5.

Chitra Vishwanath

The brick walls and the dome of The Sai Prashanthii Rural school

Sai Prashanthi Rural School (Source: https://www.biome-solutions.com/)

If one looks up ecological architecture in India, the name Chitra Vishwanath would surely come up. For
this green architect, the ecological green approach is the key for both simple and complex projects.
Ecology is defined as the relationship of living things to their environment and to each other. In
architecture, it means connecting the people to the natural environment within the built environment.

At Biome Environmental Solutions by Chitra Vishwanath, the aim is to address environmental issues
through design with affordability and reduced ecological footprint. Mud-brick is a common material
used in many of the projects. The resource comes from the earth onsite excavated for foundations. All
the other materials are also local. Other sustainable elements found in the projects include rainwater
harvesting and gardens where possible as water can be scarce in the region. The Atelier school project
has economical, renewable and recoverable building techniques and materials incorporated. She was
committed to using the earth from the site, going as far as to convince any hesitant client about the
mud-brick technique by building a wall of rammed earth.