VISION

In one of India’s most remote districts, the Farmers Innovation Centre creates a shared space for exchange and learning. It responds to the lack of venues for rural dialogue, enabling farmers, inventors and the Better Life Foundation to host demonstrations, training and cultural gatherings for nearly 1,400 families across Nagaland’s hill villages.

PROCESS

The design reinterprets the morung, the traditional Naga community hall. A compact plinth supports two levels: a closed ground floor for workshops and exhibitions, and a semi-open machang above for meetings and events.

Built from regionally sourced bamboo and brick, the structure uses a hybrid RCC-bamboo system for stability while maintaining vernacular character. Natural light, ventilation and landscape views define the atmosphere. The building process involved local craftsmen at every stage, making construction itself an act of community empowerment.

OUTCOMES

The centre has become a cultural hub where education, collaboration and celebration take place with a sense of shared ownership. Built with local hands and local materials, it shows how architecture can support grassroots innovation without displacing identity. It stands as a contemporary yet deeply rooted expression of community-led progress.