Indian Arch '20

FOREWORD

I am extremely thankful for being awarded the opportunity to serve in the council of National Association of Students of Architecture, India. There have been many highs and lows along the way, several times I wish I could have done something better, but in the end I believe my actions shall result in a net positive for the Association in the future. As one of the few people who were able to closely observe the workings of the 60th to 62nd year council, I think these years were highly reformative as new points of focus arose, new paths were explored and a new course has been set for both the Association and Architecture education in the nation. I am hopeful that the efforts made by these councils is not forgotten but is used as the first stepping stone for the future.

With the solid foundation of the 60th and 61st year behind us, the 62nd year started with extensive research and long discussions in person between me and Idris Ahmad Shariff, National President who was diligent enough to visit me in Goa during my internship period. After brainstorming for days we came up with the vision for the year as well as the not so near future. The shorter term vision, as inspired by the annual theme, was to declutter all aspects of the workings, finish all previous backlogs to bring everything back on track, and begin new

ventures for various purposes in various fields to act as a case study for future councils.

Applying this vision to the Headquarters of the Association, we decided to declutter and organize all official documents stored in our office. I would like to thank our team of HQ volunteers who worked behind the scene, tirelessly to organize the hard copy of important documents and scanned copy of all member colleges’ files. An index of the same database was created and shared with the Executive and Zonal council. The same may be further formatted and shared with the General council in the future if necessary. The annual ISO checkups and certification of the HQ office went smoothly, and a few important documents which we didn’t have possession of the original copy were arranged. Furthermore, ties with our legal liaison and old CA. that were going sour were properly concluded so that the upcoming council could have a fresh start without thinking of past problems.

That concludes the workings of the HQ and now I would like to move onto the second part of our annual vision i.e. for the long term. What started as a discussion about the problems of architecture education in India refined into an idea during the long meetings of the 1st EC-ZC.

Mandatory internship in the B.Arch. the course is a huge issue as some people argue that there aren’t as many vacancies in offices as there are students studying the course. This results in many offices exploiting students because of the surplus supply and lesser demand. Many architectural firms ask interns to pay the office for interning as they have to spend their time and resources for the interns to become ‘useful’. Many offices don’t even teach anything architecture related to the interns and limit their duties to odd jobs, and the students are ok with it since they only need a completion certificate for the formalities in their college to somehow move on to the next semester.

WWW.NASAINDIA.CO

Another big event in the HQ was the celebration of NASA day where we organized a 3-day exhibition of winning entries of all trophies of the 61st year and invited all Architecture colleges of the Delhi NCR region. Few members of the Executive and Zonal council were also present.

As the first Secretary after a long time to take the post in the 8th semester which is an internship in our college, it was a big challenge to remotely coordinate everything with the Treasurer and TD who were back in Delhi. I didn’t have anyone to learn from and before I could realize that it was affecting my personal relationships with the other two HQ members, it was already too late and they felt somewhat detached. I hope my successors can learn from my mistakes and not repeat them.

Another issue is that the specialty semesters in the 4th and 5th years which usually deal with large scale projects like Urban Design do so in a very superficial way. This is a personal opinion and I am not meaning to criticize any institute in particular. These types of programs in the course provide a very basic level understanding of the subject and are not of much use to someone who doesn’t want to further pursue that specialization in Masters. The same basic level is again taught during the introduction of the Masters course anyways.

So one could argue that the entire 4th and 5th year of the Architecture course could be omitted to make B.Arch. a 3/4 year course after which a graduate would be required to work under supervision of a licensed architect for 2 years after which he/she could be able to apply for a license themselves.

Most of these ideas came from the research and suggestions of the participants of the 61st year Writing Architecture Trophy of NASA India and further discussed during the faculty, student interaction sessions in most of the 62nd year Zonal NASA Conventions.

Someone might argue the opposite, that Architecture is a course for which even 5 years are less than enough but given the state of the current architecture education system of the country, I feel that students could learn much more of what they are interested in if they experienced it in the field more, after all it is a predominantly practical subject.

This is an immense step for the future of architecture education but one which I think could work if coupled with the strategy to introduce design as a subject in high school. If architecture is as difficult a subject as some say, it should definitely be introduced as basic design during school just as Medical is introduced in school as Biology. This will also increase the knowledge of Architecture in the general population which right now is oblivious to what the role of an Architect is or how important the profession is to society.

With the new education reforms in the nation, I’m even more optimistic that this is a possibility in the coming future and one that the National Association of Students of Architecture, India should lead being the voice of the student community.

A special thanks to the 63rd year council of NASA India for providing me the medium of this Indian Arch to share my thoughts in the hope that they live on to inspire someone.

Warm regards,

Syed Khwaja Abid, National Secretary, 62nd Year NASA INDIA

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

NASA India is not just an association formed over time, for those that have been a part of it, even a small role played in this humongous cog of wheels numbering to around 60,000+ individuals, it is a culture that is imbibed in every architecture institution and student of the country. An ever-growing tradition of the architecture fraternity now reaching its 62nd year of existence. Started by 7 architectural colleges in 1957, today NASA, India has reached 300 colleges. Through its voyage, it has witnessed major shifts in vision and structure of our architecture fraternity. With the strength of students and professionals, we have a resource which is mightier than the sword.

It began with rapid ideation and initiatives which would later morph into a vision for the many people who are part of this fraternity. With a progressive vision and a specific theme for every year, objectives were formed that would benefit the crowd in the most optimised format. In recent times, NASA, India has been perceived as an organisation related to ‘conventions’ rather than an association that bridged the gap between professionals and students, addressing larger issues. Previous years’ visions covered - ‘shifting focus from the convention’

Ideating on a two-fold approach that tackled an individual architect’s growth as well as the architecture society’s responsibility, a vision was formed in this year to increase the credibility of an individual and to create awareness with regard to the architecture fraternity. The growth of architecture as a society is yet to reach a broader range.

The present national scenario for architects and students of architecture is associated with a rudimental thought which is deeply engraved in the systems; with the advent of technology and modernism, these systems are in need to be modified or omitted. In order to achieve this, we need to work internally and widen our reach to have a broadened approach to make an impactful change. We as an architectural fraternity, should think beyond the box and conventional norms to branch out and diversify. As rightly said, the most nominal thing an architect can do is build a building. There is an ocean of opportunities to create and grab, and broaden one’s horizon.

With an understanding of the theme Embark, one could attempt to look at the fundamentals of this practice. Thus, creating a clearer picture of their powers and responsibilities in this fabric

of society. An absolute ideology could increase the efficiency of the general living standards of the world, if all individuals practiced clean and clear thinking followed by the maximum implementation of those thoughts whilst keeping the past in mind.

However, this should not be limited to the near future considerations, rather the vision should be addressed for a distant future. A vision shared by the past, present and the future, making a building block and strengthening the roots of society through its architecture by fuelling ideas, objectives and working methodologies which have a long-term impact on the rudimentary ideologies.

Let’s embark on a journey that benefits all!

Idris Ahamed Shariff, National President, 62nd Year NASA INDIA

EXECUTIVE & ZONAL COUNCIL PREFACE

As I ponder over the preface for the 34th edition of the Indian Arch in the 62nd Year of the Association, the numbers prominently stand out. They remind me of the legacy that our association brings along, a legacy of change and adapting to circumstances.

While the pandemic put the world to a halt, NASA India continued to actively function as it didn’t depend on any physical infrastructure nor does NASA India have a big campus to justify its scale. The association is rather run from college canteens and hostel rooms across the nation- its scale is vested in the students which call the association its own.

Over the years, the association has evolved and grown manifold, so much so that even the goals and objectives today are very different from when the association was registered. Last year and this year have been even further away from the preconceived standards. The durations of ZNCs varied from 2 days to 5 days. The 62nd ANC was hosted by the Council itself and now COVID-19 has made us all adjust to the keyboard life. The Indian Arch, after an extremely long time has been put together by Editors and Designers selected from across the nation instead of a host college, in an attempt to make it truly a national magazine.

Despite the overall transformation of the association, one thing remains constant - every inch this association grows, it grows because of a barrage of highly motivated and committed individuals involved with it year after year. This year, it happens to be my responsibility to acknowledge them.

The Association and it’s 62nd Council extends its heartiest gratitude to all the students, moderators, collaborators, volunteers and the leaders of our association.

Lockdown or not, the fraternity has and will continue to progress, because of you!

Simarjeet Singh, National Vice-President,

IDRIS AHAMED SHARIFF NATIONAL PRESIDENT SYED KHWAJA ABID NATIONAL SECRETARY SIMARJEET SINGH NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT

ASHWITH KOYYALA NATIONAL TREASURER

LOCHAN ARADHYA M PUBLIC RELATIONS

J.P.K. VINOD NATIONAL ADVISOR HARDEEP SINGH NATIONAL TREASURER DESIGNEE

AKSHAT JAIN ZONAL PRESIDENT - ZONE 1 PARSHVA SHAH ZONAL PRESIDENT - ZONE 2 AYUSHI SAWALKA ZONAL PRESIDENT - ZONE 3

RITIK KHARE ZONAL PRESIDENT - ZONE 4

DINESH P. ZONAL PRESIDENT - ZONE 5

JABEEN SULTHAN & VIVEK MANOJ ZONAL PRESIDENTS - ZONE 6

THE TEAM

DESIGN

“We didn’t have yearbooks in school, so this is our chance.”

“Using fiction to escape reality, one videogame at a time.”

Arunav Sinha, Zonal President - Zone 2, 63rd Year NASA INDIA

“Reimagining the world of fantasy through architecture and travel.”

“Coffee and overthinking keeps me going.”

EDITORIAL

“I like fictional characters better than real people, in general.”

“I’ll get over it. I just have to be dramatic first”

“In a never ending loop of correcting your/you’re and their/there.”

INTRODUCTION

Amidst a global pandemic, the new editorial team for IndianArch was selected from colleges all over the country, revolutionizing the structure of the magazine nearly 60 years after its inception. We were an all-women team of passionate, creative, and talented editors and designers. The fact that we were perhaps the first-ever all-female team of IndianArch served as an empowering beacon for our field. We were tasked with producing the magazine by getting to our group chats and bouncing ideas and inspiration amongst each other. It was comforting to be virtually surrounded by these outstanding, empowered, impassioned individuals and motivating to feel that we were not deterred by the tough prevailing times.

WWW.NASAINDIA.CO

When you turn this page over, you will chance upon the NASA community’s refreshing messages, various informative interviews with brilliant people and their life-changing ideas, different articles crafted by the editorial team. The magazine is an amalgamation of student articles from all over the country. The topics vary from carbon neutrality to the Covid19 pandemic. It showcases the diversity in writing styles, portrays some fascinating opinions and features poetry that rekindles the mind. We present to you this eclectic mix of ideas, thoughts, inspirations, and dreams.

“Working my way through another re-do.”

On a concluding note, we would like all of you to sit back and relax on this informative yet innovative journey with this edition of IndianArch. As a team, we hope to have done justice in keeping up with the previous editions of IndianArch and sincerely wish that you enjoy reading this magazine as much as we enjoyed working on it.

Achirava Raha

Anvi Singh

Zainab Bhat

Anushreya Kondapi

Greeshmika Nagubilli

Shreya Dubey

Dipti Chourasia

CONTENTS ANC INTERVIEWS

Architecture From Different Viewports

Architecture And Beyond With Ar. Shiv Rao

A Conversation With Landscape Architect Manju Yadav

In Conversation With Ar. Sharukh Mistry

Gita’s Story

Architectural Education – The What And The How

FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK

An Eccentric Artist & His Unbound Art – Vipul Gupta

Textile In Architecture

Cracking Open Internships – Part I The Big Questions With Harshit Daga

Cracking Open Internships – Part II The Tale Of Interning At CCBA Designs

Artificial Intelligence In Architecture

Through The Looking Glass: Balconies, Class Barriers And Community 11 29

STUDENT ENTRIES

Brick And Stones Over Glass And Steel

The Best-Kept Secret

Architecture And Technology Today

The Burnt Brunt Of A Woman

Post-Pandemic Architecture

How Architecture Revived A Dying City - The Bilbao Effect

Ode To Nostalgia

Tobäd

Women And Domestic Furniture

Structure-Ism

Durgatecture

Unearthly Red

Adaptive Reuse As A Way Forward

Working On Creating A Timeless Aura

See The Sea

Timeless Architecture With Dated Technology?

The Untraversed Antiquity

WRITING ARCHITECTURE TROPHY

Architectural Education In India: Challenges And Opportunities

Art Religion Culture History Innovation Technology Ease Climate Hope

Utility Region Efficiency

The Tale Of Architectural Education In India

Improvising Architectural Education In India

Revival Through Education

RESEARCH PAPERS

Public Art As An Urban Revitalization Strategy

Architectural Psychology

Photograph by Vaibhav Kumar

ARCHITECTURE FROM DIFFERENT VIEWPORTS

At the 62nd ANC, we were able to host two members of Applause, Vadodara. A theatre initiative with an age-no-bar, gender-no-bar, language-no-bar kind of philosophy with a mission to engage, empower and entertain through innovative theatre experiences, Ar. Vatsal Dhamani and Ms. Apsara Iyengar.

