J.K. Pikkujämsä

Poonam Jolly: Concrete Dreams: Notes on Ecology, Economy and Architecture. A Review by Jarmo Pikkujamsa 27 October 2023.

When did you last have someone plump up your mattress to avoid back problems? And have you had the fortune of having a gardener who doesn’t doze off while watering your plants?

Poonam Jolly’s Concrete Dreams: Notes on Ecology, Economy and Architecture (2023) is not just about mattresses with cotton fillings and tired gardeners, but especially a comprehensive overview of designing, constructing, and engaging with housing projects in the face of current
urban challenges. Her book is divided into nine chapters with captivating visual art, asking for slow reading and lingering on these beautiful pages.

The story takes you on an almost epic and poetic journey through time, delving into memories of space and into how the author designed and built The Boathouse, a sustainable studio and artists’ residence in Ahmedabad. The genre is charming here, because it connects the local to
universal themes, allowing the writer to explore the impact of human actions and the passage of time on our lives, with an underlying – and often strikingly visible – contrast between the once
harmonious coexistence of humans and animals and the current disruptive interference that has replaced it. Poonam Jolly uses a narrative style that transitions gently and skilfully from memories and reveries in and of Ahmedabad into an awareness of the crucial role of architects in urban planning, and into understanding why the delicate balance between human habitats and nature matters.

Her stories also show the impact a building can have on one’s life, as is described through the narrative of Mr. Muthood, humbled by a building he one day visits:

”What is life? What have I achieved till date? Have I earned or have I learned? With my learning, have I taught? Who will remember me when I am gone? What is my contribution to Mankind?”

The process of building The Boathouse, supported with data and case studies, opens before the reader with reflections on sustainable building materials, recycling, and suggests even flooring recipes and tool vocabulary in Hindi with illustrations. This building process resonated dearly with me step by step, and undoubtedly does so with those of you who ever had to hire workmen! In summary, Concrete Dreams provides an array of tools for architects, whether seasoned professionals or just starting out, as well as for anyone interested in the spaces we occupy and in our endeavours of creating environments for a comfortable and ecological living.

Known as the ‘Manchester of the East’, Ahmedabad offers a fascinating mix of traditional and modern architecture in what Poonam Jolly names a ”Potpourry city”. Her book functions almost as an alternative artistic guide that delves much deeper into the soul of a city than today’s
digital platforms designed for quick glimpses.

With Concrete Dreams, expect to think about space and the urban environment in a new, slower, more focused way. My comments stem from my own passion for buildings, space, literature, and storytelling, and from the fact that I have rarely come across a genre as inspiring as this book, where you can watch a dream take shape through handbook-like notes and beautiful artwork. Together they evoke laughter, and then compassionately move you to tears and back to laughter, as in the example of a gardener falling asleep while watering plants.

Click the link for more information about The Boathouse in Ahmadabad.