In this episode, we have a candid conversation with a leading Sustainable Architect in India, Vinu Daniel. He is the principal Architect & Founder of Wallmakers, based out of Kerala. Wallmakers have been constructing all their buildings out of sustainable earth materials ever since 2007. They have garnered various awards for their works and have been published widely in Archdaily, Dezeen and various other famous publications.
Born and brought up in Sharjah, Vinu was never interested in Architecture but rather wanted to become a musician. It was only through a chance meeting with Laurie Baker, that turned the table for him. He believes in respecting your brethren and working along with them in order to truly become a responsible Architect. He shares valuable lessons with us and we discuss various topics like how he got into Architecture, his time at the Auroville Earth Institute, building his first project, Sustainable Construction & dealing with clients, learning from masons and helpers, future endeavours, the Architectural Education System in India and loads more.
For more on the episode, head to
archgyan.com/podcast/sustaina...
Podcast Shownotes
00:00 Introduction
03:00 How Vinu got into Architecture?
05:00 Experience studying Architecture at College of Engineering, Trivandrum
07:45 His experience at Auroville
10:40 Vinu's first project - "A Wall"
13:30 How Wallmakers got their name?
14:30 Being poor and how he managed his finances during the initial years?
18:10 When someone is already sufficient, why do people work towards making more money?
19:20
20:00 How Vinu got his first major breakthrough?
21:30 Maintenance in buildings
22:40 The IHA Residence
26:00 Playing with earth materials
28:20 The big divide between the Architect & the mason.
30:10 How more Architects can adopt Earth techniques to build?
37:30 Vinu's take on Architectural Education
42:30 Doing Masters in Architecture
46:30 Future plans for Wallmakers
48:30 Quickfire Round with Students of Vinu Daniel
53:00 Advice for young Architects and students
Top quotes from the episode
"The best part of being in College was that I was in the vicinity of a master Architect, Laurie Baker."
"We are heading towards a lifeless & waterless situation if we continue building like this."
"For me, building a space should be a transcendental one, it shouldn't be a mundane existence because we're here for a short period of time?"
"The first question that bothers me is why should I do that project?"
"What I didn't build in IHA is what I am more proud of than what I built."
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