The future is VERNACULAR!

Responsible and responsive, architects Pashmin Shah and Satyajeet Patwardhan are at the forefront of taking things slow and championing the modern vernacular design approach that is steeped in science, culture and so much more. In this exclusive, they discuss the larger picture with us

- AVRIL NOEL D'SOUZA

While the world is looking to build skyward-inching projects with a modern story to tell, architects Pashmin Shah and Satyajeet Pathwardhan are busy looking downward and studying the soil around them. "Soil is the most integral part of a human being. Right from every grain of food that we consume, our understanding of our surroundings, visuals and sound of our landscape to the smell of the Monsoon; all our senses are deeply connected with our soil. While most of the new architecture around seems to be drifting away from it, we are gravitating more and more towards the soil, making our bond stronger with every ongoing and upcoming project." This point of view guides the architects with every project they undertake at Amoeba Design, an awardwinning design practice based in Pune, Maharashtra.

As individuals, both husband and wife love working with local materials and exploring craft and traditional techniques that they can adopt and implement into the new structures they are creating. They add, "We love the dialogue with people and what they can add to the project with their hands. India has always been a land of craft and we truly aspire to maximise the involvement of craftsmen in every project that we take on."

HOW IT STARTED...HOW IT'S GOING