Firm/Studio Name
Earthitects
How did you come up with the name of your studio?
We are Earthitects. Architects of the Earth.
Rooted in the values of the land, we work hand in hand with Mother Earth to craft spaces that emanate from this very earth that binds us all. Our philosophy is to create ‘around’ nature rather than ‘on’ it.
Ecologically conscious design and careful selection of materials provided by nature that age gracefully, is our guiding principle in any endeavour we undertake.
What determined your passion for design? Tell us about the moment when you decided this is the way to go.
Surrounded by nature, from his earliest years, our Managing Director, George E. Ramapuram’s core belief has been rooted firmly within him:
“God is the greatest Architect and Nature is the greatest design to ever exist.”
This core belief, ingrained in our visionary leader and consequently every member of Earthitects, has resulted in harnessing Nature to “facilitate ‘life’ in its abundance by enabling the fullest enjoyment of God’s creations.” This inbuilt sensitivity of our signature design style finds expression in every Earthitects’ creation.
Being passionate about pioneering, creating, and constantly innovating a positive change in the way we as a world “live”, led us on the quest to create a concept of ‘living’ which would allow us as a species and our world to experience “living” to the fullest.
In experiencing “life in its abundance”, the outcome is an ecologically conscious design that works closely with the environment with an uncompromising need for the perfectly balanced relationship between man, the built space, and the natural environment.
What kind of projects were you doing when you first started as a designer?
After the completion of my Bachelor of Architecture from the University School of Design, Mysore, I decided to further my passion and knowledge in the practical applications of architectural concepts. Thus, I began my apprenticeship years at the in-house Architecture and Design division of Evolve Back Resorts. During this period, the formal inception of the division as ‘Earthitects’ was envisioned and initiated.
In 2017, during my Masters in Management from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, I initiated Earthitects’ diversification into private residences with ‘Earthitects – Stone Lodges’ located in Wayanad, Kerala. With an uncompromising belief that “Nature is the greatest design to ever exist”, our unique vision is inspired by nature’s magnitude and beauty.
What field of design are you most interested in?
With the ever-growing cities and with internet connectivity making ‘work from anywhere’ possible many are considering making oases of calm, their home. A home amidst nature is what we as humans were meant to live in, as people are burned out from their regular lives and want to shift to tranquil locations.
Focused on living in harmony with nature, we wanted to change the way people live by bringing a new dimension to luxury with the essence of the wilderness in every square foot.
There is now, more than ever, a need for balance and a longing for a man to reconnect with nature – A longing fulfilled by the establishment of a Second Home located at the lap of nature and a place to nurture one’s hobbies like Photography, Organic Farming, Gardening, Birding, Trekking and more.” We wanted to provide this ‘Second Life’ for our homeowners – A life that would be one with Nature!
Natural Life is about re-establishing the revealing experience of connecting with both oneself and the natural environment – a relationship that has been severed by our modern, urban-centric lifestyles and changes in the way of life brought about by today’s work culture. We wanted to re-imagine the experience of everyday living by allying with Mother Earth in designing and creating dwellings that are in harmony with oneself and the natural environment, dwellings that facilitate ‘Natural Life’.
What is your Signature Style?
Rooted in the values of the land, we believe that every dwelling should blend seamlessly into its natural habitat and emanate from the very earth that binds us all, staying true to our philosophy by creating ‘around’ nature rather than ‘on’ it. This has been the light that has guided us in any design journey we embarked on like the design of the globally acclaimed Evolve Back Resorts and while envisioning Stone Lodges – Private Residences.
Focused on designing spaces that are “One with Nature” our objective is to change the way people live. Our journey has culminated in every space envisioned and crafted, thus achieving the truest form of spaces in collaboration with Mother Earth and blending seamlessly with the greatest design to exist – Nature. By adopting the native design sensibilities of the land, our design bespeaks the ‘Spirit of the Land’ and is a blend of culture and nature.
What advice do you have for young designers or architects reading this interview?
The Existing “Living” Experience
In most urban settings today, the very basics of “living”, such as clean air, adequate water, waking up to birdsong, the joy of being able to taste a fruit fresh off the tree, or even the ability to experience a quiet moment, have started to become a scarcity.
Even the birds and the bees have started to leave us. Are they convinced, too, that our current urban-centric lifestyle is not “living” to the fullest?
The natural replenishing capacity of our Earth has been rendered ineffective in most of the current urban settings that we inhabit, due to their high densities of population.
Although, initially, our world’s modern, urban-centric lifestyles was a result of the creation of job opportunities in these areas, and consequently the creation of a better lifestyle or “living experience” for oneself. Slowly but steadily, this very same urban-centric lifestyle has led most of us humans to have “living experiences” that are substandard not only for us but also for the natural world around us.
We believe that Reverse Urbanisation or “living” away from Urban Settings is the “future of living/future of architecture” as, in today’s world, reverse urbanisation, if done right, has all the benefits of living in an urban setting without its disadvantages on our Earth. Through Reverse Urbanisation, we believe our world can achieve the experience of “Living life in its abundance”.
We believe that by living and working in non-Urban Settings (now accelerated by the post-pandemic world), we can re-establish the revealing experience of connecting with both oneself and the natural environment – a relationship that has been severed by our modern, urban-centric lifestyle.
With the advent of Ultra-High-speed Internet, the ability to now work from anywhere in the world and the abundant availability of conveniences for everyday living in remote locations as well, we, humans can live and work from anywhere in the world (Reverse Urbanization) and not necessarily in Urban settings that we have been inhabiting thus far.
We hope to pioneer, innovate, and inspire young architects to design spaces, keeping in mind the “living” concepts of the future with no impact on the environment. We hope this concept of re-imagining the experience of everyday living will inspire and encourage the young architects to follow this journey and design a sustainable lifestyle in every aspect.
Nature’s Materials are Timeless. Thus by designing with Natural materials we can help facilitate Timeless Design that doesn’t age also surround ourselves in a toxin-free environment. By designing and implementing sustainable landscape measures we can conserve and protect the native species of flora and fauna allowing them to co-exist with us as humans thus combating climate change and restoring the ecosystem.
It’s important that we leave the earth better than we found it. Our objective should always be to restore the environment and build a more sustainable future. With the abundance of nature in every step and a positive change in everyday living, the world would be a better place for us to thrive in.
