What is Authenticity?

On archisage, a rather intense discussion sprung up about defining architecture based on its location. What determines the style of architecture-- time period, architect, client? Is the Taj Mahal an appropriate architectural archetype to define Indian architecture? Does the Empire State Building typify New York? Both buildings have come to represent their place, and yet they are the exception and not the rule. Also, how influential are outside sources in terms of colonization and globalization? It was a heady topic indeed.
It was of interest to me since I have often wondered about the eclectic nature of American architecture, especially that of New York City. On one street you can easily spot Mediterranean next to modern next to classical. What then makes something seem quintessentially New York if it borrows so readily from other sources?
Vandana Naik of Bangalore, India recently shared a picture of her grandmother's seventy year old mud house and explained its construction. The foundation is laid in locally available laterite stone. Above, the wall was built in mud which had been treated and soaked for a few days. Then, the mud is applied in phases, just how the courses would be laid in conventional brick masonry. The construction is pretty slow as the height of each course would be limited to half a meter or even less. The average wall thickness would be 45cm to ensure stability and protection since the whole structure is a load bearing one. At times while the soaking or the treatment is going on hay is used as reinforcement; however this treatment was stopped as it would attract moisture and insects to breed if any gaps appeared. Closely spaced bamboo was used as the structural support for the loft area.
There have been changes to the house over time due to a change in lifestyles. Initially, every fortnight the mud floor was leveled to perfection with a neatly done cow-dung finish to prevent any wear and tear. As far as durability is concerned, the walls are finished with coating of fine clay. The large overhangs, sloping roof and the recessed main walls with the help of verandah or porch act as other barriers from rain and sun.
With all of this invaluable information provided by Vandana Naik, it is all too clear that local materials combined with human ingenuity breed a sustainable and authentic form of architecture which is a model we can learn from.

NYC: An Immigrant Home

Today at SUNY Old Westbury on Long Island, I was invited to hear a lecture by Suketu Mehta, author of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found as part of their "Immigration and the Migration of People" Series. Mehta, who moved from Bombay to Queens when he was 14, wondered whether he could go home again when he decided to return to Bombay twenty years later. Not only was he inspired to write his novel, he discovered that home is not a geographically fixed place; it is a place infused with meaning by the people who inhabit it. He also noted that urban dwellers are universal, whether they are in Paris, London, New York, or Bombay. Today's lecture, organized by Jim Llana, Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Professor Narayan Hegde, English Dept., focused on writing and immigration. Mehta's current project is showcasing New York City's diverse ethnic composition. Unlike Mehta's early years in Jackson Heights where he was perceived as a general outsider, today's confluence of immigrants inspires unusual alliances and surprising cultural exchanges. After hearing his statistics about immigration, it's clear that globalization has changed our notions of cultural identity and economic borders. In contrast to the immigrants flooding the streets of New York City in the early twentieth century who had little to no chance of ever returning to their homelands again, air travel allows today's immigrant to maintain a relationship with his homeland and his home culture. Even further, in times of economic uncertainty, there is always a very real possibility that an immigrant's child might find better professional placement back home.
It was perhaps Mehta's eloquence, however, which was most powerful: "Human beings struggle under the heavy foot of history." Speaking about topics as wide ranging as Catholic Schools to Gandhi's revolution, Mehta's lecture today proved to be an enlightening intellectual and cultural exchange.