THE ARCH-INN

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 CONTENTS
By Pragnya

1. Is Luxury measured in terms of size? 04-05

2. Vastu: A tool or Hindrance 06-07

3. The Changing Face of Streets 08-09

4. Construction Wastes produced and ways to curb them 10

5. Earth Architecture for the Modern Day 11

By Madhuri

6. Thoughts and Journey of Apurva Bose Datta 12-13

7. Designing: Post-pandemic city 14-15

8. A history of accessible desigm 16-17

9. Peri-Urban & Desakota regions 18

10. Are we as an Architect trying to make this world a bet- 19

ter place?

3
Is Luxury of a space meas-
ured in terms of size?
S peak about luxury, and the first trail of
words that comes to mind is expensive, ex-
Another aspect of luxury is fusion of technol-
ogy into architecture. Incorporating smart
cess, opulence, and status. ‘Large spaces’ technology and automation into buildings
is the old definition of luxury. The growing has become widely desired. At home this can
technology, accessibility, and exposure are be expressed by voice- controlled home au-
continually re-evaluating the definition of tomation and upcoming internet-of-things
luxury. The modern times with modern needs appliances. A space filled with these appli-
and requirements give form to a new defi- ances or devices is more comfortable and
nition that luxury doesn’t depend on size of easier to live in. To archive the perfect visual
the space but the quality of it. What defines effect of a clear and uncluttered space care-
the greatness and the luxury of a space is fully planned joinery and storage is required.
how it’s an extension of the person that oc-
cupies it. In the past what was considered We have been talking about how big a
luxurious was to put our most ostentatious house should be or what it should have to
and prized possessions on display and show be called luxurious, but what about the
off wealth. The present times are looking materials it is made up of? Every year the
at the ‘Less is more’ mantra. The demand brands and producers are obligated to
for more built architecture and the short- re-evaluate the market, to maintain the
age of land resources has given rise to luxury of luxury’. This has led to a shift from
newer perceptions. We are turning away it being less about the product and more
from conventional norms that say every about the experience, story, and charac-
space is enclosed by four walls and a roof. ter that it entails. Luxury will be distilled to its
very essence—raw, sensible, deeply rooted
Open plans are the modern solution that is in craftsmanship and fueled by innovation.
being adapted widely across the globe. We
see this in all kinds of spaces both public and
private like residences, offices, institutions
etc. For example, in contemporary houses
lack of walls or partitions to mark bounda-
ries make small spaces also seem large and
spacious. A sense of continuity and free
movement is instilled. Overspilling of activity
enables the same space to transform flexi-
bly to meet the needs of the user based on
the required function. Individual spaces are
zoned and traditional rooms like the kitch-
en, dining room and living room are fussed
into one space. We can divide the space,
not only by traditional walls, but also by :
furniture layouts, levels, textures, materials,
creating different moods and characters.

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Luxury has always been about ma-
terials. Chinese porcelain, glamor-
ous Italian marbles, eminent paintings,
grace homes and drawing rooms. It is
about having diversity within a space.
But now, it’s not just about that. It’s more about
the metaphor, character, and symbolism.
They say, “History repeats itself”. Luxury in ar-
chitecture is also again shifting towards sym-
bolism and metaphor like our heritage struc-
tures. Every inch of those expressed not just
grandeur but skill, craftsmanship, lifestyle, sto-
ries, and most importantly, character. Archi-
tecture in history spoke about status, beliefs,
and paramparas. Likewise, today it again
reflects values, consideration, and knowl-
edge. The luxury today, then, is to be able to
achieve a true reflection of yourself through
your abode. Luxury has long been about ma-
terials; now it’s time to search for noble sus-
tainable ideas and intangible and abstract
necessities through our material possessions.

For a long time, natural materials were con-

sidered a low-cost alternative to building
and wrongly labelled as the poor’s archi-
tecture. But the architecture and design
world are not aloof from the shift in the defi-
nition of luxury. This has been through the
acceptance of natural materials in high-
end projects. The natural and vernacular
materials as we call it adds a character to
space, and gives a reason to the client to
boast about the environmentally consider-
ate and high skilled work. Since the skilled
masons needed for the type of construction
are few, it sure can be considered a luxury.

