The Medicine Cabinet by Darwin 2059
Typology - Farmhouse/ Hospitality
Location - Chevella, Hyderabad
Year: Ongoing 2023
Gross Built Area: 1.25 Acres.
Lead Architects: Ar. Divyansh Agarwal
Site Supervisor: Sunil Agarwal
Darwin// Named after the creationist, biologist, and naturalist Charles Robert Darwin best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. The brand name is an homage to the great minds who have dedicated their lives to understanding the secrets of evolution and genetics. It evokes a sense of nostalgia and tries to embody the notion of curiosity and hunger to find out what lies beyond.
symbiote
noun
sym.bi.ote
An organism living in symbiosis especially the smaller member of a symbiotic pair of organisms
(as in parasitism or commercialism)
especially: Mutualism
me.nag.er.ie
A menagerie is a collection of captive animals, frequently exotic, kept for display; or the place where such a collection is kept, a precursor to the modern zoological garden. The term was first used in seventeenth-century France in reference to the management of household or domestic stock.
A strange or diverse collection of people or things.
About// Many cultures have their own systems of alternative medicine and vices. It is fair to say that these practices are outcomes of the general availability of resources and the curious nature of man. Practices of using animals and animal products for cures and indulgences are very well established in Eastern culture. There are several documented occasions where this symbiosis between the humans and the animals is seen. The cure for asthma in India is delivered through a live fish being digested and kept alive for over 45 days, the widespread use of animal parts in traditional Chinese medications shows the dependence of humans on animal life. These systems of lifestyle prove to carry other benefits beyond the mainstream Western ways.
Despite this, these are usually regarded as mere cultural myths by the Western world. The technological and scientific advancement in the fields of medicine, agriculture, and genomics has created an environment where Western ideas are crossing into unknown territories. Bringing the non-Western perspective to a speculative design scenario, this project builds a world where emerging biotechnology fuses with the arcane practices of the East to create a more responsible and open world.
