Blog Archives
Architecture and Design- the old and new!
Let’s start with the new beginnings…
India finally has it’s own body for the Design Industry. Called the ‘Association of Designers of India’ (ADI), the initiative of forming this body began a year ago, when the Pune Design Foundation and AIDI, Bangalore members decided to dissolve their respective local bodies and come together to create a pan-India body for Design. So history is being made and the Facebook group, within a matter of few days only, has a membership of 300+ designers, all raring to come together and work for Design and it’s promotion.
The ADI will be formally launched on February 10th, 2011 during the inauguration of the Pune Design Festival.
The Pune Design Festival or PDFest as it is more popularly known as, is in its 5th year and promises to be a wonderful collaboration between different design fields, with various events lined up.
Mukund and I from Sarvasva are proud and honoured too, to have been part of the founding body of both – the ADI and the PDFest. What glorious times we live in! And I’m sure, this is just the beginning of more to come.
Look up ADI on www.associationofdesignersofindia.com (the site is still coming up, will keep you all posted) and PDFest on www.punedesignfestival.org.
On another note, I have been doing a month’s course on Indian History/Archaeology and Architecture and have been learning so much of what makes this great country; including some of the renowned teachers who are taking time out to lecture and share their work and viewpoints. I especially wanted to do this course so that I could further supplement ‘Pune Walks’ (the heritage walks that our firm conducts) with the knowledge from experts.
And while I have been seeing the extreme passion and care being taken for projects in archaeology, I have failed to see the same happening in the heritage conservation/ restoration segment, especially here in Pune. And what is saddening more so is the huge gap between the ancient history (archaeology) and the modern times; which makes the middle segment of history/heritage all the more so important. And hence required to be respected, saved, documented, conserved, restored and maintained. Not retrofitted with the new only, or with the modernistic idea of what we think these buildings /structures should be. Because, if these structures are not going to be part of our present and future, we will in the long run have no link to our immediate past.
And the past is important for the future to exist.
- Darpana.
A Coloured View.
Was invited to be part of the Asian Paints ColourNext Style Lead Panel few days ago, which was primarily a workshop to understand the trends in colour. There were about 16 of us who were invited, from different backgrounds of design, architecture, fashion, photography and journalism, and 11 of us finally attended.
It was a rather interesting mix of people… Dilip Chhabria (THE DC of autos), Vikram Bawa (Fashion Photographer), Abhimanyu Kulkarni (Philip Design), Shimul Kadri, Sonal Sancheti and Ajay Sethi (all architects), Mugdha Sethi (graphic designer), Nrupen Madhvani (fashion and architecture photographer), Dev (of Dev R Nil – the fashion designer duo), Mamta (Asst. Editor of Design Today) and of course, yours truly.
The entire event was organised by CKS headed by my friend and co- Pecha Kucha Night organiser from Delhi, Aditya Dev Sood. For the past five months, his team has been researching, taking market surveys, interviewing people, taking workshops for this event, and this particular workshop was the last bit to tie everything together.
It was fun. To say the least. We were all asked to work on certain themes, colour palettes and ideas, to come out with what we thought will work in home decor, for the upcoming year. It was interesting because with the rather different mix of people, the process was not just about space and home decor, but about people, consumerism and emotions, which is what the focus should always be on.
What everyone was interested in knowing is whether architects and designers do really follow these Colour Trends? And I think this is something that Asian Paints has been trying to work at for the past six years, are not yet totally successful, but perhaps may get there one day due to consistency. Still, I rather doubt they’ll ever get designers to admitting that they follow trends, considering design is all about setting trends.
The process is still on. So it’s too early to talk about what colours did well and did not. That will be showcased in December, when Asian Paints will launch their new trend setting Colour Palette.
We were asked to do a little ‘homework assignment’. Basically talk of the five design driving factors that will be be prominent in 2011. So am writing about what I thought might be the big trend setters…
1. SIMPLIFICATION = Raw look – clean lines, simple design, lack of embellishes – not really talking of minimalism here. But it’s about getting saturated with too much and trying to simplify life and hence our home/office.
2. INTERACTIVE = Textures + touch and feel +3D. With the rise in internet and hence social isolation, there is a need to get back in touch, one of the reasons why Facebook is such a hit. This also gets transformed to a more experiential and interactive decor.
Also 3D is on the rise with films being great successes, and one can see typology,graphics and animation coming very strongly as part of the design language.
