Nanju and Jayamma are of the Beda tribe whose ancestors lived in the forests of Bandipur. Relocated in 1975, following the building of the Kabini dam, members of his community took their ancient culture into their new life outside of these forests. It was a heritage founded on an innate respect for the land which showed itself in everything they did.
Aesthetically, his house, built using locally available materials, blends seamlessly with the surroundings and will leave no trace on the earth after its useful life. Though we are unable to maintain his high standards in leaving almost no ecological footprint, this ideology of sustainability has been our inspiration and guiding light. It has influenced our architecture and activities in great measures.
Long before the term ‘green’ was born, the likes of Nanju and his ilk were living it naturally and without pretensions. They are the friends of the earth… inspiration for our ‘Spirit of the land’ philosophy!
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