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A Westerna In India - A Story Of Sustainable Design Through Critical Regionalism

Since the 1990s Indian architecture has been influenced by an increasingly liberal economy and the transformation of the built landscape.

Date : 09/07/2019

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Peter

Uploaded by : Peter
Uploaded on : 09/07/2019
Subject : Architecture


Introduction

For the purpose of the text and the operating context, sustainability is defined as follows:-

Sustainability is Design that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings whilst enhancing the social and economic environment for all demographic parts in society.


Since the 1990s Indian architecture has been influenced by an increasingly liberal economy and the transformation of the built landscape. As a result, we are experiencing a fascinating chapter in the history of architecture. However, these built paraphernalia coexist in close proximity creating some bizarre physical adjacencies, exemplified by the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Terminal. Buildings such as these put a premium on lavish interiors with a lack of any investment in the exterior form or how it configures within the city urbanistically. Projects such as this are an illustration of iconic expression and a tool to represent capitalism a clear economic drive to encourage foreign investment in the booming economy. These shiny steel and glass structures achieve little in sustainable design.


On the other hand, there is a local assertion of architects creating an alternative typology that uses local methods to integrate into the context environmentally and socially, many of whom are educated in the West. This has become most noticeable since the liberation of the economy. This young generation uses their understanding of narrative, technologies, fabrication interfaces with great ease. They demonstrate an ability to root their projects in the context in which they operate, without overt referencing to the stylistic and regional affiliations that surround it. These are the Critical Regionalists.


The premise of this essay is, to define what sustainable architecture in India means, and develop a practice that best achieves this. From September I will be working for SPA St phane Paumier Architects, New Delhi I wish to construct this essay as a manifesto to test whether, at the end of the 12 months of work, I come to the same views for how to best achieve sustainable development in the Indian context. The essay looks at Critical Regionalism as an alternative technology and agency in achieving sustainable design. This is juxtaposed against global practices that are shown to struggle to deliver anything meaningful in the context of sustainability.


The essay is divided into two sections. The first section looks at the two predominant forms of architecture practice in India- Global Practices and Critical Regionalism. Critical Regionalism is further investigated with two case studies, Hall of Nations by Raj Rewal and Aranya Housingby Balkrishna V. Doshi. This is followed by a conclusion that states the virtues to critical regionalism whilst acknowledging its short falls.



Global Practices


Since the liberalisation of the Indian economy a wave of global practices has asserted itself on the country s architectural scene. The work of these companies embodies a trend of hyper-consumption and economic impatience that is showcased to the new globalised world.


Unfortunately, the work delivered by these firms is far from socially and environmentally sustainable. Through the form of Engineering and architecture, particularly work on a large scale is often outsourced to Western firms, perceived to be competent and well experienced in configuring global buildings. Specifically, work is outsourced to those well-versed in the use of new technologies that meet international standards. What is facilitated is soulless and ordinary, most often exemplified in the form of glass and plastic coated corporate architecture. This capital drive is inappropriate for the climate and culture operated within India. Paul Ricoeur makes the point that not every culture can absorb the shock and fast paced nature of modern civilization. Nor should they strive to. India is a nation of beauty and rich wealth of history and architecture - why opt for a regurgitation of inappropriate, Western Architecture. Nowhere is the lack of contextualization clearer than the Antilla Green Tower, in Mumbai. Perkins + Will s conception represents the influx of capital the city is being gripped by. Furthermore, it clashes with the general middle-class context and the Golibar slum that sits in the wake of the behemoth. To add insult to injury, Perkins + Will espouse sustainability and association to modernization/technology in all their marketing material. Perkins + Will s have greenwashed the luxury home in the plantation mereley as an afterthought, in an attempt to win public support through sustainability marketing. Although a particularly extreme case, the tower stands as a symbol of Western design, pre-determined by the material and economic drivers of nations foreign to the Indian reality. It is very typical to see global practices produce large steel and glass structures, such as the tower in Mumbai and the Cyber Park seen in promotional videos depicting economic development. A large part of the problem is that Western structures are associated with prosperity and so policymakers are far more likely to endorse similar projects in the hope that it will improve the country s global image.


Critical Regionalism- Manifestation


There is, however, an alternative practice that may produce sustainability more holistically. Although small in numbers, regional manifestation is a movement of architects in India that strive for contextually relevant design- Critical regionalism. Such architects are often Western-educated and are able to combine their understandings of the environments in which they operate with their education received, through the use of modern technologies and design approach. These practices grapple with the question of the relevance of globalization to India s social and cultural environment. What results is a sustainable design that meets the needs of the local people and is delivered through a humanistic approach to design. In order for this process to succeed it is important that Indian architects have the confidence in their own work. St phane Paumier argues that many Indian architects lack confidence and that this is perhaps the reason that Western- style architecture is all too often adopted. The patronage for earlier socialist government controlled projects has shifted from the public to the private sector. The regionalist practice has resituated these programmes within social and environmental responsibilities. St phane Paumier is a seminal example of this mode of practice. S.P.A. Designs give a refreshing demonstration of localising technology in the design for the O.P. Jindal global university, which extends the regionalist approach to yet another level. The design is constructed through a grid system that can be associated with traces of European architects, such as the design for Parc de la Villette. As well as a more traditional form of Indian design, ideal for the housing amongst the complex, made from predominantly brick and monolithic in form, see Figure 11.