Ar. Vatsal Dhamani, while still in college realised that many scenographers were practising but most being from a strictly theatre background had certain limitations. Having a backdrop of design training helps open new angles from which to design the worlds and spaces in which the stories are actually enacted. As space designers, we can bring more to the table not only because we know the anatomy of design but because we understand certain aspects of human spatial experience. The organiser

of one such scenography workshop noticed his framing skills from the photographs that Ar. Dhamani had taken on a camera that he always carried around with him back in those days. Having already learnt set design in that very workshop, he agreed to design a set for them and that is how he got his first project, which later travelled to Mumbai.

On being asked about the scope of alternate career options for architecture graduates, he says one must build it for themselves if it does not already exist. “The first step is important”, he says.

“In 2013, we started as a Facebook page to let the people of Baroda know about theatre activities in Baroda. But in 2014 we felt that the opportunities that we are seeking from other

directors, why not create them for ourselves instead? So with courage, we created a play for ourselves. The first play that we created was then showcased in different cities, people started knowing about us and one thing lead to another. Now, every year we do at least two major productions. If you’re not getting the job you want, if you’re not getting paid well, if you’re not being appreciated then create your own space. Master your skill, whatever it is that you can offer to the society, and create a name out of it,” he states.

He urges students to work towards whatever inclination they have, master it and asserts, “It is an open sky”. Be it anything, do good work and be honest and ultimately it will be fruitful, he says. It does not help to blame the world for a lack of opportunity when one is not truly good at what he does.

The workshop was filled with fun activities prior to the main happening i.e. designing sets. The initial activities included introducing oneself through five unique qualities or life experiences. “I don’t want to know anyone’s name, because none of us choose our names, right? You didn’t choose your name, I didn’t choose mine, someone gave it to us. But I have

chosen to become a designer in my life. I want to know who you are, not the name but the ideology. Have you or have you not found out, if not then also it’s fine. Are you working towards it? Just be honest,” Ar. Dhamani quipped.

In a venue not far from this scenography workshop, Ms Apsara Iyengar, the person behind the beautiful scripts that Applause brings to life, was taking a theatre workshop. The students in the scenography workshop, built models of sets based on some of her very own plays.

She designed the exercises specifically to make people think differently, feel stronger, happier and feel more connected with themselves. Theatre helps us understand humans, their psyche, emotions, and perspectives. The students were made to understand certain situations and pretexts to emote by posing as graceful statues. This was done through physical expressions only, without the use of dialogue. The theatre workshop, called Step on was a truly enlightening experience. The participants underwent various theatre exercises like the trust fall, mirror each other’s emotions and actions, play pretend with props and so on.

We all shared our various experiences with each other. Things that had rendered us vulnerable and made us defenceless as part of a teambuilding exercise. It was beautiful to watch fellow students open up about subjects like depression, trust issues, betrayal, and death, topics one isn’t comfortable talking about most of the times. At the end of the workshop, we all in teams wrote our own plays and enacted them. What a wonderful experience it was indeed, life-changing perhaps.

On being asked what she hoped young architecture students would take back from her workshop she asks, “What do architects do?”

“Build spaces”, we give a prompt reply.

“For humans”, she reminds us, “To understand architecture one must understand humans.”

(L) Ar. Vatsal Dhamani (R) Ms. Apsara Iyengar

Rajasee Datta

ARCHITECTURE AND BEYOND WITH AR. SHIV RAO

Abhigna B., Radhika Jhamaria

Known for his Master Planning and Landscape Urbanism projects, Ar. Shiv Rao has earned wide acclaim from critics and contemporaries alike. Starting his journey by designing a museum, Mahatma Mandir at Gandhinagar, his firm has come a long way and is now working to improve the rural lifestyle through affordable housing schemes and Public toilets instead of focusing on the neo-rich.

IA: How did you start finding ‘meanings’ in your designs and figure out your area of specialization?

After completing my undergraduate studies from KLE University, Karnataka, I did my postgraduation from CEPT, Ahmedabad in Urban Design. I practised in Delhi NCR and was involved in projects such as Special Economic Zone and housing around the industrial belts.  While working in Delhi, it occurred to me that I should pursue something beyond aesthetics and materiality of architecture. I realized it was not only about construction and physical entities and goes beyond such elements. To pursue this further, I enrolled in the program on City Design and Social Sciences at the

London School of Economics. I am more known for master planning and landscape urbanism projects than I am known for architecture.

IA: Tell us about your firm, the inspiration behind it and your signature style.

Back from London, I co-founded an office called Atelier dsync. ‘Atelier’ in French means office and ‘dsync’ means synchronization which is very important for any practice to thrive. Here, like-minded people could come and explore the way they want to explore architecture. We don’t have a fixed palette.

This practice is based on the theory called Phenomenology of Space Making by the author Norberg-Schulz, where he speaks on Experiential Architecture. You really need to feel the space before you design – this gets all elements together to create a multi-sensory architecture.

Our practise has always been an exploration to unfold the surprises which come as a process of defining some spaces. As a practice, we are based in Surat, as well as Gurugram (Delhi NCR). For the last 7 years, we have been working on major architecture and landscaping projects. One of the most important projects we did after establishing this firm was Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar at Dandi Kuti which is known for its Mahatma Gandhi’s museum. Known as one of its kind museums in the country. We were part of the multidisciplinary team and we are working with the private sector in the housing sector. Like Adani in Gurugram in their affordable housing schemes.

I’ve found a very specific purpose to our practice and that purpose is working for societies. So instead of working for the 4% of the society, so-called neo-rich. We want to work with

societies to improve their livelihoods and to do some space making exercise. We believe in the concept of destiny which is very important and also in the philosophy of Secret. Many students must be knowing about this philosophy. If you believe it, or you wish from inside that you want to do something then it comes to you. That is happening to us, we think that we need to do a space making exercise in rural areas and it comes to us.

It is so interesting to analyze this theory of secret but right now we’re collaborating with semi-government sectors. One of the consultancies we are associated with recently is Urban Management Consultants in Ahmedabad to work on rural areas of India. We have identified villages in Orissa, Gujarat and Rajasthan, Karnataka. Basically, we are working on improving the lifestyle of rural India.

IA: Regarding your extensive work on affordable housing, what do you think the architects of today are lacking?

In Gurugram, we explored the aspects of affordable housing. Affordable housing is not just a commodity. It’s not a stacked building or they are not pigeon holes. The project has to connect with the end-user. Therefore, we have a practice called inclusive planning method. We interact with end-users, gather their needs and then those get translated into a project. The cost is conveyed to the client for further action. You have to visit that area and be with the community and explore their issues. For example, under Swatch Bharat Mission, we have the grants which are not realized well. One of the basic examples is community or public toilet. Concerned authorities do not interact with the public before installing, and after installing, proper maintenance is absent. We’re trying to mitigate this disconnect. They wanted toilets for males and females separately, a space to come together, a hand pump because there is no water supply, and good light.

IA: Do you think a place can change the mindset of a person?

I 100% agree, one has to believe physical space will change your behaviour. The moment you enter a temple, if you have those feelings and that belief, you’ll feel like you’re in a temple, a building designed keeping in mind all the design principles and the end-user requirements will impact positively. E.g. good passive solar architecture and oxygen levels improve health. A house will always have an impact on your lifestyle. It’s an intangible thing. You have to feel it. Then only you will try and understand the impact of those buildings.

IA: How is HUDCO trophy propagating the idea of housing?

HUDCO is trying to reduce current issues, like scope for senior citizen housing. These senior citizens are not similar to those seniors that lived in the 1960s or 50s. They feel so sorry about their kids leaving them behind but instead of sympathizing with such things, I think we must utilize their energy and age. The challenge is channelizing this whole community of experienced citizens into a positive engagement. So, identify some locations, where facilities are available and create a program. This way you are building their confidence. It is very important to be grounded first. Try and understand the issue.

IA: Now that you’ve told us how you perceived the HUDCO brief, do you think the students met your thinking?

Nursing facilities is a protective measure for seniors. Age alone is not a deciding factor, feels like they are also your age only. Create circumstances where they feel independent. If they start feeling interdependent, the whole purpose is lost. Do not stop innovation. The brief has to be challenging enough to make them come up with new ideas.

IA: We’re told to explore more about the form rather than sustainability. How do you think one can tackle this?

First and foremost, to explore something, observe nature - landforms, water bodies, hills, mountains, trees, whatever is surrounding

you. Nature is asymmetrical like Zaha Hadid’s creations. There are no straight lines. The only straight lines we see are in vertical forms of trees. There is balance and there is harmony. Colour combinations change seasonally. Early morning sunrises are different than the afternoon or evening sun. There are so many things to learn from nature. Whether the landscape becomes your first element of intervention or the building.

For me, it is the landscape. Only a few entries were focusing on landscape and few on thecontour analysis. Land is scarce and to be considered foremost. Compactness now comes intoplay, you’re reducing the footprint, you’re reducing the cost. Take into account passive energies,Solar or Wind Energy - plug landscape with the building- how well is the building blended with the composition of green and the built mass. How are people going to use these greens? Are these greens open spaces or communal spaces? Demonstrate it through sections in which you want to connect the greens because in verticality people are completely devoid of the ground floor.

IA: You are going beyond architecture. How are you overcoming the limitations?

My partner Karishma Desai is also an architect, urban designer and landscape urbanist from AA, she has learnt under Zaha. We have learnt that nothing is impossible, explore more. Patience and contentment are very important. After 20 years of experience and now at 41 years, I can say I have found purpose in life; 4% of such population look for grandeur. Rest 96% are looking for a person who can listen to them and who can match with their expectations and translate their ideas into a reality. Never look back and compare yourself with others. That is important. So, now when I stand in a row and I look back, I don’t see anyone. That gives me a lot of energy and self-motivation, that ‘let’s create this!’ feeling. If people think and see that what we are doing is right then they will start to follow us. What Mahatma Gandhi did. Satyagraha was one of his tools, Similarly, in architecture also, if you really want

to make a difference then you need to think differently. You need to connect with people and be in that environment.

IA: What would you like to say to the students at NASA India?

NASA event is a brilliant event. I have been witnessing NASA for a long time now and I have been a part of it during my studies also.

NASA has always been a platform to explore new ideas and to meet new students from different cultural backgrounds with a lot of competition in and around and a lot of energy in and around.

What is suggested to NASA for their next convention is to try and catch hold of workshops which can connect buildings with the end-users. One is emerging technologies, second is along with emerging technologies how do you connect them with the end-user. That is very important. So is participation. How inclusive architecture can be? How it can be made more informal wherein the end-user can also participate in the designing process. Like for example, housing through participation. We need such workshops which can ground students to these basics then comes the aesthetic part of it. Then comes the material and beautification part of it. Everything else is just complimentary.

What we need is a very hardcore functional and at the same time end user-specific building. Next time I think NASA should take the initiative as it has always been taking to organize such workshops to let students explore the fifth dimension in architecture which is userspecific and engage communities. That would be a way forward. Because technology will help you to a certain extent but it is the community which will help you sustain for a longer time. So, we should focus on building up communities rather than building isolated towers.

Illustration by Jatin Rawat

A CONVERSATION WITH LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT MANJU YADAV

Amrutha Vishwanath

IA: As a landscape architect, what do you expect, from the student body of India about theunderstanding of landscape design on the whole, especially in India?

MY: They should not take it as a separate subject, so integrate it along with other subjects. You shouldnot take it as a separate stream, or somebody else will take care of others. You are the one who has tobe sensitive about it.

IA: But the students are already facing so much pressure with so many subjects, and landscape architecture is infamous for having heavy biological jargon, how can students handle all that?

MY: See, I understand about the part where students are busy. But now, when you consider kindergarteners, even they are able to connect their learning with the context. In fact, I’ll tell you an example, you won’t believe it. Some time ago when my family and I had gone for an outing, and when we returned home, I told my 8-year-old daughter to go brush her teeth before bed. I had turned the tap on and was preoccupied with some other work, when she screams, “Mom, have you never gone to school? Did they ever teach you about not wasting water?”. This anecdote might be a small one but it shows that children at even this stage are a lot more responsible. So, it all starts at the grassroots level.

IA: You have a background in architecture as an undergraduate student. During your studies, what was the turning point which made you want to pursue landscape architecture?

MY: I did my masters after 10 years of graduating from architecture school.

I graduated from undergraduate school in

2003, and went to graduate school in 2013. I got married during this 10-year gap, and my inlaws are based in Bhopal. For a long time, my family in Bhopal were very strongly connected to nature and gardening.

Even before marriage, my upbringing in UP was strongly intertwined with gardening and taking care of plants at home.

In Bhopal, I got the opportunity to decide whether I wanted to do landscape or not, and so I chose to take it up. It was purely a personal decision; I was not aware of the complex ecological implications of landscape architecture. And my family was also very happy with my decision.

IA: In your thesis and later work experience, you have worked extensively with Smart City Initiatives. What are your thoughts on integrating landscape architecture and smart urbanism?

MY: In that front, in India especially, I would say I’m a bit disappointed. Landscape architects are still not given that much of power or authority to amend the larger picture. So during the process of planning and designing, often a lot of work is handed over to urban planners and designers, some of which specialized landscape architects should take on.