Architects like Didi Contractor, Anupa-

ma Kundoo, Revathi Kamath, Nari Gan-
dhi,have successfully re-defined luxury by
introducing natural and sustainable ma-
terials into homes. They have created pro-
jects of all scale and status, using the noble
harmless materials, and leaving clients sat-
isfied, with the luxury of calmness and ar-
tistic execution of their homes and resorts.

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Vastu :
Tool or Hindrance
Among Architecture circles, there have
been heated debates on the relevance (or
irrelevance) of Vastu Shastra to the building
designs of today. On one side, there are re-
nowned Architects like Charles Correa and
Geoffrey Bawa who have famously used Vas-
tu Shastra in a number of their public projects.
On the contrary are most contemporary Ar-
chitects who, in a reaction to the Vastu-dosh
fear-mongering by local pundits, vehemently
deny the validity of Vastu altogether — and
love to whine about their ‘believer’ client
ruining their design for ‘Vastu-compliance’.
There is no easy answer to this. Vastu has been
a part of the culture of the Indian subconti-
nent for over 8000 years, however, a lot of
what is sold as Vastu Shastra today seems bi-
ased towards making profits and propagat-
ing an ideology, instead of solving problems.
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Vastu shastra literally “sci-
ence of architecture, is
a Pseudoscientific tradi-
tional Indian system of
architecture originating
in India. Texts from the
Indian subcontinent de-
scribe principles of design,
layout, measurements,
ground preparation,
space arrangement, and
spatial geometry. Vastu
Shastras incorporate tradi-
tional Hindu and (in some
cases) Buddhist beliefs.
The designs aim to integrate architecture
with nature, the relative functions of vari-
ous parts of the structure, and ancient be-
liefs utilizing geometric patterns (yantra),
symmetry, and directional alignments.
Vastu Shastra is the textual part of Vastu Vidya
- the broader knowledge about architecture
and design theories from ancient India. Vas-
tu Vidya knowledge is a collection of ideas
and concepts, with or without the support of
layout diagrams, that are not rigid. Rather,
these ideas and concepts are models for
the organization of space and form within a
building or collection of buildings, based on
their functions in relation to each other, their
usage and the overall fabric of the Vastu. An-
cient Vastu Shastra principles include those
for the design of Mandir (Hindu temples),
and the principles for the design and lay-
out of houses, towns, cities, gardens, roads,
water works, shops and other public areas.
Vastu enables to increase the efficiency subject of Vastu is a compliment to architects
of the building by utilizing natural resourc- as it enables better design to take place.
es to the maximum and enhance the bal-
ance between different functions. Vastu is Vastu is region-specific, that is, there is a dif-
not very different from what we study under ferent Vastu for every place. What works in
the name of Climatology. And at the same India will not work for someone in Australia
time, it cannot be a complete replacement or Brazil. What works in Karnataka will not
to architectural design and planning. Vastu work in Rajasthan and vice versa. Vastu
Shastra was originally intended as a guide- Shastra guidelines were developed for the
line for people who built their homes them- common man – with no prior knowledge of
selves / with the help of their community. designing/planning – and should be con-
sidered no more than guiding principles.
There are no ‘strict’ rules in Vastu Shastra
that must be followed like a commandment. If a ‘Vastu-compliant’ home; is not grounded
Most of it developed as in climate science, then
a result of climate and the building or space
social sciences and is might not be as efficient
provable by research as required. While Vas-
and experimentation. tu Shastra has a good
Some of it is beyond ra- foundation in nature’s
tional thought: neither laws, a lot of it has been
provable / nor dis-prova- misconstrued in an act
ble with current scientific of blind faith and prop-
methods. Some applica- agating a dogma.
tions are known to have
considerable subjective Modern times require
benefits but no objec- a new Vastu Shas-
tively assessable bene- tra, one based on the
fits. Although this should principles of climate
not be made the cause science and psychol-
for superstition and fear. ogy; concerned with
the well-being of those who inhab-
A majority of the buyers in metropolitan cit- it it as well as the Earth as a whole.
ies are looking for vastu compliant homes.
Many of the Architects do not subscribe to
Vastu Shastra norms if given a choice. It is
purely the client’s pressure on them which
then compel them to adhere to Vastu Shas-
tra tenets. There are some who take a neutral
stand and they partly believe in the science
of Vastu Shastra. There is a small portion of
Architects who are thorough believers and
propound the science of Vastu Shastra.

