The City of Pearls

Qutub Shahi Tombs- chamber to perform burial rites

Hyderabad is a favorite of mine, has been for a long time. I first visited the city as a little girl with my parents and don't remember much about it except the Jama Masjid and the zoo.

Qutub Shahi tombs

I returned in 1996 and 2000. And my latest visit was in December with hubby and children.

We had a wonderful time! There is so much to see, do and eat!

What I love about Hyderabad is how the old and the new blend together to form one vibrant city. There seems to be no tussle between the two halves of the whole. You can marvel at the Qutub Shahi tombs and then stop for lunch at the Inorbit Mall.

Hitech City, CyberCity and Old City. 

The people here can switch from the unique Hyderabadi Urdu to English U.S. style! Culture, history gets along so well with the new tech, its amazing. 

We crammed our week with all the usual tourist spots. I am posting photos of architecture that caught my eye.

Qutub Shahi tombs

Qutub Shahi Tombs: Really liked  the shape of the dome and its proportion to the buildings. Its eerie walking among these massive tombs, in a city for the dead..

Golconds fort: The ingenuity in building of this massive structure is worth mentioning. A favorite is the point at the entrance where any sound is echoed and heard at the highest part of the fort.

Chowmahalla Palace: Was struck by the beauty and grandeur of the buildings  and the exquisite interiors.

Film City:  A fun family place with over the top places! The real nakli maal ;)

Hitech City: Contemporary architecture, big glass buildings..The Cyber Towers and Cyber Gateway have a Star Trek aura of being way before their time. 
 

Chowmohalla Palace

Beautiful Chandeliers

Film City: oddness

Hyderabad is good for a week of indulgence. But one can feel the city's infrastructure groaning under the burden of the rapidly growing population. 
Standing for hours in a traffic jam everyday to and from work is not something a person would look forward to. The pollution is also thick in the air.

Though this metro has its downfalls, its draws are many and they will keep me coming back for short getaways!

Appropriate Construction for Community in Myanmar

I rediscovered the architect Laurie Baker this month.

I was researching for a new project when I stumbled upon his articles on mud architecture.
His writing opened a new world of appropriate technology and low cost building techniques.
I was amazed by the clarity in his understanding of materials.

But what has drawn me to this great man is his sincerity and humility.
His list of architectural principles says it all.

Don't Do That Which is Not Necessary!

The words seem deceivingly simple.

The architect's official site is full of information and a must for all members of the green brigade.

His work inspired my entry for the design of community center in Myanmar. I used mud and brick structures. I think he would have approved. 

The main prayer hall is a round structure with two arms housing the classrooms.It forms the focus of the community functions. This is where people will gather for their instructions. Next to it is the kitchen and the dining hall. The hall is an open structure that can be shielded by coir mat curtains.

The dormitories are designed with 6 rooms facing each other across a passage. Each room is partitioned using a bamboo closet. All the buildings are oriented N-S to keep the walls facing the East and West short (to minimize heat gain) and to catch the winds during the humid rainy season. They have a gap in the roof for the hot air to escape.

Ar. Baker taught me to think of how people would use each area. When designing the kitchen I split it into a cooking area and a store with an open space in between for open fires and outside cooking. In the clinic there is a large area in front including the verandah for people to gather during a health camp. 

The area in Myanmar has no electricity so I suggested solar panels and of course my pet project, the Biogas plant found pride of place.Yes, I am a big fan of Biogas ;)) I admire how it can make the useless so powerfully useful. The community will rear animals. Animals produce dung, plenty to produce electricity to light the dormitories.  

From my end this competition is now done with. What will happen next? Will the client use the winning design to move forward? How soon will the community be built? Questions that will never be answered. So frustrating to be left in the dark.

 

A Zen Living Room

Here are the drawings I made for an interior design project.

A living room redesign.The client was looking for contemporary zen.

In my mind zen stands for simple,uncluttered and relaxing.
It is natural and organic.


The design for the living room began from that understanding.

The entrance door opens into a small space that is connected to the living room and is yet separated by its geometry. Beautiful wallpaper, an elegant console table, a large mirror and a pair of exquisite table lamps made the space a starter to the living room.