I personally have worked in streetscape landscape design, and my initiative would be to preserve every single tree, no matter what. Whatever my capabilities and powers in my domain could get done, I would do that.Similarly, I have worked with the Vavdis in Jaipur Smart City Program. The authorities were not ready to give so much time, because (in landscape) it takes time. They were concerned about how financially

viable the whole project would be. Now I don’t work in Jaipur SC anymore, but I’m still attached to it. I’m still connected with my former colleagues there, and things are moving albeit the people involved are not getting as much media attention.

IA: You must have read our competition’s brief, Pocket Park. What is your outlook on the importance of small landscaping elements and public spaces in the Indian context?

MY: I think including landscaping as pocket parks will definitely boost the image of landscape design as a profession. I feel landscaping will connect people, especially in this era of technological boom. As a country, we have 60% of the populace still engaged in agriculture as their primary livelihood, so adding these pocket parks and landscaped public spaces can very well help in bringing exposure about our very own agricultural heritage. It’s fine if the public is unable to understand the technicalities of landscaping, at least they can understand the food crops that they’re growing in their backyards. It’ll take quite some time, and it’ll require a lot of patience, but it’ll happen surely.

IA: So far in your illustrious career, which project(s) do you feel the most satisfied with? Which one(s) do you still reminisce about?

MY: There was one project I did, Vallabh Bhavan Extension, Bhopal. I got the opportunity to work with Shaheer sir and I was part of the PMC team (project management and consultancy) and I was happy to see the results of the project. During that time too I had to co-ordinate with many government bodies,and of course it was a very ambitious project. Secondly, it would be this instance of me being able to save 5 trees onsite during Bhopal Smart Cities Initiative. The procedures were almost done regarding the construction when I noticed the trees, I immediately told the authorities to conserve the trees. It starts with small acts like this.

IA: Right now, with climate change looming large, do you think we can interlink climateresilient smart cities and landscape architecture?

MY: That’s what I’m saying, more and more landscape architects require positions of authority and power. They need their voices to be heard. In teams, there are big conflicts, especially in the master planning phase and a lot of members don’t get an equal say in decision-making, landscape architects being one group amongst them. So power is among very few people, which makes it difficult to achieve holistic goals, especially those of environmental and ecological aspects.

IA: You worked on Smart Cities, both in the South (Karimnagar, Telangana) and the North (Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and Jaipur, Rajasthan). What are some cultural differences that you noticed, especially in your field?

MY: Culturally speaking, I found people in the south are more involved in nature and landscaping. Take the example of flower on your hair, I saw so many women adorning their hair with flower garlands, which is commonly frowned upon by the women in the North. So that was fascinating. When I was working on the Karimnagar project, there was not a single park there. No urban parks,jogging tracks, play areas. Nothing. When you’re living in a residential area, you’d want a common greenspace to meet, exercise and partake in other leisure activities. But Karimnagar had no parks at all. And as a landscape architect, you have a heightened sensitivity towards all these scenarios as well.

Whenever I go to new places, I would always make it a point to find out a tree where I would like to sit. I feel these are very essential to a person’s health and well-being.

Photographs by Ashutosh Patil (1 & 4), Atharva Mahamunkar (2), Tanaya Gupta (3), Apurv Samariya (5)

IN CONVERSATION WITH AR. SHARUKH MISTRY

Nidhi Bang, Radhika Jhamaria

Ar. Sharukh Mistry, founder partner of Mistry Architects, is one of the pioneers of sustainable design in India. Married to Ar. Renu Mistry and father of five kids, he likes to call himself a Bawaji from Mumbai. His firm has been in practice for over three decades and has continuously strived to weave nature with architecture. He was a Keynote Speaker at the 62nd Annual NASA Convention, where we got in conversation with him:

IA: How did you realize that architecture is your calling?

SM: I love accidents of life, I take it as they come, whether it is meeting somebody or fighting cancer for the last 40 years which gives me a crooked smile to match my crooked mind. All of that is a part of the cause. So, it doesn’t bother me in many ways and I allow accidents of life to create spaces for me to engage in. I never read anything until I met my wife. I was only into comic books – having fun, basically. Then I saw – my wife from IIT Kharagpur, had won two NASA trophies, and I said “Oh man, if this is what people can produce, then you better shape up, young man.” So, to impress her, I started to read Kahlil Gibran, the Lebanese-

American poet and now we’ve become lifelong friends. I have his books on my bedside table which I continue to read. That’s how I started to get into design. Not that I have given up on what I do in terms of my basic philosophy of being joyful and having fun regardless of the situation that I am in, but I allow accidents of life to determine and guide me, to show me the directions that I have and I think a lot of it has worked out well.

IA: Tell us a little about your first project.

SM: My first project was our own house.

After I married Renu, we went to work in Iran for four and a half years. When we came back, we went to Bangalore. Bangalore was a beautiful city when we came in the 1980s. We decided to start our practice and we had to do it somewhere, so why not start our practice in a beautiful place? And we started with our house. It is also the only project that Renu and I worked on together. She tore up my drawings and I tore up hers. We had to put the project on hold for 10 days and we went to Goa and settled our differences there. We came back and realised that nobody needs to be subservient to anybody. She is a very powerful woman, so she said it’s good for us to practice having a certain set of principles, having an ethical way to practice things, democratize it. Then she handled her projects and I handled my projects. A couple of years back, she said, “Sharukh, I’m done with architecture the way we are doing it. I want to make a little money.” So, we started another company called Dwar Ecodesign where we design, build and sell. She heads Dwar Ecodesign and I finally got Mistry Architects all to myself.

IA: Your firm practices architecture in the Robinhood way, do you think architects

these days should adopt this principle? Particularly when it comes to the philosophy of reaching out to the community.

SM: I am no one to preach, but it has given us immense joy that we can go out there and design like we give a damn! You young kids predominantly say, “I don’t give a damn”. But do you know, what does it feel like to actually get in and change lives, impact lives? Design like you give a damn! That’s the kind ofthing that energizes us. Sometimes we lose track of time, we lose track of days and we completely immerse ourselves into the project.

The Robinhood principle has worked for us. I cannot comment on this for everyone because today, there are so many different ways in which practices evolve. There are large practices and various international practices that are growing India’s economy and there are complete design-oriented practices. We are more like the design-oriented ones within which we practice in the Robinhood way.

IA: Since you have also worked in Nepal, in what ways did your experience in Nepal liberate you? Were there certain experiences that humbled or grounded you and recount your privileges?

SM: Of course, you never take these things for granted. Somebody has lost their normal lives because of a natural calamity. You’ve got to understand their dignity. I was humbled in more ways than I can tell you. I remember the first time we went to Lakhwadi Danda, which is in the snow-fed areas of Nepal. Since this was our first visit, just a couple of months after the earthquake had struck and the conditions were still very bad, there was water going down in two streams, a little Nepalese child comes and tells me that you can drink from that rivulet and not from this one. Being from a city, you understand that water comes out from that tap or you can drink from a container, but to be able to understand what a mountain stream does, and where you can drink the water from or where they wash their clothes and things like that. Everybody there knows that this is how it works. Who will teach you this? You can’t learn this in the pedagogy of an architectural discourse or the classroom. So those were really humbling experiences. And of course, the power of the women there, and even the men came around to build. We had trained the farmers and their families to build, we had set up a complete supply chain and showed them how to use the materials.

Ar. Sharukh Mistry at 62nd ANC

When we come back after a month or two, we saw that some of the houses had not been completed. We asked why haven’t these houses been completed. One of the farmers asked me to look behind the house and I saw a field. He said, “That’s my field where I grow corn. If I do not grow corn, I will not have the money to rebuild and complete this house, I need that.” I came back saying we need to complete this in the given time but we did not bother to understand their lifestyle. Then we tried to make it participatory, we talked to them, worked with them, but it still took us time. So, are we bold enough to be able to learn from those experiences? That’s the most important question we need to ask ourselves.

IA: What is the most exciting part of your work? What keeps you going on and on, every day?

SM: People, honestly. And of course, Agastya, SOS Children’s Village, we continue to work with. At Lakhwadi danda, we finished a Buddhist prayer hall and decorated it. Building in those hills is not easy- getting materials is so difficult; it is so cold there that nobody stays out for long. But we did not give up- we carried on. Giving up was never on the cards, it’s those people that constantly keep us going.

IA: What is one advice that you’d like to give to all students that are a part of the architectural fraternity?

SM: First thing is – enjoy what you are doing. Know that ‘Architects are late bloomers.’ An architect’s bandwidth has to be so large and wide that he/she has to encompass social issues, other climatic issues, issues related to things outside the purview of state and narrow. So, you need perspective as well as focus. I think this is an important aspect, that it takes time to bloom, and assimilate all the other disciplines. Unfortunately, I feel bad that humanities is not taught in the schools, neither was it taught during my time in school. I learnt it through hard and tough times. But humanities does play an important role in the pedagogy of architectural conservation and schooling. We are designing for peopleand if we take humanities out of this equation, how do you understand what you build and how will people get impacted with your space?

by

Photograph

Nikunj Vara

GITA’S STORY

“Do I dare disturb the universe?”

-T.S. Eliot

Most of us are in some stage of life where we are growing and changing, some more than others. We are slowly accepting that perhaps our lows teach us more than our happiest moments. It is in the lows that we learn more about ourselves and are brought closer to the truth about the human condition.

At the 62nd ANC, in conversation with Ar. Gita Balakrishnan after her talk regarding life and her own journey, we learnt of yet another story of human courage and the sheer beauty of resilience.

“But no! I decided to fight, Also God decided that wasn’t the night

So he gave me the strength and willpower

And I bore all without an utter I pretended to be dead

Where I lay beside my bed

The man thought he had completed his task And walked away after taking off his mask And that is how I am writing this today.”

These are her words, from a poem she wrote in 1986, a year after the incident. When she chose faith over self-pity, by believing that she was meant to live for a purpose, she won the battle against her perpetrator. Violation is about power, brutality is about power and if we don’t rise up and take back our lives, these monsters will have touched more than our bodies- They will have touched our lives. Acts of brutality can never really be forgotten but with faith and love they can be processed emotionally to the point where they are not crippling anymore. One often tends to ask, “Why me?” when life’s atrocities do not make sense, when they are undeserved and simply unacceptable. Thirtyfour years ago, she answered this herself and changed the narrative thereafter, “If it wasn’t me it would have been someone else and I was picked since I had the strength to take it and the wisdom to find meaning in what happened.” These steps of simple faith and acceptance are often the beginning of one’s healing journey.

While she has spoken to many individually, she has taken all these years to be able to tell her story in public, in hopes that it might remind us that rarely is everything lost, that with love and faith one can live a happy life again, that there is always hope in the world if we can open ourselves up to it.

Maslow ranks love and belonging higher than

food and nutrition, so one can imagine how fundamental it must be to our existence. One must connect with people in their lives because human connections are not only one of the universal joys in life but also a dire necessity. One must lift another up in an infinite relay; one must fight for what they believe in, and never stop. Curating our lives on social media, displaying our best has become a way of life but could make for shallow connections and aleaves one unspeakably lonely because they cannot share their darker side for fear of what people might think. One must form real connections, take fixed breaks from social media and screen time and ground themselves in their present and really connect with people in real time. Our lows are an integral part of our journey, none of us are as flawless as we might like to portray, we are human, we are trying and that is enough to tell our story, to speak our truth. One must remember there will always be people who will understand you if only you let them in. One should be able to tell their stories without fear, and they should be listened to. And it might even help someone in need of it, the way this story has inspired many every time it has been told.

Like Audre Lord said,

“And at last you’ll know with surpassing certainty that only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.”

Illustration by Rithik Thiru

Rajasee Datta

ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION – THE

WHAT AND THE HOW

Abhigna B , Radhika Jhamaria

“You hear people talk about why there is a necessity for change. These changes can occur at various levels. There are different perspectives to look at it. The first thing to do is to consider the question- What does education really do?

Primarily, education informs us. Back in 1977, when I was a student, there was no media. There were not many books or magazines. We had not even heard about the Internet! In those days, information mainly came from the faculty. The ways of gaining knowledge have expanded now but the role of education remains the same, that is, the ability to inform us. At the next level, it can instruct us. A simple example would be making models. Another level is that education can encourage us. It can encourage me and you to build for the changing environment and design sustainable alternatives. So, these are the three aspects of education: to Inform, to Instruct and to encourage. Yet another take is that education

An avid blogger, a teacher, a TedX Speaker, and a practicing architect based in Bangalore, Sathyaprakash Varanashi, or as people fondly call him Sathya, is as candid and down to earth as his name. Carrying a sling bag, which he fills with odd knick-knacks such as paper clips and bottle caps he notices lying around, this architect has stuck to the roots of cost, culture, climate and creativity in all his projects. Looking up to his idol, Laurie Baker, he firmly believes in practicing cost-effective vernacular architecture and purges the hoax of sustainability.

Let’s take a look at Sathya’s insight as an academician on the current educational scenario and some of his suggested reforms to move away from the traditional education system to a more liberal approach.

is an exploration! However, it is sad to see that only the first two are happening in architectural education today.