The main reason for this being Vastu Shas-

tra Consultants with half-baked knowledge
of vastu and nothing of the science of con-
struction. The enforcement or forceful imposi-
tion of impractical Vastu Shastra rules is what
causes architects to avert from it. This in most
cases acts as a hindrance to functionality.
The second reason is that the modern cours-
es of Architecture have still not incorporated
Vastu Shastra as a subject. Awareness on the
7
The Changing
face of streets
S
“ treets are places of social and com-
mercial encounters and exchange. They
are where you meet people – which is a
basic reason to have cities in any case “.

Streets form the backbone of any city with

two main functions: movement and place.
Streets are the stage where the drama of city
life unfolds and therefore it is crucial to de-
sign them considering both people and cars.
Indian streets are vibrant public spaces that
are used not only for commuting but also for
performing various activities. Apart from just
being a betwixt space, they are highly en-
riched with the spatial characteristics of the
city. The streetscape unfolds the story of the
necessary to be reminded of the social di-
city and represents the city culture global-
mension of the street and their potential
ly. Streets become a window to the art and
of being an inclusive, contemporary pub-
culture of India. The streetscape of any city
lic space. Choke streets, and the place
portrays the natural built fabric of the street
dies along with the well- being of its users.
that adds to the experiential quality of that
space. They retain their unique identity by
The boundary between the private and the
depicting their own sense of place and pro-
public begins to blur on the streets of India.
vide psychological and functional meaning
That is why one can find private activities
to people’s lives. Life on the streets has had
spilling over onto the streets. The meander-
great traditional and cultural significance
ing street patterns with varying traditional
since times immemorial in the Indian culture.
markets at different corners imparts legibility
and engages the user in various visual sto-
Unfortunately, we have begun to look at
ries. The sharp segregation between the pri-
our streets the same way as the West World
vate and public activities on Indian street is
once did. The ideological difference be-
a much recent obsession because of which
tween a road and a street is slowly evading.
many of our vibrant streets are being turned
Especially now, when current trends of de-
into lifeless roads. In the name of develop-
velopment aimed at making our city streets
ment and beautification of the city, several
highly sanitized and modern with bor-
side-walk activities are being restricted and
rowed concepts from the west, it becomes
this has put an end to the ‘street culture’
and rendered thousands of people jobless.

