How Earthitects is following the Gandhian philosophy of living in harmony with nature

BH: Why did you decide to take this approach?
GR: “God is the greatest architect and nature is the greatest design to ever exist."This core belief, ingrained in me, and consequently every member of Earthitects, has resulted in harnessing nature to facilitate ‘life’ in its abundance by enabling the fullest enjoyment of god’s creations. This inbuilt sensitivity of our signature design style finds expression in every Earthitects’ creation. In experiencing ‘life in its abundance’, the outcome is a design that works closely with the environment with an uncompromising need for the perfectly balanced relationship between man, the built space, and the natural environment.

BH: How has Mahatma Gandhi’s principles influenced your work?
GR: Our principles very much align with Mahatma Gandhi’s views on nature, sustainability, and urbanization. He said, “The Earth has enough resources for our need but not for our greed.” In most urban settings today, the very basics of “living”, such as clean air, adequate water, waking up to a birdsong, the joy of being able to taste a fruit fresh off the tree, or even the ability to experience a quiet moment, have started to become a scarcity. Even birds and bees have started to leave us. Are they convinced, too, that our current urban-centric lifestyle is not “living” to the fullest? The natural replenishing capacity of our earth has been rendered ineffective in most of the current urban settings that we inhabit, due to their high densities of population. We believe that reverse urbanisation is the future of living. If done right, it has all the benefits of living in an urban setting without the disadvantages on our earth. 

Only five years ago, what existed as a neglected coffee plantation in Wayanad soon changed, when we planted more than 8,000 native trees. The once bare site of Stone Lodges was transformedinto a lush forest, with carefully selected native species of plants and trees. Native bird species soon returned, thus enhancing the birding experience allowing man and nature to coexist in harmony. Today, it’s not rare to see endangered birds splashing around the lily pond on the deck of the private residences. With the planting of an abundance of butterfly-friendly plants, it’s an everyday occurrence to spot dozens of butterfly species too. The protection and conservation of native species of bees have been facilitated by us with beehouses around the residences.

With ‘sustainable living’ being our core idea, we have used upcycled wood from construction for the craftsmanship of fittings and furnishings while maintaining its organic shape. While most of the natural materials used are acquired from the site itself, other materials are sourced locally. When a building comes in the way of a tree or boulder, the design is modified to go around it to be a part of our natural design. Thus, the existing flora and natural features on the site play their part in enhancing our carefully designed living experience. We hope this concept of reimagining the experience of everyday living will inspire and encourage others to follow this journey and lead a sustainable lifestyle.
 

future with no impact on the environment. Nature’s materials are timeless. Thus, by designing with natural materials we can help facilitate a timeless design that doesn’t age while also surrounding ourselves in a toxin-free environment. By designing and implementing sustainable landscape measures we can conserve and protect native species of flora and fauna allowing them to co-exist with us thus combating climate change and restoring the ecosystem. Our objective should always be to restore the environment and build a more sustainable future. It's important that we leave the earth better than we found it.