Organitecture: need of the hour

“Art form should have a quality to transform man to a higher plane of being,” remarks Ar Mahesh Naik, Farmhouse Organic Architecture
The practice of organic architecture was started by great architect Frank Lloyd Wright who believed that every building should grow naturally from its environment. In India the practice of organic architecture is very limited. Architects like Mahesh Naik are striving forward to mark their point on how we can create beautiful structures which mix with the environment becoming a part of its own. Ar Mahesh Naik explains the concept of organic architecture and why we need to bring such sustainable style of architecture in India.
Introduction to organic architectureI happened to join architecture by chance rather than by choice, I knew nothing about this field and just followed my instincts. At the initial stages I felt the profession of architecture to be very boring. In the midst of frustration, a book written by architect Frank Lloyd Wright acted as a relief and a sort of retreat from the regular course of architecture.
In one of a college design competition, I happened to meet my senior Mr Venkat Pillai. Who worked briefly as an apprentice under great architect Nari Gandhi. I was inspired and influenced by the work and personality of Mr Venkat Pillai. During my college days, I worked under him as an apprentice for 3 and half years.
Under his apprenticeship, I got an opportunity to see two houses [Tejani-Metro shoe Lonavala house and Moon Dust Versova house] designed by Nari Gandhi. Both the houses were spell bonding. It was a metaphor of “original” where everything every entity was designed in a natural new way as if it existed for the first time on earth. The world created by Nari Gandhi acted as a philosopher’s stone, which had transformed my life into a single quest to seek organic architecture.
Journey in the field of architectureEven after 13 years of my practice in organic architecture, I still feel it’s just the start. I might have been able to understand only 5 per cent of great architect Nari Gandhi’s work. I am focusing my work towards objective organic architecture. In a flute, air gets transformed into melody. In man, words get transformed into a song. Similarly, art form should have a quality to transform man to a higher plane of being.
Thus the flute, the man, the art form are instrument for spiritual transformation. Objective organic architecture focuses on creation of such objective art forms.
About sustainable architectureSustainable architecture is not today’s invention, but it is a discovery of past knowledge and a realisation of today’s mistakes.  It is today’s hype, where it has become just a popular word. Many people these days merely follow a prescribed method of construction, with natural or recycled material to get the look and label of sustainable architecture. I prefer organic architecture, as its design are based on nature of material, nature of all entity involved, nature of whole performance within and which endures the test of time. In simple words it is natural architecture.
Advice for young architects Many architects including young generation gets influenced and carried away by glamour of foreign non- indigenous trendy architecture and try to practice that in India. They find this type of designs unique and latest. But, by doing this we lose our identity and respect. Instead we should learn from our past practices of architecture and try to bring new feel to Indian architecture.

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