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The ghoomna-phirna concept and the chai
pe charcha is another feature of Indian streets
where small tea, pan, cigarette stalls become
a locus of interactions and exchange of ideas.
These streets also offer affordable food to the
struggling population of the country. Streets
also have a deep impact on the psychology
of people, especially children. As children
we, until the early 2000s, associate with
playing on the streets as a memory that
we will always cherish. This has started to
slowly fade away with changing
scales of the street and in
the present day owing
to the pandemic, it has
completely died down.
This results in missing out
on exposure to varied cultural backgrounds.
As Architects and Urban Designers, cap-
turing life in a city is very important. The
public spaces are the essence of any city
and hence, the designer cannot overlook
the image such spaces are reflecting. Any
streetscape design does not only involve
aesthetically improving street life but also
it should look at a sustainable approach.
The streets are public property; therefore,
it is necessary that the user should feel
a sense of belongingness on that street.
To make a street accessible for people,
Sidewalks are an important component that
gives a safe, attractive and comfortable ex-
perience to the user. Pedestrian paths can be
designed to enhance the visual experience
that is very essential in streetscaping. The De-
signer can work with paving patterns, seating
spaces, green areas as well as lighting fixtures.
1. Street Furniture in the public realm is of-
ten more than a decorative piece. Ele-
ments such as seats around a tree, out-
door seating of a café, some public art
installation, lamp posts, and post-boxes
generate a sense of ‘place’. and is an ide-
al way to have people want to spend a
little more time in the vicinity. This provides
an enjoyable experience where way-find-
ing, relaxing or moving becomes easy.
2. Trees have a far greater impact on the
usability and vibe of space than one can
imagine. They tend to provide cool shade
to pedestrians and therefore are com-
mon spots for vendors to set up their stalls
and act as pause points in a public space.
They change the micro-climate of the
space. Apart from that, trees also
create a definition for the streets
and are of much aesthetic value
and also cut down on the noise.
3. Temporary and informal ac-
tivities such as commercial ac-
tivities of temporary nature
such as hawking and vend-
ing of a variety of goods,
street art galleries, stalls sell-
ing books, food vans, and others in a street
give people of all kinds a reason to linger
and spend a little more time on their way.
In India, you could put a panipuri stall on a
dead street and see how it transforms in a
week. Such activities not only enhance life
on the street but also boost local business-
es. They are a beautiful exhibition of the cul-
ture, food, music, and people of the vicinity.
4. We find several redundant buildings and
public open spaces in our cities today. These
often-become grounds that nourish crimes,
garbage, and a nuisance to the neigh-
boring communities and city spaces. The
streets along these spaces become unwel-
coming and passive over time. Adaptive
Reuse; assigning new functions to space
while refurbishing it to make it aesthetical-
ly pleasing, warm, and welcoming to the
public can reform the entire neighborhood.
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Construction wastes produced
and ways to curb them
W With a world thriving with technology, and
e, architects as a fraternity are pi-
oneering development in our society by
designing solutions to many modern-day
problems. Yet, there is a second side to the
coin. All the new constructions we do, are
producing tons and tons of waste material
that in no way is being used up. Landfills are
dumped with these materials which are nei-
ther disposed off or repurposed, the largest
portion being concrete. And it is a contin-
uous process, where we are manufacturing
new materials, building new structures, de-
molishing old ones and producing wastes.
In order to curb this, we may not be able
to cut down on the need but yes, we can
definitely cut down on the amount of waste
we produce and repurpose waste materials
into new constructions. Increasingly, there
are options available in terms of reusing
and recycling materials, and reducing the
amount of waste produced in the first place,
but despite this, a large amount of con-
struction waste is still disposed of in landfill.
Nine out of 10 times, the demolition waste is
just disposed of on some other empty land,
and then forgotten. This practice is not only
spoiling the cityscape but also deteriorating
a lot of reusable and recyclable objects.
While designing, on an existing built site,
trying to preserve the existing structure will
minimize the demolition waste by a consid-
erable percentage. Windows, doors, door-
knobs, handles, screws, hinges, metal grills,
stones, sanitary fixtures, faucets, glass, etc.,
can be very effectively removed and saved
for reuse or reselling and recycling. Some
other project might have a use for them.
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alternatives, every task is easy. If the project
is of considerable scale, using prefabricated
structures is advisable. This will not just bring
a huge reduction in waste, but also saves a
significant amount of time on the construc-
tion of standard structures like decks, stair-
cases, etc. Sticking to the multiples of deter-
mined standard sizes ensure that the leftover
pieces of materials don’t add up. Employing
customized sizes only if it is really needed.
A major break-through achieved in terms of
construction materials is the usage of least
imagined urban waste in construction pro-
ducing durable projects. A few examples are:
1. Bricks of cigarette butt: These bricks com-
prise a mixture of the butts and the traditional
brick making compound. This makes the brick
lighter, a better insulator, and reduces the
household heating cooling costs. These bricks
are an environmentally friendly product. The
addition of butts depends on the purpose
of the brick, overuse may cause a reduc-
tion in dry density and compressive strength.
2. Usage of Old glass bottles in construction
is also a method to cut down on the use of
new materials. This also gives a great aesthetic
effect to the building.
Earth Architecture for the
Modern Day
The town plan is visualised as a vast
out-spreading cosmos, an organic spiral
spanning outward with a five-kilometre radi-
us. The Matrimandir, the spiritual anchoring
point of the city lies at the centre of the plan;
with the city divided into functional zones like
cultural, industrial, international and residen-
tial all surrounded and encompassed with a
thick green belt creates a very unique city
morphology, unlike any other. The project is
dedicated to the promotion of bio-diversity,
organic farming, reforestation and sustaina-
ble research as a means for development.

