Articles | Benny Kuriakose

This article is written in Malayalam and looks at the difference between natural and local materials from a sustainability perspective. Climate change is happening and many of the building materials are becoming scarce. Hence it is very important to look at the sustainability of the different building materials.

Natural Building Materials And Sustainability

Article by Benny Kuriakose in Malayalam regarding concrete and the various other types of roofing published by Vanitha Veedu Magazine.

Traditional Architecture is Knowledge

"I have started writing a column on different aspects of house planning and building in the Malayalam Architecture Magazine "Veedu". It started with an interview with me in August issue. My Ph.d dissertation has helped quite a bit in putting my thoughts together and I find that it is not very difficult to write an article as it was before. Few more articles are in the pipeline in different magazines and hope to do them at the earliest." - Benny Kuriakose

Benny Kuriakose Article

The Ajit Koujalgi Memorial Lecture was delivered by Benny Kuriakose on March 14 at 2 pm in DakshinaChitra, as part of the Auroville Festival in Chennai. Ajit Koujalgi was the INTACH chapter convenor. He was an architect who graduated in 1970 from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Since 1971, he had been working and making his contributions at Auroville and Pondicherry. He passed away on 12th October 2014. The full text of the lecture is given below.

Ajit Koujalgi Memorial Lecture

Benny Kuriakose and Rubin D'Cruz writes about the origin and the concepts behind the Muziris Heritage Project. "Muziris, in the Ernakulam and Thrissur districts of Kerala, was an active port in the 1st century BC where Chinese, Arabs, Jews, Greeks and Romans came to trade. Similarly, although the Portuguese, Dutch and the British too initially came to trade, they soon became a part of the internal power struggles between Travancore, Kochi, Calicut and the Mysore kingdoms, and eventually went on to become colonizers. All of them have left their imprints on the region. The historical monuments and materials made available through recent excavations establish it as a unique location to tell the story of 3000 years of Kerala, a story of coexistence and sharing."

Muziris Heritage Project

An Article by Benny along with Xavier Benedict and Kiran M Keswani on the historic Pulicat town.Excerpt from the book "Heritage as an Asset for Inner - City Development" By nai010 Publishers

Pulicat Crafting History

An article by Benny Kuriakose outlining the concepts and vision of the Muziris Heritage Project. Excerpt From The Book "Against All Odds Kochi Muziris Biennale"

Unearthing History

Benny Kuriakose writes about the Muziris Heritage Project and some of the concepts behind the same emphasizing on the aspects of cultural tourism.Muziris Heritage Project: Kerala Calling

Conceive The Conserve

Benny Kuriakose pushes the design community to look beyond its preoccupation with visual detailing to delve into basics that foster functional responses and durability. An Article In Indian Architect & Builder

Thinking Basics

Benny Kuriakose explores some time-tested traditional details and expresses concerns on contemporary delineation from them. He directs a need for them to be adapted further, rather than forgotten. An Article In Indian Architect & Builder.

Out Of Control

"Isn't it a shame that there are so many people who have no access to anything which can be called architecture. We, as architects, highly trained professionals, are doing so little to meet this very need. We must never forget that there are 20 million families who are sadly deprived. Let alone have the benefit of anything called architecture. Not even a hut. It is to our shame that we allow these figures to increase." said Laurie Baker. Benny Kuriakose writes about his mentor and guru.

Laurie Baker - The Unseen Side

Dakshinchitra (meaning a picture of the south) in Chennai, is a center for the living traditions of art, craft and architecture of India, highlighting the ethnicity of South India. A project of the Madras craft Foundation (MCF), a non-profit organization, Dakshinchitra opened to the public in December 1996.Late Laurie Baker - the renowned architect, provided his services to the foundation. The spatial conceptualization of Dakshinchitra encompasses his building techniques and methods and reinforces his philosophy of empowering masons and craftspeople in the building process.

Evolving Dakshinachitra

Benny Kuriakose on how elements from old Kerala & Chettinad homes can be successfully incorporated into contemporary dwellings.

Period Passion

Some thoughts on reconstruction and design of houses and settlements in the wake of tsunami by Benny Kuriakose which stuck the east coast of India on 26th, December, 2004.

Not Just Four Walls And A Roof

This article discusses how the design of the house for actor Mammootty by Benny Kuriakose was done and the concepts behind the design. It was published in Parpidam Magazine

Mammootty House

This article records the methods of the transplantation of the Kerala buildings in Dakshinachitra, which are primarily timber construction. Excerpt From The Book "Dakshinachitra, A Glimpse Of South India" Published By Madras Craft Foundation.

Conservation And Reconstruction Of Timber Buildings