Western Architecture is Making India Heatwaves Worse - TIME
May 18, 2022 at 6:30:00 PM
Curious about the role of western architecture and the heatwave in India? Check out the wonderful article in TIME by Ciara Nugent, in which Benny Kuriakose, along with other architects and environmental specialists, discuss how Western architecture is making India's heat waves worse.
With the emergence of a standard design model, many Indian architects abandoned the vernacular traditions, which were conscious of the climatic conditions of the place, and adopted the modern approach. The earthen walls and shady verandas of the humid south and the thick insulating walls and intricate window shades of the hot, dry northwest were swapped for a boxy modern style. Today, buildings across India look identical to each other and to those in the west, which is not a sustainable approach.
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"In most cities, people have blindly followed the Western model. There was no attempt to look at the local climate. There was no attempt to look at the materials which are available." says Dr. Benny Kuriakose. He explains how, as a more standard international approach to building design emerged, vernacular traditions that had been developed over thousands of years to cope with the climatic extremes of different places were abandoned. The article goes into great length about the other aspects of heat and architecture.