Many students are bored in the confines of their studios, some of them are dejected and some others have an inferiority complex from their mates. Many have lost their interest in the pursuit of the course and are dragging it now. There is a need for motivation amongst the students but can education encourage them? Some of the schools and faculty have achieved this.

The next question to consider is how far does the current architectural education lets us explore?

The current scenario is extremely bounded by the career, curriculum and faculty pressure. Sometimes when a student wants to explore, the management comes in between. However,education should be based on a

perception of exploration. If the school cannot do this, the students must do it on their own. You need to sit down at a place and draw. You need to illustrate the people and places around. You need to hang around a construction site all day and convince them, maybe in their native, to lift a few bricks with them! You may have people objecting to it, but I’m sure many of them will let you do such things.

The next step is very important. We need to understand how are we able to inspire young minds. Some professors, some schools, some subjects you take up; a case study that you do;

a study tour you’re a part of; all of them can prove to be an inspiration.

The process of informing, instructing and encouraging is curriculum-based and exploration has come down due to this strict curriculum and the exam system. Without inspiration, it is very difficult in academics for a school to enlighten us. I believe all students can attain enlightenment, in a not so philosophical sense, with the help of their schools. A school can go beyond the traditional inform and instruct practice and start encouraging students, allowing them to explore and get inspired.

At the level of exploration, you can call up an architect in the city and spend a day at their

office. Most of them would be happy to host you. If you drop by two offices every month, on your day-offs, in a semester, you can easily talk to eight architects. I think you can learn much more this way vis a vis a design theory class.

Take a field trip to a construction site for a halfhour every week and see what is happening there. You will realize you have learnt as much as you would have learnt in a building constructions class. This is the whole idea of encouraging and exploring. There is another, very philosophical word: “enquiry”. Can a school of architecture lead a student to enquire? I am talking about developing an inquisitive mind. If I look at two buildings, why do I prefer one over the other? You feel connected to one person out of the two strangers you meet.

What makes you inclined towards one of them? Why do you prefer a particular shop in your neighborhood?  Everything is an enquiry. So why I chose a building, a person or a shop is an enquiry and it also comes as an architectural enquiry.”

Can we, as students or teachers, question our instincts to follow this five-path rule by Sathya to break free from rudimentary practices in architecture education today?

Sathyaprakash Varanashi at 62nd ANC

AN ECCENTRIC ARTIST & HIS UNBOUND ART–VIPUL GUPTA

Shreya Dubey

Amidst the hype and chaotic fun of the annual convention, we stumbled upon a quiet, little, charming place. It was fascinating, seeing many students with surgical knives in their hands, carving the tips of pencils. It was the Unbound Art - Lead Carving workshop by the tutor Vipul Gupta. We got to talking and he was more than happy to indulge our curiosity.

Vipul is a fourth-year student from the Gateway College of Architecture & Design. He has been practising lead art for four years now and has taken many workshops all over India. Lead art has given this zealous student a new identity. He is an experimental artist and works with various mediums. You may find him doing coffee painting in a café when he is not busy with submissions. But lead art bears a special place in his heart.

“While practising art, your state of mind must be like the ballet dance of an elegant ballerina. Free-flowing, graceful and calm,” he preaches.

We tried to get inside this artist’s head and found his story to be inspiringly beautiful. Here’s what we learnt -

IA: Tell us about lead/graphite carving art.

V: If you were to paint or sketch and you make a mistake, you applied the wrong colour perhaps then you can edit it out, there is a chance for redemption. But lead art is the kind of art that is solely made up of your tears and hard work. This is a miniature art form and mistakes happen. And when they do, your entire work is shattered or broken into pieces. It is always redos upon redos. You gotta start all over again. You need a lot of patience for doing this.

IA: Despite all of these struggles, you keep going. Why?

V: Because it keeps me calm. It helps me stay patient, helps me with my focus and my dedication. When you keep staring at this one tiny tip of a pencil for a long time while carving it, you get attached to it. If the craving breaks once, you think to yourself, ‘I have to be more careful next time!’ If it breaks twice, you will be more careful the third time. It’s like that. It keeps me motivated. And ultimately, it makes me a better person.

IA: How has lead art affected your life?

V: I have started noticing the most minute things in life. Even when I am clicking a picture of my lead carving, it takes too much time to bring this miniature art form into focus, to capture the tiniest, most minuscule details of it.

The same thing has happened in my life as well. If you need to get something done in life, you need to focus, you can’t just keep distorting or distracting. It is the Arjun and the bird’s eye philosophy that I am talking about. Lead art has helped me with my focus.

IA: Tell us how did you get into lead art.

V: Being an architecture student, for me, lead carving is all about the details. As a fraternity, we all can agree that the real beauty in architecture lies in details. So, in the initial stages of my architectural journey, I used pencil mostly for sketching art. Then eventually I realized that pencil in itself can be art. It dawned upon me that our instruments can be art too. It all depends on how you see things.

IA: Where did it all start?

V: It all started when I was in high school.

I used to carve sculptures out of chalk. I would use the blade in our sharpeners for this. I was one of those crazy kids who was always up to something, looking to create things. I always liked the idea of experimenting with art, trying something new. Anything that I can get my hands upon, I want to make art out of it. For me, we all our canvases, we all are art. I have tried art with dry leaves, lipstick art, and whatnot.

After getting into architecture school, I got to know about all of these instruments – paper cutters and surgical cutters. I went crazy! I just had to use them all! I also got to know about these different pencil grades in architecture school. So, I realised I had to do something with all of this. Guess that is where it all started.

A: Tell us about your entire process as an artist.

V: Well, I get my inspiration from the day-to-

day things. There might be a bottled money plant in a room that might inspire me. It’s the small things. I observe things and then I build upon those thoughts. Then I visualize them in my head – What if I make a miniature lead sculpture out of it? Then I sketch it out before I start any carving. I have this sheet of paper, I will have this much of surface on the lead pencil’s tip, I sketch out how the plan of the carving would look like, it’s elevations. I sketch everything out to understand whether or not a miniature sculpture is practical.

IA: How do you go about carving miniature lead sculptures? Is there a process there as well?

V: Let’s say I want to carve a water bottle on a pencil’s tip. Firstly, I will divide the tip into three parts – the head, the neck, and the body. Then I will start carving it. One has to break things down when itcomes to miniature art.

Lead Art by Vipul Gupta

To break things down, sketching always helps.

You should always be sure of what you are making, avoid unnecessary details. If I were to carve a human, I shouldn’t overly detail the sculpture out to a point that a bystander won’t even realise what it is that I have just carved. Such things are to be kept in mind. It shouldn’t be overly detailed or under detailed, but just right.

IA: Tell us about your journey as an artist

V: Well, in the very beginning, I was criticised a lot. The people around me would call me pencil cheelne wala and all of these other names. Now, after all of my successful workshops in Delhi and NASA, everyone has changed their stance about me. Everyone would advise me to not waste pencils and my time. I would always calmly tell them that it is not a wastage of anything, I am just trying to find a new medium of art for myself. It all paid off in the end though, so it was worth it.

I once attended a Lead art workshop in NASA as a delegate by this tutor Midhun. That is where this journey took off, I guess. Ever since that day, I never stopped practising. I have done a lot of research on this art form. The potential of the pencil; the tip of the pencil; how much pressure one must apply on a pencil; its all so interesting. After extensive research, I have started holding the pencil as one might hold a delicate feather.

IA: How did you get into conducting workshops as a student?

V: In the summer vacation of my third year, I was supposed to do a summer internship under an architect in Delhi. I went there for barely two days; the firm was all about the Pinterest culture. I realized I have just two months, I want to do something better with my time. I started exploring the city instead.

I was at Champa Gali when I chanced upon an artist who was doing wall graffiti there. He was a rather famous artist, with his artworks installed in museums and airports. I asked him if I can apprentice with him, work under him, and learn. I worked with him for two months and at the end of this apprenticeship; he told me that he was impressed by my lead art. He suggested that we do a lead art workshop. So, that was the first workshop that I conducted and it went amazingly well.

IA: What fascinates you about this art form?

V: In this modern era, machine-made is the norm. If one looks at the intricate carvings in the Hindu and the Mughal architecture in their temples and monuments and mosques, you would notice how wonderfully delicate they are. So much time and energy and love were put into those carvings, everything was done by hand. But machines have taken over all of that now.

Lead art is one of those art forms that machines have not taken over. The only tool we have is our own hands. How fascinating is that – The real art lies in ourselves, not in machines! They can’t take over everything you see?

IA: Tell us about your practice and what do you do regularly.

V: Well, I am a fourth-year student of architecture and I recently finished interning at Christopher Charles Benninger’s firm. So basically 9 AM to 6 PM I am at college. But 6 PM to 9 AM is metime. I generally do these lead carving at midnights or early mornings, because that is the only time that is very peaceful and quiet, no one interrupts you. Lead carvings are so delicate and

tiny, you need absolute quiet to concentrate and lots of patience, of course. Since this is a miniature art form, if you make mistakes you end up breaking the entire graphite tip of the pencil and you have to start all over again. I make sure I pick up a pencil and carve every day, no excuses.

IA: Tell us about the favourite carving by you.

V: That must be my very first carving. I was supposed to carve the letter ‘V’ and it took me 11 pencils! It broke 11 times, but I kept at it. I still have that carving with me, it is amongst the most cherished works of mine yet. Now, I take like 5 minutes to carve any alphabet. But that ‘V’, four years ago, took a lot out of me –my patience, my emotions, my dedication. It reminds me of how far I have come

IA: Toughest carving you have done until today?

V: Ah, that must be the interlocked chains that I did. You need mathematics and a lot of previsualization for this. Interlocked chains are actually a single chain, there are no breaks in between, no cut or paste. It is a tricky business.

IA: Anything else you want to share with the readers?

V: I have travelled a lot, thanks to lead art. Conducted workshops in Jaipur, Rishikesh, Delhi, Bangalore. I have met so many wonderfully crazy people, thanks to this art form. Lead art has given me a new identity, a new persona that I deeply cherish. So, don’t be afraid to try new things. Find something you love and go crazy. New avenues shall open for you. When you get into something, do it with all you have, get crazy. If you get into something, do it right.

Vipul Gupta’s Work Desk Lead Art by Vipul Gupta

Vipul Gupta’s Work Desk

TEXTILE IN ARCHITECTURE

Achirava Raha

We have all been acquainted with tents. Maybe, it was that camping trip withyour friends or those fleeting memories of the circus from childhood. As profound as it were, most people wouldn’t consider a tent being a part of the architecture. Surprising, isn’t it?

So, what is architecture then? The primary notion is that of a structure- madeof wood, brick, stones, metal, or glass. Louis Kahn had once said, “Architecture is the thoughtful making of space”, and we must think in this direction. As the material was never important in the creation of space, innovation is the key to this change.

If we look back in history, nature was always man’s first home. Permanent buildings rose when mankind understood the use of climate and the land.Some of the historic buildings are still used as residences to this day! Over time, buildings were built about anywhere. These structures didn’t even have basic climateresponsive features. Installation of mechanical devices was the most sought after solution to fix the defects. But, as time progressed, the scenario changed. Contemporary architects are trying to incorporate principles of green architecture. Dependence on installations isn’t the future, climate-responsive sustainable architecture is!

Leading countries in the textile architecture department are the United States of America and Germany. But it was the Japanese, who understood and appreciated the beauty of textile architecture. Now, more highperformance textiles are available.

New functions and different applications of textiles in architecture are being discovered every day. In different climates, different methods of using textiles are executed. Textile here is defined as a material that

keeps its flexibility. When combined with a stiff structural frame, it can be quite durable. Textiles in architecture have multiple uses, they are explored below. The textile can be used as a roof, a wall, or an overall tent construction, so first, it is divided into different functions; vertical or horizontal space definer.

Vertical Space Definer: One of the most common examples is that of the Exterior Curtain. A lot like the Exterior Curtain is the Exterior Double Façade, which contains textiles used in the external façade, in a vertical direction in partial or entire covering, of the building façades. This could be a lighter version of the double skin glass façade. The term Curtain wall refers to textile positioned behind large-area glass-façades, providing light and visual protection.

Partition is a term used for curtains on how it divides a space. Those curtains can also create different spatial situations.

Horizontal Space Definer: Canopy is a textile construction, protecting us against the sun and the rain. Retractable Roof is the movable version of the canopy roof. The classical term Umbrella is also a representation, consisting of a central mast.

Why should we incorporate textiles in Architecture?

Firstly, because of temporality. There are a lot of temporary projects if you look at textile architectural designs. Because of its lightness, easiness to dismantle, and movability it is relatively simple to reuse or recycle textile membranes.

Secondly, it is lighter in comparison to other materials. When large areas on a building need to be covered with a waterproof and translucent material, the lightest choice is a textile.

The Curtain Wall House, Tokyo

One of the major reasons for it to be chosen is because of its adaptability. Flexibility defines textiles like none other. In most of the projects, this has been the major reason why textiles were chosen in the first place. Most textile membranes used, are translucent, blocking most of the solar radiation still letting some light through. In most case studies designers use this to their advantage. In some projects, this is the decisive reason for choosing textiles as a material.

If a textile wall façade or roof is properly designed it can have a lot of influence on the micro climate. And it can make the building more sustainable. When a three-dimensional fabric is created it can absorb sounds, by breaking the sound waves.

