A home is essentially a response to such elements of nature that man needs protection from and architecture was an evolution that addressed this, drawing inspiration from the land, materials, climate and the local context.
This evolution, however, grew richer with continuous assimilation of various cultures and practices, leading to an expression that went beyond the basic needs that it initially aimed to address.
The result is an unlimited growth that is at many times mindless in its tangible form, be it viewed in the form of material use, physical form or the expanse of volume.
Questions then arise on the prudence of such unchecked growth that fails to be in harmony with nature, the manner of its representation or its contextual links. As for conservation of resources or the extent of footprints left, the degree of its physical presence is hard pressed to justify.
Thoughts then invariably arise on the possibilities of checking this growth, of exercising restraint to trigger another form of movement that is in the reverse direction; the process of de-growth.
Talking at length to The Hindu- Habitat, Architect Habeeb Khan of Smita & Habeeb Khan Associatesexploresthe merits of this reverse process where the accent is on lesser consumption and greater sensitivity that goes beyond merely addressing sustainable elements in design and material use.
Has architecture currently gone beyond its functional element of shelter and aesthetics where its physical manifestation is no more in consonance with nature?
There is a senseless and mindless growth of our civilisation based on a collective imagination of unlimited growth, and architecture is a major visual and factual contributor.
Architecture presently does not address the fundamental relationship between man and nature, triggering an urgency to go back to these fundamental aspects. There is also equal urgency needed in toning down and resizing individual needs. In short, there is need for de-growth, a need to de-evolve architecture.
What is de-growth?
It is a downscaling of production and consumption that enhances human well-being, ecological conditions and equity. It is a call to live within ecological means, where there is equal distribution of resources, with material accumulation no longer the primary objective. De-growth firmly believes that overconsumption is the root of long-term environmental issues and social inequalities. It hence calls for a radical break from traditional growth-based models.
De-growth is multi-disciplinary in approach and is to be implemented holistically embracing agriculture, environment, preventive and alternative medicine, infrastructure, transport, tourism, and architecture amidst a wide range of areas.
What role does architecture and architects have in this system?
We can roll back the city sprawl, remove automobile-dependent development, create multifunctional spaces, generate energy locally and through small-scale sources, support a contextual-based development and ingrain traditional values in architecture.
How is de-growth different from sustainable architecture?
Sustainable architectural development does not question the quest for continuous growth. It is at best a reformist project that fundamentally seeks to pollute less so that we can pollute longer! But de-growth questions this relentless, unlimited growth which eventually spells doom.
