Vinu Daniel: Kochi-based Eco-Friendly Architect
A few days ago, I came across an article in The New Indian Express newspaper. It was titled “Kochi Architect Vinu Daniel in TIME Magazine’s ‘100 Next’ List of Emerging Leaders”. While reading the article, I experienced a sensation akin to ASMR. This wasn’t solely because I hail from Kochi. It’s also due to my enduring concern for our environment. The menace of plastic and other inorganic waste is a significant issue. It ultimately finds its way into landfills or oceans. I have always been and will continue to be a promoter of healthy living and a concerned eco-warrior.
The article reads as follows:
“Kochi Architect Vinu Daniel in TIME Magazine’s ‘100 Next’ List of Emerging Leaders”
KOCHI: Architect Vinu Daniel, whose Kochi-based Wallmakers aims “to build sustainable spaces that are responsive to specific site contexts and conditions while maintaining a balance between innovative and utilitarian design”, has been named in the TIME magazine’s ‘100 Next — The World’s Rising Stars’ list.
“Vinu teaches us respect for local wisdom and material culture is key for a truly responsible attitude towards the environment and the future,” wrote Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in TIME.
He quotes Vinu’s own words on sustainable architecture: “Whatever project you’re working on, can you reduce something about it? Can you reduce it by one bag of cement? Can you save one tree? Then you are own path to sustainability.”
Vinu believes that his best teachers were masons, workers, and locals in Kerala. Born in Dubai in 1982, Vinu moved to his family’s ancestral home in Kerala at the age of 17 when he joined the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET) to study architecture.
As a student, he met Laurie Baker (1917–2005), the pioneer of sustainable architecture, which turned out to be a life-changing moment. After completing his B-Arch in 2005, Vinu worked with the 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 as its first project was just a compound wall.
Vinu is a firm believer in what Gandhiji said that the ideal house should be made of materials found within a five-kilometre radius. “In the hands of Vinu’s studio, Wallmakers, mud bricks swirl in pirouettes, and debris from previous walls becomes new walls. Pictures from construction sites exude pride and delight in craftmanship and teamwork,” wrote TIME.
‘TIME100’ uses the power of the spotlight to draw attention to those who have achieved peak influence in their fields while also showing what is possible and what society’s future and future leaders will look like. The other Indians on the ‘TIME100’ list are cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur and tuberculosis survivor Nandita Venkatesan.
Click to read the original news content in The New Indian Express website.
The Inspiring Motivation behind Vinu’s Projects
So, this was The New Indian Express article about Vinu Daniel and his venture, Wallmakers. Through this article, we can perceive the inspiring motivation behind his projects. This motivation is to reduce waste and incorporate any abandoned materials available from around the work site into construction. Moreover, this approach prevents them from ending up in landfills. I’m an admirer of Michael Reynolds, the architect and founder of Earthship homes, and Vinu reminds me of him. Vinu also employs mud and upcycled waste materials in his construction projects, resulting in fantastic, cost-effective, and sustainable buildings.
Here, we can’t forget to mention the British-born Indian architect, Laurie Baker. He started a revolution in house construction in Kerala with his unique style. People highly regard his cost-effective and energy-efficient architectural initiatives and designs. These designs prioritize maximizing space, ventilation, and light while maintaining an uncluttered yet striking aesthetic sensibility. With his cost-effective and simple architectural style, he earned the title ‘Gandhi of Indian architecture. Inspired by Laurie Baker, we have installed clay ceiling tiles in all the rooms of my house. They really keep our house cool even during the scorching summer.
Concusion:
I congratulate Vinu, from the bottom of my heart, for earning the honorable achievement of making it to TIME magazine’s ‘100 Next’ list of emerging leaders. I wish him to achieve many more milestones in the future. We unquestionably need individuals like Vinu Daniel who, through their methods and efforts, help protect our planet Earth from becoming a dumping ground for garbage.
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