Articles by Ankitha Gattupalli

Water, with its religious connotations as a symbol of purification and life, holds great significance in many cultures. Nowhere is this respect for water more evident than in India, a country that reveres its rivers as holy. Water bodies serve as a testament to the veneration and use of water in religious rituals, embodying cultural heritage as public spaces, ritual sites, and places for cremation. Central to daily life in India, water and water architecture intertwine spirituality, and cultural traditions, offering a glimpse into the rich traditions of communities.

To convey the might and prestige of their empire, the Romans constructed enduring architecture as symbols of their long-lasting reign. Emperors employed grand public works as assertions of their status and reputation. Conversely, Japanese architecture has long embraced ideas of change and renewal, evident in the ritualistic rebuilding of Shinto shrines. A practice, known as shikinen sengu, is observed at Ise Jingu, where the shrine is purposefully dismantled and reconstructed every twenty years. Across the world, philosophies around permanence and impermanence pervaded architectural traditions. Amidst the climate crisis, how do these tenets apply to modern architectural design?

Cities are a canvas for architectural creativity and the dynamism of urban life. In recent years, they have taken on an additional role: that of living laboratories for innovative architecture and urban design. International cities have become experimental grounds for architectural technology, sustainable practices, and human-centered design principles to be tested and refined. This paradigm shift has not only transformed the physical aspects of urban environments but has also redefined the relationship between architecture, community, and the built environment.

Kitchens encapsulate the essence of culture, acting as dynamic museums that preserve age-old recipes, processes, and traditions. Influenced by ethnic practices and culinary customs, kitchen architecture varies greatly across continents. In this context, kitchens transcend their domestic role and become insightful manifestations of cultural, societal, and regional factors. They not only serve as functional spaces for cooking and meal preparation but also stand as reflections of the rich tapestry of culture and lifestyles embraced by the individuals who inhabit them.

In April 2023, India achieved a significant milestone that will shape the trajectory of its urbanization going forward. According to data from the United Nations, the South Asian subcontinent is now home to over 1.4286 billion people, overtaking the former leader China’s count of 1.4257 billion. With a population boom that is estimated to grow at a 0.7% rate annually, India faces several challenges and opportunities in its path to becoming a global power. How will India’s rising demography influence its built environment?

Professionals in the AEC industry are well aware of the issues that grapple the built environment. That the construction industry is the largest consumer of materials and is responsible for 40% of all carbon emissions is a commonplace fact. Construction work is also a large waste generator and could greatly benefit from circular design principles. Almost three-quarters of all construction projects tend to be over budget, and nearly half of the spending on buildings goes into the overheads. In a fast-paced world with multi-faceted challenges, technology, and digitization seek to deliver significant solutions.

Contemporary Indian design culture can aptly be described with one word – fusion. A close look at the trends in fashion, cinema, music, and art soon reveals the country’s aspirations as a globalized nation. Reveling in a new era, India’s art and design appear as a combination of influences from traditional life and the Western world. A “neo-Indian” image informs multiple forms of cultural expression, including architecture and interior design. As Indians and Indian architecture carve the country’s place in the world, a new design trend flourishes – one that is driven by modern lifestyles, international influences, a colonial past, and a desire to stay connected to its roots.

Rising over global cities, the modern skyscraper has long been a symbol of economic growth and environmental decline. For years, they have been reviled by environmentalists for being uncontrolled energy consumers. Malaysian architect Kenneth Yeang acknowledged the skyscraper as a necessity in modern cities and adopted a pragmatic approach to greening the otherwise unsustainable building typology. Yeang’s bioclimatic skyscrapers blend the economics of space with sustainability and improved living standards.

Tropical architecture, a term widely used in architectural discourse, lacks a consistent definition. The adjective ‘tropical’ relates to the zone between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which covers more than 40% of the earth’s surface. Heat is possibly the only shared characteristic of this belt. The tropical zone holds a range of climates from arid to wet, as well as a variety of geographic, social, and economic contexts. Unlike in temperate or arctic zones, a single umbrella term is used to describe the architecture of the tropics. 

Yasmeen Lari’s Pakistani Chulah – an outdoor stove used by women in South Asia- is a powerful intervention that highlights the architect’s commitment to feminist and environmental activism. The project synchronically tackles issues of deforestation, pollution, and health hazards faced by women in rural areas. Her design is systemic, locally specific, and conscious of the needs of society’s most vulnerable – women and nature. Her vast body of humanitarian work elaborated on in Yasmeen Lari: Architecture for the Future, opens up a dialogue for viewing architecture through an eco-feminist lens.