THE OLD HOUSE SPEAKS

Foreword:

After working with Design 42 for the past 3 years, I have come to an epiphany that human beings, nature, and buildings, all these three components can be well balanced while designing a project. Earlier my impression was that a design must adapt to the new environment, materials, and styles to fulfill our needs. But these fast-changing environments have caused the individuals to know less about their history and originality, thus creating a certain void. Therefore, Design 42 believes in blending both the old and the new, allowing our clients to hold on to their roots while still having their needs fulfilled. We take our inspiration from Nature to build a sustainable ecosystem where all the components support one another and thrive in return.

Our blog space encourages us to express ourselves in ways that suit us. In this current post, my attempt has been to explore the significance of sustainable architecture that builds a bridge between the traditional and modern, old and new, Nature and Man-made. It is a very creative expression, not typically in line with the posts hitherto put up on our blog. Hope you enjoy it.

The Old House speaks

As I am still standing here, among all the other houses, widening my arms to shelter my dwellers, I realize how old I have become!

Ages ago, they placed me on a lush green meadow overlooking everything around me. Although I stood among the tall trees that covered the land between me and the lake opposite to me, a road was cut down to the lake, wide enough for me to see the sparkling water.

As I stood alone in the middle of the land, people stopped by to see the magnificent structure. I enjoyed every moment of standing here and witnessing the daily lives of human beings, birds, and animals.

I was always greatly impressed by the weather. The long dry spells or the heavy rains or the chilly winters made me feel astonished.

Days went by, years passed until I felt the change in the environment. It started with cutting down a small tree at first and then slowly moving on to the bigger ones. I felt I was no longer surrounded by the tall trees which protected me from the scorching heat. The water in the lake had no more life in it. The trees were mercilessly felled to make way for the construction of houses.

I felt claustrophobic. Not even an inch was left open for the green. The houses cluttered the place making it a concrete jungle. People no longer stopped by to enjoy the view of the place. Kids no longer played in the open ground. The old people no longer walked in the green fields and enjoyed their evenings. I could no longer hear the birds chirping or see the squirrels playing around.

The overhung balcony of the adjacent houses obstructed my views. The whole land was covered with large houses. The open spaces vanished fast and the concrete giants replaced the lush green meadow. The grey structures took over the green cover.

Today, all the houses around me are full of life. I envy them but I feel lonely. As of now, I am nothing special, just another structure trying to survive in this concrete jungle!