Criticisms of such practice should not be subordinated. Whilst regionalists work is meaningful, global practices carry a level of large corporation and governmental endorsement that is seldom seen in the regionalist architects. The issue is that the practices are limited in the scale of projects that can be taken on. One reason for this is the operational scale of these companies S.P.A Design, for instance, is an office of between 20-25 people and does not have the operational capacity to deliver the projects impatient capital demands of governments. Gensler, for example, has over 4,500 employees. Equally, regionalism can often appear ambiguous in design intention, only to be understood through the frame of a journal, in contrast to the work of global practices that reference historical and contextual design.


Case study 1- Raj Rewal Hall of the Nations


Perhaps not the most obvious example of a sustainable project, the Hall of Nations by Raj Rewal stands as a metaphor for Critical Regionalism in India, as well as for how architects can use their contextual understanding to innovate alternative forms of practice.


The Hall of Nations was designed to meet the constraints of the North Indian climate and is typical of its time and context. This can best be seen in the material composition. Concrete is the material of choice and is used as the fundamental material for the large structural frame. Raj Rewal based the spanning structure on the space-framed structures that he studied in Europe as a student. As the structural engineer, Mahendra Jaj, later states by common consensus and practice, the material of choice would usually be steel . During the time it was built, India did not have the thriving steel industry that it does today. Steel would have then needed to be imported, making it prohibitively expensive. He, therefore, proposed making the design out of in-situ concrete. This would become the largest self-supporting concrete structure in the world. From inside, the space is left open with not a single concrete column needed to support the structure. Import tariffs, in India and other developing countries, can often be a deterrent to the import of goods. In addition, the low value of the native currency relative to that of the exporting nation further increases costs. It is not clear whether this would have played a role in the material allocation, but it offers a pragmatic explanation of the Regionalist architects choice in selecting materials available in the local context. The plan for the pavilions is square with chamfered corners, providing eight anchoring points. The corners were inspired by the tomb of Moghul Emperor Humayun. This can be seen in floor plan drawings of both buildings (figures 5 and 6). The reference is subtle and shows an integrated understanding of the area that is being operated in this is less commonly seen in the work of global practices.


Sustainable design must involve an approach that is not overly imposing on the context that is being operated in. Unlike many of the global practices, who often use excessive architectural referencing due to a poor understanding of the context, the Hall of Nations is far more subtle in the design decisions that are made and does not overtly reference the context. Global practices work is notorious for being ill-fitting to the context, with little effort made in design re-appropriation, often what is delivered is a steel and glass structure that does little in keeping the harsh sun out. In the Hall of Nations- the thickness of the concrete structure acts appropriately as a Sun breaker and is conceived as a jail , this is a geometrical pattern of perforation that serves to obstruct direct rays of the harsh Sun while permitting air circulation, needed to keep the space cool. Figure 6 shows the thickness of the structure which is needed to create a threshold between the internal and the rise of the sun. Inside space can be felt to be cooling and refreshing, a perfect break from the harsh summer sun of New Delhi. This approach to design would not be necessary in the climate of northern Europe, as this essay does not aim to be a manifesto for dictating a series of design decisions that should be taken in order to achieve sustainability. Instead what it does is demonstrates that a appropriated, contextually relevant approach to design can go some way in achieving environmentally and socially sustainable architecture.


In a world of globalization, it would be naive to suggest that architects should limit the pallet of materials used to that present in the region. However what Raj Rewal was able to achieve in the Hall of Nations is a design that learns from grand structures, built across Europe but that takes its own approach in terms of material use, architectural references and site specification, the design is self-sustained and does not require air conditioning systems. Unfortunately, in May 2017, the Hall of the Nations was illegally knocked down overnight during an ongoing legal battle was taking place. Despite public appraisal for the scheme and disgust, at the demolition, no one is yet to be prosecuted. The area is now being redeveloped as a shopping mall, the last entry into the series of bad movie plastic and glass coated corporate architecture.


Case Study 2- Mass scale housing- Aranya Low-cost Housing


Balkrishna Doshi is perhaps one of the most successful examples of sustainable design in Indian architecture and internationally. He is also a key agency in the unfathomable architectural discourse in India. Many of his skills and training are similar to that of St phane Paumier and Raj Rewal. Much of the mastery was established through working with renowned European architects, the likes of Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier to produce an Architecture that is adaptable to the context it operates within. Aranya housing scheme was designed for EWS, Economically Weaker Sections, but is also a mixed group of social classes, something that can be hard to find in the cities of India which are often polarizing in the social classes.


