a way of seeing Review - March 2009

Over the years, I have opened several times John Berger's book 'Ways of Seeing' and been entranced by its words and its images. This blog had to be called 'a way of seeing architecture' because so much learning has always come to me from the book.

So far, this blog has had posts about architectural design and heritage conservation in India that have ranged from questioning what is good design, to understanding why Codifying Indigenous Building skills is important to contemporary architectural design and some observations on the vernacular architecture of the Konkan houses. The blogpost on Bimilipatnam documents the process of people's participation in a conservation effort on the east coast of India. There are some thoughts on the Chettinad houses of Tamil Nadu and the heritage conservation at Hampi.

The search for meaning in architecture and heritage goes on...so, what IS good design? HOW do we create an ecosystem for heritage conservation?

"But suppose there IS no meaning! Suppose life is fundamentally absurd! Or suppose EVERYTHING matters, which would be worse??" - Calvin, in 'Its a Magical World' Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Waterson