The same applies to an open office, where the passageway is in the same room. The carpets in offices mute the sounds of people walking by. And the curtains give more privacy to the employees.

This article tries to make the step towards using textiles in architecture, a bit easier. It explores the different possibilities and ascertains that textile is a serious architectural building material. Even though it needs a secondary material to give it stiffness, the possibilities are endless. This makes designing with it, challenging yet difficult.

CRACKING OPEN INTERNSHIPS – PART I THE BIG QUESTIONS WITH HARSHIT DAGA

For a lot of us students, architectural internships are a huge question mark. The dos and the don’ts, the ins and outs of the entire internship scenario may be unclear to many of us. This twopart article aims to answer some of the big questions that one might have regarding internships and takes us through the journey of a student who interned with one of the master architects of the country – Christopher Charles Benninger.

In this section, Indian Arch got in conversation with Mr. Harshit Daga, an architect by education but a designer at heart. He currently works at SAALT Designs in Noida. Mr. Daga considers himself a lover more than a fighter, someone who knows how to accept his mistakes and learn from them. He finds nonpunctual people to be irksome and likes to maintain a calm demeanour while practising design. He follows minimalism in his life and his work as well. ‘Strictly stay away from any kind of toxicity’, is his mantra in life, be it lethal humans or cigarettes & alcohol. A fan of Wabi-Sabi and good humour, Mr. Daga was a true delight to talk to. He was more than happy to share his stories with us. There is something truly warm about him. Here’s what we found out -

IA: Tell us about your architectural internship experience, the firm, the work culture and how was it different from your college experience?

HD: I interned at two firms. I started with Studio Lagom in Surat. The best part about the firm was that it was very detail-oriented, highly influenced by Sri Lankan architecture, Geoffrey Bawa and other such architects. One very important thing that I learnt during this period was how important AutoCAD standards are. Many colleges fail to teach their students about this, maybe because in places like Delhi they are not considered to be imperative. But in Gujarat, an architect is revered for being an architect, people respect his work, and this can be seen in the work culture there. Unlike in Delhi, where contractors are considered to be above us.

My time there turned out to be very experimental. I tried multiple things –residential unit, restaurant, and the graphical representation of many of their projects. They were experimental with materials, in terms of climate response, the way they carved out spaces in a particular plot, and allowing air movement. I loved that about Studio Lagom!

My second internship was at FIELD Architects. They have their summer office in Ladakh and in winters they move their office to Ahmedabad. Both of the firms that I have interned at were small firms. At Studio Lagom it was a team of eight people and at FIELD Architects it was a team of five people. On the second day of my internship at FIELD Architects, the principal architect asked me to visit a site and practically execute the project, that was pleasantly shocking to me! Giving an intern such an

Swiss Pavilion, Madrid

Shreya Dubey

Harshit Daga

opportunity builds up the confidence of the intern; and also helps build up the trust and the faith that the intern has in that firm. Me and another intern friend of mine, Gurjot, regularly visited the site for fifty days, we executed the complete project. Many mistakes happened but we learnt so much!

At Studio Lagom, initially, it was stressful. There was no time for anything else, I would go to the firm, work, come back and then do this all over again the next day. When you go for an internship as an architecture student, people will tell you that this is the norm – ‘Aapko toh mehnat karni hi padegi. Aisa hi hota hai.’ I do not believe in this. Either of these two things might happen when you are subjected to such pressure as a newbie – ‘I will do the same to my juniors or I will never do this to my juniors.’ Such work culture made me realise that I will never let anyone go through this. Time is of the essence, make sure you never waste your time and of others.

As an intern, you go through a lot of self-doubts. It’s a rough patch. You feel like you don’t know things that you should have known. While going through such a phase, one requires personal space, if not provided with it, things might deteriorate. Apart from this, the work culture at Studio Lagom was wonderful. It had about four architects of my age, we hung out together, shared ideas, learnt from each other.

FIELD Architects has the coolest principal architects I have worked with till now! Ar. Suril Patel and Ar. Faiza Khan, both are wonderful people. They had this work culture – ‘If you know things, you know, but if you don’t, let me teach you.’ I learnt all the intricacies of architecture there. They were highly detailoriented as well. They had their own niche that they worked in. All in all, it was a wonderful experience, interning at both the firms! Once you get out there in the industry, that is when you truly start learning.

You learn to take responsibility during internships. Whatever you do has very real consequences. Unlike your academic projects,

which are hypothetical, these projects have repercussions. This realisation changes you a lot as an individual. You also learn client dealing. Juries do help you with this aspect but it is different when you are in the field, practising, having monetary discussions. During your internship, you also understand that architecture is a team game. You can’t get things done all alone, unlike all the major projects that you do in college.

IA: Some people believe that unpaid internships are a bad thing. Your thoughts?

HD: No matter how much you learn during internships, I personally think if you get some amount of remuneration for all the time and energy that you put in, then it is not a bad thing. This helps you stay motivated. I understand that knowledge is important and can be a major driving force for many of us. But some sort of monetary remuneration is definitely a plus, something to keep you going.

IA: Life lessons learnt during the course of your internship.

HD: I learnt that cooking and cleaning are basic necessities in our lives. Being away from home, we did all the chores ourselves, be it big or small. You peel the veggies yourself, cook everything yourself, buy groceries all on your own, all of this makes you feel empowered. You can survive on your own, live on your own, how nice is that!

I also got to know about many of my flaws when I went into practice. I tend to be very forgetful, it is awful, especially if you are in a field like architecture where you have to remember very minute things at times. I started keeping a diary of daily tasks and I do this till date.

Lastly, I learnt extensively about patience during my internship.

IA: Two dos and Two don’ts for students who are about to intern.

HD: Dos – I can’t stress this enough – Research! Research about the firm before you apply. The type of work they do, what role are you applying

Illustration by Shubham Kr. Sagar

for, be very thorough about this. There are 3D visualizers, concept architects and whatnot. Such specialized roles are sadly not common in India, we mostly have to apply for the role of Junior Architects after graduation.

AIESEC and IAESTE are two organizations that conduct seminars, extempores, and showcases. You can volunteer in them as a student. What these organizations do is help you intern abroad. A friend of mine told me about them, he interned at Hafeez Contractor’s firm and then in Germany. He got the second internship through AIESEC. If you are a student looking for internships, make sure you research about such organizations as well.

Don’ts – Never fake your CV and Portfolio! It’s fine to be inspired by things but copying is another thing. Find your own essence and taste, even in terms of building up your portfolio. People keep telling you that your thesis is your child, but personally, I feel that your portfolio is your child. There should be ‘you’ in your portfolio. If you work with curvilinear forms but your portfolio has squares and justified text then it doesn’t feel right. Your portfolio must highlight your forte.

Never look down upon a particular philosophy or design idea. Even while giving an interview, make sure your language isn’t too harsh. Having a different opinion and an inclination towards something is fine but don’t discredit anything. And also, never disrespect your seniors or anyone else for that matter, be it a mistri or a junior. It has been imbibed in our brains that – “You are an architect; you are always right. Defend your design at all costs.” This is an erroneous notion I feel. It’s very wrong. You should know how to accept your mistakes. Don’t lose your personality and humanity because of your profession is what I’ll say.

IA: Things to keep in mind while building up your portfolio.

HD: Keep it very concise and focused on your field of interests. 5MB, 12 pages (1 cover + 1 CV) is the golden rule. It must and should represent your personality as a designer, as I told you

earlier. Four to five projects are recommended. It’s all on you, how you want to divide the content of your portfolio. For example, you can go for three academic projects and maybe two competitions or three academic projects, one competition and one freelance job that you might have done.

Your portfolio shouldn’t be a time-consuming aspect to any of the future employers, keep it very visible. No one has the time to give it half an hour of their day. One shouldn’t have to read much to understand what’s happening. It’s human psychology, I have read about it. You find illustrations more appealing than texts.

Many people do this, they rate their software skills in stars. How much AutoCAD or Revit one knows out of five stars or 10 stars. Never do that. There are so many seniors in the field with 20 plus years of experience. After working in this field for quite some time now, I believe even my software skills may be a 6 on 10. So, a third or fourth-year student writing that they know some software 9 on 10 is very bad, disrespectful too perhaps.

Yes, you are a talented student. But don’t go around rating yourself. That’s bad. Simply write having knowledge of and mention the softwares that you know. You should never judge yourself, let others do that for you.

IA: Things to keep in mind when writing your CV.

HD: Again, short and precise. Give the projects name with your role in it and two-liner explanation if needed – what did you do and what did you learn.

IA: Any tips on writing the perfect Email?

HD: No typos allowed. Proofread it five times if necessary. Show it to a friend who is proficient in English before sending it if you want. Try not to repeat words, use synonyms instead.

Sound confident while sending an email rather than needy. Example, ‘I really want to’ is desperate but ‘I would like to’ shows interest.

IA: How to pick the right firm to intern at?

HD: Give time to research. Start the process of building your portfolio early. Know the firms you would like to intern at, the kind that work in your field of interest. For me, it was all about brutalism, minimalism and Scandinavian designs. It’s not possible to like the works of all the firms, find the ones that you like.

You can never be a 100 per cent sure that a said firm is the right firm for you. After working in multiple places, I have realised that it’s not about the firm most of the time but the people of the firm rather, their culture and their level of discipline.

LinkedIn is a wonderful platform, don’t be afraid to connect with people. Let’s say you want to work at Morphogenesis, try connecting with the people at that firm, ask them about the work culture, build upon relationships, ask for references, it’s okay to ask for help, do not hesitate. Connect with people.

IA: Any final advice for the students reading this article?

HD: Do not behave like you can never be wrong. It is a very nice gesture to accept your mistakes, it increases your credibility in a project or a place.

Try to stay away from the Pinterest culture. I have stayed away from it throughout my academic life, my internship and I continue to do so while working as well. Be original.

Photograph by Ashutosh Patil

CRACKING OPEN INTERNSHIPS – PART II THE TALE OF INTERNING AT CCBA DESIGNS

Shreya Dubey, Somya Dubey

What is it like, working with one of the star architects of India? Vipul Gupta, a fourth-year architecture student from the Gateway College of Architecture and Design, Sonipat was more than happy to answer this question. We bring to you, the inspiring story of his experience of interning at CCBA Designs, short for Christopher Charles Benninger Architects, Pune. As we all know, Prof. Benninger is amongst the most renowned master architects of our country and needs no further introduction. We thought that this was a tale that just had to be told –

It was in the dead cold of December, 2019 when I started building my portfolio for an internship. A lot of my peers thought that I was being unnecessarily quick with the application process but I knew in my heart that I was doing the right thing. After thorough research, I had jotted down a list of firms that I wanted to intern at and sent my portfolio to all of them. I had applied in places like Bengaluru, Auroville, Mumbai, and Pune. After a few weeks, I had already received internship offers from Bengaluru and Mumbai but I wanted to wait for something bigger. I clearly remember that it was the 15th of April, summer was beginning to set in and I was in my studio, giving the structures exam. Later, when I would check my phone, I would know that halfway through my examination I had received a very important notification. It was an E-mail from CCBA. The first word said ‘congratulations’, I did not even read the entire message. I was already over the moon!

Illustration by Jatin Rawat

The beginning of the next semester, I found myself in Pune, living out of a rented apartment. Throughout my internship, I would get to meet a lot of renowned architects, but more importantly, I would have the fortune of getting direct guidance by Prof. Benninger! Let me be utterly honest, never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would be getting the chance to even interact with Prof. Benninger. I thought I would probably get to see him once or twice a month, and that would be it.

In case you aren’t already aware, let me tell you something about Prof. Benninger. He completed his masters from Harvard University and went on to be a professor there as well. He was a student at MIT before that. Remarkably, Le Corbusier was the one who had introduced Ar. B.V. Doshi and Prof. Benninger at a party. This brief interaction eventually developed into a professional relationship when Doshi sir wrote to him particularly for an architecture college in Gujarat, asking him if he would like to design the college with him. Something must have resonated with him because Benninger sir happened to quit Harvard for it. Both of them helped build the college, which is widely popular today and is known as CEPT. They even taught there as professors. Thereafter, Ar. Doshi started Sangath and Prof. Benninger started CCBA.

It felt like I had started the process of learning from the very moment that I stepped in the firm! The office, where I interned, is called the ‘India House’. We were a team of around 35 people, and all of us were from different states, countries, traditions, and had different mindsets, hence, the name, ‘India House’. It won’t be an exaggeration if I say that I was reborn in this office! It was like being part of a family, all of us called each other by the first name. There were no barriers between us.

Everyone would address Christopher sir as just Christopher, and he called us by our first names as well. Thereby, the one formal line that tends to be between people, marking hierarchy, simply disappeared. It enabled me to realize that such a culture makes you feel

connected to each other, you don’t feel like you have certain limitations and creative juices start flowing freely in such an environment.

