deedsdesign

My Dad just sent me this interview of Rahul Mehrotra, an architect practicing in Mumbai, India . He presents some of his ways of helping to connect society, “soften thresholds,” and bridge the gap between rich an poor in a very economically stratified place. In case you don’t have time to read the article, here is one excerpt from the interview that I found meaningful:

“This idea—how architecture can deepen social divides, depending on how it is used—is a major theme in your work, and obviously something you care deeply about. Do you ever have a private client who wants to build a very ostentatious house? How do you handle that?

I try to steer my wealthy clients toward “introverted worlds”—marble floors, nice fixtures. Ostentation on the inside rather than the outside. Polarization occurs when wealth is flaunted, and architecture can get co-opted in that process.”