Aranya Housing is a refreshing alternative to the modern housing developments that are taking place across India. The notion of housing as an instrument for habitation, capable of absorbing the changes of the home and family use has unfortunately disappeared. Most housing delivery systems, are now dominated by private developers. Aranya Housing responds to the climatic conditions as well as the contemporary aspirations for a family home. In a city that is configured with high-rise homes, whilst situating itself in a larger mixed-use development comprising malls, community halls, and multiplexes. It is therefore both a relief and achievement to see such a scheme in a country which has seen the privatization of housing. During the 1970s and 80s, the housing sectors were one of the largest areas in which the state contributed to. This system has today changed- a growing issue as a large amount of the population now lives in slums. Balkrishna Doshi stands as an agency to this form of change. From a functional level, the master plan is responsive to the lifestyle of Indians. For example, community amenities are centralized with basic services working around it. This allows for population density increases and the spaces within the compound for house increase in physical size as the family needs and income change. Furthermore, a flexible layout in the home allows for alternative typologies to be developed responding to the context and surrounding streets seen in figure 9. Criticism is still reserved, as the housing scheme fails to fully integrate the various incomes of communities that inhabit it. The reason for this is that Balakrishna understands this is a contested issue and that Indian society fails to recognize the integration of mixed social classes as something that should be strived for. Therefore what is designed is something that aims for mixed social classes but does not attempt to eradicate the issue as a consequence to this is the scheme itself may become rejected by the public and therefore uninhabited.


The climatic design is achieved as the main facade has been orientated towards the north-south side axis, this reduces the solar radiation of the building, especially during summer months. The openings within the roof permit the release of heat gain developed throughout the day during the night-time and cross-ventilation between the north and south. Furthermore, the use of the courtyard is integrated, which has long been a vernacular method used to keep homes cool without the need for a separate electrical cooling system.


Through the use of materials and technology sustainability is achieved. The load-bearing bricks walls are the only part to the design that is certified and installed, allowing for regulation to ensure the house is safe to inhabit. Conventional and locally available building materials are integrated with a progressive construction system that allows for social collaboration forming strong relationships, early on between neighbors. This can also help to meet the needs of the dweller s financial affordability as labour costs are reduced. After that, the dwellers are given the tools to assist one another install and finish the home. This allows for a colorful mix of individual houses which are equally integrated into the load-bearing structure that defines the home. The only construction item that is not fully installed is the CRC roof. This is an expensive product and is only installed where necerseary, above the washroom. Residents are provided with the built foundations so that they can install the CRC at a later date. In Aranya housing, the resident becomes the technology and is the agency to social and environmental sustainability within the compound.


Conclusion


In many ways, the power the Critical Regionalists have to deliver sustainable design is limited. This is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in May 2017 when the Hall of Nations was knocked down to be replaced by something slicker . Nevertheless, through good practice, the Critical Regionalists must strive to transcend Indian architecture. In time the integration between the skills of the Indian labor force and the local materials will become more appreciated by the public and government and a push will be made for more regional architecture. Regionalism must continue to remain relevant in the globalized world that is engulfing India at a rapid pace. Regionalists must push for these larger scale projects in order to demonstrate the value that can be offered. In doing so, a more sustainable typology- that meets the needs of the Indian people will become primary.


It will be interesting too, in 12 months read back on the hypothesis delivered here and reflect on whether I still believe the Critical Regionalists are the agency to achieving the sustainable design in India. When I go to work with St phane Paumier I will be tasked on O.P. Jindal Global University. In many ways, the project combines a regional understanding of the environments with the education received, in the use of modern technologies. There is a cross between Vernacular materials and construction seen with more modern, appropriated technologies on the left. It is equally large in scale and able to contend with the Global practices.















Appendix

Sustainable Architecture- Design that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings whilst enhancing the social and economic environment for all demographic forms in society.

Global Practices- These are large Western firms perceived to be competent in configuring global buildings. These practices projects often attract international investment as the projects can represent a Western context and ideal but do little to meet the environmental and social needs within the context.

Regional Manifestation- The term refers to a series of Architects that established their firms in the 1990s, directly after the liberalization of the countries practices. They tend to be of Indian origin, of whom are educated in the West- giving them a grounded understanding for passive and contextual design. They do however lack the ability to respond to the large-scale infrastructure projects.

Critical regionalism-is an approach to architecture that strives to counter the placelessness and lack of identity of the International Style, but also rejects the whimsical individualism and ornamentation of postmodern architecture. The stylings of critical regionalism seek to provide an architecture rooted in the modern tradition but tied to geographical and cultural context. Critical regionalism is not simply regionalism in the sense of vernacular architecture. It is a progressive approach to design that seeks to mediate between the global and the local languages of architecture.

Arri re-grade - A term stated in Towards a Critical Regionalism -it is the stated means to protect an ideology.

Tectonic- A means for which to distill play between material craft and gravity. Tectonics is concerned with the structural poetics of the design, rather than the representation of a facade.

Economic impatience- The result in the design of policymakers demonstrating the fast growth of the economy. What can often result is a design that is contextual, socially and environmentally irrelevant.



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