A Reading Path Down a Rabbit Hole: Vinu Daniel

“At the time when I started my studio there were fewer people practicing mud architecture in Kerala.”

“We need to face the reality, which is getting more and more out of control, especially here in India. I think this kind of remote practice is very dangerous. Architectural practice should not be about transferring a bunch of papers from the office to the site. When you see the rocks on your site, and you hold them in your hands then you understand the kind of damage that new construction can cause. Our ancestors used to perform a special ceremony before cutting even one tree. Each one was sacred. But if you design your project from the office you clear the site without even thinking; it has become the norm. If we continue this practice and architects are the ones who make these decisions, then we will never understand the real conditions on the ground.”

“Laurie Baker followed Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that all house construction materials should be sourced within a five-mile radius. This philosophy made sense to me. I also noticed a lot of waste accumulating in urban areas and close to a site, so I thought about recycling and integrating it as a building material.”

Kuch Hai readers want curation as catalyst rather than as a conclusion.