Integrating hand skills into architecture and design
In an increasingly mechanised and digitised world, our unique good fortune in being able to access an unparalleled resource of hand skills gives us a distinct edge over any other country in the world. However, if we recognise this and are able to invest wisely into this vast pool of traditional knowledge, we can carry forward a huge number of our fellow compatriots into leading a life of dignity and economic well-being. By now, it is well recorded that the number of artisans in our country is second only to agriculture; the numbers employed by the IT industry are minuscule in comparison.
It is also important to realise that hand production processes are ‘green’ in a very real sense of the term; they invariably consume low energy and use natural resources. This aspect of hand production is immeasurably valuable and will be much more so in the future when we evaluate the environmental degradation caused to our planet.
It seems ironical that while there is a lot of fanfare about ‘Make in India’ and other such programmes currently, there is little awareness about these crucial and positive aspects of a sector which has been ‘making in India’ for centuries! We pay lip service to these slogans, but seem to be sadly crippled in the vision and strategy necessary for the very survival of the crafts sector and the serious challenges it is faced with today.
This story is from the October 2016 edition of Insite.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2016 edition of Insite.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Luxury Penthouse: Nesting Nature
Penthouse Pfekuto is a pied-à-terre for a family to facilitate their frequent visits to the city. Designed by Conarch Architects, New Delhi, this is a lively and a dynamic project - a multi-level penthouse with 8000 sq ft of indoor area and 6000 sq ft of outdoor space spreading across three levels. The design vision is centred on transforming generic apartment units into a functional, versatile and inspiring living space that honours the clients’ needs and reflects their lifestyle.
Pot Pourri Event
The evening hosted two very successful Architects – Shivani Gaur, Studio Director, Gensler, and Sabina Reddy, Director, M Moser Associates.
Achyut Palav On His Calligraphy Calling
Expressively using the Devanagari and English scripts in his works, which span across a spectrum of canvases, ace calligrapher Achyut Palav has carved a niche for himself in the realm of calligraphy. Here is a narrative of his journey while passionately striving to engage himself with calligraphy not just as an art or skill but most importantly, as a culture.
Context-Rich Weekend Homes
Sidharth Khatri Mitali Kedia Delhi Collective, a young multi-disciplinary firm designs two weekend homes in North India, which strongly respond to the climatic conditions and the context.
A Tale Of Two Houses
Scatter Box and The Veranda House, two uniquely designed apartments in suburban Mumbai by S+PS Architects showcase the robustness of attention to comprehensive design while avoiding a signature style or anything irrelevant or provocative focusing instead to create diverse, innovative, and exciting environments.
A Richly Fabricated Residence
Designed in collaboration by Rust and Even, this apartment for a couturier of bridal attire, reflects the owner’s personality, through the use of various kinds of fabrics and prints.
Architecture That Breathes
Urban Alchemy 9, set amidst the verdant scenery of south Goa blends, the traditions of tropical architecture and local culture with contemporary design aesthetics to create a sense of living in a tropical paradise.
A Contemporary Take On The Traditional Idea Of Multigenerational Household
A contemporary take on the traditional idea of multigenerational household, Villa 430, designed by Hyderabad based Moriq Interiors & Design Consultants, balances the rustic with luxury, built with unbuilt, and the old with the new.
Smart Urban Design Statement
Imagine an abode premeditated for a family of three generations (and a probable fourth in the near future). ‘Never-Apart-ment’ is located in a dense layout of the new development engulfing the city of Hyderabad. The architects of this project Baba Sashank and Vindhya Guduru, the founders of Spaceficition Studio, masterminded the primary outcome of the concept that will be overcoming the drawbacks of a vertical settlement. The sole aim behind this ‘home-sweet-home’ was to keep the social interaction between the family members alive. The form generated is a direct consequence of this, the context and the brief.
A Blend Of Nature And Luxury
Designed by Shroffleon, Apartment 701 in Mumbai, challenges the conventional apartment by having a balcony which extends to the terrace, and myriad custom-designed bespoke elements.