There’s a funny anecdote I remember from my first day at the office. I was assigned to work on Mizoram Housing under a senior architect, Gaurav Inamdar. I had been given the plans and sections which were to be rendered on photoshop. While doing so, at some point I thought of a different way of rendering them and told them about it. After listening to me, they told me to do it both ways: their way and my way. So, I got back to work and kept at it. Soon it was 6 PM, and almost everyone left the office. Gaurav, four more people and I were the only ones who were still there. Before we realized, it was 8 PM. Then it was midnight in the blink of an eye. Finally, at around 3 AM I was done with my work. That was the very first day! Later they would tell me that they were skeptical of letting me stay there, over-time. ‘Damn, it is Vipul’s first day today. Poor kid. What must he be thinking of our office?’, they had wondered.

Their worries were unfounded though because I was having a blast. It’s 3:30 AM and we were all laughing and joking around! After wrapping everything up we all decided to head home. They asked me where my place was so that they could drop me off. There was just one little problem. I did not know where my flat was! I had come to Pune just yesterday and used the Google maps to reach the office. . Sadly, I did not even have my new home’s Google location. It took us about half an hour to reach my place, which as I would later find out, was just five minutes away! But that wasn’t where the adventure ended. To my utter horror, when we finally reached my place, the guard refused to open the gate!

So, I had to jump over the boundary wall just to get in. Luckily, my colleagues thought that it was hilarious! They got busy taking videos of me jumping over the wall. At this rate, I assured myself that by the end of this internship, if not an accomplished apprentice, I would at least be a viral-sensation!

The next day when we compared both the renderings, to my greatest surprise, they liked my idea of presentation and asked me to make the subsequent changes in the other drawings as well. The second day went by much like the first did. We were all working, working, and working. The clock struck 5 AM before we knew it. It was 8:30 AM when we were all done with work. They asked me, “Where are you even from?” I simply grinned back in response. They told me, “Vipul, now you have two hours. Go back to your place, shower, have a healthy breakfast, and then come back soon.” Exactly two hours later, I was back at the office, recharged and ready for the day. I admit, that things did get hectic at times but it was so much fun too. It has been rightly said, your first impression is your last impression. And if I may say so, my first impression turned out to be pretty lasting!

Though I wasn’t aware then, but Christopher

sir had an eye on my work. About a month later, he called me to his desk. “Where is that Delhi boy? Call him.” Upon seeing me he told me, “Vipul, there is a site in Pune called the College of Engineering.” It is one of the oldest universities in Asia. “You have to go and take measurements of a building there. That building is 150 years old.” Though we went for a lot of site visits during my internship, this was one project, in particular, that I was involved in from the start. I went onto visit this site every month!

I had my very own desk at the office and would poke everyone, trying to understand what they were doing. Christopher sir sits at the far end of the same office space, no special room for him. He sits with us all.

Our cubicles are not the traditional office style cubicles, their height is relatively low so that you can see what’s happening around you and not

Parth Mehta, Prof. Fumihiko Maki, Vipul Gupta (L-R)

feel boxed in. One can socialize as well as work at the same time. I understood what it feels like to be a part of a dream team! Christopher sir himself would go around poking everyone from his side of the office. Sometimes he would shout, from across the room, “Hey, Gupta Ji, come here, I have to discuss a wonderful thing with you!” He called me Gupta Ji most of the times. Sometimes he would also address me as ‘Delhi boy’.

Whenever we sat down with the Professor, he would tell us stories of Ar. Le Corbusier and of Prof. Fumihiko Maki, who was also his thesis guide. I vividly remember dining with Prof. Fumihiko Maki while accompanying Christopher sir to a party one night. There were ten architects at the table and I was one of them!

I felt like a baby around all of those legends. It was one of the most magical moments of my life. On our way back from the dinner party, it was just the four of us in the car - the chauffeur, Christopher sir, Parth (another intern) and I. We talked so much that night! Christopher sir shared so many of his stories with us. Oh, how he loves telling stories!

He once told us about the making of CEPT. The campus is divided into three parts – one is designed by Ar. Doshi, one by Ar. Benninger, and one by Ar. Bimal Patel. Doshi sir’s building on the campus is treated as a temple. All the students and faculty of the college revere it and consider it to be an epitome of architectural knowledge and genius. Christopher sir was supposed to design a building that would stand right in front of it. Thus, a near-impossible task at hand was to not create any visual barrier for Ar. Doshi’s building. Benninger sir came up with a beautiful solution and gave so many huge cut-outs in his entire building envelope that one can appreciate Doshi sir’s building from every single corner of Professor’s building. You will get a view of Ar. Doshi’s building from the classrooms, the washrooms, the corridors, everywhere! It is admirable to achieve something like that.

I remember having visited CEPT for an event once. The people from the management had nailed banners on Doshi sir’s building! All the students of the college went on strike –“How dare someone even think about nailing the walls of Doshi sir’s building!” Such is the culture of CEPT. Simply wonderful! Everyone is so passionate there, the teachers, the students. They have this love, which is almost palpable, for their college, their profession! Looking back on it, I now realize that Doshi sir and Benninger sir had a huge role in cultivating this culture. Many times, architects tend to focus most of their attention on the plans and the elevations for a project. Therefore, it is quite distinctive that for his CEPT building, Christopher sir treated the entire ceiling as a canvas! It has been carved in various patterns; all in-lay work has been done in exposed concrete. Another one of his signature elements is modernised spouts, celebrating rainfalls.

Which is testimony to the fact that he not only likes celebrating the small things which bring joy to life but also succeeds in doing so in the most beautiful of ways. Another notable thing that I learnt about him is that he likes playing around with grooves a lot as well. His work is a study of infusing beauty and aesthetics with practicality in a breathtakingly inconspicuous manner, much like the same way that an undercurrent of contentment flows underneath the river of sorrows in life.

I had asked him once, “America is quite forward in so many things. Don’t you get irritated in India at times?” He looked at me with eyes that spoke of infinite wisdom that transcended countries, cultures and time. True to his style of work, in the end, he answered in a few simple words.

“I was in America for many years. I got so bored of it. With being forward, comes the disadvantage of things being too easy, too smooth. I want some thrill in my life. The first time I came to India, I witnessed that anything can happen here. I love the thrill of living here.”

show them the images that I had clicked while I was there. Christopher sir started laughing, “I know that, Vipul, don’t act like a child.”

“It’s so beautiful,” I repeated. “It is 150 years old. How can we even think about demolishing it?”

“The building is old. It is highly unstable,” he said.

“This building has a porch, 700 mm thick walls. This is our heritage, we can’t demolish this,” I said.

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I had mentioned about the College of Engineering project, the one for which I took measurements. When two senior architects, a junior architect, and Christopher sir were discussing that very project, Christopher sir summoned me as well, saying, “You took the measurements, so you deserve this discussion as well.” I felt it was generous of them to not let go of even the tiniest bit of contribution. That’s how bonding is developed!

I brought my attention back to the discussion taking place. “And this is how we will demolish the building and then start with this-”

Almost involuntarily, without even realizing it, I had spoken up, “I am sorry but-“ I felt conscious immediately. “Am I allowed to speak at this meeting?”

He searched for something in my face and he must have found it. Conviction, perhaps? Confidence? I don’t know what it was that had propelled me that day. All I knew was that, if there was any chance that this beautiful, historical building could be saved, I was willing to take it.

“Today is Friday.” He said at last. “By Monday, you come up with three different solutions. Let’s see if it will work,” sir continued. “It if doesn’t, then you have to accept that we will be demolishing it.”

It was a challenge. It was an opportunity.

I took this to heart. My entire weekend was spent in the office. On Monday morning, Christopher sir was at the office by 9 AM. Which is odd, considering the fact that he usually comes by 11 AM.

He likes appreciating every single element in a design. Like many of us just put staircases in the corner, Christopher sir, on the other hand, likes to appreciate the beauty of staircases. Consider, Mahindra College, Pune by him. If you look at its plans, you will feel like it has been planned out like a galaxy. It is in the middle of a mountain range; the entire building material is just stone. Look at it from afar, you won’t even realize that there is a building in the middle of those mountains. You would feel as though the mountain range continues, without a break. The building just seamlessly merges with the landscape that surrounds it. That’s what he does: appreciates elements, celebrates them.

To which, Christopher sir instantly replied, “Yes, of course! New ideas are always welcome!”

Relieved, I continued, “From what I have gathered, we are planning on demolishing the building?”

“Yes,” Christopher sir nodded in affirmative. “We will be demolishing the building and starting from scratch,” he said calmly.

“No, we can’t do that,” I insisted.

“But we have to,” sir retorted.

“No, let’s not. The building is built so stunningly. It’s so beautiful!” I exclaimed, and went on to

“Where is that Gupta Ji? Did he come by yet?” he asked. I was prepared.

“I was just waiting for you,” I smiled. The senior and junior architects were called as well, and so began one of the most life-changing discussions of my life! My first and second idea were rejected promptly.

By the time I had finished explaining the third one, I drew a deep breath. No matter the outcome, I was at peace. I had given this project my all. I did everything that I could. I looked at the panel, expecting to hear the most hated word in the English language – ‘No.’

To my pleasant surprise, Ar. Benninger just smiled.

“We shall continue with the third idea you have presented.”

Wait, what?

I asked him to repeat what he had just said and he did.

“However,” he continued, “There would have to be some alterations,” Christopher sir announced with a sense of finality.

I merely nodded. I couldn’t believe it. I had actually succeeded in saving that marvelous piece of architecture! I couldn’t believe my ears!

“Yes, your idea is practical and it’s unique. We can work on it.”

sit with them and interact. Other times, we would converse with each other and listen to Christopher sir narrate his anecdotes. To keep the environment of the office lively, we would celebrate every festival. We had people from Kerala, J&K, Delhi and many other states. Some people hailed from Turkey, Germany, the USA, and many other countries. All the festivals were celebrated with joy. Deemed guests would arrive at these celebrations, sometimes Ar. B.V. Doshi, or Ar. Bimal Patel, and many more. Christopher sir’s birthday was nothing less than a festival. The planning for the party took a week. It was a red-carpet event!

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Ever since that day, Christopher sir and I discussed design ideas every day without fail, continuously, for three weeks or so. All my sketchbooks have sketches by him. He has jotted down ideas in some pages, made caricatures. I would sketch out plans and ideas, he would give me criticism on them, and then I would finalize the drawings on software. Then, I would be sent to client meetings with those drawings with the structural consultant.

Design development, site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plan, RCP drawings, details, 3D model, renders and presentation for the client, I have worked on all of this during my course of the internship. I consider this project as my child. Site visits, reports, and meetings with clients and consultants, I have been involved in all of it. This has been the most beautiful and cherished memory of my life, till now. This project is my very first real-life project! You can understand this feeling only when you experience it.

Our office organizes multiple events. On the weekends, Christopher sir would ask us all, “This weekend, it will rain cats and dogs in Pune. What are your plans?” None of us would have plans so we would all book an entire theatre, and watch movies and architectural documentaries together. We also had so many sessions in the office. People visit his office all the time for tours. If we were free, we would

There would be several short workshops in the office where we were taught about things like presentation and composition. Everyone was eager to learn and happy to teach. At times, Christopher sir would learn some things from us as well. We believe in collective learning, age or experience was never a restriction. We went on trips together; I remember going to IIM Ahmedabad with them. Other team-building exercises included working in teams, and painting a picture with a 2M long brush!

When the period of my internship was nearing the end, I was still at the sections part of the design process. By this time, I had a great bonding with everyone at the firm. One of the senior architects had told me, “Vipul, if you leave this project at sections, then some other intern will come, who will work on your building, send the rest of the drawings to the site, make 3Ds and call it his building. Whatever changes that will occur, he will take care of them as well. This project will then no longer be your child.”

After that day, I went from 40 to 140 in my speed of work. I worked day and night so that I could finish this project before I left the office. After all of those client and consultant meetings, it had finally dawned upon me that I had come so far as an intern, as an architecture student, and as an individual. I came here as a child and left knowing what it was like to be an architect. So many intricacies go into this field! You also need a certain level of professionalism to practice it, which luckily for all of us, can be

Maha Dwar at India House

developed. Contrary to what the suave practitioners of this esteemed profession might have you believe, you aren’t born with it.

I realized that staying at the office until the early hours of the morning wasn’t in vain. All that hard work paid off in the end. It has been such a beautiful journey. I have changed so much, and for the better.

You are not offered opportunities on a silver platter; you are supposed to grab them on your own. You are supposed to speak up, stand out! If I had just sat there in that discussion without uttering a single word that day, I would have never gotten this project!

To stand out, you need to have the knowledge, communication skills, and the right amount of confidence. But above all of that, you need to have this crazy passion that keeps you up at nights, doesn’t allow you to sleep, which gets you going and makes you feel alive!

It was my passion which drove me to search for something better, to wait for it. For my reward, I have collected so many memories, worked on an amazing portfolio, have wonderful books that Christopher sir has personally gifted me. I still have my nameplate from my desk. We used to make origami and keep them at our desks. I had made a boat and kept it at mine. Another intern friend of mine came along, converted that boat into an aeroplane and said, “Hey Vipul! Why would you want to swim? You are made to fly!”

Everything went by in happy flashes, and then came the last day of my internship. I had made a lead carving that I gifted to sir that day.

It was a miniature sculpture of an old man with a turban, an abstract depiction of him.

While gifting it, I told him, “This is an old man with a turban and a big beard. When I was carving this man, I realized that this is how you have carved me.”

