The obsession for wood-panelled walls, floors and teak doors in modern buildings must end, since they cause large-scale felling of trees which retain soil and also help store groundwater, Christopher Charles Benninger, famed American architect who made India his home for the past 50 years and has many an architectural masterpieces across the world to his credit, has said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of Beyond Square Feet lecture series organised here on Saturday evening by Asset Homes as part of World Habitat Day which falls on the first Monday of every October.
He delivered the keynote address.
“People are widely misusing wood nowadays, by mercilessly cutting down virgin forests. This is like killing elephants to get their tusks. An alternative is to use plantation wood which is cultivated in waste lands. There are others who rely on substitutes for wood, which result in their houses being filled with expensive junk. This is just like the hundreds of Facebook friends that most people have. Emphasis must be given to preserving forests and water management for humanity to survive.”
Mr. Benninger exhorted architecture students from India to spend eight to nine months travelling across India to see her traditional architectural marvels and the materials used for their construction, rather than spend ₹50 lakh pursuing a course in the U.S. This is because after the WW-II, the U.S. gave up its own traditional architecture and began copying European architecture. Architects should make use of locally-available materials and craftsmen for sustainable constructions, he said.
Mr. Benninger visited Kerala for the first time in 1972, to meet among others Laurie Baker. Two decades later, he designed the corporate office of Kochi Refineries at Maradu.
“The trend then was glass constructions, ignoring the Indian summer that caused fat electricity bills for air-conditioning. I suggested the use of louvres which was inspired by my visits of Kerala temples along with Babu Ninan, who was a senior engineer in the refinery. The louvres of modern architecture are the same Kutthazhis found in traditional Kerala temples,” he said.
He lays much emphasis on making optimal use of natural light and breeze, to lessen carbon footprint.
