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because while using the silk screen technique, I learnt about the different layers in the building. Plans, axonometrics, and elevations are composed in one drawing. It tells a story that perspectives can't do. The problem I dealt with was-how could one communicate more by combining several aspects of design in one drawing?
What would I have done if I had no points of reference? I do look at new developments and they affect me. My travels abroad make me more aware of changes in the world. Frequent exposure to the outside world, meeting people, attending seminars have given me a big canvas to work on. But my own culture fascinates me. It is important for me to do work that has its roots here. This has been the basis for my growth rather than imitation and applique.
How do you trace your movements and development within the discipline of architecture - in theory and in practice? You practice meditation. Is that a form of discipline fo r you?
I work intuitively. I try to discover from situations, circumstances, land, client, and the realities in my country. Programs change, finances are short, climate predominates, energy nas to be conserved, maintenance costs have to be minimized ... these are the realities in India that dictate my design. Traditional designs as well as contemporary ones have influenced my design, as have rituals, associations, and symbols. There are innumerable things that one learns over time. So the situations in India and the life that I have lived have greatly influenced my work. I always ask myself:
I don't always have time for meditation. But whenever I do meditate, I ef1ioy it. That is what has sustained me all these years. So it is my life. But I am not very particular about practicing meditation regularly. One must make an effort and it should be effortless. Life has to be fu ll of effort but effortless.