I went with hearty for the dining room. An aluminum clad farm-style dining table speaks of good food and family.
The stone veneer cladding helps to accentuate the long back wall and the fireplace is highlighted by oxidized metal panels.

The living area is split into two, one a cozy gathering near the window with a sofette and a rattan chair. The other part is the formal seating near the fireplace with four arm chairs instead of a cumbersome three seater sofa.

Did a lot of research for this one and my grey cells went into over drive! They are more accustomed to architecture than interior design. But after this one I just might change gears..more often.

Understanding Functions

For me it is always a challenge to design a space for a function I am not familiar with.

It happened first with the parking layout.
Since I don't drive a car I will always be at a disadvantage when it comes to understanding the parking radii and distances required. I may know all the norms but if told to squeeze in as many parking spaces as possible into a lot I am over cautious. I put in 5 spaces where people fit in upto 10!

The next project I encountered this disadvantage was with the fireplace. I have never used one nor seen one being used.
I had to spend 3 days understanding the basics. Then came the regulations and the products.
This is the final design. 

Khadi recycled

I wrote this article years ago for Suite 101 and am recycling it here.

Khadi – Earth-Friendly Home Furnishing Fabric

Follow in the footsteps of the great Mahatma Gandhi, who propagated the use of khadi, by using this tough and versatile fabric to furnish your home.

Khadi is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. It is synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi and India’s freedom movement.
It was in 1921 that Gandhi launched a movement to persuade Indians to spin their own cloth or buy hand-spun cloth. This movement was aimed at rejecting foreign products that were choking the Indian market, and thereby make the economy stronger. It provided jobs to millions of rural poor especially women.
In the beginning khadi was linked to freedom fighters, politicians and the poor. Today is has reinvented itself into a fashion statement. The Indian Government has gone a long way in their effort to promote the khadi industry. They set up the Khadi and Village Industries Commission and also encouraged designers to use the fabric in new ways. The beginning was seen in the collection presented in Mumbai in 1989 by the KVIC which saw nearly 85 khadi garments designed by Devika Bhojwani.

Production of Khadi

• Cotton is first hand picked and the fibers are separated from the seeds by a sharp comb-like object.
• It is then ginned into slivers. These are spun into yarn on a spinning wheel. It was this hand-cranked spinning wheel called charkha that became a symbol of a free India.
• The spun yarn is wound onto reels which then go to the weavers. Handlooms are used to weave the yarn into fabric.

Khadi is mainly woven in pure cotton, but it can also be woven in silk and wool or in a mix of fibers.
The making of khadi is eco-friendly since it does not rely on electric units and the manufacturing processes do not generate any toxic waste products.
In the Indian states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, organic khadi is produced by eliminating all chemicals involved in the farming of cotton and during weaving and dyeing of fabric.

Characteristics of Khadi Fabric

• It is light and soft making it comfortable to wear.
• Its weave creates air pockets which make it cool in summers and warm in winters.
• It has a handcrafted self-texture making each khadi cloth unique and expensive.
• Its inherent strength makes it highly durable.
• Certain fine khadi, such as mulmul has a translucent quality.
• Khadi silk which had upto 50% silk is priced for it richness and sheen.
• Different Indian states produce different varieties of Khadi. In colder northern states woolen khadi is produced whereas in Madhya Pradesh special weaves such as Tussar Silk are made. The fabric is dyed in a variety of colors and decorated by block prints or it is tie-dyed. In Gujarat khadi is embellished with embroidery and mirror-work.

Maintaining Khadi

• Khadi has to be dry cleaned or washed in cold water with mild soap.
• It has to be starched to prevent it from crumbling.
• Dark colors tend to run so have to be washed separately.

Use Khadi at Home
Khadi is so versatile that it can be used in various forms around the house.
It is made into durries, upholstery, cushions, mats, bed-sheets, and curtains. Artisans in each part of India have a unique weave and embellishment for the cloth so a variety of textures and colors are available.
The khadi industry ensures the employment of millions of rural poor. Moreover the production of this fabric causes a minimum impact on the environment, making it a must for those willing to go green!