arch i-Platform For Design

Delhi Dialogue 5

2011-12-07T14:11:00.004+05:30

NO Kidding!

Text by : Tanvi Maheshwari

Edited and Curated by : Anne Feenstra and Kushal Lachhwani

Published : October, 2011

Delhi Dialogues

2011-09-20T12:38:00.027+05:30

Following the tremendous response to Delhi 2050 Travelling Exhibition, arch i Platform has curated a five part series- Delhi Dialogues, in the Indian Architecture Monthly, Indian Architect and Builder. Part 1, 2, 3 & 4 have been published in the May, June, July & August issues.

The Sustainable Multi-polis
By Ton Venhoeven,
National Advisor for Infrastructure,

Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment,

The Netherlands

Published : May 2011

Delhi (Re)generates
By Ashok B. Lall, Shruti Narayan, Sushma Shetty

Published: June 2011

Shaping Delhi
By Tanvi Maheshwari
Published: July 2011

Design 4 Better City
By Various Authors

Published : August 2011

About Indian Architect & Builder
Indian Architect & Builder'(IA&B) magazine, India's leading AEC publication and one of the premier publications by 'Jasubhai Media' on architecture and design in India offers a comprehensive update on design trends along with a critique on related issues. Over the last 25 years in publication, it has continuously evolved, catering to the changing ideations and needs of the architecture, engineering and construction industry.

Binsar Eco Tourism Map (BEM)

2011-06-22T16:05:00.002+05:30

Binsar is a true trekking paradise. The front of the BEM depicts the detail contours of the mountainous terrain of the Binsar WLS including villages, estates, view points, water points, trekking routes, distances, and places to stay including home stays and resorts. It also shows the full range of Himalayan peaks visible from Binsar. and wild animals through sketches. As Binsar is open all year round, the back of the map provides impressions of the four seasons of the WLS through photographs, stories, historical information and practical tips for tourists.

Good quality maps are vital for ecotourism promotion. They provide excellent promotional materials and they spread environmental awareness. This map is the second in the series. The first one was the Chhoti Haldwani Heritage Map (CHHM) on 16^th Dec 2010 at Chhoti Haldwani. The Community-based Ecotourism project here has received a major fillip after the publication of the CHHM. Work is in progress on Ecotourism Map of Uttarakhand, which will be ready before the next tourist season. These innovative maps are funded by the Forest Department at different scales – heritage village level, Protected Area level, State level and landscape level.

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) situated close to Almora, a fifteenth century town in Uttarakhand, and commanding spectacular views of Greater Himalayas is truly an ecotourist’s paradise. With rich forests containing three species of Himalayan Oaks, Chir Pine and Deodar, an intact under story of herbaceous vegetation and phenomenal bird life and wild animals, Binsar WLS harbours one of the last remaining natural patches of Temperate Broadleaved Forests in Middle Himalayas.

The WLS is the only Protected Area in Uttarakhand that is open round the year for visitors. Binsar WLS annually receives over 27,000 visitors including 800 foreigners. Walking inside the WLS is permitted on the 62 km. of designated trails. Visitors can stay inside WLS in home stays offered as part of Community-based Ecotourism initiatives or at the Forest Rest House run by Forest Department. Or they can explore camps and lodges on private estates. In addition to enjoying Himalayan views, bird watching, trekking and plant study, river rafting can be done in nearby Saryu River and angling at Seraghat or visit the famous Jageshwar temple. Watching Himalayas on moon lit nights during winters is an unforgettable experience!

“Village ways” programme under which villagers have established home stays in five villages has received both national and international awards. ‘Eco Camp Binsar’ is highly regarded as a successful eco-lodge. Close to the peak, ‘The Binsar Retreat’ is one of the finest camps in the region. Binsar Forest Rest House is one of the best FRHs of Uttarakhand. And the WLS has many more other home stays and authentic resorts.

2011-01-21T13:16:00.001+05:30

The Delhi2050 blog site is now online! check out www.delhi2050.com

Delhi 2050

2010-12-24T13:21:00.003+05:30

www.delhi2050.com

Chhoti Haldwani Heritage Map

2010-12-24T13:09:00.005+05:30

We at arch i, have been working on a map for Chhoti Haldwani, Jim Corbett's village in Uttarakhand which was launched by the governor of Uttrakhand Ms. Margaret Alva in Chhoti Haldwani on 16th December.

The map itself is a tribute to Jim Corbett, his legacy, as well as a tool for education and awareness about the rich biodiversity of the forests of Uttarakhand and the colourful culture of the Kumaoni people.

“Agriculture Heritage Map” of Chhoti Haldwani

Marks the commencement of the 75^th Jubilee year of Corbett National Park.

