Didi Contractor

Architectural sage Didi Contractor devoted the later part of her life to designing environmentally conscious buildings while living in the small village of Sidbari in India’s Himachal Pradesh. Renowned for her use of natural building materials and designs deeply rooted in sustainability, she inspired countless students with her visionary approach. Lakshmi Swaminathan, her dedicated mentee, honours Didi’s legacy in A Call to Return, a book that encompasses a compilation of Didi’s writings, lectures and personal reflections. A fan of Didi, Nipun Prabhakar took a journey through space (by visiting Didi’s house) and time (by talking to Lakshmi) in an attempt to capture the essence of her life, spirit and work.

NP: What inspired you to work on a book about Didi Contractor? Was there a particular moment when you felt her philosophy resonated with you and that it deserved to be explored through a book?

LS: For me, the journey with Didi began because I was deeply drawn to the grace and harmony of the aesthetics of her buildings. It was something rare—especially from someone reviving vernacular skills to suit contemporary living. Her work wasn’t an imitation of traditional methods, but a respectful approach to traditions, cultures and environments, and she brought her own unique perspective, especially as a Western woman who had lived in India for so long. It was refreshing, and that blend of cultures and aesthetics was what first pulled me in. Didi felt a strong urge to write more, especially around 2019, 2020. She had envisioned three books—one for the general public to make them more aware of her philosophy, which revolved around living in harmony with Nature. Another was for young architects—a “why to build” approach, explaining the reasons behind her way of building. And lastly, she wanted to write a memoir.

There’s a misconception that natural,
earth-based construction is always
cheaper, but it’s not.

There were already many pages of transcripts where she’d answered a lot of questions, which could be compiled into a manuscript. Another student, Debasmita Ghosh, and I were brought in to help with the transcripts. Unfortunately, Didi passed away before she could finish writing, though she did complete a few chapters of the book for young architects. After her passing, I continued to go through the transcripts, editing and sorting them, and that’s when I realised these transcripts alone could form a meaningful book. The more I worked on her writings, the more I understood the philosophy behind her architecture. It reaffirmed my own perspective on what architecture should be. It wasn’t just about creating a standout building; it became about the process, about being humanitarian, culture-centric and Nature-centric.

NP: I’m curious about your thoughts on the challenges faced by South Asian architects when it comes to sustainable building practices. Having seen Didi’s approach firsthand, how do you think her methods can help address these challenges?

LS: A key challenge is to learn how to use materials available in different contexts and not imitate what’s done in one place in another context. In Himachal, for instance, the traditional building techniques largely involve stone and mud. So, we worked with those materials. Didi didn’t try to imitate other processes.

One of the key things I learnt from Didi is that we need to know how to do something before asking someone else to do it, especially as women architects. It’s how we gain respect in a male-dominated field.

One of the most important lessons I have learnt from her was seeing architecture through a cyclical lens and to use materials to their fullest potential. In Nature, nothing goes to waste, and that’s how vernacular architecture functioned too. The building was connected to the livelihoods of the people, which were connected to textiles, agriculture, and so on—it was an entire ecology. The question we need to ask in modern architecture is: can we build with the same mindset? Even if we’re not using mud, can we create architecture where the materials can be recycled or repurposed? For example, there’s this great project in Ahmedabad by Keyur Sarda where waste bricks are being repurposed for construction.

Also, Didi always stressed the importance of thinking about the future, not just the present. She insisted that we build less so that the future has something left to build with. That is in fact spatial sustainability.

[This is an excerpt. Subscribe to the digital edition or hardcopy to read the complete article.]

Nipun Prabhakar is an independent photographer and architect who works with various South Asian indigenous communities, working at the intersection of ideas, artefacts, folklore and the built environment. His work has appeared in major publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post, etc. In 2023, Nipun was invited to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in London to present his work on architectural photography. He is also the founder of Dhammada Collective, a design group working towards a conscious, sustainable and equitable world. Nipun has been contributing his voice in words and photography to FuturArc since 2021. His way with words and pictorial portrayal of issues that matter to him have found a deep connection with the magazine team and readers.

RELATED: Book Review: A Call to Return

Book Review: A Call to Return

A Call to Return by Lakshmi Swaminathan offers a tender and reflective portrayal of the renowned architect Didi Contractor. The narrative unfolds in an intimate and vivid style, where Lakshmi gracefully assumes the role of a sutradhar1 or narrator, though she wisely steps back to allow Didi’s voice and thoughts to take centre stage. It feels as though the reader is in the room with them, with Didi perched on a chair, stick in hand, while Lakshmi, from the floor, paints the scene in rich, atmospheric detail. The book creates an environment where you can almost feel yourself sitting beside […]

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