One size fits all

BIRD'S EYE VIEW

It is refreshing to meet an architect such as Rajeev Agarwal, someone who applies the same, rather sparse mantra to all his work, whether it is for a sprawling 150 acre "Vedic Village" outside of Kolkata, or a village creche for underpriveleged children.

"I think that your philosophy of life should be symbolised in architecture," he says. "Philosophy of life" is a phrase that will occur and recur many times throughout our interview; it is a sign of Agarwal's consistency and his dedication to honesty of design.

"I relate to austerity," he says, and it shows. Most of Agarwal's designs, whether it's residences, interiors ("I do about one or two a year"), large townships or office complexes, are about open spaces, minimal design and above all, common sense. "I use a lot of wood, bamboo and brick," says Agarwal, "and try to bring out the natural texture of these materials."

One would think that it would be difficult to bring a philosophy of austerity to what is essentially a luxury resort, 150 acres of hotel, spa, ayurveda clinic as well as a residential area, but Agarwal manages it.

On top of the light-filled, spare spaces, you catch a glimpse of a thatched roof, "made from grass that is cut locally," says Agarwal with a hint of what would be, if it weren't so out of tandem with his life's philosophy, pride.

There is no Italian marble, and no golden chandeliers that hang from the ceiling, but then again, it isn't that kind of resort: the owners are planning to incorporate organic farming into some of the land, and the spa is something of an ayurvedic clinic.

Agarwal talks enthusiastically of this project; it is a great illustration of another of his tenets, that the life philosophy of the client and the life philosophy of Rajeev Agarwal should be in synergy. "Otherwise you can't agree on the smallest design decisions," he says, shrugging.

And Agarwal, like many architects today, is thinking big. "I'm interested now in large projects, in building environments. Even when I do houses, I put in the interiors, I buy the art that hangs on the walls. Houses are a great way to try out ideas and thoughts on a small scale before you apply them to a larger scale."

Because of Agarwal's dedication to the creation of an environment rather than a building, he has become more and more selective, he says, about doing commercial structures: "The planning authorities in India are really not doing their job. You can't expect builders or developers to plan for roads and infrastructure as well."

Agarwal founded his company, Rajeev Agarwal Architects, fifteen years ago. Now he has seven architects working under him, but he still makes sure that he plays an active role in every project. "All the sketch designs are done by me," he confirms, "I don't believe in the corporatisation of architecture."

Apart from a catholic commitment to building environments rather than stand-alone buildings, the other thing that Agarwal feels strongly about is eco-friendly architecture. "Whether I bring it up, or the client brings it up, this is always discussed. More and more people are becoming enviromentally-conscious these days, and demanding that their living spaces are well thought out. And while the belief is that this is something a lot of money needs to be invested in, actually it is really only a question of sensible decision-making. Putting insulations in walls and roofs may need some extra expense, but making a building self-shading or having directional planning is something that you just need to incorporate into your plans at no extra cost. Today, climatology is a basic design tool."

Why are these mantras, involving as they do only a smidgeon of imagination and common sense, and not a huge monetary commitment, not being applied to low-cost housing? "Well someone needs to commission us!" laughs Agarwal.

"There is still a ghetto-isation of low-cost building; certain techniques or materials seem to be relegated to the poor. This great divide has to go. It is possible to make imaginative, creative structures at a low cost, using brick and thatch "" we need to explore alternative techniques."