Pointers to Sidhartha Talwar’s presentation
Sidhartha initiated the presentation by walking the audience through recent projects undertaken by the Studio, illustrating the collaborative and iterative design process that forms the backbone of the practice. Having established the ethos of the practice, Sidhartha delved into the core principle that motivates the team – Creating Meaning, Celebrating Context – through the example of Krushi Bhawan, a recently completed government facility in Bhubaneshwar.
The design and execution process for the State Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment facility involved 150 master artisans from the state of Odisha to create an exemplary structure bringing the folklore and motifs of the local community to life through their own labour and traditional wisdom.
With an Ikat- inspired façade made from pigmented clay bricks, the building employs passive cooling techniques to maintain low ambient temperatures; designed to enable a spatial programme that brings the local rural community into the fold and facilitates their interaction and collaboration with the government in developing the best agricultural practices for the state, Krushi Bhawan strives to embody the true ideal of Indian democracy – created for the people, by the people, and from the essence of their collective cultural identity.