In a way, going back to pt.1 of Simplification- when a look is simplified, to create accents, depth and layering, the use of textures through materials will be a strong focus.
3. EXPERIMENTS OF MATERIALS= different combinations, finishes, pushing boundaries.
Not just one medium, but different mixes of materials, finishes and styles, seem to be on the rise. Especially different combinations of materials, pushing boundaries of regular materials, recycling materials and experimenting with them to come out with something unique and innovative, creating textures, patterns, hence bringing about different styles and looks.
4.’CONTEMPNIC’= contemporary + Indian ethnic + merging the old and new.
India will never go out of Fashion, and anything Indian created in a new style gives a great Retro feel. In fact, one can see the rise of many Indian designs and handicrafts/arts being worked upon to match the new context of living, making them contemporary, hip and trendy.
5. CUSTOMISATION= valuing crafted pieces, one-off/unique, designer.
India is now opening its hearts out valuing design and the designer. And I’m not talking about Fashion Design here, because that has managed to capture its audience perfectly. But with more awareness of how things work, there is also respect and awe as well the realisation of what goes in truly creating a masterpiece by hand.
Apart from that there is a shifting trend towards DIY. So IKEA is here to stay and how.
And yet people want to be different so ideas are being generated from the quirky to the innovative, all one-off pieces solely customised for the client.
And of course… the green and sustainable is here already, as is the ‘bling’ effect, but these can also be modified, worked on, reshaped as per the above five parameters.
Would love to have some feedback on this one. Cheers!
Spreading good design.
A person’s passion, dedication and greatness can be often seen and need not be spoken for. In fact the respect that is seen for someone is more evident when that person need not shout to be heard, need not speak to be asked, and need not order to get things going.
I have the privilege of knowing few such people. And also having met some great masters who were similar – Geoffrey Bawa and Laurie Baker. And what a coincidence that today’s presentation was done by one such person, who also happened to show work done by Bawa.
In fact, I was invited for two presentations today. One by a person for whom I have tremendous respect, which keeps growing by the day. I’m talking of Shrikant Nivasarkar, who was wonderful enough to invite me to come see his presentation and that of Ambrish Arora’s (the second presenter). I consider myself lucky to be at an event which was closed doors and for select people only.
Over the past few years that I have known Shrikant, I have only learnt and kept learning. One can sit and listen to him for hours, because he makes so much sense, and has such tremendous knowledge on most subjects. Whether it has been at project meetings, Pune Design Foundation events, IIID programs or general interactions, we’ve (and I speak for Mukund too) got great insight into architecture and design through him.
At heart, he’s a furniture designer. And a very good one at that. But he’s more renowned as the first Indian to be the President of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) and Executive Board Member of International Design Alliance (IDA); also the Immediate Past President of the IIID, India.
In many ways, he’s an idealist. But someone also who is ready to be in a system, understand it well and then try to change it if need be in his own soft spoken way. For a long time, he has been propogating that all design disciplines must come together on one platform, and not be so disconnected as they are here in India. And I believe in some parts of the world too. In fact, he has been the strongest propogator of good design, and one that is complete in all ways. One that comes from the core of the person, and as a responsible response to people’s need. And I very strongly believe that Shrikant is one such person who has actually understood design in its true form. And who is also ready to share it with whoever is ready to listen.
He talked today of reworking and thinking long term for the education system in India. But what he presented also applies to designers and design firms. He spoke of humanising spaces, and in this ‘space’ means the context or environment, rather than the physical space itself.
His respect for the field was evident, when he kept emphasising on how the profession we are in is a never ending journey of service to people. He quotes, ” Our profession is a service. We should never forget that. And that’s when our focus changes…we can never be careful enough in understanding the needs of people. And it is through design that one expresses this service- to people and to society. Development of society depends on our value-based approach to work.”
As he rightly pointed, “New materials and technology will always impact our profession. And this will further complicate the different kinds of design disciplines around. What we do is a responsible service to society, and we (architects/interior designers/product designers) are but one part of the entire canvas; there are other fields also working at the same time. And we should never forget that.”
I’ll briefly touch upon what he spoke today.
1. Understanding of total space: Understanding of inter dependency and inter connectivity of different disciplines in spaceto emotion
2. Relationships of Space to Life: Understanding the relationships of physical & emotional space of various kinds of people in various situations.
