The people of Rubáiyát
Imran & Arkesh (sustainability consultants)
New choices for a new generation
Freedom to follow your passion
Imran and Arkesh were born after India’s economic liberalization initiated massive societal changes in the 1990s. Unlike their middle-class parents, who were largely guided into STEM-based professions, their generation enjoyed financial security while growing up, giving them the luxury of choosing their own paths. This has led them to explore the intersection of climate science, regenerative agriculture, and India’s rapidly diminishing tribal wisdom.
Imran and Arkesh help tribals in Wayanad plant indigenous varieties of rice
Stepping out (of the bubble)
After attending agricultural school, Imran and Arkesh interned at the Community Biodiversity Centre at the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Wayanad. The foundation works to preserve rapidly diminishing indigenous crops and plants. Ironically, Dr. Swaminathan initiated India’s Green Revolution in conventional farming, which contributed to some biodiversity loss while addressing the larger issue of food insecurity.
Imran and Arkesh lays out the boundaries of the Miyawaki project on site
Miyawaki Bloom
Named after the Japanese botanist who invented it, a Miyawaki forest relies on closely planted layers of indigenous plants that compete for sunlight, accelerating growth. Miyawaki forests have sprung up across the world, from villages to New York City, rejuvenating neighborhoods, attracting insects and birds, and preserving biodiversity.
Imran and Arkesh originally planned an “L” shaped Miyawaki relying on species native to Wayanad.
Getting their hands dirty
Arkesh and Imran have planted several Miyawaki forests across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka through their startup, Prakheti. The early days were tough, starting with the challenge of convincing clients about the virtues of sustainable and indigenous landscaping. For their first several projects, they had to handle all the fieldwork themselves, including spreading about one meter of cow dung (the only manure they use) by hand. Their emphasis on planting indigenous species without obvious commercial value can lead to conflicts with older farmworkers, who are conditioned to seek crops with financial returns.
Arkesh looks on as farmworker Anandan plants saplings in the Miyawaki forest
Landscaping is so much more
Arkesh and Imran planned additional landscaping elements on-site, including a pond, butterfly park, and firefly park. Balancing the rigors of commercial construction with the need to minimize environmental impact proved challenging. The pond, along with the buildings on-site, uses laterite masonry units quarried about 100 kilometers away in Kannur, employing traditional block-working methods to stabilize the banks. The project's carbon footprint was minimized by sourcing or producing materials as close to the site as possible.
A Bengali worker carries building materials during pond construction
Making sustainable attractive
In pursuit of local materials, the project utilized large quantities of terracotta roof and floor tiles made within 100 kilometers of the site, produced using century-old production lines. The architects aimed to contrast the traditional Kerala appearance of the terracotta with modern, minimalist space planning and large glazed openings.
A worker takes a break during roof tile laying on the outhouse building
Materials deconstructed
Local materials present their own challenges—both environmental and commercial. White granite, mined in Sadahalli about 300 kilometers away in Karnataka, was used for the pool deck, steps, walkways, and front landscaping. However, lax environmental regulations in Karnataka have resulted in over-mining and diminishing yields of Sadahalli White.
(L) Sadahalli White (S-White) Granite being milled at a yard near Bengaluru. (R) Workers try to book-match granite slabs for the pool deck
A fast depleting S-White quarry in Karnataka.
Picture credit: Shishir Poojari, Creative Commons License
Privileged in an unlivable world
Arkesh and Imran understand that their privileges mean little in the face of the massive environmental challenges confronting their generation. They have chosen action over fatalism.
Imran (far-left) with fellow delegates at the United Nations Bonn Climate Summit SB60
A microcosm
From youth employment in northern India to the demographic crisis in the south, and from the mid-life crises of the professional class to the climate challenges we all face, Rubaiyat serves as a microcosm of the forces shaping our world.
Imran uses a mobile app to catalog the land for landscaping
The people of Rubáiyát
Sherie & Aroun (previous owners)