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22 Minutes Ago
John Mohanlal Ramnandanlall –
Dr Kumar Mahabir
THE Indian diaspora has long been rooted in climate-conscious building practices, with contemporary architects and builders drawing from traditional methods to promote sustainability. Rosie Paul and Sridevi Changali at Masons Inc Studio are leading heritage conservation efforts in India, emphasising sustainable development and reducing carbon footprints.
In Suriname, John Mohanlal Ramnandanlall’s traditional house, named Bap & Mai ka Ghar, mirrors the homes of indentured Indians, while David Fojo in Trinidad incorporates Vastu Shastra principles, blending ancient philosophies with environmental harmony.
Together, these individuals embody the Indian diaspora’s commitment to traditional, climate-conscious building practices that prioritise both cultural heritage and environmental sustainability.
These are excerpts from an Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre (ICC) Thought Leaders Forum (September 15, 2024) supported by Rose Mohammed and her Team of 12 Friends. The programme was chaired by Shakira Mohommed and moderated by Shalima Mohammed, both from Trinidad.
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ROSIE PAUL of India said: “At Masons Inc, we believe that holistic sustainability is important.
Rosie Paul –
“When thinking of sustainability, it is not just about the environment, but it is also about cultural impacts, and socioeconomic impacts. You need to look at all the four pillars when you want to really be sustainable, and that is something that we are trying to do.
“We also believe that looking at the vernacular can really give us clues to the challenges that we are facing today, and how we need to intervene to respond to our future challenges. Why is it that we are struggling to make our buildings last?
“We believe that innovation is necessary when using traditional materials. It is pointless to not learn from the knowledge that existed in the past, and what was very interesting is, they found low-carbon adaptive solutions when they were building.”
SRIDEVI CHANGALI of India said: “I think architects do have a bigger responsibility of creating greener livelihoods and helping communities. When stakeholders themselves are part of the building process, it becomes a really lovely place to be on site; and it is really nice to feel the intermingling of energies – and there is a great ownership that comes from including the stakeholders in the building and design process.
Sridevi Changali –
“We feel that it is very important, since we are in a niche sector, to educate and impart knowledge to younger generations and people even outside of our profession. We take outreach and skill-building very seriously, and we do a lot of workshops.
“Masons Inc is seated at the crux of a lot of things that are important today in terms of cultural heritage and climate change. We are an organisation that believes in the importance of creating an awareness of cultural heritage and climate change.”
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JOHN MOHANLAL RAMNANDANLALL of Suriname said: “We made an old-time historical house in Suriname from Indian indentureship style. I made the model and then the big house that you can live in for 30-40 years.
“They have no carbon. The house is made from wood, the walls made from cow dung, wooden louvres, rice paddy and some grasses. Indoor and outdoor furniture are made from natural materials. The cot is made from woven rope and furniture carved from logs. The roof is made from thatched rice paddy in the model home, but metal is used in bigger models because of the cost.
“Every day the temperatures are getting hot, but building houses with parsara wood keeps your house cool.”
DAVID FOJO of Trinidad and the US said: “By using Vastu with the best modern, green design and development knowledge on the planet, we can build cities that are superior.
“Vastu considers that chaotic site layouts have very bad effects. When you have a building or a site that is very disorderly and incoherent in Vastu, the negative outside influences cannot penetrate.
“We are designing on the energy grid north, south, east, west – cardinal points – with green courtyards in the middle.
David Fojo –
“We can design buildings where the people are happier and more abundant. There are studies showing that people can be 30 per cent more productive at their jobs because of the built environment; therefore, companies can be 30-40 per cent more profitable.
“People living in these structures will be more creative and happier. Communications, relationships…they are all better because of being greener and because of being designed in harmony with all the laws of nature.
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“Part of being Vastu is 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 is just developers who really understand this.”
There were four speakers in the programme on: Traditional Climate-Conscious Building Practices in the Indian Diaspora, and the unedited recording can be viewed at:
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