3. Hands on Experience: Developing knowledge of materials, technology and skills.
4. Lack of observation skills: Need to align exercises with active participation. Developing the ability to observe, in order to develop the ability to analyse.
5. Have a ‘Research Attitude’ : need to encourage working on multiple options to design solutions.
6. Values : Appropriateness of exercises and assignments.
7. Communication skills: Methods of making detailed drawings. Also understanding differences of scales of various design disciplines.
8. Management: Need to understand value of man hours spent on project and the management.
9. Methods: Process driven working methodology. Rational and Intuitive.
10. Action needed: Understanding of context, resources, technology and responsible design.
11. Context of education: Need to envision big and long term.
12. Content & Methodology: Larger understanding of a creative profession. And project evaluation. Catering to pyschological and emotional needs.
Again going back to what I had mentioned earlier – the spreading of good design. It is so important to be able to share your knowledge and understanding of certain ideas, values, systems and even fields in order to spread the word in the correct method. And in order to promote the growth of good design, values, people and society.
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And since I did mention I was fortunate to see two good presentations, let me also talk about Ambrish Arora; whose work I have followed through the years. 
He presented about 12 projects of his… each very different from the other, except for the underlying commitment to think beyond the brief and to be totally dedicated to the project and its context. And if this meant persistently bulldozing clients to see reason, or spending one’s own money to make prototypes and experiment; then hey, that is part and parcel of the work. And it was a brilliant showcase of work.
I liked a line in his presentation. It read, “… designing a space offers the opportunities to build in layers.” And for many of us doing everything in a space and not being able to tell someone what it is that we ‘exactly do’; because they might think we do not ‘have focus’, this is a great line to use. Like I always tell people who ask me, “We provide solutions through design- and these solutions differ according to context and space.” We live in a world that is going back to where design started of, being holistic; when each architect was also a designer, an engineer and an artist. Where the potential to design is tremendous and varied. So why be stuck with a label?!
Anyway, back to Ambrish. Like Shrikant, Ambrish’s passion for his work and field shines on his face. And the fact that in each of his project he’s tried to come out with wonderful, innovative solutions through use of limited and local materials and technology is what sets his work apart. It’s a classic case of conserving the old by using it, and also changing or developing it to suit modern contexts, bringing out a new defined vocabulary. It’s not about being modern for the sake of it. But being able to understand the context, the material, the technique, the need of that particular project, client’s brief and being able to balance them all with our own design sensibility and knowledge.
What was most important, in both presentations, was the understanding and acceptance of who they really are. And also to be able to be afraid, make mistakes and rise above them. It is this honesty that showed through their work and made these two presentations so worth watching.
PS:
When Ambrish’s presentation ended, most people were spellbound and astounded. And began asking questions and commenting. That’s when I was surprised. Because the kind of questions or comments that came forth were from architects and designers alright, but who also, it seemed, had not stepped out on a site for years. For most of them, what was shown was something they had either never seen or never considered as a design option.
And then came the sad realisation that we expect our young generation to know and use new technologies, practices and methodologies, and also to grow to become responsible designers… but we fail in the very basics of teaching them because we are not learning/ empowering ourselves first. We cannot teach them wrongly and then condemn them when they go wrong, because the fault lies with us to begin with.
Brands- the rise and fall.
I teach at two architecture colleges in Pune and Mumbai- subjects being Design and Architecture Journalism, the latter being a course set up by me about 6 years back, and I think as of now I am still the only one teaching this subject in the country. Anyway, this post is not about what I teach, but what we discussed in class.
As my discussion was on, the guy from the canteen came up with a cup of tea for me. And while going out, this young lad of about 15 or so was talking to the peon about his cell phone. And he said, “Main ab to chaar hazaar ka Nokia phone lene waala hoon!” (I am going to buy a Nokia phone worth Rs.4000). And I immediately told my students, “Now this is a brand. The fact that even a non-literate young boy knows not only the product but the name of the company so well.”
And our discussion went to brands. We talked about Nokia vs Sony, Motorola, LG, Samsung etc; especially how Nokia has even managed to do so well against the Apple iphone. One of the reasons, as we discussed, could be that Nokia is very smart looking, and comes in affordable ranges too. Then again, a Nokia phone is very user friendly. Ask me, I tried a LG and seen Mukund try a Motorola…but no matter how good those cell phones look, a Nokia is the one I went back to. So is it function? “Form follows function” – a great principle in architecture, and one that Nokia actually includes in their design thinking. But its also, ‘Great service backing great form and function’ that sets Nokia apart. What matters is also what happens after one buys the cell phone. To top it off, it’s also how a Nokia phone makes one feel… ‘innovative, smart, sexy, connected…’ – everything that boy of 15 would like to be at his age.