M
Keeping these ideals at the core of all their pur-
suits, the built structures in Auroville use earth
ankind has been tied with earth since
as a primary component in the construction
time immemorial. From its appearance in
of their buildings. Today we see less and less
ancient archaeological sites to contempo-
of vernacular structures, they are losing their
rary residences in the 21st century, it is one
place in the community and being replaced
of the most abundant and resourceful raw
materials to have developed a strong foun-
dation in the world of design and construc-
tion. The evolution and growth of mud as a
material in architecture has not only led to
its improvement, but also the advancement
of several methodologies of construction in
different parts of the world. To put it simply,
building with earth has had a phenomenal
past, but it also shows a promising future.

Auroville has pioneered the revival of this an-

cient method. Auroville, a city conceived
with a vision to create a universal place
by dummy buildings which are considered
placed self-sufficiency and independence
“fashionable” and have no basis or es-
as its primary ideals. Dubbed “the city of
sence. These buildings often incorporate
dawn”, Auroville founded in the 1960’s was
elements from various regions and adapt
envisioned as a sanctuary of peace, harmo-
different vernaculars to create a juxta-
ny and togetherness; to realise the vision of
posed form which alienates the strategy re-
unity of mankind.
quired to maximise the potential of the site.

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Thoughts and journey
of Apurva Bose Datta
I
“ have always viewed Architectural Jour-
nalism as a means to bridge the gap between
tectural journalism in the country in 2013.

Her writings have been published in different

the environment, people and the architects.” architecture and design publications around
–Apurva Bose Dutta the globe. Having prevailed in this profes-
I m a g e : sion for more than thirteen years, she con-
tinues to leave her mark with great passion.

However, when she was young, she wanted

to pursue medicine like her father, who lat-
er dissuaded her to do so and then her cre-
ative side compelled her to pursue archi-
tecture. While growing up, writing was one
of her favourite hobbies and in her 4th year
in college, she realised she could connect
her love for writing to her academic career.

It was an arduous journey as neither the pro-

Ar. Apurva Bose Datta
Apurva Bose Dutta is one of the first archi-
tectural journalists in India established in
Bengaluru. In a country where the field of
architectural journalism is still growing and
was almost non-existent when she grad-
uated back in 2005, she paved a path
on her own down this road not taken.
She has been a pioneer in architectural
writing and had conceived and execut-
ed the first magazine dedicated to archi-
fession was widespread in the country nor
did she have proper guidance but she was
determined to take up the challenge and
her determination landed her the first job
at the ‘A+D – Architecture + Design’ Maga-
zine. She has also pursued a diploma in Free-
lance Journalism in the UK which helped her
improve her writing skills and vocabulary.
In India, architectural journalism is offered as
a course in very few colleges and Ar. Dutta
advices students to take up writing courses
to help write better, learn about writing styles
and structuring of thoughts. She strongly
advises against freelancing right after grad-
uation and prompts students to work with
an architectural publication to gain expe-

12
rience and make connections in the field. Thus, she continues to learn, travel, an-
alyse and write about her surroundings.
She candidly says that a career in this field
is not lucrative initially but along the years
more can be achieved as the scope is
immense. Be it print, digital or broadcast
media, architectural and product design-
ing firms or even building organisations.
There are plenty of avenues an architec-
tural journalist can explore and work for.
The field is quite vast and architectural
journalists can find themselves reviewing
projects, writing about architects or urban
designers and their design philosophies.

Also, about issues related to architecture,

various events in the country and even writ-
ing research papers through academic
writing. What is of essence is knowing how
to direct one’s knowledge and exposure to
different facets of architecture. It is also im-
portant to respect the space, the profession,
the architect and his/her thought process.

Every piece of work must be written ob-

jectively and in a graceful manner.
She also stresses upon the importance
of architectural writing as a means to
communicate the art to the masses.

