..in conversation with Ar.Aabid Rahim



The conversation began with some very interesting questions from Aabid evoking some critical introspections into our own design thinking
•     What is a “de earth” house ?
•     Is it using the sloping roof ?
•     Is it about using less concrete ?
•     Is it about more gardens ?
•     Is it about good light and ventilation ?
•     How does it feel to live in a “de earth” house ?
These questions made us realise that there are several sub-concious inclusion of elements which keeps repeating in our designs, which may be unknowingly defining a set of language. One way to overcome what others feel is a “repetition” of elements is to make the process of building the brief for each design much more deeper and stronger, by knowing the client and the site more. And these two seldom gets repeated.
Discussing with the client and building a good design brief has a pivotal role to play in a good design. The discussion also tried to understood, on what aspects we actually force the clients to come into agreement.it was also noted that if there is enough time spent on listening to the client and in understanding the client, advocacy will be a natural choice than forcing anything on the client
There were more questions put forward in the discussion to understand the various dimensions of life within a house.
•     Do we want to live in the rooms ?
•     Can the house encourage the family to be together  ?
•     Whose domain is the heart of the house ?
•     What is that make us feel its your house ?
•     Are the objects and memories more important than the house itself?
Discussion was drawn into the qualities of an ancestral house, especially in our context. The behavior of spaces were much different then for a large joint family. The spaces facilitated group activities and interactions across the age and the gender. There were several instances encouraged within the house for transfer of values and knowledge from generations to generations. Each space had stories to nurture and memories to imbibe. Bedrooms were small and were considered as a space to retire and rest only, while the idea of living in a group was celebrated.
•     Did compartmentalization of a modern house into personalised rooms had a major impact in the loss of values in our culture ?
•     Do the fragmentation of family structure and the diminishing quality of social behavior attributes itself to this change in spatial culture of a typical modern home ?
Attention was drawn as to how different “senses” contribute to a better experience of a space.
•     Is architecture all about being visually good ?
•     Does sound, smell and touch has some impact as well ?
Aabid referred to a story on how the door knobs from an ancestral home, and that feel of touching it on a daily basis, evoked a sense of being and sense of ownership and re connected the user to its older memories. Touch as a sense has been less explored in architecture, and can actually be a defining element in many areas.
It was interesting to analyze how different gender sees and experience different spaces. Hierarchy of spaces defined certain unwritten rules and encouraged a set of behavior for men and women very distinctively in our ancestral homes depending on culture and context.
Aspirations of women and change in education and social context have now demanded a totally different set of spaces. If we look at only the kitchen, its placement, spatial arrangements and proximities, of all the houses, that itself will be quite a reflection of the family structure, socio-cultural behaviour, their context, religion and region
Discussion concluded appreciating the fact that we all need to periodically take attempts to “un-learn” ourselves to take up each assignment with a very fresh approach. An important question raised in the conclusion of the discussion was whether we need to consciously attempt to create something new  to contribute to the “body of architecture” with every new project. That idea of pushing the limits is what creates something more than a particular “style”. It can be anything from a small element to the larger concepts. The designer will be remembered for that even when the style become obsolete.

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