JOIN US'Sculptures for human dwelling'
Armed only with his passion for design, endless enthusiasm and inquisitiveness to learn more, Anil Bhaskaran started the IDEA Centre Architects Company in a small veranda of his partner’s uncle’s home.
The architect and urban planner coveted his first big-ticket project from the Karnataka Housing Board for a 35-acre housing project in Mysuru. After that, there has been no looking back.
With over 300 projects in his kitty, Anil likes to create ‘habitable sculptures’. “Architecture is all about creating sculptures for human dwelling. Like sculptures, even buildings should be aesthetically pleasing and functional from all sides. I don’t believe in the concept of a building having a front-side and a backside,” he quips.
In a chat with Deccan Herald, Anil discusses the many facets of architecture and nuances of urban planning. Excerpts:
What’s your design process like?
I believe architecture is all about putting the right content in the perfect container. To me, the functionality of the building decides what will go inside. An architect can add a lot more meaning and content into the building. I love drawing parallels between history and architecture.
Iconic buildings like Sanchi Stupa, Taj Mahal, Rotterdam Church and Sydney Opera House teach me a lot. Also, I get heavily inspired by nature. Even a small element like a tree can teach you a lot about architecture.
Nature also teaches you that an architect has to respect the climate. And every time, I try to design something, I become a student again. I am always learning from the ideologies of the masters like Le Corbusier and Charles Correa through their creations.
Design trends for 2016...
We will see 2 conflicting styles — one that will take forward the principles of architecture and another that will be purely commercial. Essentially, some will follow greed, while others will bet on their senses. Another thing that will be seen is that we will be forced to factor in nature in our designs.
Looking at the current state of the world, whether we like it or not, we will have to respect nature and abide by its rules in our setup. So, we will definitely witness many more green buildings. Style wise, capitalism will grow.
Those who can afford it, will indulge in luxurious products, while the middle-class, hard-pressed for money, will look towards more economical and sleeker elements.
How has architecture evolved?
You can’t find true ‘Indian architecture’ in the country. Ours is a beautiful result of years and years of influences. For instance, look at the Mughals. They could have heavily imposed Central Asian styles in our country. But they kept in mind the local preferences and made structures appropriately. Their structures retained intimacy, a quality vital to our society.
Then we had Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the architect of Jaipur. He brought in a new style of architecture based on the concept of navagrahas, which is evident in the timeless beauty of the Pink City.
Then came Jawaharlal Nehru, who in his bid to modernise the nation, brought in Le Corbusier. This put the nation on the path of modernity. Who can forget Edwin Lutyens, who was known for marrying traditional Indian and British architectural styles?
Basically, architecture has always been on the roundabout of evolution and is still evolving today. We are addicted to mummification of structures, which isn’t a healthy thing. You can’t protect buildings forever.
Finding your style...
You can apply defined formulas and be successful, but then you will only be replicating what the masters did. At some point, your originality and sense of design has to kick in. It’s a long and arduous process, but you will find your own style eventually.
To be sustainable and eco-friendly...
Sustainability in architecture means sustainability in life. The secret lies in minimalism. Things go wrong when you push resources to their maximum limit. Recycling is another vital factor. Utilise recyclable products like wood in your setup.
One can also be sustainable during construction. The fact is we have always been sustainable. Look at our Chettinad houses. It’s all a matter of revisiting the basics.
What does it take to make a truly Indian smart city?
The reality is that even though we have so much cultural heritage and varied styles, it all works. The old and new elements have come together to form a beautiful mess.
So, a truly Indian smart city will take into consideration basic principles like weather, proportions and sense of scale, along with newer definitions. I am a firm believer in cities coming with a shelf life. Fundamentally, cities should be designed for a definite amount of population. You can’t put 50 people in a home designed for 5. Once the limit is achieved, a new city has to be built.
Smart cities aren’t about adding more skyscrapers to our skyline, nor is it about making space for more glass-facade buildings. It’s about creating new spaces with a bit of architecture in them. In architecture, we believe a home will become redundant after 15 years as by then your family size, preferences would have changed. Modernity will seep in. In the end, it’s all about a multi-pronged approach that focuses on seamless design.
Globalisation — boon or bane?
It’s a fact that geographical lines are blurring now. Every aspect of our lives is going global. There’s no escaping it as an amalgamation of styles is constant in architecture. But there’s no fear of it overtaking our traditional form of architecture. Superficial things can change but the principles will stay the same.
We are only putting old concepts in new context and a global form.
Is vertical growth our future?
I am afraid that is true. Because we believe that is the way to the future. Highly influenced by western designs, we think that only a design which is expensive and energy-consuming is ‘smart’. I believe the radius of a city should be limited to a walking time of 35 minutes.
Another misconception is that of height. Today, cities like Bengaluru are increasingly witnessing skyscrapers which have the maximum number of floors packed in the given height. Stacking floors one after another isn’t very smart. Even our ancient structures are tall and huge but they aren’t crowded with floors.
Advice for aspiring architects...
You need to remember the content while creating new containers. Architecture shouldn’t be skin deep; sadly, that is what is happening now. Don’t design poultry farm-like structures, where every human is enclosed in minimum space and is under constant stress. It’s time architects resurrected artistic value in their designs. Be original, be leaders rather than followers.