The following essay was written for the 2009 SAARC NASA convention's Journalism Trophy. Brought much personal satisfaction........


Architecture Making a Difference-Designing for Public Good

“Too often architects are desperately needed in the places where they can least be afforded”
Architecture for Humanity

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?"
-Hillel the Elder
The ‘noble’ professionals have always been trusted with expert knowledge closely affecting people’s lives. The doctor was responsible for health, the lawyer for freedom, the priest with the soul and the architect with shelter[1]. Their services, in the time of dire need, are a necessity. However as we grew capitalistic by the minute the shining tag of being ‘noble’ got tarnished until it was conveniently cast aside. Though the others had their dark corners to hide, the architect’s follies were scattered all over the city for everybody to see- the slums around a skyscraper, half demolished heritage buildings giving way to a malls and hotels and the blatant encroachment of public space for private good. The noble architect had given way to the swanky starchitect.

Buildings, as we build them today, may solve the problem of shelter for some but create hundred others from people outside them. Environmental degradation, increasing urban sprawl, fast disappearing tangible built components of heritage and the intangible culture associated with them, health and safety of the construction workers are some of the problems that are direct fallouts of our changing economy and the subsequent increase in construction activity. In the short film on the life of architecture students “In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones”, Arundhati Roy boldly stands up to a thesis jury that demands ‘plans, elevations and sections’ and questions about the neglected non-built spaces in between buildings where the rest of the city tries to fit in. She says the architect has joined forces with the people who take a red marker in hand and decide who enters which space and to what degree. The sewer system of a city may serve a few but the rest defecate on it. Her character in the movie concludes that if being an architect means to serve a few and block out the rest the solution is not to be an architect at all!

In their revolutionary book ‘Design Like you Give a Damn’ Architecture for Humanity implores that design has a much greater function than to appear on the cover of glitzy magazines. Be it Nader Khalili’s sandbag structures aiding those ravaged by the Gulf War(1990-1991) or Women's Centre at Rufisque, Senegal built by a group of three enthusiastic young architects(Saija Hollmén, Jenni Reuter and Helena Sandma) that brought back dignity and opportunity into the lives of many. These and around 80 other projects speak volumes about the army of silent warrior architects who stepped out of their comfort zones, gave a ‘damn’ and brought about a sea of change.

Close to home, Laurie Baker has set high standards for all to follow. When the modernists were worshipping steel, glass and concrete, he popularized mud, rat-trap bond and bamboo reinforced slabs. He brought back Gandhian ideology of simple living and high thinking into construction. His Low-cost, low-waste durable structures were not only for the poor who needed them but also for the rich who aught to adopt them. He stood barefoot on the site working alongside laborers so that the long lost democracy of architecture could be revived.

Degradation of environment and erosion of crafts is heavy upon us. ‘Abhikram’, an initiative of architects Parul Zaveri and Nimish Patel in Ahmedabad, calls itself a team of students and not architects. They sit and learn from the local craftsmen because they feel that the craftsman enables them rather than the other way round. Not only do they incorporate manual skill oriented features in their buildings but also propagate them as being cost effective and aesthetically pleasing. Of the many forms of green architecture prevalent today they have carved out their unique brand- “Merawala Green’. It does not talk of human comfort defined by set numerical values nor does it vie for foreign building ratings. It rather prioritizes human happiness, encourages common sense, adopts a bottom-up approach and delivers architecture that satisfies private needs and does public good.

Architect Chitra Vishwanth in Bangalore also talks of labour intensive techniques in a world where the crane is overshadowing human skill. She places the need of the workers, their dignity, right to equal pay and their safety and health aspects on a high pedestal. Cement stabilized bricks that are made on site, arches, vaults and domes for spanning spaces and old keyboards peeking from filler slabs- all add a sense of uniqueness and beauty to her buildings and a smile on the faces of the workers who build them.

At Anangpur Building Center, architect Anil Laul understands that “men are to make houses and women are the ones who make homes”. Various extensive programs are run to train them in a variety of building skills. Their education is also promoted so that there is social, economic and cultural progress of the family and community. In a residence project in Chandigarh they experimented with this cause. It was initiated by a woman, executed by two young women trainees and constructed by local women workers. The project was sustainable and low cost and has been successfully implemented.

Architect Karan Grover and his team fought a 22 years long battle to put Champaner-Pavagadh archaeological park on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Not only did it protect the 100 odd monuments from theft, vandalism and destruction, it has greatly benefited the locals. The local economy got a boost due to increased tourist influx and consequently there was a reduction in the labour migration to surrounding cities.[2]

Development Alternatives is a non-governmental organization working in New Delhi with a mission to promote “sustainable national development”. It is associated with an array of architects who lend in a helping hand. On an average day they build houses for the poor, rehabilitate people and bring back life into blighted community. Their Environment Systems Branch works relentlessly for “food security in tribal areas, rehabilitation and resettlement, pollution prevention, cleaner production, waste management, natural resource management using GIS and remote sensing, and income generation through micro-enterprises and bio-diversity conservation”.[3]

An important question that arises is how will the social architect earn? Will ‘pro bono’ architecture not burn a hole in his pocket? The One Percent is an organization that has come up with a very sensible solution. It estimates that if every architecture professional in the U.S. committed 1% of their time to pro bono service, it would add up to 5,000,000 hours annually - the equivalent of a 2,500-person firm, working full-time for the public good[4]. A similar estimate done in India will yield comparable results. Couple this with the NGO workforce and funds from the government and around the globe and we have a full fledged reform army!

For centuries, clients have sought architects rather than the other way round. Maybe, this is where we went wrong. The architect is trained to know what is wrong with the world. Unfortunately the wronged seldom have means to approach him. It is high time to get up and take control. By merging our training as designers with architectural planning, fund-raising, social and administrative work and information dissemination we can work towards designing a better world.

Half of the world’s population is living without adequate sanitation and safe drinking water[5]. Slums and refugee camps are poorly equipped and dangerously overburdened. Natural disasters so often strip people of everything-family, shelter and livelihood. Global warming, our own Frankenstein, has begun to raise its deadly head. We are the winds of change that will usher in transformation of the world. Architects must stand up and take leadership in solving social problems. Working thus, we will unleash the power of design to improve lives. Our structures will not pass off as whimsical artistry without any social relevance. They will rather be “assets to their community and ongoing symbols of people to come together to envision a better future”.[6]A good deed coupled with good design is what every architect must aspire for if we are to wake up to a better tomorrow.


“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi



References-
[1] Visser Margaret and Sinclair Cameron, Architecture for Humanity(2006), “Design Like you Give a Damn”, Metropolis Books
[2] “Champaner’s now on world heritage site list”, Ahmedabad Newsline, July 03, 2004
[3] www.devalt.org
[4] U.S. Census Bureau's 1997 Economic Census
[5] Architecture for Humanity(2006), “Design Like you Give a Damn”, Metropolis Books
[6] http://www.treehugger.org/