With the often-abused term sustainability lending itself to every category, be it decor or food, its roots in the built environment have held strong for centuries. With architects and restoration enthusiasts increasingly reusing structures across the country, the concept of adaptive reuse architecture is catching on. From havelis-turned-museums to ancient bungalows now functioning as coffee shops and boutique hotels, we explore how old buildings are getting a new lease of life.
The house has thick walls which is the main support, with no columns, but arches holding the house up | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Red Bari, Kolkata During Durga Puja last year, a coffee shop and co-working space opened close to the city’s iconic Kalighat temple. What sets this apart from similar establishments is the fact that it is housed in a 98-year-old home. “It was a house that was perfect for sharing.
It’s too big to live in, but I could imagine it being a perfect community space,” says Avantika Jalan, founder-director of the project, who bought the home in 2022. “The family was wanting to sell since 2017 to someone who would retain the building. I had read about it in 2019, and two years later a friend who had seen the property for the open house connected me to the owners,” she adds.
The reason for purchase was “to restore and repurpose the building, and make this a viable business to make a case for restoration and repurposing of built heritage,” says Avantika, an e.