My eyes held unshed tears. “It looks so beautiful now, but I know how delicately I had to handle it while carving it.”

“This is how you have carved me, Christopher.”

‘Old Man’ Lead carving gifted to Prof. Benninger by Vipul Gupta

Vipul’s work desk at CCBA Designs

The team of CCBA Designs from July – December, 2019

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ARCHITECTURE

Anushreya Kondapi

Artificial intelligence (AI) simply put is the intelligence displayed by a machine or a software. It involves the usage of computers to do things that traditionally require human intelligence.

This means creating algorithms to classify, analyse, and draw predictions from data. It also involves acting on data, learning from new data, and improving over time.

AI ‘trains’ a program for a specific task and allows it to explore and improve on its own.

Artificial intelligence, today, is everywhere. From our smartphones to our smart televisions, all use AI program to run their commands.

Artificial intelligence has manifested itself into Architecture in the form of BIM softwares like Rhino, Grasshopper, Revit etc. It revolves around the idea of optimizing, streamlining and expanding the reach of the most diverse operations.

One of the examples of usage of AI in architecture is the analyses of spatial networking, that would initially take hours to understand, but with the help of these AI programs it can be done in a matter of minutes.

Another example is the reconstruction of a space in post-war scenarios. The latest technologies have created opportunities to shape better built environments and better urban experiences. While there have been many failed attempts of post-war reconstruction, Artificial intelligence is promising concepts that can help in getting more in touch with culture, integration, and sustainability of a space.

AI algorithms are trained using large datasets so that they can identify patterns, make predictions and recommend actions, much

like a human would, just faster and better. It combines large amounts of data with fast, iterative processing and intelligent algorithms, allowing the software to learn automatically from patterns or features in the data. This is a great plus point for architects as it reduces the amount of time and energy used in doing everything manually.

The following ways where AI is making a great deal of difference in the design world -

TRAFFIC SYSTEM MANAGEMANT:

Traffic systems based in AI provide cities a means to improve the monitoring and data analysis of transit routes, traffic light control, and camera tracking. An AI enabled traffic management system can provide greater leeway to the self- driving vehicles as they can then be directed and controlled more by the external environment.

PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTURE:

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on assets & conditions, maintenance cost optimization.

DESIGNING HOMES:

Parametric Architecture helps in finding simplest solutions with objective evaluation. It can help in designing building that will reduce the carbon footprint using prefabricated systems. It is like a programming language for architects.  A process like this allows Artificial Intelligence to reduce the effort of an architect so that the architect can freely think about different ideas and create something new.

SMART CITIES:

Smart cities refer to when various sensors collect data to get insights and use them to manage these objects efficiently. These can help in proactive maintenance, prioritization of work, infrastructure condition assessment, damaged roads, pylons, buildings, blind spots

This era of continuous development demands everything to be smartly designed. Just like the smart cities, today’s society demands smart homes. From temperature control to home security, AI programs will help in providing a comfortable home environment.

Artificial intelligence seems like a solution to all the existing problems, but it comes with a catch.

Although it is easy to use, it incurs huge costs as the machines are highly complex. And even though AI systems can get smarter than humans, they lack the emotional and moral compass that humans possess. Wherein the work of an architect is highly influenced by their experiences, that of a machine is based on the codes computed in it.

CONCLUSION:

To summarise, AI has great potential in the field of architecture, although a lot of its uses in various fields in architecture are yet to be discovered. That being said, AI also reduces the human touch that architecture boasts of. Overall usage of AI along with added human touch can create a huge difference in the world of design.

Artificial Intelligence - Illustration by author

We, the Indian Arch team and our friends decided to collaborate for this article and react to the most googled questions about our fraternity. This is a humorous take on things and intends to do no harm to anyone, their feelings, and anything else whatsoever. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed working on it.

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Team Indian Arch Ideated and curated by Shreya Dubey | Illustrated by Dipti Chourasia

How are architects creative?

A trashed wrapper can inspire them.

Lovejit

They can discover various ways to procrastinate every single day, you’ll be surprised!

Anushreya

Most architects are born creative. Rest take inspiration from their surroundings.

Achirava

How are architects innovating their college dorm?

They can convert the drafting table into a dining table, a kitchen slab, and a pillow at their convenience.

Anushreya

We extract foam from sofa chairs as an alternative to thermocol cause most of our models start at midnight. This reminds me, I need new sofa chairs for my room.

Lovejit

We like to be very neat and clean. Monica neat! Also, don’t try to open that cupboard because sheets might fall on you.

Shreya

How are architects able to build skyscrapers?

Construct the ground floor on Revit and copy-paste 10, 20 or 30 times. Ta-dah!

Lovejit

Definitely not the way you put those Jenga pieces! (smh)

Dipti

With the strong foundation of their dead dreams and hopes. AND SLEEPLESSNESS!

Anushreya

How to complete a drawing in one night?

Which software can do everything?

Which music boosts creativity?

Where to get CAD blocks for free?

How are architects/architecture students responding to Covid-19?

By finally having a good night’s sleep.

Anushreya

By designing hospitals, quarantine centres and other spaces deemed necessary for the pandemic!

Achirava

You mean there has been a change in people’s lifestyles? (Goes back to the studio and starts drafting)

Shreya

Photographs by Rohan Varma (1 & 3), Nikunj Vara (2), Saurav Gaur (4)

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: BALCONIES, CLASS BARRIERS AND COMMUNITY

Anvi Singh

Balconies have been spaces I have always enjoyed as they offer a leisurely escape from the mundane day-to-day happenings of life. In the shanty one-bedroom paying guest I was living in Pune, I was accustomed to watching various activities unfold on the ground accompanied by the many sounds of the cramped street I lived on. The hissing of a distant pressure cooker and the cacophonic squabbles of neighbours were the highlights of my time in my balcony.

A few days before the lockdown was proposed, I along with many other college students braved the “infection hubs” of various airports to reach our families. My balcony changed to one overlooking a plush, but bustling open space in the Delhi Residential complex back home. The view metamorphosed with the passage of time. Initially, grandiose Gulmohars shined bright yellow, blue skies stretched far across, dotted with aeroplanes going off to their destinations, while people gossiped on the streets and kids squealed playing their games.

As the Gulmohars shed their decadent hue and opted for a more grounded green, looming clouds obscured the now lonely sapphire sky and mirroring this, the scene from my balcony also subdued. The chatter of old ladies, the hurried gait of maids rushing to the markets, the low hum of cars driving to the parking and the shouts of children playing soon became echoes of the past. Swiftly, the streets became lonely, but not in a morose way, because the loneliness was for a cause. The streets were now occupied by the “heroes” of the modernday – healthcare workers, grocers bringing in supplies, bankers attempting to stabilise the economy and government officials upholding

the country’s faculties. We had days when we celebrated these heroes, by clapping from them from our balconies and by lighting lamps of encouragement.

While these heroes were the ones fighting the war on the battlefield and therefore were arguably the bravest, they were not the only heroes in these trying times. Every person I saw from my balcony, wearing the “uniform” of the fight against CoVid19 – a mask, was a hero. This fight might’ve been a lot less impactful than the nerve-racking pile of cases the healthcare workers were dealing with in hospitals, nevertheless, it was just as important. The girl off to buy milk, the man feeding stray dogs, the woman dutifully remaining six feet apart from someone in line to buy vegetables, all donned the costume of a hero and a symbol of unity.

I eventually looked up from the news app on my iPhone onto the world before me and got a reality check. I, who got on a breezy 2-hour flight home and sat comfortably on her swing, surrounded by lush ficuses was in no way eligible to comment on the plight of people who lost their jobs, couldn’t afford rent and had to support their families back home. I realised that from my socio-economic high ground, I was part of the problem with my insensitivity in judging the lives of these people. This realisation made me get in touch with my help back in Pune. I asked about their well being

and to help them if they need it. Not long from then, I started to notice that the cycling security guards were no longer labouring in from their homes in the mornings. I earnestly searched for their faces in the crowds on the roads where the underprivileged stood. I was pleasantly surprised to know that I wasn’t the only one who got a privilege check during the lockdown. A few vacant flats in my housing society were opened for the guards to live in. In a residential society where the snobbish residents scoffed on even slightly modest-looking visitors, this seemingly natural

WWW.NASAINDIA.CO

As endearing as it was to be fighting the same cause, life soon became monotonous. The nonhappenings far outweighed the happenings in the lockdown. I couldn’t help but wonder if all the lockdown entailed was an “introvert’s dream and an extrovert’s nightmare” or if that was an extremely sheltered take on the situation. When I looked a bit further in the distance, I saw swarms of poor migrants walking on deserted main roads, eager to reach their families. I remember, with great shame, saying “Why can’t they stay and take the government supplied food vouchers”? From my entitled eyes, this was the way to be, follow the directives, and make do; anything else was irresponsible, insolent and plain criminal. In retrospect, I may as well have said “Let them have cake” and become a self-proclaimed CoVid19 Marie Antoinette.

Illustration by Aparupa Saha

consideration was a monumental act of kindness. This nearly apocalyptic world had put things in perspective – we weren’t divided by politics, caste, creed and gender, we were all fighting the same evil, an evil that did not discriminate.

Would I go so far as to say it was a utopian situation? No – there was still an abundance of miscreants, sneaking out to play basketball, going on walks in groups and sitting on benches together. But I also bore witness to lighthearted arguments between people from two different balconies, I saw friends on footpaths conversing by shouting from a distance, and I saw people who I’d never seen before, having leisurely moments in their balconies. Despite the hopelessness on the news and whispers of death lurking in the air, I felt an enhanced sense of community forming.

In the words of Ghalib – “The world is the body and Delhi, its life.” In my far less poetic mind, Delhi was defined by the Delhi metro. Connecting travellers, residents, workers and students, it was Delhi’s pride - clean, safe and fast, it gave us a one up in the age- old Delhi versus Mumbai debate. But when Delhi learned to survive despite the metro’s shut down during the CoVid19 lockdown, I realised that Delhi’s soul didn’t lie in a lowly commodity or service - and saying so was probably making Ghalib turn in his grave. Cities are shaped by the lives of people and the people’s sense of community.

As the third phase of the lockdown inched to an end, the scene from the balcony sluggishly, but most carefully started to regain its vibrancy. The green space I see from my balcony will soon be filled with people, and the aforementioned costume of heroes, the masks of protection, will begin to come off, as the evil we fight will soon die out.

The maids and the guards will return to their stations of duties and the roads won’t be deserted anymore. A general restoration of the previous class barriers will undoubtedly occur. My deepest hope from the world “after” is that

the feeling of unity prevails. The masks we take off should become reminders of the time when we knew that all of us, deep down, were the same. Even though the life-threatening disease may no longer exist, I hope the rich continue to repay the poor with kindness when they are in need, the animals on the streets are fed and treated with love, the leisurely moments from those who rarely got any before, continue to occur, and the sacrifice of personal luxuries, for the benefit of others’ lives, is considered paramount.

Charles Eames famously said “To whom does design address itself: to the greatest number, to the specialist of an enlightened matter, to a privileged social class? The design addresses itself to the need”. I have come to believe that the ‘need’ - more than ever before - is unity in the face of crises and otherwise. As someone on the path of becoming an architect, I hope to contribute to the social fabric that enlivens a city, with the principles of inclusivity. I hope to create spaces that not only allow but welcome, with open arms, people from all walks of lives and of all abilities. I hope that these spaces encourage community belongingness and in turn, contribute to the very soul of a city. Coming to a grassroots example: I hope to see the green space from my balcony occupied by not only resident kids, but the maids that heretofore, only ran to buy groceries for their employers; not only old ladies, but guards taking a break to drink tea. I hope to build a ramp for the basketball court and to have tactile paving for footpaths so nobody feels as if they are less than. I hope to see a melange of people breaking class barriers, reclaiming spaces and assimilating despite their differences. I hope to be an architect that is wary of their privilege and works towards a unifying balance. Toyo Ito called architecture “a piece of clothing to wrap around humans”, I wish to call architecture the sense of belonging that makes a person.

Illustration by Aparupa Saha

BRICK AND STONES OVER GLASS AND STEEL

Shubham Kr. Sagar | Delhi Technical Campus, Gr. Noida

Between the 18th and 19th centuries, archaeological discoveries and scientific advancement were rather rapid. It was during these times that a new thought emerged on the surface. The ideology was in response to the newly developed architectural styles like Expressionism, Constructivism and Structuralism - Old architectural styles of any geographical locations were to be preserved, and hence, the Architectural Conservation Movement was started. The movement, however, was centred solely on the conservation of monuments or buildings of value, limited to only conserving the existing structures and lost its momentum somewhere down the line. However, the movement did create awareness among the architectural practitioners. Be it the specialists or the

beginners in the field, everyone knew about the scope and knowledge of the old forgotten styles and vernacular building materials.

The present scenario

Introduced around the 1920s, Modernism didn’t just start a new style trend but transformed the world and is continuing to do so, to this day. Expressionism, Bauhaus, Constructivism, Functionalism, Internationalism, Deconstructivism, Brutalism, and whatnot, all these styles added something new to the vast field of architecture.

