A Man of the Mountains

Architect Rahul Bhushan's practice in the foothills of the Himalayas revives vernacular teatre to support the maile ecosystem

- ARSHIA DHAR

Sustainability is more than just a professional philosophy for architect Rahul Bhushan. He founded his firm North in Himachal Pradesh's Naggar town in 2017 to give back to his community what he learned from them about coexisting peacefully with nature.

Growing up in Shimla, Bhushan imagined himself as a magician who could change his surroundings at will. "[In my mind], I would make houses evaporate and put simpler ones in their place; some got replaced by grass and trees. I never knew I would be an architect, but in hindsight, it all connects so well," he says. It is the need of the hour, he tells AD, especially for fragile ecosystems, such as the Himalayas, that lie in seismic zones 4 and 5, which are known for being especially disaster-prone when exposed to indiscriminate human intervention.