News day
Dr. Kumar Mahabir
THE Indian diaspora has long been rooted in climate-conscious building practices, with contemporary architects and builders drawing on traditional methods to promote sustainability. Rosie Paul and Sridevi Changali of Masons Inc Studio lead efforts to preserve cultural heritage in India, emphasizing sustainable development and reducing carbon footprints.
In Suriname, John Mohanlal Ramnandanlall's traditional house called Bap & Mai ka Ghar reflects the homes of indentured Indians, while in Trinidad, David Fojo incorporates the principles of Vastu Shastra, combining ancient philosophies with environmental harmony.
Together, these individuals embody the Indian diaspora's commitment to traditional, climate-smart building practices that emphasize both cultural heritage and environmental sustainability.
These are excerpts from an Indo-Caribbean Cultural Center (ICC) Thought Leaders Forum (September 15, 2024), facilitated by Rose Mohammed and her team of 12 friends. The show was hosted by Shakira Mohommed and hosted by Shalima Mohammed, both from Trinidad.
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ROSIE PAUL from India said: “At Masons Inc we believe that holistic sustainability is important.
“When you think about sustainability, it’s not just about the environment, but also about cultural and socio-economic impacts. If you really want to be sustainable, you have to take all four pillars into account, and that's something we try to do.
“We also believe that looking at everyday language can really give us clues about the challenges we face today and how we need to intervene to respond to our future challenges.” Why do we find it difficult to understand our Making buildings last longer?
“We believe that innovation is necessary in the use of traditional materials. There is no point in not learning from the knowledge of the past, and what was very interesting is that they found adaptable, low-carbon solutions when building.”
SRIDEVI CHANGALI from India said: “I think architects have a greater responsibility to create greener livelihoods and help communities.” When those involved are part of the construction process themselves, it is a really nice place to be on site. and it's really nice to feel the blending of energies – and there's a great sense of ownership that comes from involving those involved in the construction and design process.
“As we operate in a niche industry, we believe it is very important to train and impart knowledge to younger generations and people outside of our profession. We take public relations and skills building very seriously and hold many workshops.
“Masons Inc sits at the heart of many things that are important today in terms of cultural heritage and climate change. We are an organization that believes in the importance of raising awareness about cultural heritage and climate change.”
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JOHN MOHANLAL RAMNANDANLALL from Suriname said: “We built an old historic house in Suriname in the Indian treaty style. I built the model and then the big house that you can live in for 30-40 years.
“They have no carbon. The house is made of wood, the walls are made of cow dung, wooden slats, rice fields and some grasses. Indoor and outdoor furniture is made from natural materials. The cot is made of braided rope and the furniture is carved from tree trunks. The roof of the model house is made of thatched rice field, although larger models use metal to save costs.
“Every day the temperatures get hot, but building houses with Parsara wood keeps your house cool.”
DAVID FOJO from Trinidad and USA said: “By leveraging Vastu with the best modern, eco-friendly design and development skills in the world, we can build cities that are superior.”
“Vastu believes that chaotic site layouts have very negative effects. If you have a building or a site that is very disordered and incoherent in Vastu, the negative external influences cannot penetrate.
“We are designing north, south, east, west – cardinal points – in the energy network with green courtyards in the middle.
“We can design buildings where people are happier and more prosperous. There are studies that show that people can be 30 percent more productive at work because of the built environment; Therefore, companies can be 30-40 percent more profitable.
“The people who live in these structures will be more creative and happier. Communication, relationships… they are all better because they are more environmentally friendly and designed in harmony with all natural laws.
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“Part of Vastu is that we literally have the knowledge on the planet to create heaven on earth in the built environment and in our own lives and the only thing we need now are just developers who really understand that.”
There were four speakers in the program on the topic: Traditional climate-smart building practices in the Indian diaspora. The unedited recording can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/@dmahab/streams