Ridho Cairns, progenitor of this blog, is a graduate of architecture – or junior project architect as his actual role in India prescribes – currently cultivating his creative sensibilities in the vivid tropics of South India. Learning through practice at a small architectural studio that encompasses a strong variety of typologies spread across the subcontinent. Native to Queensland, Australia with Australian-Indonesian heritage; yet considers the north suburbs of Melbourne his homeland. This is our writer’s third expedition to the Indian subcontinent and his longest yet.

Being independent since a young age has bestowed upon him a strong sense of self and an explicit set of principles he abides by. His calm demeanour is a result of regular meditation, diligence and an indefinite amount of coffee.

This avid reader can be found befriending somebody through discourse on a diverse range of subject matters. A keen trained eye for details, aesthetics and mannerisms make his productions (designs, artworks, drawings or photographs) stand out in a world otherwise overloaded with ordinary visuals. Adding inconsequential yet characteristic details to architectural drawings is a fresh form of procrastination that he often practices.

Cairn’s personality, like his work, is full of character; materialised through an ancient olive green-brown hat, an ochre linen coat, a thick green book and a silver idol of Hanuman. He can be spotted in a busy café, writing letters to loved ones, journaling or maintaining personal accounts in a hard bind ledger. If luck favours, one might get to witness the architect displaying his hidden talents, cooking spicy oriental food and twirling a fire stick.

Join Ridho Cairns as he shares his insights, anecdotes and encounters from varied time zones and locales of his life.

Written by Saloni Mahajam, aka Chaloni