Architecture affects everybody and ar-

chitectural writing helps in filtering of ide-
as and creating opinions which increase
the society’s demands for good archi-
tecture and design. It’s a powerful tool Image:
to bring forth awareness about architec- Ar. Apurva winner of Indian
ture and design voices in the country. Achievers’ Award 2020

Few of her inspirations come from archi-

tectural journalists like B.V Doshi and Paul
Goldberger but what drives her to work
and promote her profession in India is the
beauty and vastness of architecture itself.

13
Designing:
Post-pandemic city
T he Covid-19 pandemic has left the soci-
ety dazed and confused. It’s rapid spread
gration between community health prac-
tices and social thinking into urban design.

has generated a global public health crisis

where we have to drive by the fact that ar-
chitecture, urban design and planning and
built environment studies interact and have
positive correlation with public health and
virus spread. Hence, this public health crisis,
perhaps one of the worst in more than a cen-
tury, is leading to the emergence of many
challenges for cities to face this epidemic.

But what will happen after this pandem-

ic? Will the global epidemic help in the
reshaping of cities and urban areas?
The rise in the number of people infect-
ed with Coronavirus is increasing day
by day and it may result in the reshap-
ing of the usual city-design strategies.

Novel Coronavirus is not the world’s first

pandemic as there have been other pan-
demics that have hit the world and ended
the lives of millions; which not only affected
the health field but also left urban impacts
and economic consequences. A pandem-
ic is one of the worst scenarios which hap-
pens when a plague outbreaks beyond
the country’s borders. When epidemics,
especially respiratory ones emerge, pre-
cautionary measures emphasize the need
of isolation, and closure of public spaces.
Also, it turns the image of cities and public
spaces into empty environments, but most-
ly after the periphery of the crisis; it requires
a change within the city’s shape of inte-
Image: Queue at a vaccina-
tion centre in Hyderabad region
From reviewing the history of pandemics
in the past, beginning from the Athenian
plague in 430 BC to the Black Death in Eu-
rope in the 14th century. For example, the
Black Death crisis affected the urban de-
sign of European societies by calling for
opening more larger public spaces which
give a greater opportunity to connect with
nature and reduce the feeling of isolation.

14
Also, pandemics helped planners to im-
prove the radical urban of the renais-
sance, and expanded their cities to pre-
vent overcrowding. In the 19th century;
one of the main reasons for the cholera
outbreak was the mixing of clean drink-
ing water with wastewater which led
to the improvement of urban design by
managing the waste water system and
supporting a strong feeling of wanting
to have ventilation and daylight in open
spaces through which people can move.
These are one of the very few daily as-
pects which can be taken into consider-
ation for redesigning a post-pandemic
city. Some cities around the world have
begun planning for recovery. Every step
towards recovery helps to create a world
beyond the Covid-19, and therefore suc-
cess of those cities depends on anticipat-
ing global trends and transformations- and
the result will be a replacement quiet city
capable of withstanding shocks like Cov-
id-19 pandemic during a more stable way.

Covid-19 has been added to an extend- The epidemic is often seen as a chance to
ed list of rapidly spreading infectious dis- rethink the planning of cities to raise steel
eases within the current century, like tu- oneself against future crises. More stud-
berculosis in South Africa in 2006, and ies are required on improving the disease
Ebola in West Africa in 2014. Which rep- prevention theory through good design
resents a new challenge for cities to plan of contemporary cities, and research-
effectively and to turn into healthy cities. ing health design strategies as buildings
should be built to be the secret weap-
Design optimization of a city after a pan- on within the face of infectious diseases.
demic can be achieved by the integration
of 3 aspects i.e., Social behaviors of peo-
ple, City design and planning and Pan-
demic health effect. Cities have to review
appropriate planning not only to realize so-
cial justice but also to face epidemics in a
sustained way. Taking the example of the
first attempts of Urban planners historically
to prevent the spread of Cholera in Paris in
1850 was by reducing the high population
density in some cities by widening the streets
and establishing a proper sewage system.

A key part of the solution for reducing

major public health problems is street re-
designing. It can be easily achieved for
instance by adding another lane for cy-
clists and pedestrians. It aims to create
healthier and more social-sustainable cit-
ies. It is worth mentioning when pertain-
ing to the purpose of redesigning streets
during an epidemic; the new standards
of using sidewalks should be considered.

