'We need to experiment to evolve': architect Anupama Kundoo

Wall House was built outside the planned city limits of Auroville - in Auromodele, an area designated for research and experimentation. (Photo © Andreas Deffner)

What we make makes us, says architect Anupama Kundoo, who is in Mumbai for the Conscious Collective this weekend (December 9-10, 2023). A graduate of the Sir JJ College of Architecture, her practice took her to Auroville (an international city-in-the-making, with a strong focus on material research and sustainable architecture) in 1990 and then to Germany, where she received her PhD degree from TU Berlin in 2008, and thence, as educator, to Australia and Europe.

India-born Kundoo is known for her pioneering work in sustainable design and architecture. That was a challenging choice, fraught with difficulties, but it has eventually taken her places! At the annual Conscious Collective event, launched by Godrej & Boyce to redefine sustainable living through design, she will be sharing her knowledge of materials that minimize environmental effects.

Architect Anupama Kundoo (Photo ©Andreas Deffner)

"My approach to sustainable architecture is rooted in a research-driven ethos and a commitment to teaching through practice," says Kundoo. "Platforms such as Conscious Collective are integral for educating and having conversations on the subject."

Housing with a difference

Anupama Kundoo's explorations centre around practical approaches to meet the universal human desire for shelter, purpose and social interaction through research and experimentation. "Housing by its nature allows the opportunity to constantly redefine the relationship between the individual and the collective," she observes. "It is individualism that is not sustainable, as that requires so much more resources as opposed to the prospect of sharing as an architectural strategy in collective living."

This unique thought process is reflected in her projects:

- The Urban Eco Community prototype housing in Auroville was designed as a co-housing with shared facilities, including common kitchen and multipurpose activity rooms to free-up the residents’ time and space as chores are collectively organized instead of individually. People from different economic backgrounds live together with connecting ‘streets’ at upper levels, fostering a sense of community.

Connecting ‘streets’ at upper levels foster a sense of community at the Urban Eco Community. (Photo © Javier Callejas)

- The Volontariat Homes for Homeless Children in Pondicherry utilized fired-in-situ earth structures (later ceramic after firing), engaging children and the local community in house construction while doubling as kilns for baking other product bricks - redefining housing as generator (rather than consumer) of building materials. It supports the local economy while achieving affordable habitat in principle.

- The Line of Goodwill project in Auroville envisions a mixed-use development with a focus on shared economy through co-housing clusters in a high-rise high-density urban arrangement which aims at integrating urban farming, integrated treatment of water and wastewater and renewable energy.

From the 'Taking Time' exhibition. (Photo ©Kim Hansen-kopi)

Going places

One of her most-lauded achievements was the range of efficient roofing systems that were first realised in Wall House, Auroville, and which led to wider scale application in other projects in the local area. Wall House is situated outside the planned city limits of Auroville - in Auromodele, an area designated for research and experimentation. The architect’s residence, it compactly accommodated everyday needs while effortlessly expanding to absorb guests. This project led to her participation in the Venice Biennale (2012).

There has been no looking back after that. In 2020, Kundoo's body of works was exhibited as a solo show 'Taking Time' at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark. She has taught architecture and urban management at various international universities including Yale University and GSAAP Columbia University, strengthening her expertise in rapid urbanization and climate change related development issues.

Currently Professor at Potsdam School of Architecture, Germany and the Head of Urban Design, Auroville, she is the recipient of the 2021 RIBA Charles Jencks award for her contribution to architectural theory, the 2021 Auguste Perret Prize for architectural technology and the 2021 Building Sense Now global award of the German Sustainable Building Council. Her studios are based in Berlin (Germany) and Pondicherry (India).

"We need to experiment to evolve," says Kundoo. Indeed, experimentation lies at the heart of her practice, and her architectural philosophy revolves around three core elements: time, people and knowledge - each integral to her design process.

Wall House by Anupama Kundoo. (Photo © Javier Callejas)

In a world where the value of money has nudged us toward code-driven design and the industrialized production of building elements - and at times, even entire structures, Kundoo considers time as a precious resource that influences every aspect of architecture. She explores its expression in materials, form and functionality, aiming to create enduring designs adaptable to changing needs and eras. She also promotes construction processes that engage people’s time.

"What we make, makes us, " she believes. "I think architecture needs to go beyond the idea that ‘time is money’ and, instead, focus on how to build humane architecture and celebrate human scale, for humans by humans."

(Photo © Andreas Deffner)

What is architecture?

For Kundoo, architecture is essentially about people - a collaborative endeavour that involves diverse stakeholders and aims to provide humans with habitat in which they can thrive, a backdrop where human life unfolds. "My role is to facilitate the input of clients, users, craftsmen and communities, striving to empower us all towards affordable, sustainable and culturally meaningful spaces," she says.

Embracing architecture as a realm of constant research and innovation, Kundoo builds upon traditional and modern knowledge with the awareness that past knowledge alone will not be enough to navigate present and future challenges. "I aim to expand knowledge through imagination and radical experimentation," says the architect, who disseminates her findings through teaching, and by sharing insights via writing and exhibitions. This is how she is contributing to the evolution of architectural practice and its global discussion. And it is what makes her a star attraction.

The Conscious Collective is a curated experience featuring immersive installations of conceptual spaces, thought-provoking exhibitions on materials, keynotes and discussions with experts, as well as interactive workshops. Other acclaimed architects involved are Rahul Mehrotra and Brinda Somaya. On December 10, the final day, Kundoo will be speaking on 'Rethinking Materiality: Investing in Human Resources to reduce Natural Resources'.

For more details, visit https://consciouscollective.in/