Consideration. Bijoy Jain’s creations rival the landscapes they are set in, whether it is the mountains of Uttaranchal or a coconut plantation in Alibag. The spaces he creates subvert the very notion of what a structure must look like, although their function — that of providing shelter — remains very much the same. And yet, attempt to decode this Mumbai-based architect’s aesthetic or design philosophy and he stumps you with his articulation: Consideration.
“The idea of a shelter or a refuge is very fundamental to architecture. You need to have sensitivity to the people who are going to use these spaces. So that really is my vision. How people will interact, how they will use these spaces, the experiences they will have. For me, these are key aspects that architecture should address. It’s not about having a vision, it’s about having consideration,” says Bijoy.
Bijoy’s creations are known as much for their spare beauty as their environmental consciousness. But Bijoy shrugs off the “sustainable” tag. “I don’t think about sustainability. It’s an intrinsic position you take. It’s just the way one thinks or imagines things should be like, whether it is the quality of air or the quality of light…the ease and economy of means to put the building together. These are fundamental attitudes in the process of architecture. And again, this goes back to consideration — to the environment, to the people you are building for and towards people who build these places.”
The synergy between his creations and their settings leads to the obvious question for an observer — is the work inspired by the setting, or does the idea for the space exist independently? “There is no one specific way,” says Bijoy. “Was it an idea that existed before, was it something that you were preoccupied with that you then superimposed on the site? Or was it the site itself? What is important is to have different points of view and also to respect the land, participate with the surroundings in a way that is meaningful.”
Bijoy’s 2007 Palmyra House project, which recently won him the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture (the award is given out once every three years for excellence in architecture, with emphasis on the use of locally available material, among other things), is an example of this complex process. “Palmyra was also very much a combination of all the factors I mentioned. With every idea that you have, you allow it to naturally expose itself through a process of dialogue. It plays in your head and you begin to visualise it. It’s very much like a musician’s riyaaz. They go through a piece of music again and again and within it they find gaps where they put in their personal experiences,” explains Bijoy.
Inspiration for this architect exists everywhere and his sensibilities have been shaped through years of “practice”. “By practice, I mean being committed to doing something well every day. It is being rigorous to the commitment one has made to the idea of making things meaningful,” says the architect who lays great stress on the difference between what is merely “new” and what is truly “meaningful”.
But what has equally shaped Bijoy’s work, where even four walls become a work of art, is the idea that somewhere, these spaces should transcend their own physicality. “Just as the idea of making music is to be able to go beyond the sound or rhythm to evoke places that were hitherto not seen or discovered, likewise there is the hope that the spaces I create will be able to do the same,” says Bijoy. “The idea is not to create art, but that each space should transcend its own limitation.”