FUTURARC INTERVIEW
If we want to build in harmony with nature, we have to accept the idea of death. It’s a problematic topic and so we try not to talk about it. We pretend to build for eternity. But no one is actually building for eternity. We tear our buildings down after 40 years or so, sometimes earlier.
What is needed is a different economic system. We have to pay a fair price for carbon. Only then will building with natural materials and craftsmanship be cheaper than building with materials that require a high amount of grey energy. Right now, the former is more expensive although it is healthy both for the planet and the society. Something is clearly wrong with our economic system.
Importantly, we need to build know-how. This discussion has to be a part of the university curriculum. Just as students of architecture are taught about concrete and steel, they should learn how to build with timber, bamboo, natural fibres and earth. Working with these materials doesn’t mean it has to look old- fashioned; it can be modern. Education is key.
NK: But how can labour-intensive construction techniques be upscaled in an industry that relies on speed and accuracy? Can you see timber, bamboo or earth used widely in a megacity like, say, Dhaka? AH: In cities like Dhaka, you cannot expect to see water buffaloes on construction sites, mixing soil to make earth blocks. But you can use machinery to make prefabricated earth blocks in the same way as you make concrete blocks. Hybrid systems are possible. You can have load-bearing elements made out of concrete, with infill walls that are made of unfired bricks.
This is also a question of just how sustainable a megacity can be. There is a limit to size. Between rural areas and megacities, I think it’s important to create regional sub-centres. Here, you can still have an active democracy, where you know your neighbour. You’re not living an anonymous life where you feel powerless.
By building up regional centres, you can take some of the load off the city. We see the need for this in the current pandemic; high-density places are also problematic. I think there is a problem when things are too big. In big cities, it’s very hard to find good solutions.
NK: The case for intermediate scale is akin to one for polycentric planning. Instead of radial structures, with a few large cities and many small settlements, the polycentric network has a bigger hierarchy of nodes with multilateral connections. Have you seen examples of polycentric planning in the developing world? In Asia, we hear mostly of a binary—rural versus urban—leading to a migration of people from village to city. AH: I wanted to do something about rural-urban migration. But as an architect, I found myself at the limits of my ability. That’s why I founded the company Dipdii Textiles.
In a village, a woman can build her house with her hands and materials she owns. She can have a home garden to grow food. Water comes from a pumping well. In these communities, there is a rich social life. Mobility is not a big issue. You feel safe walking around. These independencies are lost when women go
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