At the most fundamental, the designed buildings provide shelter, and at best, some enriching experiences & improved lifestyles. But the effect of architecture both on individuals and wider society is far and broader than that for buildings having ripple effect beyond their walls, their immediate site, and the people that use them every day. Buildings take years to design and build and are around for decades, sometimes, centuries. So, the impact that the buildings have on the world around them matters as the effect can go on for a very long time.
With this thought, I ask you – how often do you find yourself imagining a bigger picture while doing, say, a small residential project? A little guilt in my heart when I acknowledge a lack of awareness and feeling the injustice to the power we have as designers of the future.
In 2012, Jaipur came up with an example of Contemporary Indian Architecture – World Trade Park. This marvelous shopping mall that is intimidating by its sheer height and scale is without a doubt, one of the top attractions in Jaipur. It has been awarded “Mall of the Year” and “Best Architecture” by BCI of India. Architecturally, it uses the western model of a free plan with a curtain wall. How brilliant of an architect to use glass facades and central air conditioning systems in the core of the city that falls under hot and dry climatic zone! Though the curtain wall is captivating, it fails to perform environmentally. Factually, during the hot summer days in Jaipur, the scorching sun hits the glass facades of the structure and reflects all the heat into the buildings around it. It raises the heating temperature to 5°C in addition to what the rest of the city is receiving in its 5km radius. While the urban density of Jaipur actively uses the building, it does not foster the urban context. So, the impact of buildings is huge and the ripple effect matters. But what if we designed for this ripple effect rather than ignoring or accepting its unintended consequences?
While the world is warned that sustainable architecture is not going to serve us enough to cure the damage done, it is moving towards productive architecture. However, Indian Architects are yet, swinging to achieve the balance between form and function. Even if the architects tried to bring in the aspect of sustainability, the country couldn’t afford the green bling over their roofs! Now, to understand what productive architecture is, the following is an example that started with a small idea but has a bigger impact on the world through its power.
Source – pluspool.org (2)A small-scale design project was proposed by a team of various designers — +Pool. Manhattan is an island — literally surrounded by water — but the people haven’t been able to swim safely in the river for decades. A plus-shaped floating swimming pool, designed to filter the very river that it floats in. It started with a simple idea: instead of trying to clean the entire river, what if the cleaning started piece by piece? Like a giant strainer dropped in the river, + Pool filters river water within its walls, removing bacteria, contaminants and odors, leaving only safe, swimmable water that meets local and state standards. It cleans more than 600,000 gallons of river water every single day; no chemicals, no chlorine, just natural river water.
If you — the Indian Architects and Designers feel inspired, are you ready to make the jump to Productive Architecture, following are a few tips to design for a big impact.
1. Contextualism comes first!
Whatever the typology of the building be, the surroundings of the building, i.e. the site and its relative aspects shall command the initial stages of designing.
2. Awaken the Environmentalist in you!
With the rapid climatic change, mainly due to greenhouse emissions, many alternate sources of renewable energy are required that lowers the use of non-renewable sources of energy. If one cannot afford the green bling over their roofs, they should borrow the passive strategies from the history of architecture in India.
3. Our duty for the people!
The built form that we give to communities helps to foster connections and communication: it becomes the stage for our culture. People experience architecture through the use of space and direct interaction. Design solutions should meet the socio-economic needs of the community.
4. Economy
From the economic point of view, space can be treated as a product that fights for appearing in tourists, potential inhabitants’ and investors’ consciousnesses. From the resource, materials, the machinery involved in the process of the cost of the daily function of the building needs to be curtailed.
5. The jump to Productive Architecture
Architects and designers have to take a major leap from building aesthetically pleasant building blocks to the revitalization of energy sustainable abodes. Hence, keeping a foot towards the productive architecture shall be cost-effective for the country that couldn’t afford the green bling.
In thinking deeply about the wider impact that architecture has both locally and globally, it concludes that architecture is deeply contextual; an architecture that responds both to its social and environmental context as much as its historical and physical one. If we’re designing for the ripple effect consciously, we’re not only benefitting the individuals but we’re supporting the community at large. So, when these ideas become intrinsic to the design process and think about the big picture, we can create buildings that do extraordinary things. Buildings that strengthen the local community and connect people. Buildings that support the local economy both in how they are built and how they function. So, when we design to maximize the positive – social, economic and environmental factors become the ripples of architecture. Our buildings can do much – let’s make them do more.
