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The Changing Face of Lighting
My first encounter with LEDs was for a school project where I wanted to use one as a little red indicator. In those days, they were simply Light-Emitting Diodes, nothing more. The though that they would, one day, be used … Continue reading
Micro Houses
A photo feature on unconventional tiny houses got me thinking about why we never hear of architects designing them in India. Is it because a very small house is much too readily associated with poverty that we, as a country, … Continue reading
The Bottle Light
Sometimes, a simple idea can be immensely powerful. Maybe the bottle light is not something that makes a huge difference to your life or mine but, for those who live in shanties with little or no electricity, this is a … Continue reading
The Gaming of LEED Ratings
We all know that the LEED system can be gamed but that it could be turned so completely on its head was news to me. The Bank of America building at One, Bryant Park, New York has a LEED Platinum … Continue reading
High-Rises and Sustainability
Reading an article in Architecture Week about the impact that urban towers have on the natural environment, got me sitting on one of my pet hobby-horses. I have never been convinced by arguments that high-rises are better and more sustainable than … Continue reading
Rational Vastu 2.0
As an Architect, I have often been confronted by my clients’ blind faith in the Vastu Shastras — the ancient building code of India. At first, I dismissed it out of hand; but the trend refused to die. Finally, I decided … Continue reading
Glass Curtain Walls
Glass curtain walls and façades, seen as signs of modernity & progress, are inappropriate for our tropical climate. Unfortunately, there is a strong trend in India these days towards designing building with glass curtain walls. These are seen as making … Continue reading
Is Rowan Atkinson’s House Really That Bad?
This subject has been blogged and tweeted all over the place but few seem to have seen any photographs of the proposed house or, if they have, they’re keeping it well under wraps. The architect’s website doesn’t seem to list … Continue reading
“Windancer” Windmills Have Some Great Features
With their windmills starting rotation in breeze as light as 1m/s, Wind Simplicity’s designs would be great for many parts of India that are not on the conventional wind-map. They are built to withstand snow and ice – not problems … Continue reading