15
A history of accessible
design
U rban areas can be difficult to nav-
igate due to various factors such as den-
sity of the population, objects and infor-
mation being very high, roads are full of
fast moving traffic. People climb stairs
and interwork around obstacles to get to
their desired location. Having a disabili-
ty increases the challenges presented by
a city. Important information is often lost
in visual clutter and a few places could
also be physically impossible to urge to.
To deal with these challenges, disability
advocates have outlined basic principles
for inclusion where cities can assist people
with physical, emotional, or cognitive chal-
lenges through thoughtful construction. This
guidance has influenced how we approach
building, merging the excellence be-
tween accessible design and good design.
This accessibility movement is a 20th cen-
tury movement. During the 1900s, mod-
ern society slowly came to recognize
a responsibility to be inclusive. Further,
the thought of ability and disability was
changing. Before industrialization, com-
munities and churches often managed
life-circumstances on a per-person basis.
The urban, industrial environment brought
new challenges to those managing physi-
cal conditions. Standardization meant that
homes and amenities were built for the “av-
erage” consumer, instead of the individual.
Factories had an outsized, mostly anony-
mous labor force to draw from. Where dur-
16
ing the village, laborers might find work and
add consideration of their ability, the facto-
ry owner was curious about standardizing
labor the maximum amount as the other
input. In this new built environment, phys-
ical challenges took on new prominence.
Disability rights became vital as the stand-
ardized modern world came into prom-
inence. Organized activism for disability
rights started within the 1800s, and advo-
cacy continued to grow throughout the
1900s. At first, ability-specific organizations
promoted the interests of their members.
In the 1960s, these groups coalesced, and
together they asserted that accessibility is
a human right. In 1961, the American Na-
tional Standard Institute published its first
standard for accessible design. Over sub-
sequent several decades, state and feder-
al legislation put these standards into law.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) set out a clear prohibition of
discrimination based on disability. When
buildings are inaccessible, they shut peo-
ple out of public participation. There-
fore, the built environment can be a
form of discrimination. In 1991, the US De-
partment of Justice set out technical re-
quirements for accessibility, releasing the
ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
In the 90s, many accessible elements
were add-ons to other structures, like the
addition of ramps or lifts. These add-on
required redesign and additional cost. They
often segregated those with physical chal-
Image: A poster: Creating spaces and places for all

lenges from the rest of the public. This after-

thought-approach to accessibility was un- Like walk score and walk appeal, the liv-
satisfactory. In response, a team of experts ability of an area can make it more desir-
at NC State University released a guide able to be in. When the built environment
offering “Principles of Universal Design.” may be a challenge to navigate, it’s less
livable. With universal design, people’s
Accessible design is important in order energy can go toward their goals,instead
that the built environment doesn’t discrim- of toward negotiating tricky situations.
inate. That’s an important goal, even if
there was no other benefit. However, uni-
versal design recognizes that humans have
a wide range of abilities. Everyone will go
through times in their lives were moving
about the city is a challenge, whether it’s
disability, injury, illness, parenting, or age.
Rather than segregating populations, uni-
versal design seeks to form the built envi-
ronment functional for the whole range of
human ability and luxury. It encourages
engagement for the whole community.

