capital in

the first thirteen days of my practical training. Hope you

enjoyed…

Facing: The Lotus Temple, New Delhi

Time has witnessed a long tradition of musical

analogy with architecture. Man has found a variety of

approaches for expressing this reciprocal relationship,

be it from the use of underlying principles or solutions

through literal translations.

Historical references state that it was in ancient

home where architecture and music were earliest

considered branches of mathematical science.

In those times, knowledge of music was in fact,

indispensable to an architect.

“The architect should be equipped with the knowledge

of many branches of study and varies kinds of learning

for in the architectural judgment all of the work of other

arts is brought into test. Therefore, let our architect

be educated, skillful with the pencil, instructed in

geometry, knowledgeable in history, follow the

philosophers with attention, understand music, have

some knowledge of medicine, know the opinions of

the jurists and be acquainted with astronomy and the

theory of heavens “(Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, Ten Books

of Architecture).

Architecture, as a science and as an art, can be

though of as being inclusive in nature. This has always

led to an interest in the principles of various other filets

of study, most important being music.

Renaissance architects started by creating

proportional structures based on the principles of

harmony in music established in Ancient Greece.

They envisioned that the same principles of beauty

and aesthetics manifest in art, architecture and music.

Counterpoint and Harmony- the ‘horizontal’ and the

‘vertical’ aspects of music were given architectural

equivalents – The Renaissance Palazzo and the Gothic

Cathedral respectively.

Music and architecture are correlated because – “The

numbers by means of which the agreement of sounds

affects our ears with delight are the very serve which

please our eyes and our minds.” (Rudolf Wittkower,

Architectural Principles in the age of Humanism).

In order to compose a piece of music one needs

to establish relationships between the different

tones. If we regard the procedure of composing

in a more abstract way we can observe that this

music is a movement made in the musical space.

As for architecture, when a space is designed, the

relationships between the various dimensions, levels,

parts of the space are very important. There is a

similarity of creative processes in aural composing

and visual design--from both the psychological

aspect of the process itself and from the aspect of

formal organization, particularly as both forms are

experienced in time.

Architecture is the Music of Space Surbhi BhardwajCCA, Chandigarh

The intertwining of musical principles with architecture

has continued in present times as well. Architects

have used music in their works and creations both

literally and metaphorically.

Architect Le Corbusier and composer Iannis Xenakis

collaborated on the Philips Pavilion at the 1958

Brussels World Fair. The design of the pavilion referred

to the principles and techniques of serial music and

the interiors incorporated a multimedia show of lights,

projected images and specially composed music.

The most widely known example is Steven Holl’s

Stretto House. The concept of the Stretto House

is the “Stretto” form of music where one musical

phrase overlaps another. Steven Holl admired the

connections between the traditional and the modern

in Bartók’s music. Similarly, as Bartók’s extraordinary

compositions reverberated original melodies,

the Stretto house built an aqueous space with

traditional materials, its polished concrete blocks and

metal structure forming part of Texas’s vernacular

architecture.

The “Stretto” form enabled Steven Holl to divide the

space in such a way that each part was important for

the next. The flow of the space evolved in different

ways: the floor surface overlaps the next level, the roof

overlaps walls and the curvilinear walls pull the daylight

down into the interior space.

Facing Page (CW from left): View of the pavillion; The Stretto House; Below (Top to bottom): Stretto House Elevation; Ground Floor Plan;

Formula for music and architecture interpreted by Steven Holl: Material x sound/time = material x light/space

GraphicsFacing Page (L-R): First Row: Debasish Biswas, Arun Cherian

Second Row: Arun Varghese, Ridhima Mehrotra, Debasish Biswas Third Row: Shashank Gautam, Dipayan Ghosh

SPA, New Delhi;Below: by Nikita Kakkar, CCA, Chandigarh

“It’s a small step for man but a big leap for mankind.”

As we know we are living in a highly polluted

and populated world and that has created great

challenges in front of us for better living. Also, as

time passes, man tries to facilitate him self in ways

which rise the living standards of individuals but also

increase the need of the soul. This has accelerated

the construction speed of various structures as well.

With increasing pollution global warming has became

one of the biggest challenges for us and building

construction plays 70% role in increase of pollution.