So brands are all about how they make you feel. And also about being popular. And I got Bisleri and Xerox as two examples being given by my students. And I almost said ‘Yes,of course!’. Almost.
The reason for that, as I explained to the class too, was the fact that these two companies set out as the first of their kind and hence were really popular. And they got so well known, that the brand got diluted. Today, in India, if you say Bisleri, they’ll give you any packaged water- be it a Kinley, Oxyrich, Himalayan, Kingfisher…or even a Bisleri, the original name of the brand. Well,Bisleri did want to stand for packaged water, but today what they have got is not brand Bisleri, but being relegated to just ‘packaged water’. Similarly with Xerox. If one has to buy a ‘Xerox’ machine in India, one does not look at the original brand, but ‘a’ xerox machine which can be from Canon or any other company.
As we talked further, we realised that what we consider brands are so because of the consumer/client loyalty. But with the fast changing pace of life, a ‘brand’ today has a shelf life of hardly few months or years; as compared to what they used to be.
For example, a Godrej steel cupboard was something that was used for many years, probably generations too. Our parents used it, still do, and nothing can shake their belief in feeling the security that the Godrej cupboard can give. Not even other well-designed, customised, modern cupboards from other companies.
But in these new times, nothing can last more than few years. We change our phones, houses, clothes, shoes, watches, accessories, appliances, furniture and more with a snap of a finger. We are attached but don’t really love ‘our brands’. No longer are we so ‘brand conscious’ that we commit ourselves to any particular brand. If what we want is not available with brand A, we can and do opt for brands B, C, D…
Of course, we know our brands well. But keep hopping from one onto the next in the race of being better, stronger and smarter. All that matters is having/owning a branded item, not the brand itself anymore.
If you look around, there is very little commitment given to a particular brand. The minute another product comes that is fancier, richer and gives us that edge over another person, we immediately tend to pick that product up. It’s a world that is more and more becoming materialistic without actually caring for it either. This is something that holds true in all sectors and not just consumer appliances. Look at Fashion, furniture, sports…and more- they all are facing the same comatose point where they can hook a customer, but need not necessarily manage keeping him to themselves.
So, is this the era of the fall of brands? Are we going to see the popularity of branded items vs. brands themselves? Sometimes, in the race of being the biggest, largest and most popular, we tend to forget on being the best. Which is why there is a big difference on being famous, and being a brand. And maybe somewhere down the line some companies have managed balancing them all. Which is why a Nokia is popular, but has managed to retain its identity. Ditto an Apple Mac. No matter how many other computers come into the market.
Which comes down to a basic question. What is a ‘brand’ in today’s context? Is it something that is popular? Or unique? Or has the largest sales turnover? Or one that keeps changing with times to bring out something new? Or is it one that manages to touch hearts and connect?
It’s quite interesting to note that if we actually apply the above questions to our own design firms, then we can also understand and re-establish what makes or does not make our firms a brand.
An afterword.
The discussion then went on to architecture in India, and we were looking at architects who are popular, well-known/famous, great personality etc but yet cannot be called as ‘Brands’ of Modern Indian Architecture. But what we did conclude was that they were all brand ambassadors. Just like all of us could be- for the cities we build and design in. And it is the power of architecture to affect and effect that makes it such a great tool to brand-build a city or a nation. But like good old Spiderman’s uncle quoted, “With great power comes great responsibility.” And maybe being a brand in today’s context is that: being responsible.
- Darpana.
AEC Online Expo
Dear All,
It is 12.10 am, Aug 1st now and I am in Mumbai for the official launch of the first ever digitalised, online experience expo: The AEC Online Expo .
This is a quantum leap in India’s design world to have a ‘E’xperience that is virtual- a platform to inform and inspire the AEC Industry about how Technology Virtually creates the Real in its Realm!
Check http:www.aecworldexpo.com
Cheers!
Darpana.
RIP Anant Raje.