17
Peri-Urban &
Desakota Regions
T he perceived link between the city and
the countryside is evolving rapidly, shifting
away from the assumptions of mainstream
paradigms to new conceptual landscapes
where rural-urban links are being redefined.
In this conceptual field, the peri-urban inter-
face is still generally considered as a transition-
al zone between city and countryside, often
described “not a discrete area, but rather a
diffuse territory identified by combinations of
features and phenomena, generated large-
ly by activities within the urban zone proper”.
These areas are always difficult to define and,
moreover, they are also bound with problems
inherent to the conceptualization of both ru-
ral and urban worlds. In that context, policies
aiming to alleviate poverty are still consider-
ing the existence of either “rural” or “urban”
property, while the reality of many regions in
the developing world suggests that every-
day life and livelihood strategies of “mul-
tispectral households” are increasingly taking
place within an integrated rural urban space.
The word peri-urbanization is used to describe
the spaces between the city and the coun-
tryside which are shaped by the urbanisation
of formal rural areas in the urban fringe both
in a qualitative as well as quantitative sense.
It can be best described as the landscape
interface between town and country. It is
the space where the rural and urban zones
mix and often clash with one another. De-
18
spite the urban areas use, the fringe remains
largely open with the majority of the land
agricultural, woodland or other rural use.
Desakota is a term used in urban geogra-
phy used to describe areas in the extend-
ed surroundings of large cities in which ur-
ban and agricultural forms of land use and
settlement co-exist and are intensively in-
termingled. These areas are situated out-
side the peri-urban zones, from which dai-
ly commuting is easily possible, i.e., more
than 30-50 km off the city centre. They of-
ten sprawl alongside arterial and commu-
nication roads, sometimes from one cluster
to the next. They are characterized by high
population density and intensive agricultur-
al use, but differ from densely populated ru-
ral areas by more urban-like characteristics.
Given their rambling extent and indis-
tinct boundaries, the emergence of De-
sakota regions brings difficulties for the
administration, as uniform plans, reg-
ulations or designs are hardly viable.
Desakota regions are characterised by high
mobility of goods and services and rap-
id change in pattern of settlement. They
usually elude the division in funcually spe-
cialised large scale and cottage industry,
amusement parks and golf courses, shop-
ping centers and retail parks, and forms of
settlement from shanty towns to gated com-
munities coexist in them close to each other.
Are we as an Architect trying
to make this world any better?
A design. Social inequality? Fix it with designing
“ rchitecture is all about creating a good
quality environment regardless of whether
it’s home, office or a big infrastructure pro-
ject. The space in which you live deeply in-
fluences your quality of life; so it’s important
you make sure you inhabit a good space.”
-by Roberto Tripi
Architecture affects the way we live as we
grew from the human need for shelter, but
now it’s a form of identity for culture. As the
internet and new technology bring the world
closer together, we are finding more com-
mon ground between us and with cultures
coming we are not just sharing design ideas
but also the concept of what design means.
Throughout history, architecture has
stood as a representation of society re-
flecting the values, successes, and even-
tual downfall of civilization over time.
At its root, architecture exists to create the
physical environment in which people live,
but architecture is more than just the built
environment, it’s also a part of our culture.
It stands as a representation of how we see
ourselves, also as how we see the planet.
Much more than designing buildings or
whole communities, architects have a
greater task because they are uniquely posi-
tioned to enhance the life on numerous lev-
els for professional clients, cities and person-
al individuals. But how much are we trying
to improve for the betterment of the world?
As a student of architecture or as an archi-
tect we believe that architecture is the solu-
tion for everything despite the constraints in
reality. Urban sprawl? Fix it with architectural
better homes. The progressive, hardcore cof-
fee lovers and sleepless architects think that
they are making this world a better place.
While everyone else is doing their part to
stop climate change, we as architects
make decisions each day of enormous
carbon impact. Each building that goes
up will consume energy and generate car-
bon emissions for 20, 30 and if we are lucky
even for 50 or 100 years into the future.
Cities have become concrete jungles. By
2050 more than half of the population of
the world will be living in urban areas. We
as architects have a great responsibility of
creating a good inhabitant space. So how
much have we succeeded in that term?
Not every architect is taking the respon-
sibility which belongs to them which may
result in the killing of our planet as unfortu-
nately many architects still use the resources
which are devastating for the environment.
As Architects, we have both the opportu-
nity and the responsibility to create designs
in which the experience of the building’s
inhabitants is enriched. Recent research
has demonstrated that the healing expe-
rience for patients in healthcare facilities is
significantly enhanced when they are in a
building that provides a nurturing environ-
ment. Just as healthcare facilities can im-
prove the sensory experience of a patient,
great architecture can not only meet the
individual needs of its inhabitants efficient-
ly, but it can also uplift the human spirit.
The one question I might have every architect
ask themselves is: “Am I leaving this space bet-
ter within the end as the results of my work?”
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