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Journey of a Sustainable Architect in India with Vinu Daniel | AG 26

Podcast Shownotes

03:00 How Vinu got into Architecture?
05:00 Experience studying Architecture in College of Engineering, Trivandrum
“The best part of being in College was that I was in the vicinity of a master Architect, Laurie Baker.”
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?

“We are heading towards a lifeless & waterless situation if we continue building like this.”

18:10 When someone is already sufficient, why do people work towards making more money?
19:20

“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?”

20:00 How Vinu got his first major breakthrough?
21:30 Maintenance in buildings
22:40 The IHA Residence

“The first question that bothers me is that why should I do that project?”
“What I didn’t build in IHA is what I am more proud of than what I built.”

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

Notable Mentions

Projects Mentioned

Pallikoodam by Laurie Baker
IHA Residence by Vinu Daniel

People Mentioned

Shaji TL
Architect Eugene Pandala
Satprem Maini
Laurie Baker
Shailaja Nair
PB Shajan
Costford
Jitish Kallat
Riyas Kornu
Bose Krishnamachari

About Vinu Daniel & Wallmakers

Vinu Daniel completed his B.Arch in 2005 from The College of Engineering Trivandrum, following which he worked with Auroville Earth Institute for the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Post-Tsunami construction. On returning from Pondicherry in 2007 he started ‘Wallmakers’ which was christened thus by others, as the first project was just a compound wall. By 2008 he had received an award for a low cost, eco-friendly house from the ‘Save Periyar’ Pollution Control Committee for the house which was constructed for a cancer patient. Many such eye-openers in the course of his practice prompted him to resolve to devote his energies towards the cause of sustainable and cost-effective architecture.