These various issues have forced us to think towards

new visions and direction of construction industry.

A New excellence in high Rise Structures Jigar PatelVadodara DesignAcademy

of land came up with a pre-eminent solution- a

skyscraper. And need of reduced pollution made way

for green sky scrapers.

Hearst tower at New York City is one of the finest

examples of the style designed by Architect Norman

Foster. The skyscraper contains 46 floors. The

building consumes much less energy than an average

office building; this is the first office building in New York

City to achieve the US Green Buildings Council’s “Gold

Rating” for Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design (LEED).

The entire building is made out of steel, glass and first

three stories with stone. 90% of the 10,480 tones

of steel used in construction comes from recycled

material. The triangulated steel frames uses 21% less

steel than a traditionally framed building. It is also an

excellence of the design because of which less

According to Rabindranath Tagore -

“The oldest task in human history is to live without spoiling the land, harmony with whole”

Thus increasing need of space and capable use

material is used.

An innovative type of glass wraps around the exterior

of the building. The glass has a special “low-E” coating

that allows for internal spaces to be flooded with

natural light while keeping out invisible solar radiation

which causes heat. In combination with the glass,

Hearst is installing light sensors that will control the

amount of artificial light on each floor based on the

entire atmosphere at ambient temperature during the

whole year.

Sustainable woods are used in everything from the

Steel case workstations to the exercise-room. High-

reflectivity roofing pavers reduce heat-island effects.

The demolition and construction process reused

about 85% of the urban building. Locally sourced or

recycled materials were the norm. Overall, the Hearst

tower is estimated to be 22% more energy-efficient

than a typical office building.

For New York City’s major corporations and building

developers, Hearst has set a higher standard for

building green. The optimization of natural light

has been demonstrated in recent studies to have

important, positive effects on occupant health, quality

of life and productivity. Hearst Tower garnered the

coveted Emporia Skyscraper Award 2006.

The Hearst is just one of the green design ideas which

are now becoming standard but were rare in the US

early in the decade.

amount of natural light available at any given time. This

automatically minimizes the usage of electric lighting

inside. The volume receives brilliant natural light from

9m clerestory windows extending to the floor of the

10th storey and from the skirted ceiling of low-emission

ceramic fritted glass.

A system on the roof collects rainwater and, instead

of directing it into the sewer system, uses it to water

plants throughout the building and to replace moisture

lost through air conditioning. A three-story water

feature named “Icefall” courses through the grand

atrium inside the entrance. The sheet of flowing water

is supplied by the rainwater collection system, and

helps in cooling the lobby through evaporative cooling.

The remaining water collected from rain gets saved

in to the basement of the building. In addition, Hearst

is using high efficiency heating and air-conditioning

equipment that will utilize the air outside for cooling and

ventilation for 75% of the year.

One more interesting feature of the structure is that no

vertical steel columns are used above the base. The

tower is supported by 12 raking mega-columns.This is

the first such case in any North American steel-framed

skyscraper. The building is naturally ventilated for up to

three quarters of the year, and that can be included as

brilliance of the design.

The limestone floor not only harmonies visually with

urban materials but contains water-filled tubing to

channel heat from upstairs in winter and aid cooling

during summer. This is an excellent idea to keep the

Facing Page: The Hearst building, Exterior cladding on the Hearst; Below: Interior view of triangulated columns of steel

After Hearst tower another interesting design was

given by architect Norman Foster and that was Swiss

re building- a skyscraper in London’s main financial

district, completed in December 2003. It is 180 meters

tall, with 40 floors.

Its erection symbolized the start of a new high-rise

construction boom in London. The building uses

energy-saving methods which allow it to use half the

power a similar tower would typically consume. Gaps

in each floor create six shafts that serve as a natural

ventilation system for the entire building even though

required firebreaks on every sixth floor interrupt the

“chimney.” The shafts create a giant double glazing

effect; air is sandwiched between two layers of glazing

and insulates the office space inside. The shafts pull

warm air out of the building during the summer and

warm the building in the winter using passive solar

heating. The shafts also allow sunlight to pass through

the building, making the work environment more

pleasing, and keeping the lighting costs down.

Fully triangulated perimeter structure makes

the building sufficiently stiff without any extra

reinforcements. Despite its overall curved glass shape,

there is only one piece of curved glass on the building

— the lens-shaped cap at the very top.

Pearl River tower has been designed by Skidmore,

Owings and Merrill, who also designed the Sears

Tower in Chicago and World Trade Center in New

York City, among numerous other famous high-rises.

The design of the Pearl River Tower is intended to set

new standards for skyscrapers: a high-performance

structure designed in such harmony with its

environment that it extracts energy from the natural

and passive forces surrounding the building.

Some of the major accomplishments are in the nature

of the formal and technological integration of form

and function in a holistic approach to engineering and

architectural aim. The building is being designed with

energy conservation in mind, including wind turbines

and solar, humidity and rainwater collectors. It arguably

will be one of the most environment friendly buildings in

the world. Indeed, it is intended that the systems will

array of sky gardens for offices and a hotel. In addition

to providing an outdoor terrace, the sky gardens will

also provide passive solar shielding to regulate the

interior temperature and reduce the energy required

to artificially heat or cool the building. A water recycling

system will also be introduced that will minimize the

use and wastage of water in this vast building.

These high rise structures started with a need but now

they are becoming part of our life and creating better

living spaces for us.

generate more energy than operation of the building

will use.

These types of buildings will have great competition

in rising of height and also saving of electricity, James

Law Cybertecture International has proposed an “eco-

dome” for Dubai’s Techno Park, which will explore

sustainable technologies and energy-saving systems

to lower the building’s carbon footprint. Dubbed

Techno sphere, the eco friendly dome will mimic the

state of earth in current and future times.

The Techno sphere will enable the building to create

a self-breathing environment, where the building will

generate solar electricity to supplement the energy

needs of the building and also integrate a distributed

The 1,000-foot-tall Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, for

the Guangdong Tobacco Company, which SOM says

will be one of the greenest buildings in the world. The

project’s green elements include a water-retention

area, basement fuel cells, which produce electricity

by extracting hydrogen from natural gas, façade-

integrated photovoltaic, a condensate reclamation

system that collects water and reuses it and stack

ventilation, which captures and uses heat caught

between the building’s double-layered facades.

The building’s unique curved design is intended to

focus the strong prevailing southern winds that blow

through the region. Orientated to face these winds

head-on, the Pearl River Tower’s sculpted facade will

increase the speed of these winds (by two-and-a-

half times) and channel them through two main slots

in the building where wind turbines will be located.

Because of this focusing of wind and higher speeds,

it is estimated the vertical turbines will produce up to

15 times more energy than they would if they were

standalone units.

Facing Page: The Swiss Re building;Below: The Pearl River tower; The Eco Dome

“Going forward, development should be linked with environment.”

-Nandan Nilekani

The most frequently asked question of us, the

confused youth of today is “How can we, such a

small minority actually make a difference???” When

will we realize that the world is not always changed

by a majority but by a small voice which starts deep

inside our hearts and the courage which follows that

one voice into saying “NO” when the entire world is

saying “YES”? We, as future architects have to take

a bold stand and break free from these shackles of

deterioration which we have brought upon ourselves

and show the world the right way out …

Ayn Rand in her critically acclaimed novel, ‘The

Fountainhead’ actually talks about just that ,a man

who goes against all odds to prove that what he had

in store for the world was better than what the people

could even fathom. Instead of admiring his heroic fight

for right, we admire his defiance against rules .Not

really knowing what we’re defying…. All of us have

fallen prey to it and then slowly some of us grew out of

it or rather had that part of us killed. We are all longing

to be different, and not really make a change…

With the rising problems of our shrinking world like the

depleting resources, the continuing depletion of the

ozone layer due to the increased pollution in the air

caused by excessive carbon emission, we’re turning a

blind eye to it all and distancing ourselves by letting our

future generation survive on its own, with no help on

our part. We are too busy squandering away earth’s

gifts to us to notice that even Mother Earth has started

bleeding dry…

What about the bleeding Earth?Can’t we feel its wounds …What about nature’s worth? It’s our planet’s womb …

-Michael Jackson

One Step at a Time Parth PatelS.C.E.T. , Surat

Pointing to the urgent need to create sustainable

buildings, Gary Lawrence from ARUP said,

“Sustainability is a means to minimize risk and

maximize opportunity.” The need to pool our

resources and the knowledge to tackle the current

environmental challenges was well addressed by him.

He called for an integrated approach in creating eco

cities that have zero carbon emissions.

• Traffic congestion could be reduced by creating

tunnels through which freight could be delivered at

night.

• Use of grey water could be maximized.

• Roofs could be used to grow food while at the same

time providing the much-needed insulation for the

building.

• Opting for 100 per cent on-site generation of

renewable energy and leaving 40-60 per cent of the

site area as green space.

George Ferguson, former President, RIBA, criticized

the use of concepts and designs from the west

and imposing it on an environment that is clearly

not compatible with it... The extensive use of glass

in commercial buildings was termed ‘environmental

terrorism’ because of their high energy usage and

greenhouse effect.

Mr. Law from Hong Kong, who stressed the need to

keep a symbiotic balance with nature, said, “Design

a building such that it is part of the ecosystem.

The unique shapes used here are created for

sustainability.”

Finally Cengis Bektas from Turkey mentioned that

a space created should be stimulating, meeting

the needs of the user while taking advantage of

regional cultures even though the space may have

contemporary dimensions. “The function of the space

created should be structured not just for today’s

needs but expectations for the future”.

According to him, “It is important to ensure that

building style is flexible and compatible with external

surroundings.” This means that a shape or profile

cannot be copied from one place to another or from

To make a difference, we must first be aware and that

awareness doesn’t come from sitting in our studios

in college. We must open our eyes and question

everything we see around us. “Why…what….how…?”

Its not that we don’t care, we assume that somebody

else will make that first step and now is when we all

should make that first step. We all step up and voice

out our suggestions and abstract what we can from

everything we hear and gather and maybe that’ll make

a difference….It will be gradual and hopefully one day

we can stand tall and give our future generation a little

if not all of what Mother Nature gave us…

“We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving. There’s a choice we’re making, we’re saving our own lives, it’s true, we’ll make a better day just you and me…”

-Michael Jackson

one era to another. He summed up, “Inspiration can

be sought from earlier traditions and designs but the

resulting design needs to be one based on what the

architect genuinely feels. It is important to respect

life, the built environment and nature. We should

start designing from the interior bearing in mind the

functions, and then move to the outside. There must

be an absolute matching of inner and outer volumes;

exterior volumes must be handled like an inside space.

There should be a balanced relationship between

open, semi-open and closed spaces. We must face

reality with rational behaviour in arranging our design

response.”

“I build houses out of wood, stone, earth. Their windows are at peace. Their hearths, doors are open. I build roads across hills and rivers for people to walk. For them to gather, I build squares.

Fountains under the plane trees for birds to bathe and children. Not in my dreams; for real! Like children, happy houses, I build.”

-Cengis Bektas

These architects from all over the world have made

courageous attempts , however small in making

a difference and not just keeping quiet about it but

opening our eyes to the truth of the situation we have

brought ourselves to…not because of ignorance

but by our lackadaisical ‘I don’t care!’ attitude. We

must learn from these architects and slowly educate

ourselves and those around us of the perils of our

present lifestyles and slowly, gradually…. “Make a

difference”.

SITe

The site is in the outskirts of the Jaisalmer city. And it is

7km from the Jaisalmer fort.

Site area: 60 acres (400m X 600m)

ReQUIReMeNTS

The apron on the airside

Public concourse

The parking facilities on the landside of the terminal.

Passenger and baggage handling counters for

booking etc.

Baggage claim section

Waiting hall for passengers and travelers

Security hold area

Restaurants and cafeteria

Shops

Airline counters

Office space for airport staff

Post office and banking facilities

The Terminal building comprising of arrival, departure,

basic amenities, lounges, baggage processing,

commercial activities etc.

Viewing deck

CONCePT

Courtyard planning is being widely used in Jaisalmer

buildings. It is a typical architectural feature in Jaisalmer.

It helps to make a buffer space in temperature and

controls temperature.

Sand dunesOasis modern interpretation of courtyard

Sustainable ideas eg. Water channels in courtyard,

help controlling the temperature.

Circulation for an airport is the first preference, to keep

it obstruction free, circular or organic shapes are the

best solution.

Thesis: Jaisalmer Airport Sagar PrasadCCA, Chandigarh

The NASA convention – four colorful days that see a

wonderful culmination of architecture students from

all over the country is definitely an event that leaves

its imprint on all the participants, and an occasion that

many an architect cherishes as a fond memory from

student life.

This being 52nd year of this rare tradition and the

second NASA convention involving the SAARC

Nations, we were elated at the honor of forming

the arena for the convention. With the initiative and

encouragement of our Dean, Prof. M.Thirumeni, the

organizing of the event, which coincides with the

silver jubilee celebrations of the SRM University, was

taken up with much enthusiasm by the architectural

fraternity of the University.

Armed with the experience of having hosted the zonal

convention in the year 2001 & 2005, we set about

the mammoth task of facilitating a fertile ground for

NASA convention, 2009. We focused on making the

convention a memorable and novel experience for all

the participants, and aimed at providing a fresh outlook

to the convention while maintaining the buoyant spirit

….after all, NASA is also about fun!

The many discussions which saw pooling in of ideas

from the fraternity, from the first years right up to the

final years lead to the evolution of the spirit of the

convention able .Under the light of guidance from our

chief Advisor Ar. Durganand Balsaver , the theme

evolved from a study of the built environs today and

their response to the individual. In an increasingly

faceless world that we are facing today, increasing

population and the proportional increase of the urban

sprawl has led to reduced vitality of the individual and

lack of quality of life. A search for a better tomorrow led

to the birth of U2.

U2 which is the backdrop of all activities in the

convention is an attempt to turn the convention into a

hub of thought , relating to the very problems that we

address today . The concept of U2 revolves around

the individual and his surrounding, and addresses the

role of architects in creating better spaces that respect

the dignity of the individual. The spirit of U2 is

Journey of U2 Rini RafiSRM University

the same energy that lurks in you and me and our

need for a humane environment. The slow emerging

of the concept fuelled our enthusiasm and every day

saw mushrooming of new ideas.

The concept of U2 along with the other necessary

details of the convention was presented before

selected representatives from the delegate colleges

in the pre-convention held on 9th, 10th and 11th of

October, 2009. The pre-cons gave us a glimpse of

the level of organizational skills that would be required

for a larger level convention and the spirit of the

delegates also gave us an estimate of the amount of

excitement that could be expected at the convention.

The suggestions, arguments and discussions at the

pre-cons helped us refine our objectives and gave us

more focus.

After the pre-cons, the energy that spread through the

students was truly sensational. Swift organization of

different teams happened and the NASA mania was

on!!

The Sponsorship team got more brickbats than

bouquets as they knocked many doors for the

funding required to host the convention. When a door

closed, another opened and much must be said for

the tireless warriors who strove day in and day out in

search for sponsors. Endless phone calls, numerous

letters and unanswered mails only form a part of their

story.

While the Sponsorship team was on its chase, the

Events team were spending many a sleepless night.

Several all night conversations and brainstorming gave

birth to many innovative and wacky ideas that was

sure to add color to the convention. They received

constant inputs from the rest of the department

and many cups of coffee, and sleep weary eyes are

accountable for the amazing variety of events in the

convention.

The members of the Public-relations Department

could be found permanently on the phone, handling

a detail there and an instruction here. The photocopy

machine and the scanner were soon allotted for their

exclusive usage and they always had a few million

e-mails to reply to. Their Phones never stopped

ringing, and they had a million queries to answer. Their

hectic schedules never stopped their indomitable

energy and vivacity.

The Graphic design team was inseparable from

their laptops as their creative energies flowed , and

formed Banners , brochures , logos , signboards and

just about everything required for the convention.

Sleepless nights spent bent over their laptops and

sketchbooks saw many eureka moments as ideas

zoomed in at several odd hours. These armies of

creative souls are truly the visual designers of the

convention.

Transportation Department members were heard

discussing bonds, commissions and companies

as they explored the various options, and argued,

discussed and pondered over the options before

them. The gargantuan task of providing conveyance

to thousands of delegates involves plotting, planning

and time management. The transportation committee

must be credited for their untiring effort in this direction.

The task of providing Accommodation for the

delegates is one of great responsibility and to

provide food for a hungry energetic crowd of over

4000 is no mean job. But that didn’t stop the hugely

motivated members of the food and accommodation

Department to scour every nook and cranny of the

huge campus for free hostels or scan the menu of

over a hundred caterers, just to ensure a good stay

and hygienic food for the delegates.

The cultural committee brought together a talented

bunch of students and strains of music could always

be heard from their direction. Be it walking the ramp

, or performing a dance number .. They were always

full of energy. Endless hours of practice and much

innovation are behind the colorful show on cultural nite.

The many exhibitions and panel discussions that form

the picture of NASA have many faces and much effort

behind them. Right from supervision to execution,

every step has the effort of many an enthusiastic

volunteer.

The journey of U2 was a lesson on teamwork. The

enthusiasm of the student community coupled the

able guidance and encouragement of the faculty

members along with support from our Alumni ,

specially Ar. Subbaiah , culminated in focusing of

energies to build a vibrant , yet stimulating convention.

The spirit of U2 was the common link providing focus

and energy. There were many sleepless nights, much

hard-work and infinite energy. There was also fun, frolic

and togetherness. And most importantly the iron will to

present a convention, which would remain a treasured

memory for ever.

UNIVeRSITY OF The FUTURe...

Education at SRM is all about creating an environment

of academic freedom, where bright minds meet,

discover and learn.

Working with an objective of providing high quality

education in the field of Engineering, Medical science

and Humanities, the SRM University believes that

education is all about creating an environment

of academic freedom, where bright minds meet,

discover and learn. Situated at Chennai in Tamil

Nadu, the SRM University is run and managed by the

Valliammai Society which was set up by the famous

educationist, Mr. Thiru. T. R. Pachamuthu.

The SRM Group of institutions owes its success to

the vision and leadership of Mr T.R Pachamuthu and

made its beginning in 1968 with the establishment of

Florence Nightingale Primary School. The Valliamai

Society was also founded in the same year. The

SRM family grew with the establishment of SRM

Engineering college in 1985 which soon grew into

numerous centers of learning. With the break of the

new millennium, the medical , dentistry , engineering

and para medical colleges were brought under the

ambit of SRM Deemed University.

SRM university attained its full fledged glory in the

year 2006 , under section 3 of the UGC Act 1956.

An upgraded syllabus and international teaching

methods, designed by SRM’s International Advisory

Board (IAB), launched SRM University way ahead of

the rest.

SRM University extends across four sprawling

campuses.

SRM University & Department of Architecture Shireen AdeniSRM University

Within Tamil Nadu , the Kattankulathur Campus

takes the lead housing the faculties of Engineering,

Medicine & Health Sciences, Management and

Science & Humanities - the SRM Medical College

Hospital & Research Center along with the SRM hotel

in its 240 acre , green campus which lies away from

the hustle and bustle of the city. Not too far away is

the serene and charming campus in Ramapuram

accommodating the SRM Dental College.. The SRM

fraternity has recently extended to the neighboring city

of Tiruchirapalli offering quality education in Medicine,

Engineering , Science and Humanities. The University

also has a campus in the Capital City of New Delhi ,

in Modi Nagar , housing Engineering , technology,

Management and Teacher Education.

The path of the Growth of SRM university has been

adorned with laurels and recognition for excellence

in imparting quality education. The Education times

(Times of India ) , GFK Mode survey ranks SRM

University as the No.1 Private University in India. It

joins the League of NIT’s and IIT’s and is ranked within

the Top 5 Institutions in Tamil Nadu by the Outlook

Magazine.

It has received the accreditation by NAAC with a 5-star

rating with the SRM Medical College occupying a

place among the Top Ten institutes in the county.

SRM assures a sparkling future for its graduates and

is placed at the number two position in Placement

allotment. Research and Development is of

paramount importance at SRM University and it boasts

of an up-to-the-minute nanotechnology laboratory.

Curriculum, research and teaching methodology is

assisted by SRM University’s International Advisory

Board (IAB). In addition to the IAB, the University has

an international network of advisors. They have

given SRM an international dimension in terms of

knowledge, joint research and student exchange

programs where top ranking students are given the

opportunity to spend a semester in institutions like the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), etc

Not only in terms of providing education, but the

University believes in reaching out deprived through

Medical care. It has initiated many primary healthcare

facilities throughout the city and in villages surrounding

Chennai. One such group of centers caters to 526

families in 3 villages around Maraimalai Nagar and 9

villages near Mamandur.

SChOOL OF ARChITeCTURe AND INTeRIOR DeSIGN

The SRM School of Architecture and Interior Design

was started in 1992, and offers two degree programs

for undergraduates, i.e The Bachelor of Architecture

(B.Arch) and the Bachelor of Interior Design (B.Des)

program. The M.Arch (Architectural Design) degree

is one of the most innovative programs in India, and it

prepares graduates to meet the challenges thrown up

by the ever changing needs of contemporary society.

The school advocates a design philosophy that draws

inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of India

while simultaneously embracing the developments

in science and technology, to produce architects of

international competence.

The School of Architecture is represented by a panel

of distinguished faculty of 20 members represents an

unparalleled range of design philosophies and visions.

The objective of Research in School of Architecture

& Interior design is to create an institutional,

people oriented research culture in areas such as

Architectural conservation of heritage buildings,

urban redevelopment and environmental planning for

sustainability.

A free and open minded approach that promotes

interaction among students is seen from the working

of the Architecture Association. It is a student body,

that contributes colourful days to the working calendar

by organizing a series of design and recreational

This academic year SRM University celebrates its the

twenty fifth milestone on journey towards excellence

.This momentous event is being celebrated on a

huge scale , with events being organized by every

department and various ambitious projects being

laid on track. Adding crown to the this glory , SRM

University hosts ANNUAL NASA CONVENTION

this year on its vast campus in the outskirts of

Chennai. The colorful event that will bring together

the architectural fraternity from various parts of the

country is indeed adds vibrancy to this momentous

occasion.

activities apart from special lectures, workshops and

product presentations. The students are allowed a

free reign to organise Conferences and symposia

bringing together eminent architects and scholars

who examine historical or contemporary issues

and ideas concerning architecture and natural

environments.

The lively design studios are a hub for thought, and

lecture halls see debates and discussions. The model

making workshop houses exclusive and useful

machinery for production of study models to aid in

design and is compounded by the material museum.

Keeping in view the faced paced development, the

school is provided with a well equipped computer lab

.The Library which is a focal point and a part of daily

routine for the students is home to more than 3,000

volumes on various disciplines of art and architecture

and subscribes to 5 international journals and 12

national journals.

In the School of architecture, the campus life is

unfettered and student exchange programmes

facilitate exposure and provide new horizons to the

students. The School offers facilities to enhance

the potential of the students and above all , provides

them with the right atmosphere to design dream and

unleash their creativity .

Like the master Le Corbusier has said, the focus is to

awake in every student, the mind and the soul.

Short Messagesfor the Student Community

SRM University

“Be sensitive to what really turns you on rather than what should turn you on, and evolve from that via your own work”

Sincerely,

Robert Venturi

VENTURI, SCOTT BROWN AND ASSOCIATES, INC.4236 Main StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19127TEL: 215-487-0400FAX: 215-487-2520www.vsba.com

“The great architects and urban planners of the past

found new solutions through problem-finding. The

opportunity for change often came from questions:

basic, urgent questions. Questions first about how

we lived; then about how we moved; and finally about

how we experienced. The morphological studies of

the urban environment in the 20th century reflected

this; from pattern-ground, to flux and mapping studies.

For today, we believe in an integral way of approaching

the city, called deep planning. The mechanistic models

of the 20th century need to be replaced by a new way

of thinking, just like the mono-directional record player

has been replaced by the I-pod with its mysterious

face and its infinite preference selection.”

Ben van Berkel & Caroline Bos, 2009

UN StudioStadhouderskade 113PO Box 753811070 AJ Amsterdam tel: +31 (20) 570 20 40fax:+31 (20) 570 20 41www.unstudio.com

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The TeamSRM University

NASA 2009

indianARCH’09

The TeamChandigarh College of Architecture

Chandigarh

Apoorv Kaushik

Jaskaran Chauhan

Shweta Sethi

Surbhi Bharadwaj

Varun Mahopatra

Rajat Malik

Tawish Tayal