The Art of Building

Architecture,conservation and community building went hand in hand in Delhi on Friday evening,as an international architectural team,along with a leading conservationist from Scotland,got together with the British Council for an exhibition-cum-talk. WORKSHOP,which calls itself an architectural design firm focusing on creating environments for social interaction and creative expression,was represented by its three members Clementine Blakemore,Ivar Tutteran and Alexander Furunes who were here for an exhibition about their upcoming project in Hariharpur,Uttar Pradesh. In the village,they will design school buildings and a concert hall.

The exhibition showcased live the process that goes into developing such a project the materials,sketches and the plan along with a documentary on the project. The team has previously worked at Chander Nagar in Dehradun,where they collaborated with the NGO Nanhi Duniya International Movement for Children and their Friends,to build a school keeping in mind the areas environmental concerns. The same philosophy is being replicated at Hariharpur,where they plan to use local materials and know-how for the structures. Ask Blakemore about the biggest challenge she faces in India,and she says,Communication, and goes on to talk about similar-sounding Hindi words ladki and lakdi,which often turn her into a source of humour for the villagers.

Parallel to the exhibition,a talk by noted British architect and conservationist Ingval Maxwell was held. He spoke about the need for India to be educated about conserving the legacy of its architecture. INTACH and British Council support all such endeavours in conserving architecture, he said.

The reporter is a student of EXIMS