I met Anant Raje many years ago- I was writing an article on his works and had gone to Ahmedabad to meet him. Not sure what I was expecting, but I did not expect to see this nice, warm old man walking towards me. Very humble and down-to-earth, with a twinkle in his eyes. Sort of a Santa Claus, I thought. And so unlike a stalwart in his field.
He took me around the campus and gave me a personal tour of the IIM building, and explained the structure to philosophy of the architecture- it was an astounding lecture. One I can still visualise. Which is why whenever I have gone to IIM after that (once with Bimal Patel), I somehow always land up seeing the place with Anant Raje in it.
As time passed, and I could not keep up with the correspondence as I had earlier done, unfortunately Anant Raje became just a memory and a name in my list of works. And as I left the magazine and started my own firm, there was no interaction at all. Which is why I did not hear of his passing away till two days ago.
As I am sitting down writing this post, with the rain falling outside my window, I can see his smiling face. And its one that brings a lot of sunshine amidst the grey memories.
Dear Prof. Anant Raje, RIP.
- Darpana.
Where is our heritage going?
I often wonder, when I think this question, “Where is our heritage going?” It’s disappearing so fast, so it should be going somewhere I think… I wonder what train or plane it is catching, and to reach where? Why is it vanishing without a trace? Does it have a dubious past or a criminal record? Then why is it being chased off?
I conduct heritage walks [Pune Walks] around the city. And this is something that is very close to my heart because I always feel my heritage and culture make me what I am today. And I am proud of it. It’s wonderful to go and touch the old stone and wood, and breathe in thousands of years of history that was the foundation of the today we live in.
Whilst walking along the streets of Pune, all I see are the old wadas being demolished and new monstrosities emerging in the name of ‘modern architecture’, and I wonder, “Where is our history going?”
Old doors are displaying forgotten history and culture. Windows open out to new vistas and a new life. Sometimes one only sees these now lifeless ‘openings’, a mute testimony to all that had been. And I wonder, “What did those homes turn into?”
Sometimes, and often, I’ve wished I lived in a place that had this kind of rich history, culture and architecture; and since I cannot, I make do by spending time at them. And its a wonderful feeling to share these treasures with others.
But when I see the kind of neglect from the people and government, and also the cold callousness of the Building and Construction industry; not to mention the absolute sense of irresponsibility and lack of imagination from architects, I wonder, “Where are we really going?”
I mean, would you point out to a non-characteristic, typical, glazed facade and tell your children, “Look, this is our wonderful heritage!” … ?
Text and pics (c) Darpana Athale, 2008.
Poems for Architects
Poems, like architecture, are mosaic-patterned images…
They give you the entire picture in a glance;
but on a closer scrutiny, reveal to you, every single nuance.
I wrote the above lines on the cover of this interesting book, one I’ve had the pleasure to be gifted and read… Poems for Architects: An Anthology, by Jill Stoner.
Architecture being my passion and poetry being part of what I do to express myself, I found this book just apt and for me. The content definitely has poems, yes, but more so by different people from across the world. And classified under different sections like form, urbanism,etc- each section having a descriptive essay at the beginning and visuals interspersed with quotes. The book seeks asks as well as answers the question, ‘Why do architects need to know poetry?’
Sharing few of the poems:
1. A Walk Through Munich
*still life:
I walk through the city
apartment buildings,
government offices
built of marble,
sheathed in basalt,
which we tore out of cliffs
in Flossenburg, Mattausen, Lissa…
I look, I think:gasoline,
some hand grenades
a work detail,
and so, house after house,
street after street,
quarter after quarter,
one city after another,
like the ghetto in Warsaw;
as if this were a beautiful work of architecture:
above- the clear blue sky,
below- the burnt out walls.
(Tadeusz Borowski, translated by Tadeusz Pioro. This is a long poem of many sections, separately titled, of which ‘still life’ is one.)
2. DIAGRAMS
Downtown, an office tower is going up.
And from the mesa of unfinished top
Big cranes jut, spectral points of stiffened net:
Angle top-heavy artefacts, and yet
Diagrams from the sky, as if its air
could drop lines, snip them off, and leave them there.
On girders round them, Indians pad like cats,
with wrenches in their pockets and hard hats.
They wear their yellow boots like moccasins,
balanced where air ends and steel begins.
Sky men, and through the sole’s fresh, chewed and pliant,
they feel the studded bone-edge of the giant.
It grunts and sways through its whole metal length.
And giving to the air is a sign of strength.
(Thom Gunn)
More in the next post.