Since the great works of Architectural Nouveau to the simple and sleek designs of Modernism, the world has witnessed a dramatic change in its cityscape and architecture. However,

Chavda

the most drastic changes occurred when the appearance of a city, which once had its own charm, sense and allure, started looking very much like another city 1000 miles away from it. Architects started going for things that were easy to practise and incorporate. A city that had never seen concrete before, due to thermal heat and geographical factors, started boasting of huge skyscrapers of glasses and steels, ignoring the climatic response of the structure. The architects who are expected to be responsible towards our society and environment are now opting for things that are easier to work with and are good for the business, with total disregard for the consequences that may arise

Stones, Bricks, and Glass.

India is a wonderful cultural hub offering many unique, iconic, and diverse architectural marvels. A pressing question remains unanswered by professionals who are filling this country’s cityscape with buildings that lack Indian-ness in them, everything about them feeling foreign. The question is - what about the magic of Hampi, the peace of Sanchi, the

details in Ellora, the flooded Rani ki Bhaw, the knowledge of Khajuraho, the love of Taj, the faith of Thanjavur, the mystic of Amarkantak and the glory of Martand? Would these still be making India what it is today if the great architects of that time thought of things like easiness, business, and money? Would these all be as grand and majestic if they were made of steel and glass instead of brick and stones?

However, architecture is a very consuming field to work in. One has to think of a lot of things, many aspects, and possibilities that may affect the project and his or her career as an architect. In the process, many factors like the economy and the location come into play and one has to admit that there are risks involved when you base a project on old architectural style, some of which might even put the success of the project into jeopardy. And to ward off such uncertainties, one can look at all the fruitful examples in our country, which are not just standing proofs of the success of working with old Indian architectural styles but, have also resulted in great iconic architecture. Whether it is the Chandigarh city designed by Le

Illustration by Darshit

Corbusier based on the ancient texts of Vastu Purusha or the Sabarmati Ashram and the National Crafts Museum by Charles Corea, all these are not just examples but can also be a source of inspiration to the architects today so that they can develop something out of their own heritage. Something cultural, loud, and proud.

A great competition to the skyscrapers and buildings made out of steel and glass is the Hutheesing Jain temple in Ahmedabad which was designed by the architect Premchand Salat, who not only created an architectural marvel in 1848 which challenged the ongoing architectural practices but has also delivered an example of what can be created with old architectural styles. With the intricately carved portico, the colonnade with tirthankaras along the circular pathway, the unique design of the temple balances itself and is one of its kind. Furthermore, the question once again arises, that if the architect would have chosen the easy way out and would have ignored his calling to design something unique and magnificent and would have chosen the idea of working with easier forms and materials, would the result still be this glorious and at this scale? I think not.

Another advantage that these old architectural styles have is sustainability and one of the greatest examples of this is

OWIYUM in Marayoor, designed by one of the most renowned sustainable architects of the world, Eugene Pandala. It is a residential cum workspace space for an Indian and a German artist. The design is completely sustainable and the primary building material is mud.

The Raviz Hotel in Kollam and the Revathy Kalamandir in Thiruvananthapuram are some other works of the architect which are no less inspiring. Furthermore, architects like Laurie Baker and Benny Kuriakose have done exquisite work in this field of sustainability, all the while challenging the modern trends of steel and glass structures.

The concluding question that comes to one’s mind now is why don’t we take inspiration from the monuments like the Amriteswara temple or the Adinath temple in Khajuraho, with their intricate details or maybe create something simple following the principles of symmetry from the Gunmat Masjid in Gaur and if not that, then something inspired by the simple Warli huts.

Why not create something which is more Indian and can speak of our traditions, make a statement?

What would it be like to see the cityscape adorned with brick and stones and not glass and steel once again?

Pool - Illustration by Kartik Khokhar

“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the Universe is endlessly

bountiful.”

THE BEST-KEPT SECRET

Swita Joy | Bishop Jerome School Of Architecture, Kollam

“This world is but a canvas to our imaginations”.

Don’t we all love something mysterious? That feeling it gives! That adrenaline rush, rising palpitations and the go osebumps you get! The mere sight of Postojna cave, Slovenia gave me that unexplainable gush inside me.

Staring into the tunnel in utmost darkness, it gave me an unrelatable ecstasy. I felt that every nook and corner of the cave were thriving upon my nerves to spill their ages-old secret. The twenty-four-kilometer-long limestone cave, bounded by enormous ceiling gulped me into their huge dreamy inside. It was wet and cold inside reminding of the times the lake used to flow through.

The entire cave was filled with the best sculptures by the nature itself which varied from the size of a hill to a strand of fibers. The cave exhibited the sculptures of stalagmites as it were portraying a story. Those several meters high sculptures were formed from the calcium deposited by the lake ages ago. There were places where the floor was wet and the ceiling was so low that it can merely touch me. Then there were places where the ceiling seemed to be like a faraway dream. The cave had fiber-like sculptures longing down in hope to touch its visitors.

Many man-made tunnels joined the cave in various points. I always detested the idea of modern architecture invading the privacy of the best known architect, The Nature. Far away, a mystical fog out of nowhere caught me and paved a path to a huge ancient concert hall which had sculptures resembling a chocolate fountain with chocolate dripping all over it. It seemed like its sculptor had abandoned it a long ago.

At the end of the hall, stood an enormous gate bolted to the skin of the cave on either side which gave away my hope to see further more inside of it. I have heard that the cave was used by the Germans during Second World War to keep their aircraft fuels which was blown up afterwards. It was known that the fire burned for a week. Does that have something to do with the barred gates? Is it still holding any of the Nazi secrets? Or something else?

Post onja cave being famous for its “dragon babies”, have a record that some terrible dragon had its offsprings in the cave in the 17th century. The presence of olms, a transparent pale skinned amphibian with no eyes but very good at sensing prey and can also live up to 100 years, made the locals think that they were dragon babies.

The locals were afraid to be inside the cave years ago. The cave has the largest cave castle. The Predjama Castle, 800 years old Gothic castle has extensive secret passageways that nobody knew of since the last few years. So is the gate holding up the dragon babies or the passageways built in 1270s?

The walls exposed as much as they can to spread their story but still there is a sense of ‘secrets kept for ages’, in its very own breath which no one would ever want to reveal. Glazing at the gate, the tension between me and the cave rose as it hesitated to give away its best kept secret.

Illustration by Darshit Chavda

ARCHITECTURE INFLUENCING ENVIRONMENT

Rhea Chabbra | Vastu Kala Academy College of Architecture, New Delhi (GGSIPU)

Space is an entity with each having its own language. Space is a very powerful medium to reflect, express and cause a meaningful impact. An architect uses buildings as words, culture as punctuation with context as syntax to express a space’s narrative and reflect their own expression. An architect needs to be fluent in this dialect of space to reflect with clarity what the space wants to convey and what emotional response it wants to elicit.

“We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us,” as pointed out by Winston Churchill; While each space is diverse in terms of typologies- housing, institutional, commercial, recreational etc., there are deviations seen within the same typology. With this reference to the most basic, essential and universal need - a shelter. Be it a single storey rural housing; traditional housing such as Havelis, Deodis; urban housing with multi-storey apartments- all are same but different. Same through the function of providing shelter but different in terms of character, context and expression.

This paradigm of spaces gives character and sense of identity to a place- part or whole; of a city, town or village. This character is broadly segregated into rural and urban character. Urban character is highly influenced by rural character due to migration from rural to urban areas.

Illustration by Jayant Negi

Often people who migrate succumb to loneliness as one is surrounded by a sea of strangers while they are used to their closeknit community’s back home; while in cities, aloofness and seclusion are propagated. With this phenomenon of loneliness on the rise, many city designers are rethinking buildings, spaces; Introducing this new era of neuro architecture- integrating psychology with architecture to craft cities which enriches the experience by using science to justify good design, which facilitates the quality of the environment.

Preached by enriching public spaces, this may not banish loneliness from cities, but provide aid by making residents feel more engaged, comfortable with their surroundings, lower social stress and encourage rural-urban continuum.

Earlier, architects didn’t take into account how the human psyche would respond to the architectural environment. Highly driven to create something unique, it tends to override the considerations of how it might shape the behaviours of those who will live with it. Space

can either have a positive impact or a negative impact, overtly or subtly. This notion blended with a dash of drive to create something unique with a pinch of Adhoc decisions is a recipe for disaster and can cause negative impact on the psyche.

In the 1950s Pruitt-Igoe housing complex in America propagated wide open spaces between the blocks of modernist high-rises. This inadvertently discouraged a sense of community, stoking racial segregation and were eventually demolished in 1972. Even in India, with examples of Chandigarh, glass and concrete jungles of Noida and Gurgaon are exemplified where culture and people have been deemed irrelevant.

For people, a sense of navigation, however unrelated it may seem, is key in determining the picture painted of a city as perceived; through a combination of objective city image and subjective human thoughts.

As elucidated by Kevin Lynch through concepts of image ability and legibility, a mental map is created in the minds of those who experience that city; consisting of five elements- Paths, edges, district, nodes and landmarks which helps to create a sense of navigation, facilitates to respond with one’s peers and environment

positively. However, most detest the feeling disoriented or lost and unable to do something as simple as going from point A to point B. This often becomes frustrating and causes a negative impact; through a simple play of the triggers, indirect psychological responses and reflexes and can result in a broad perception of a city negatively.

This definition of environment can be subjective, with varying depths of realms. It may mean a built environment via buildings and spaces; However, could also mean a natural environment. With this concept of sustainability slowing gaining momentum and with incorporation of well lit, well ventilated populous areas instead of dark alleys and dead zones, well connected with nature and natural environments; acts as a mental balm.

Like God is the creator of this universe, of everything natural that exists; architects are cocreators of everything that exists in the name of buildings and manmade environment. With this great power lies great responsibility to balance both realms, it is a duty as sacred as the Hippocratic oath, to serve and to protect what one cherishes today while taking into account the wellbeing of people.

Illustration by Darshit Chavda

AUTOिजयोGRAPHY

Riddhima Gupte

FROM EVERY ARCHITECTURE STUDENT

What is it that keeps us up all night? A dream that we never woke up from?

A dream that we want to live over and over again? When a small cup of cappuccino and musical- melodic songs that are now our best friends? We choose this dream. Sitting at my work table, back straight, head up- sometimes the reverse- comfortable cushions became my strength and weakness at the same time.

The nights we spent sitting together and boosting each other to do our best. The nights with laughter, the nights with different emotions, different moods. Excited-confusedfrolic. The nights where 4am ‘Maggi’ made by the 5 of us tasted better than ever before. Or that one night (or many many nights) that got us those beautiful eye bags. The nights we curled ourselves up like sushi. The nights we sat by each other- spent that time crying over each other’s shoulders, those difficult times where our mind just decided to give up? That’s when your mom, your dad, your grandparents, your roommates, held onto you and said “it’s okay darling, things will get better”.

What about those nights, where working hours lasted for days together, but still followed by pinning up your folio together, wrapping up, wearing that crisp white shirt, polished black leather shoes, a high ponytail, a cup of cold milk (taken along with an antacid tablet)- black container along your back, rushing to say that one last prayer- bike keys in hand- helmet on your head- reporting time 8am- most awaited day of the semester. External jury day? Day followed by white shirts turning brown by lying down on the floor and last-minute rendering our Folio? “Aye give me your water color pallet once done” it gets better “do you have an extra file clip”. Hahaha. Aren’t these the days that people ask us to cherish? They say, these are

the days that will slip through your fingers and never come back.

This is my dream. A dream I never woke up from, because I never slept through it. A dream I lived. A dream I will always remember. So, here is a big thankyou to all of y’all who walked through this dream with me. Thank you for the best advice. Thank you for all the memories. Thank you for the late-night snack. Thank you for taking care of me when I was unwell. Thank you for all the impromptu drives to Lonavala. Thank you for the late-night walks. Thank you for letting me cry and wiping my tears. Thank you for a proxy. Thank you for bunking a lecture and watching ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ for the 100th time. Thank you for accompanying me at the ‘chai taapri’ and letting me have as many cream rolls, I wanted. Thank you for those nights where we sat together on a swing and spoke about life. Thank you for being you and letting me be me.

And now I have a drawer full of the memories we shared – selfies we took, in which we look like zombies. Unbathed zombies. This drawer is my dream. A dream I lived.

Illustration by Jatin Rawat

ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Evaluating the impact and influence of the existing technology on the shaping of the future city, and why technology is an irreplaceable asset

Samruddhi Shendurnikar

They say that the only thing constant in life, is change. This old verbiage can certainly hold true for the constantly evolving field of Architecture. Evolution in Architecture has not been restricted to just one arena. Indeed, unceasing changes in methodologies, ideas, even technologies have been invariable. Rather like gutting a dilapidated old structure, and erecting a spectacular new one in its place.

As an aspiring architect in the 21st century, who is just on the cusp of joining the profession, I can readily admit, technology has had a massive influence on how an architect plans a building. Methods that could previously be used only for documentation of an idea are now limitless, helping create an entire virtual building with all its intricate details, in the time it takes for

a pencil to be laboriously sharpened, or for an eraser to get rid of an errant line.

I, myself, have reaped the benefits of softwares like AutoCAD, