Articles by Ankitha Gattupalli

Like most countries, India faces a perpetual housing crisis. As the world’s most populous nation, with an urban population expected to grow from 410 million in 2014 to 814 million by 2050, this becomes a pressing concern. The Indian built landscape brings further complexities in the form of a pervasive market-driven approach and the need for socially relevant housing. Looking into the future, how will India address the needs of its growing population to house the next million urbanites?

Moving away from top-down approaches, contemporary practices embrace more inclusive and participatory models and design processes. Participatory planning, a notion that prioritizes involving the entire community in the decision-making process, has earned widespread recognition and popularity globally. Cities across the world have interpreted participatory planning to fit their unique needs, using technology and government resources to expedite and enhance the process.

The terms resiliency and sustainability, although similar in meaning, refer to different design approaches in the context of architecture and cities. Sustainability involves the preservation of natural resources to uphold ecological equilibrium, while resiliency entails the ability to rebound, adapt, and persist in moments of adversity. These concepts greatly influence and complement each other, especially in cases of designing disaster-resilient buildings. Conventional design processes relating to resilient infrastructure have been based on principles of structural robustness and integrity as a measure against anticipated natural disasters. However, sustainable resiliency points at the opportunity of reinforcing buildings by embedding them in biological and ecological systems.

How do we create buildings that use energy efficiently? Traditionally, efforts to green the built environment have centered on the physical infrastructure, often overlooking the relationships between people and space. The emergence of the technological era has ushered in “Smart Buildings.” that employ machine learning and automation. These innovative structures are designed to operate with impressive energy efficiency, however, they are largely disconnected from their occupants. What if buildings could be made smarter and more sustainable by engaging with their occupants?

With large populations come formidable challenges, particularly in the realm of health and hygiene. In the last century, upholding sanitary conditions in urban areas has remained a persistent challenge, particularly in a nation that houses over 1.5 billion people. India grapples with a myriad of issues- inadequate infrastructure for sanitation, lack of public toilets, and poor waste management practices. In densely populated cities, the struggle intensifies as sanitation and cleanliness management falters. India’s rapid urbanization has outpaced the development of sanitation infrastructure and cleanliness issues have deeply entrenched in the nation’s built environment.

The architecture and construction industry has undergone a transformation with the integration of various digital tools, now indispensable to the design process. The welcoming of technologies has effectively streamlined operations, enhanced efficiency, and elevated design quality. This digital shift, however, has resulted in a digital divide that goes beyond accessibility to tools and software. It also encompasses the crucial aspect of integrating traditional and indigenous communities into the urban development landscape. Can advancing technology support the growth of vernacular architecture? Can indigenous building practices find a place in the vision for a digitalized future?

Decarbonization of the building sector is no longer a choice but a necessity. As nations strive to curb their greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it is increasingly clear that current building standards do not go far enough to drive tangible change. Achieving climate goals requires economies to advocate measures that drive carbon neutrality while managing associated costs effectively. How would net-zero performance strategies impact building costs?

For the Indian subcontinent, the mid-1900s marked a transformative period, brimming with turmoil and hope. Leaving a century of British rule, India and the newly formed countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh held onto an optimistic vision of a transformed society. The newfound independence invited the international Modernist movement to envision a fresh identity for the nations. Spearheading the movement in Bangladesh was the architect Muzharul Islam whose work continues to influence contemporary Bangladeshi architecture.

The announcement of the establishment of a new university campus is one of celebration, marking economic opportunities and urban growth. The United States is home to over 700 college towns that have witnessed prosperity through the inauguration of educational institutions like the University of Colorado’s Boulder, and Chapel Hill, home to the University of North Carolina. With this development, gentrification has unfortunately become a contentious issue in college towns across the country. While the transformation of these towns brings economic expansion and cultural vibrancy, it often comes at the cost of displacing long-time residents, erasing historic character, and altering the essence of these towns. American college towns offer a unique perspective on how cities can strike a balance between progress and preservation.

Wood, an age-old building material, has left its mark on the history of architecture. Structures like townhouses and ancient cathedrals have seen usage and innovation with wood as a primary material. As technology evolves and urban landscapes grow skyward, wood has emerged as a strong contender to steel and concrete in the area of skyscraper design. Recent advances in engineering, materials science, and construction techniques have welcomed a new era of experimentation, enabling the construction of timber skyscrapers across the world. Timber skyscrapers signify a departure from traditional construction methods, seamlessly blending aesthetics, functionality, and ecological consciousness. Wood as a material, with its inherent strength and impressive fire resistance, presents hope to an industry in pursuit of a more sustainable future.