The first ever Heritage map of Chhoti Haldwani, Jim Corbett’s village in the foothills of Kumaon will be launched on 16 December 2010. The map is an initiative of the eco-tourism wing of the Forest Department of Uttarakhand and conceptualized and designed by Delhi based platform for architecture and research, arch i. It will be unveiled by Margaret Alva, Governor of Uttarakhand in Jim Corbett’s old house in the village and now a museum in his memory.

Chhoti Haldwani, once envisioned as a model agricultural village by Jim Corbett, is today being revived by the forest department of Uttarakhand as a model eco-tourism community. Arthur Dillman of GTZ Bank calls Chhoti Haldwani “the best community based eco-tourism initiative in Uttarakhand”.

About Chhoti Haldwani

Resting in the foothills of the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand is the quiet little village of Chhoti Haldwani. This village was once owned by the famous hunter turned conservationist of British India, Jim Corbett, or ”Carpet Sahib” as he was popularly called by the villagers. He bought this small hamlet of 221 acres for a sum of 1500 rupees from Guman Singh Barua to develop it into a model village and helped about 10-15 tenants to settle here in 1915. He built houses for them, encouraged agriculture, developed irrigation systems and helped build a wall around the village to protect crops and villagers from wild animals. Even today he is much loved and revered by the 142 families, about 750 people, that live here.

About the Initiative

In April 2010, Rajiv Bhartari from the eco-tourism wing of Forest Department of Uttarakhand approached Arch I Platform with the idea of mapping the heritage of Chhoti Haldwani. In September 2010, work on a map of Chhoti Haldwani began. This village with its rich past is not short of stories to share, which have been narrated through this map. Most importantly, this map takes Chhoti Haldwani beyond its glorious past, and looks towards the future. Jim Corbett and his role in the history and development of Chhoti Haldwani cannot be ignored, and has been paid due homage in this map. A timeline highlights the history of the village and Corbett’s role in it. Concurrently the timeline looks upward to the present and the future. It talks of the rich biodiversity, the flora and fauna, the agriculture, local crafts and traditions etc. This map is not only an aid for tourists and an identity for the village, but also a tool for education and further awareness about forests, wildlife and nature, which are moving further and further away from civilization.

Hope this mapping of Jim Corbett's legacy is intriguing and someday you experience & explore Chhoti Haldwani.

2010-11-10T15:41:00.004+05:30

We at arch i have been working on "Kargyak Learning Centre" in the Zanskar valley in Kashmir, for the last one year. Here we are sharing a few snapshots of the projects and a few words about it.

Event For August

2010-08-24T23:52:00.005+05:30

Topic : Contemporary Architectural Practice in India

Speaker : Ragupathy Sambasivam

Time : 4:00 PM, Saturday, 28 August

Venue : arch i platform, 150, second floor Kailash Hills

RSVP:

arch i: 011-41060083

Apoorv: 9999321976

Event for July

2010-07-05T16:11:00.004+05:30

Topic : Some water bodies of Delhi

Speaker : Sohail Hashmi

Time : 5:00 PM, Saturday, 10 July

Venue : arch i platform, 150, second floor Kailash Hills

Please RSVP

Arch i camp : +91 11 41060083

Himanshu Lal : +91 9999411077

Event for June - Heritage cities and their Suburbs

2010-06-21T12:35:00.003+05:30

We thank conservation architect Gaurav Mathur for the highly enriching and stimulating discussion recently held at arch i platform as a part of our monthly discussion series.

The issue of harmonizing heritage passed down over generations with contemporary or new construction, has perplexed architects, conservationists and urban planners for a long time. Several debates have been spurred and many questions left unanswered.

While the discussion reinforced the fact that there is no one solution, what is for certain is that a bottom up approach could aid a better solution.

The audience and the speaker, shared ideas and personal experiences, their own unique solutions. While there is no prototypical design which will fit all situations, sharing these unique ideas and approaches can definitely inspire designs.

arch i would like to document these experiences and create a common archive for public use. All are welcome to contribute and help it grow.

CINEMA URBANISM - Architectural Discourses on Cinema - Apr-May 2010

2010-06-21T12:16:00.006+05:30

arch i platform recently concluded "Cinema Urbanism" a series of screening, lecture and discussion, at Goethe Institut, New Delhi. The event received an overwhelming response and much appreciation from all quarters.

Following are glimpses of the event.

Event for June

2010-06-17T11:23:00.002+05:30

19th June 2010, 1100 Hrs

About the Speaker
Gaurav Mathur

He is an architect currently practicing in Jaipur. He is graduate in conservation studies from CEPT university in Ahmedabad. He is currently teaching in Aayjan School of Architecture in Jaipur and is an advisor IIFA (department for architecture and interior design).

Topic of the Discussion

Heritage Cities and their relation to Suburbs

At the arch i camp at: 150,2nd Floor, Kailash HIlls. New Delhi-110065
Date: 19 June 2010 (Saturday)
Time: 1100 Hrs

Event for May

2010-05-06T11:33:00.003+05:30

8th May 2010, 1700 Hrs

About the Discussion

" In people's minds, education is synonymous with schooling. This equating is sad, for it has robbed it of its core meaning and deeper importance in human society, as my experience exploring multiple facets of 'Learning' for the last 13 years at Manzil brings out.

I'd like to share my learnings about 'Learning', and lead up to Design as a common connecting link between my work and architecture. Institutional learning spaces like school or those of higher education are really designed 'structures' addressing the human need for systematic learning, just as buildings are designed structures addressing the human need for systematic management of space.

I'd like to explore how both are burdened by past legacies that obstruct bringing new learnings into our practice, and jointly explore how we can go past. I'd like to especially focus on the particularly harsh effects of this 'business-as-usual' continuation on our planet's operating system (ecology) that we are only beginning to understand. "

About the Speaker
Ravi Gulati

He is an Indian social activist who runs the Delhi based NGO, "Manzil" which gives school tuitions to the underprivileged. He graduated with an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. Ravi Gulati began his corporate career in Canada only to give up eight months later. He returned to pursue a hands-on course in Environment Education from CEE, Ahmedabad. He was then involved with Trees for Life (later HIMCON), an NGO working with rural Himalayan communities. He is a board member of Jansamarth, an NGO working in remote Himalayan villages for generating electricity through micro-hydro power plants for lighting and livelihoods.

At the arch i camp at: 150,2nd Floor, Kailash HIlls. New Delhi-110065
Date: 08 May 2010 (Saturday)
Time: 1700 Hrs

2010-04-29T12:50:00.001+05:30

arch i and Goethe Institut invite you to the three-part film screening and discussion series,

CU : CINEMA URBANISM

Architectural Discourses on Cinema

About the event

CITIES, real or imaginary, have always been integral to cinema, as the stage where its stories play out. The urban spaces are not just a backdrop to the narrative, but form an integral part of cinematic storytelling. Films understand and capture these spaces in a manner more intense and perceptible than architects and urban planners.

Through three evenings of feature film screenings, we will journey across diverse urban spaces and a progression of time periods. In this process we will be guided by film experts, who will engage with the audience, by raising critical questions and presenting new perspectives. CU is not just a film festival but an attempt to put architecture and cinema in dialogue.

THE FORMAT of the session will be a discussion or an open dialogue between the expert and the audience. Through various film clips, the experts will discuss a particular aspect of cities and architecture in cinema.

All three experts for the three evening have varying fields of study and interest. They include a film maker, a cinema studies scholar and an architect. Consequently, the audience will also be eclectic, ranging from architects to photographers, film makers, or simply film enthusiasts.

Program

Three sessions on Friday evenings (30 Apr, 7 May and 14 May) 7pm at Sidhartha Hall in Max Mueller Bhawan

Session ONE

Date: 30 April

Time: 7 p.m.

Speaker : Ms. Ranjani Mazumdar

Title : Cinematic City - An introduction to understanding cities in cinema

About the speaker

Associate Professor of Cinema Studies at the School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is also an independent film maker and author of the book "Bombay Cinema, An Archive of the City.

About the session

The session will focus on the particular ways in which cinema emerges as an archive of 20th century urban life. Journeying through iconic film clips of world cinema, the session will foreground the architectural, psychological and kinetic imagination of the cinematic city.

Session TWO

Date: 7 May

Time: 7 p.m.

Speaker : Mr. Aftab Jalia

Title : Nothing comes out of Nothing – Fantasy, Utopia and Dystopia

About the speaker

An alumnus of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Beyond his interests in contemporary architecture, he is an ardent observer of parallel graphic expression – including comics, movies and architecture.

About the session

Film and architecture are similar in many ways. Both promise us the discovery of the unknown; both are products of intense design; both can be read and presented through multiple interpretations; they are both stories that visually unfold. The session will look at the camaraderie of these two formidable companions as they work together to create enchanting visual poetry.

Session THREE

Date: 14 May

Time: 7 p.m.

Speaker : Ms. Ein Lall

Title : Rural Virgin, Urban Whore - The Great Indian Divide

About the speaker

A film maker who uses video documentary to celebrate the unique strength and creativity of women. She has directed several films which have participated in various international film festivals.

About the session

The session will look at the dichotomy between the urban and the rural in the Indian context. Excerpts from various films will illustrate this great Indian divide, and its cinematic interpretation through time and places.

For more information contact :

Goethe-Institut : 011-23471292/112

arch i : 011-41060083, 9999321976

2010-04-07T10:48:00.003+05:30

On Friday the 2^nd of April 2010 “Friends of Garli” successfully launched the first ever map of Garli, the first heritage village of India.

Mapping Garli is an idea the arch i team has been working on for about 3 months now. It all started from a drawing room conversation with the Lal’s (one of the prominent families of Garli) about their native village, and a few snapshots of their ancestral home in their family album.

The sheer beauty of the place impressed at first glance. In the early 19th century, the hill Soods, an enterprising merchant community started settling in Garli. Along with their grand mansions, they built hospitals, schools, sarais and various infrastructures that still bear testimony to their vision over 100 years ago. It’s no wonder then that Garli continued to be the educational and medical hub of Kangra valley in the first half of the 20th century. The waterworks of the village were laid down in the early 1920’s by the timber merchant and lawyer Rai Bahadur Mohan Lal (patriarch of the above-mentioned Lal Family) for which copper pipes were brought from England, many of which still survive to this day.

It was because its beauty and wealth that up until the 1930’s Garli was called the “Switzerland of India”.

By the 1950’s, most of the Soods moved out into the cities for better prospects, leaving behind their grand mansions and havelis in disrepair. On the other hand this continued move also ensured that the village itself remained unspoilt, authentic and well preserved.

One would be tempted to don a conservationist’s hat, and start restoring the beautiful mansions that are falling apart. But one visit to the place turned our minds around. We discovered that a newly painted and repaired haveli may not actually make a difference to Garli and its people. We got down to designing a whole new development model for Garli, the key element of which was “slow but steady!” Take it step by step, and maintain continuity.

Garli was literally NOT on the map, with so many people just driving through without giving a second glance to some of its gems. The map launch was the first step in the effort to give the village its long overdue recognition, and stimulate some interest in an undiscovered gem of India.

Garli with its grand and colonial past has many myths and legends, facts and hearsay. There are stories of viceroys and Rai Bahadurs, of the bloody partition days, and of ghosts of the past. The society “Friends of Garli” and arch i will bring out some of these stories, through periodic story telling sessions later this year.

For those interested in visiting this place almost suspended in time, and unlocking its mysteries, more information can be found on Garli website www.garli.in.

2010-04-07T10:45:00.000+05:30

Article in the newspaper "The Asian Age" about Garli.

2010-03-30T13:12:00.004+05:30

We thank Prof. Jefferey Chusid for taking out time from his busy schedule to talk to our little circle, and share with us the fascinating stories and slides spanning continents.

The never ending debate on heritage tourism = commodification of culture? was raised, with interesting arguments on both sides. Here are some pictures from the event.

Event for March

2010-03-04T13:21:00.006+05:30

COMING UP THIS MONTH! - Sneak Peak

This is an advance notification for this month's event.

The second Saturday of this month, that is the 13th of March, at 2:00 PM, there will be a presentation followed by discussion at our camp (address mentioned below) by the famous Photographer and Designer Mr. Ram Rahman.

Mr. Rahman will be discussing about how he uses his photography to look at the city.

Have a look at his recent works at following links:

http://ramrahmanarchitecture.blogspot.com/
http://rabindrabhavandelhi.blogspot.com/
http://ramrahmanstreetphotos.blogspot.com/
http://bioscoperamrahman.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you on Saturday at 2!

RSVP:

Apoorv Goyal

+91-9999321976

Discussion will be held at:

arch i

150,Second Floor,

Kailash Hills,

New Delhi-65

Ph: 011-41060083

Event for February

2010-02-02T18:05:00.014+05:30

A talk On:

Heritage Tourism and the Commodification of Culture

BY Prof. Jeffrey Chusid

The process of selecting and then attributing significance to heritage sites is integrally tied to struggles for power and identity within communities and cultures. Designations are even more politically fraught when sites become commodified, serving as representations of history and culture to visitors from outside the community and as mediums of economic development requiring the imposition of external (even global) value systems. In turn, taking advantage of heritage's development potential can not only destroy the 'authentic' character of a site, but also corrupt the culture and the community that produced or maintains the site. This rich and complicated set of meanings and implications provides the context for seemingly neutral activities such as documentation and conservation that are in fact as political and consequential as any act of design.

The Speaker :
Jeffrey Chusid is a preservation architect who has worked in the US, China, Bosnia, Ukraine and Fiji on projects ranging from small-town museums to archaeological sites and historic towns. He also teaches in the historic preservation planning program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Chusid is currently in India completing research for a book on Joseph Allen Stein as well as a chapter on Delhi's planning process and its transformations for the Commonwealth Games. His book on the restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright's Freeman House is currently in production at WW Norton.

On 13 February, 4:00 PM, at arch I camp (150,2nd floor, Kailash Hills. N-Delhi-65)

RSVP: Apoorv: 9999321976, 011-41060083

Keep visiting this space for more details!

Event for January

2010-01-07T13:56:00.004+05:30

Saturday, 16 Jan 2010,

Our last speaker was Ms. Ein Lall, a documentary film maker. She talked about "Cinema and the City- the Urban Uncanny" referring to extracts from two German classic films, Berlin: Symphony of a City by Walter Ruttman and "M" by Fritz Lang.

This is an advance notification for January's event.

On 16th of January, 2:00 PM there will be an interactive session on D.E.S.I.G.N with Ms. Manjari Sharma (artist) who has explored creativity through journeys in architecture, sculpture, product design, painting, mixed media and clay.

"I happen to have floated along in life and arrived some place where the boundaries between various professions or various ideologies are melted. What seems to remain is the inter connectedness of everything……A room with a view…. Seems no different from the room, within the view……….."

-Ms. Manjari Sharma

The discussion will be held in the open lawns behind the "Lotus Temple". Everyone is requested to assemble at the arch I camp at 2.00PM sharp. We will have a short presentation and proceed to the lawns from there.

RSVP

arch I camp

+91 11 41060083

+91 9999321976

2009-12-27T11:03:00.005+05:30

Architecture in Films

The Urban Uncanny

Long before the advent of films the human imagination invested both natural and built spaces with human feelings and emotions. In both literature and painting artists imbued landscapes and city scapes with emotions of hope and tranquility or despair and trauma.

With the industrial revolution and the age of mechanical reproduction came the new townships of the machine age as well as the new machine arts of photography and film.

Not only was the birth of film coincidental with the birth of the modern city – it was created in the city , by the city, and was of the city in every way. Together with newspapers and the radio film served as a means of interpreting the city to the thousands who flocked there daily, to become part of the new urban white collar or working class. But while newspapers and the radio were connected to the practical daily needs of city dwellers, film satisfied their newly awakened need for distraction, for mass entertainment….

The birth of film as an art form coincided with the theorizing of the modern industrial city as having the potential to produce a highly sophisticated urban environment. It was an environment which was the product of a new machine age architecture and new scientific systems of town planning. This was necessary. Between 1800 and 1910 the population in Berlin grew from 182,000 to 3,400,000. As new methods of industrial production came into being. factories dominating the city scape. Tenement housing mushroomed from city center to suburbia to house the growing population; The separation of people from their work spaces; the new work patterns based on exact time schedules, meant that roads and railways needed to crisscross the city providing unprecedented speed of travel. The newspapers, radio, telephone , telegraph made for instant communication. Scientific surveillance systems made new techniques of social regulation possible. All in all there was a complete overturning of regular patterns of living; and an undermining of enduring structures of perception .Established forms of perception were disordered and reconfigured.

Unending new sources of stimulation led to the saturation of sensory stimuli and distraction a continual crisis of attention became the accepted norm of modernity.

Insofar as it was a city centred art form, insofar as its primary role was to depict human beings in their daily interactions with the city; to depict the metropolis as fulfilling or betraying the hopes and fears of city dwellers; film makers used built forms, and the mise en scene of the city to project not only the reality of the city but also the imaginary of the city. From Eisenstein onwards the city in Cinema does not operate as a mere backdrop. Film rather, presents urban space as itself representational, as simultaneously sensory and symbolic.

How did film makers to meet the challenge of depicting the urban imaginary? The technique rested partly on the “double texturing” of the film. James Donald talks of the juxtaposition of panorama and myth. Of “the mis match between the transparent

abstraction of the concept city and its juxtaposition against the densely textured urban imaginary.”

Film theorists of the time believed that it was in the slippage between the familiar and the strange, that what they called “the urban uncanny” came into being. James Donald believes that “because of the fact that the strange was rooted in the familiar, individuals in the metropolis had to be made sense of not only in terms of identity, community, civic association; but also in terms of a dramaturgy of desire, fascination and terror.”

EVENT for December

2009-12-09T12:17:00.002+05:30

This Saturday, 12 Dec '09,

Presentation and talk by Ms Ein Lal (filamaker)

Cinema and the City

Long before the advent of films the human imagination invested both natural and built spaces with with human emotions. Painting and literature often used landscapes and city scapes to resonate with hope; with tranquility; or with despair and trauma. With the industrial revolution and the age of mechanical reproduction came film. Not only was the birth of film coincidental with the birth of the modern city- it was born in the city, was made by the city and was of the city in every way. Together with newspapers and the radio film served as a means of interpreting the city to the thousands who flocked in there daily, to become part of the urban working class. But while newspapers and the radio were more connected to the practical daily needs of city dwellers, film satisfied their craving for distraction ; for mass entertainment; for communally experienced consumer gratification.

The birth of film as an art form coincided with the theorizing of the modern industrial city as having the potential to produce a highly sophisticated urban environment; a uniquely new industrial architecture. Insofar as it was a city centred art form; insofar as its primary role was to depict human beings in their daily interactions with the city; films began to use built forms as the mise en scene that projected not only the reality of the city as a lived space but also the surreality of the city as an imagined space. What were the ingredients of this urban imaginary? how did films make sense of the individual in the metropoplis not only in terms of identity, community, civic association but also in terms of "a dramaturgy of desire, fascination and terror"?

I would like the discussion to be based on extracts from two very different films that I will be screening. Both films were made in Berlin and belong to the decade 1927 - 1937.

Berlin: Symphony of a City.by Walter Ruttman

"M" by Fritz Lang.

RSVP

arch I camp

+91 11 41060083

+91 9899457174

COMING UP THIS MONTH! - Sneak Peak

2009-12-03T12:40:00.000+05:30

This is an advance notification for this month's event.

The second Saturday of this month, that is the 12th of December, at 4:00 PM, there will be a presentation followed by discussion at our camp (address mentioned below) by

Ms. Ein Lall (Film maker), on

"Architecture in Bombay films"

About the Artist

Ein Lall has used the video documentary to celebrate the unique strength and creativity of women. She has directed several films on women artists, which have participated in international film festivals in Mumbai, Tokyo, New York, Paris, Taipei, and Trivandreum.
"[She] tackles the dynamic of cultural differences and commonalties in the politically divided subcontinent. [Her installations] and video projects draw on popular entertainment and advertising. (the Contours of New Art in Pakistan: Quddus Mirza)"
She was a participant in the Skowhegan Artist Residency, Maine in 2000 and the Khoj Artist Residency, Delhi in 2001. Her work has been shown in various exhibitions and film festivals internationally. Her short video piece "Mangoes" was awarded the Best Short Film award at the Karafilm Festival, Karachi, 2001.

Please RSVP @ +91-11-41060083

arch I camp

150, second floor

Kailash Hills

2009-11-18T15:07:00.000+05:30

I AM GURGAON

Photo courtesy Wordpress

Recently a movie with the same title by Marijke Meerman was screened at the camp. It got me thinking, So what is all this fuss about Gurgaon?

It is a glitzy new addition to an overflowing city where “glitzy” until now meant the wide roads and colonial bungalows of Lutyen’s Delhi. So why do we have such a love-hate relationship with it? (Loved mostly by the residents of apartments with fancy anglicized names, and hated by righteous architects.) For one thing, when built, Gurgaon had a never seen before glamour. Never seen before by the farmers of the “original” village of Gurgaon, not by the frequent fliers of Delhi who had already lived and experienced the “actual thing” on their visits to US, Singapore etc., and therefore felt and immediate kinship to it. And so the NRI’s, the multinationals companies, filled up the new city, while the locals stared in awe. Little islands of comforts cropped up, in the middle of a rural settlement.

Isn’t the story of how it all began the premise of all that is wrong with the place? A haven which is nothing but a reminder of what the residents left behind? A larger than life, overly expensive memento of the “western” way of life, translated better way of life

Everything else aside, how can a city built entirely on an aspiration to ape what exists a thousand miles away, live and survive on its own without an identity. . If we are all coming from diverse histories, why are we all heading towards a common future? Why can’t we aspire to create diverse futures?

Even if for a moment we put aside the most common concern voiced by the people, the constant humming of the generators in a city with no electricity, the shortage of water outside the islands of comfort, the complete absence of public transport, is it still the nightmare it is projected to be? After all, more than half of Delhi suffers from these planning concerns. Are the deplorable civic amenities all that are wrong with the city?

Maybe what is even more disparaging is the striking and absolute contrast we see in way of life, inside and outside the islands. While the islanders complain about power shortage and the hum of the generators, which keep the A/C’s working for them non-stop, the peripheral populace struggles to get their fans working a few hours a day. While water in taps is taken for granted at all times inside, the outsiders barely get enough to drink. The problem is that there is no in-between to level out the playing field. Both extremes stare at each in the face, and each breeds contempt for the other. The rich want to push away the poor, and demand exclusivity even in public spaces. And the poor in turn detest the rich even more.

This ground reality, is going to shape Gurgaon into a future that we cannot predict. But a hunch says, it will not be a healthy one.

Monthly Platform Discussion

2009-11-13T15:00:00.000+05:30

Thank you for being a part of the interactive exhibition 'Architecture for Humanity' at India Habitat Centre.

As you are aware, arch I as a vocal platform for architects, designers and other creative minds will organize platform discussions, every second Saturday of the month at 4:00 PM.

This month we will be screening a movie 'I AM GURGOAN: the new urban India' by Marije Meerman at our camp (150, Second Floor, Kailash Hills) followed by discussion and tea on 14 November, Saturday, 4-6 PM. The following is a brief of the movie:

Gurgoan is a satellite city outside of New Delhi. Its shiny facade symbolize India's unparalleled economic growth. Gurgoan was built at the turn of this century by the largest project developers in the world. What was a village 15 years ago has rapidly grown into a city of 1.4 million inhabitants, living in glossy apartment buildings, but with little or no infrastructure. How viable is this new type of city? Residents of the grated communities of this privatized society offer insights in their hopes and desires, and in the new self-confidence of the Indian middle class. Gradually, the consequences of the credit crunch appear. In this model city, the gap between rich and poor is growing, affecting the psyche of its inhabitants. Is Gurgoan a new Ponzi Scheme or the prototype for future mega cities all over India?

Hope to see you again.

RSVP

arch I
150,Second Floor,
Kailash Hills
New Delhi-110065
Ph: +91-11-41060083

or contact

Apoorv : 9999321976

Interactive Exhibition : Architecture for Humanity

2009-11-13T14:48:00.000+05:30

About the Exhibition..

In a world where buildings and architects are increasingly seeking to achieve the impossible, to attract the most attention,

Are we forgetting who we are building for?

Are we forgetting where we are building?

Are we forgetting Humanity ?

In three different corners of the world lie three small buildings, by three passionate architects. One in the countryside of the Netherlands, the other in southern jungles of Delhi and the third in the depths of Afghanistan. But they all speak the same language, the language of architecture for humanity. Through a showcase of these works by architects Onix, Revathi Kamath & Anne Feenstra, and two panel discussions, we tried to understand this language and attempt to find how they are able to create their unique interpretations. “Architecture for Humanity” was an endeavor to spread awareness as well as generate new ideas about more responsible and in turn more sustainable architecture. In the course of the exhibition and open discussions some critical questions were raised. Can architecture become more than a glitzy piece of art? Can it become a social catalyst? Can we find roots of architecture in the evolving culture, physical setting and environment of a place?

“Architecture for Humanity” is not just an event, but is also intended as a movement of sorts. Starting with three countries and three materials, the exhibition will include more such like minded architects in different countries, and different materials. The exhibition will then travel to these countries, generating more discussions and dialogues, across the globe.

2009-11-13T14:45:00.000+05:30

The Opening

The event “Architecture for Humanity” was a largely successful even with overwhelming response from a variety of audiences. The event was opened on 26th October 2009 by The Deputy Ambassador for the Embassy of Netherlands in India and the Cultural counsel for the Embassy of Afghanistan in India. It was followed by the first panel discussion.

Panel Discussion One

Responsibility of an Architect

This discussion focused on the “Humanity part of “Architecture for Humanity”. We discussed people and their habits, regions and their cultures, architects and their ideologies. Are copy pasted western models valid? Or can we find inspiration in a place and its culture for our art, craft and architecture. How can we truly involve people, the communities, in the design process, of a building which is completely for them?

The most important point highlighted was the importance of maximum people participation in any design process. Whether it be Revathi Kamath’s effort to rehabilitate the slum at Shadipur depot or Inder Kochhar’s zero km. resort at Lakshmansagar.

The process of architecture needs to be slow and participatory. The architect needs to sit down with all the stakeholders and try to understand their needs. At Shadipur, the Kamath’s did not bulldozer out the slum to give rehabilitated dwellings to the people, but instead opted for an “evolving home”. They sat down with the 350 odd families, to understand individual needs to give them a first home on the ground. At the same time they equipped them with the skills to build and evolve their house as the family and resources grow in the future.

This participation need not be limited to buildings only. For example, SEWARA’s resort in Lakshmansagar uses only local labour and materials not only for the building, but also for the products inside the resort. The owner himself lived with local people and learnt their ways over a period of months, and then, only after gaining their confidence and understanding their crafts, did he begin the building process.

Moe Chiba, the heritage specialist from UNESCO, presented a very valid point when she brought to the audiences notice the plight of the dying arts and crafts. These crafts should not replicated and put in the bracket of heritage, but should be given a contemporary interpretation if we are to save them. Ms. Moe Chiba also pointed out the role of dying urban open spaces which directly lead to the demise of local crafts. It is her viewpoint that it is only in these urban open spaces, the leftover spaces between the buildings, the land which has no ownership, which is a breeding ground of culture.

In the end a short mention was also made of the role of the environment in building, by Mr. J.K.Dadoo, Ex Secretary, Environment, Delhi. He talked of a few simple things that we as architects or users can incorporate in our lifestyle, for healthier living, for example rainwater harvesting, switching to CFL’s, waste treatment, planting trees, etc.

The audience showed some concern over things like, what trees to plant? And cost of installing a rainwater harvesting sytem being too high. They were informed of the native tree varieties which are fast growing and need no maintainance, and govt. subsidy programmes for harvesting systems.

2009-11-13T14:40:00.000+05:30

Panel discussion Two

Nature and Materials

This discussion focused on the “Architecture” part of “Architecture for Humanity”, and was a more technical discussion. We talked about building materials beyond cement, glass and steel. How can local materials be innovatively used for both sustainability and novelty? What are the lessons to be learnt from history and tradition of a place for sustainable building practices? How sustainable is a “green building” really?

