Social Aspects of Architecture

I hope to see technology and design as part of a single eco-sensitive architecture.” Revathi Kamath, Principal Architect- Kamath Design Studio Revathi Kamath striding both the traditional and modern worlds of architecture is a pioneer of mud architecture in India, and is also credited with building the tallest stainless steel structure in India   How have you been working towards social transformations? I don’t believe in transposing my thoughts on clients, but would like architecture to come from the people it is meant for, so that they can adapt to the design and build a structure true to their own ethos. In 1981 when Ii started her practice, there was no conversations around the social aspects of architecture. There were not many people who were even thinking on those lines or any real efforts made to educate architects on their social responsibility. The social aspects of architecture as espoused by my husband, Vasant, and myself way back in the 80’s were way ahead of their time. Now, my r whole effort is to make mud a viable material and make people accept and adopt it.   What have been one of your most valued initiatives? Through our "Evolving Home" concept, we designed a space for the community where the people, mostly coming from marginalised sections of the society, could work and live in the same space. Along with my late husband  Vasant Kamath, we went on to successfully employ this design concept in building homes for the community of traditional performing artists and craftsperson’s called the Bhule Bisre Kalakar Sahkari Samiti in Shadipur, New Delhi, and then again with the weavers at Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh.   The differentiator of your architecture Our sensitive efforts in promoting Mud architecture and vernacular building traditions have set a benchmark in sustainable and socially responsible architecture. We are consistently working towards crafting simple, easily available materials and embodying them with human wisdom and skills.  The thread that ties all our projects is the incorporation of the craft skills into the building’s architectural expression. In the context of toddy’s architecture, the digital has begun to aid us in doing more with less, combining technology, ecology, craft and industry to embody eco-literacy