Nilanjan Bhowal believes that it’s crucial from the
architect’s perspective to respect different building traditions and see how to build houses in different
climatic situations. “We get to learn a lot from history for example, how
stone, mud or brickwork is being used as a construction material, as nowadays
people seem to have forgotten these materials”, he said.
Recipient of 40 awards including “Indian Institute
of Architects Award” and “Excellence in Architecture Award ’19” at Indo Expo,
Bhowal says that going green and
building zero energy houses is the way forward
“I started my practice in 1995 with a vision to create spaces
and designs that are inspired by Nature. I have endeavored to create an
architecture that respects the environment, varied projects and designs that
exude a modern as well as contemporary vocabulary while being influenced by
our tradition and roots. My 25 year practice has been towards evolving a
philosophy of sustainable living to leave behind a greener world,” Bhowal told
Opoyi.
Also Read | Atmospheric CO2 levels are now what they were 4 million years ago
“My style has always
been minimalist and inspired by nature. It reflects the core values of
sustainability, comfort, art, and modernity, all synthesized in the
contemporary design forms which are aesthetically pleasing while being organic
and technologically advanced at the same time,” he added.
A Masters’s degree holder in Architecture from Catholic
University, Belgium, he opened his firm, “Design Consortium” in 1995 with a
vision of sustainable practice and he says that it has become all the more
important to focus on sustainability in pandemic times like now.
“Today, especially in the post-pandemic world, it has become
even more important to respect nature and create a nature-responsive design.
The moral duty of all architects and designers should be to focus on
environmental sustainability. Its all about thinking Local and contextual
because our traditions, geography, topography, climate have a wide palette of
natural materials.
“The key points to keep in mind are reduced, recycle and
regenerate our available resources for minimal impact on the environment, “ he
said.
Also Read | Ways to have environment friendly and sustainable parties
But are clients open
to opt for sustainable houses?
“Initially there was resistance as most clients came with
pre-conceived ideas about what their projects should look like due to the
information burst on the web. We have tried to create consciousness amongst our
clients and inform them about their responsibility towards the future
generations as our resources will not last forever.
“We had to sensitise the clients and have found most clients
to be very positive and responsive. Thanks to the growing consciousness and
awareness among the newer generation, we now find clients already open to the
ideas of green-building technologies,” he said.
He says that there was a time when people had a
misconception that eco – friendly homes meant expensive designs with low
aesthetics.
“We have endeavored to create aesthetically vibrant designs,
contextually relevant across the country, technologically updated while being
energy-efficient and sustainable at the same time. Today, in the post-COVID
world, there is a major paradigm shift towards sustainable designs. We have
seen how Mother-earth has healed in the last 6 months when we reduced pollution
and consumption and simplified our lives. More and more people wish to shift
from luxury living to a more sustainable lifestyle,” said Bhowal.
Also Read | In worsening environmental conditions, sustainable living is key
Talking about his future goals, he says that he would like
to design schools where “we can impart knowledge to children, about
environmental sustainability, while living in natural surroundings.”
“I would like to see a world where we all live in
consonance with nature. A beautiful World that is Green, where we can hear the
birds sing on trees, we feel the breeze on our faces, where we can smell the
wet earth after the rains, where we can see seven colours in the rainbow on a
clear clue sky… where the idea of fresh air is not the air-conditioner,” he
said.
