Postcard to India

摘要

After migrating to Australia from Mumbai, India in 2005,1 got my first break with Lines, McFarlane & Marshall Architects as a team member documenting a residential three-storey building in Torquay. First thing I noticed was the construction technique, which was totally different to what I was used to. I was re-introduced to steel structures, roofs, gutters etc. which I last saw during my University days. Back home the trend is to use flat concrete slabs even to the topmost floor to create open terraces with high brick parapet walls which makes up for the much needed community spaces in the densely populated city of 14 million. I was soon reminded that the total population of Australia is about 20 million and labour is very expensive and scarcely available. Dry construction techniques are popular here whereas composite structures back home are mostly reinforced cement concrete frames with brick walls forming the external as well as internal walls even in high-rise construction.