About RSFA

Background: The RSFA research grant is conceived in the context of modern cities that emit more than 75% of the total greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. One of the main reasons for this is the perplexingly high and uneven levels of capital accumulation. The RSFA grant donors believe that there cannot be infinite capital accumulation in a planet with finite resources. The meaning here is twofold. The amount of wealth generated is constrained by the living conditions offered by Earth. Secondly, the traditional concept of wealth goes well beyond just material possession to include, for instance, enhanced psychological wellbeing, integrated physical and spiritual connections with the world, beneficial interdependence and strong bonding with the community, deeper linkages with one’s ancestral land, humble but respectful shelter, and reliable access to clean water, refreshing air, and fresh food.

The RSFA research grant seeks to promote capstone projects done by students in the areas of architecture, landscape, urban design, planning, and developmental studies which ensure ‘true’ sustainability in the built environment and wealth creation as mentioned above through traditional wisdom and ecological embeddedness. These projects are bold initiatives that delegitimize the culture of profligate consumerism and make an unapologetic call towards restraint and simplicity. Winning entries will display passionate sensitivity towards local knowledge accumulated over past centuries, existing geography, and regional ecology. As an intended consequence, the proposed design interventions will not overshoot the existing ecosystems and are, therefore, environmentally sustainable without causing any adverse impacts. At the same time, social and economic aspects are not ignored while conceiving components of a human settlement that is essentially urban.

In brief, the RSFA grant proposals celebrate anthropogenic landscapes where humans and nature are in constant dialogue with one another, where none takes precedence over the other, where both coevolve for mutual benefits and peaceful coexistence, and where the experience of urbanism, in contrast to the current over-stimulating life in modern cities, is slow paced and nuanced.