Interview: Bangkok's trash beautifying eco architect, Dr. Singh Intrachooto

The Copenhagen climate change talks may have ended with disappointing results, but fortunately there are professionals out there who aren't sitting around waiting for laws to be made and taking the initiative to adopt their own environmentally responsible practises. Like the innovative Dr. Singh Intrachooto.

Singh is the design principal at OSISU, Thailand’s leading eco-design production house, where he works to recycle the things most people see as trash into sustainable design practices -- even construction site scraps.

And he's spreading the message to Thailand's future architects, working as head of the Building Innovation and Technology Program at Kasetsart University's Faculty of Architecture. We asked the award-winning MIT grad a few questions about his work, his beefs and his thoughts on zombies in Bangkok.

CNNGo: First of all, please give us a few details about your work.

:I teach architecture at Kasetsart University, focusing on two areas: 1) environmentally responsible design and 2) innovation in construction. I also practice architecture and I design a few buildings every year and consult on a number of projects in Bangkok.

CNNGo: What was your ‘aha!’ moment when you became interested in the environmental aspects of building?

I started reclaiming construction debris in 2005 after witnessing tons of waste being hauled away from my own construction sites, even when these projects were classified as eco-friendly. It was embarrassing to be lecturing about eco-responsible design while witnessing the amount of leftover materials from my own work.

CNNGo: Your bio says your work involves identifying patterns of technological innovation in environmentally responsible architecture. How do you get around the fact that the average Bangkokian doesn't really see this as a major issue?

I still cannot get around the fact that the average Thai  does not really care about “green innovation or environmental responsibility”, but that is beside the point. It will take time but I am not discouraged. My efforts with building design and the establishment of OSISU are to provide ideas, inspiration and information to the general public. I feel it’s good to lead by example not by aspiration. I hope that, one day, the “average Thai” will be inspired enough to join in the effort.

CNNGo: When most people think ‘environmental sustainability’ the first thing that comes to mind is tree planting. What other methods are there?

I discuss with my students several topics including life cycle assessment, alternative energy methods and low-impact material development, such as those from waste or agricultural by-products. Some interesting examples may also include the system of free bikes implemented in Paris or the bike lane systems in Copenhagen. There’s also sites like Green Map, which links sustainability projects around the world and lets them crowd-source support and resources.

CNNGo: What's the craziest material you’ve used in your program to recycle unwanted materials?

Some of the more challenging materials I’ve explored include button scraps, industrial sand paper, foil packaging and medical solution bags.

CNNGo: If you could design an environmentally-centered curriculum that all children had to take, what would it focus on?

Definitely self-sufficiency.

CNNGo: After oil runs out and the world economy collapses and rises again, do you think wind and solar power will be enough?

No, not if our current needs are not curbed.

CNNGo: In Alan Weisman's book “The World Without Us” he explores what would happen to our physical surroundings if humanity ceased to exist. If a city like Bangkok were taken over by zombies and human industry stopped overnight, how long would it take for San Saeb canal to change to a color other than black?

Well, by nature zombies – who are brain dead – act without thinking. Alternately, by its nature, human industrial production discharges water and air pollution. When you consider that San Saeb has been polluted from the community that lines it, zombies have already run riot in Bangkok. That being said, severing the human industry would surely help, but it would take a while.