KOCHI:
Kerala needs to devise people-centric strategies for the state to rebuild the state after the August calamity, experts said at #Design Kerala Summit here today.
Architect G Shankar, Founder & Chairman of Habitat Technology Group, said the solutions being proposed after the floods and landslides have to be specific to Kerala’s geographical conditions.
“Geographically, Kerala is in a very sensitive area and is prone to natural disasters,” he said in a keynote address on the opening evening of the two-day event. We have to be aware of that as we build back Kerala for the better. We have to go back to our roots to understand what works best for our state,” Shankar said.
Architects and engineers cannot shun away from their contribution to climate change, added the architect with over three decades of experience in disaster rebuilding.
Echoing the sentiments of the veteran architect, Alok Nandi, Creative Director, Architempo, said design thinking is all about getting back to the basics. “Mere copy-pasting of solutions in the Silicon Valley cannot fulfill the needs of Kerala. We have to look back at Kerala of 3,000 years and re-engage in our age-old practices to rebuild the state,” added Nandi, who is also President of Interaction Design Association.
Lauding the initiative of the Kerala government in conducting the Design Kerala Summit, he said the state can emerge as a design lab for India and also the world. A host of activities including panel discussions, interactive sessions, debates and dialogues centering on design of a futuristic and sustainable ecosystem for Kerala await audiences on day-2 of the summit.
The first-ever design summit in Kerala will conclude with a valedictory function addressed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday.
