Lifestyle Upgrade – the dilemma of our times

Most of us write technical articles when we have answers to a problem. Usually, technical articles will have an introduction, the description of a problem and then the possible solutions. Good articles will even give a road map of how solutions could be prioritised and put into action. However, this article is definitely not technical and will raise more questions that it can answer. It is the description of a dilemma – that of a mainstream architect in a metropolitan city. It is also a dilemma that most of us face – irrespective of our backgrounds and the trades that we follow; we suppress these thoughts to the back of our minds.

It has been almost two decades since I graduated as an architect. My interest has always been in the area of environmentally contextual architecture along with an interest in social housing. While my first job as an architect was to engage in a tribal housing project with a participative approach, I gradually got involved in other projects that were more “main stream”. Over years the strict “environmental” approach got replaced with a client-focussed approach. The emphasis in the firm where I worked was always on client delight. The new approach worked with me – someone with not so strong convictions on how architecture “had” to be. Over the years, I got an exposure on various aspects of managing a firm – taking on business development and administration responsibilities and even heading a fledgling real estate start-up. After about 15 years of donning various roles, I eventually returned to architectural design starting up a firm with 3 other partners. The intent here is not to pen an autobiography, but to set the scene for the lifestyle dilemma and the paradox that we live in.

We seem to be living a schizophrenic life – hating the city while being addicted to the comforts that come with it. Intending to eat nutritious organic fresh food but succumbing to the temptation of glitzy ads depicting mouth-watering preservative laden fast foods. Wanting to disconnect from the maddening digital world but eagerly looking forward to the next edition of the sexiest mobile phone – even sitting up late night waiting for the latest software update. Needing the peace but addicted to the money that comes with more work. Wanting to ride a cycle and be a responsible citizen while falling head over heels for the latest luxury SUV.

The same dilemma continues into the practice of architecture. Some of us (author included) talk about sustainable architecture but rarely practise it to its fullness. While most of the designs in our practice are sensible from a passive solar point-of-view, the biggest dilemmas come while specifying building materials and equipment. The same paradoxes start over – the attractiveness of the Italian marble mined and transported from over 8000 km away in large bulk carriers over the earthiness of Indian stones. The comfort of a sinful rain-shower compared with a sedate, water saving and very unfashionable bucket bath. The convenience and luxury of an imported fully fitted out kitchen compared with a rustic country-style kitchen. Of course, here the major impetuses for such selections come from our clients who look at a home/building as an avenue for a “lifestyle upgrade”. From mobile phones, to software updates and new cars every other year, we live in a world of update and upgrade.

It is this ubiquitous quest for upgrading our lifestyles that drives us, as individuals and as a society towards choices that in the long term may not necessarily be beneficial. That Italian marble will exude luxury but will also demand a re-polish every 5-8 years while the Indian stone rustic will connect us back with the earth. That rain shower will give us temporary pleasure while depleting water in the long term. That burger with mayonnaise and cheese and God-knows-how-many-days-old-preservative-laden-patty within will give us the temporary feel good while good wholesome food will give us our health. So then, is this lifestyle upgrade that we are really hankering for, really an upgrade?

One must hasten to add that we have had many upgrades that have been “mainstreamed”. Solar water heaters, energy efficient LED lights and rainwater harvesting are a few examples that have almost become the default in architectural practice today. Some of them like solar water heaters and LED lights (the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to the inventors of the blue-light emitting LED lights) are popular due to the refinement in technology and direct financial paybacks that the clients see. Some like rainwater harvesting are successful, in part due to legal requirements and also due to sustained campaign of awareness through various forms of media.

Our society, like a lot of others in the developing world, is at a unique cusp of history. The middle class in expanding, and economically it has become possible to “upgrade” our lifestyles (for better or for worse). It is this opportunity that we need to take – to truly explore for ourselves, as individuals, as professionals in the construction industry (or any other industry) and as a society – what a “lifestyle upgrade” means to each of us. Is it possible for us to find that paradigm which is truly sustainable? Once found, can we then spread that awareness to all around us? During the course of this debate, should we not question our own notions of wealth? Are our prayers to Goddess Mahalakshmi  - for more wealth OR are they a heartfelt plea for Her aid in rediscovering the inner abundance that already exists in each of us? External sustainability has to spring from an internal one.

Possibly, the way ahead is best summed up in the words of the famous philosopher, Eckhart Tolle;

“Are you polluting the world or cleaning up the mess? You are responsible for your inner space; nobody else is, just as you are responsible for the planet. As within, so without: If humans clear inner pollution, then they will also cease to create outer pollution.”