Firstly building rating systems were deeply criticized for their shear detachment from the local conditions. An interesting point was raised when someone said that India one of the most diverse countries. Even Gandhiji once said that in India after every150 Kms. it seems like a different country. Even within such short distances, the language changes, the food, clothing, the rituals change. Then why do we have uniform building code, uniform rating systems, for the entire country? Why can’t the building laws change with every 150 Kms.?

Dr. Amit Rai from BMTPC argued that enough advancement has been made in alternative building materials. The problem is how to bring them to the masses? How can the progress be taken from labs into mainstream?

One answer is, education. If the youth is educated early enough about these materials and applications, it is more probable that they would put it into use rather than the established architect who already too comfortable in their own niche of convention.

The various materials which offer a lot of scope are mud (Revathi Kamath’s own house, which was also featured in the exhibition, is built entirely in mud), fly ash, bamboo etc. What is needed to create faith in these materials, to create sociological acceptance, which NGO’s should really focus on.

Kamath also mentioned that materials like steel should also not be completely shunned. Steel can also be sustainable if used in the right manner and the right amount (maybe as a composite also), since it has a lower embodied energy than other materials like aluminum, and is also extremely durable.

A large scope lies in disaster management and rehabilitation projects, Usually houses are quickly built on a large scale in materials like corrugated steel, and a few years later, are found unlivable. These houses could well serve as demonstration projects for alternative materials and techniques.

Another possibility is schools. There are thousands of government schools being built every year. Of these even if 5 are commission to be built on the lines of alternative techniques and materials, the trend will grow for sure.

Another point of view, which can be termed as somewhat cynical was that of Mr. Stephane Paumier, practicing architect in Delhi. He believes the root cause of all these problems are the roads. Wherever the roads go, differences crop up. People start using different materials, since they don’t have to use local materials anymore. Isolated islands on the other hand have to make do with whatever is available locally, and are hence sustainable.

Another problem is too many laws and codes. Excessive rules and regulations lead to in-efficient material use, due to over-dimensioning. For example, a steel and concrete building uses almost as much steel as a purely steel building. Why then can we still not build without concrete?

The government subsidies on materials like burnt bricks, cement etc. was questioned. A brick or cement is not always a local material, and needs to be transported over long distances. But the govt. subsidies prevent people from looking beyond them, to local options. Why can’t we subsidies the manufacturing of materials like mud bricks, fly-ash bricks, etc.?

An audience member pointed out a very practical point – Everything that sells, works. There id nothing in the media, which says mud or bamboo is “sexy”, unlike the glass buildings of Gurgaon. These materials need to be glamorized if they need to be brought into mainstream.

At the end of it all an aggravated architect Mr. Anil Laul, put the entire blame on the Indian bureaucracy by saying“ Man proposes God disposes but in this country Man proposes the CPWD disposes” and this is followed by “Behind every successful man is the hand of a lady but behind every unsuccessful project is the Hand of a Bureaucrat”. This is how things stand but few would want to take this head on.

To conclude, he said that this detachment with all that is local and this obsession with all that is western came with the British.

Lord Macaulay in his speech in the British parliament on February 2, 1835 on introducing English education in India said “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such high calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her cultural and spiritual heritage, and therefore I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self esteem, their native self culture, and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation”.

OUT OF THE BOX

2009-11-12T09:15:00.001+05:30

OUT OF THE BOX

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Building with a heart: Anne Feenstra Exhibition

2009-11-12T09:07:00.001+05:30

Building with a heart: Anne Feenstra Exhibition

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About arch I

2009-11-12T09:05:00.000+05:30

The Team

Anne Feenstra, a Master in Architecture from Delft University, The Netherlands has established a collective platform for architecture along with four young and ambitious architects, Apoorv Goyal, Himanshu Lal, Sneha Khullar, Tanvi Maheswari. Anne has been practicing architecture in the European continent and in London (William Alsop architects). In 2003 he established his own design group-AFIR. He has been lecturing/teaching in India, United Kingdom, Afghanistan, and Germany and –of course- The Netherlands.

Mission Statement

Architecture and urban design are a reflection of our contemporary cultural identity. In the search for the definition of this identity, eco-friendly architecture and sustainable design should play a more important role than it does in the present situation.

We think it is important to put the ever growing commercial pressure aside for a more tangible, humane, perceptible and sustainable architecture. More space for reflection, thinking and dreaming.

This design approach requires extensive research into the complex layers of history and culture, into the specifics of the environment, biodiversity, building materials and craftsmanship. Research will be an inclusive part of our working method; it will play a pivotal role in our search for a better architecture and urban design.

The people, the children, the different communities are the most important and valuable stakeholders in this search. We believe that architects, planners and designers should follow a more ‘open design process’ in which listening and sharing of ideas/concepts becomes the starting point. Through social, cultural and economical engagement, we believe a higher level of ownership can be achieved.

On a regular basis, we will be hosting vocal platforms in New Delhi, every second Saturday of the month, where all stakeholders will be invited.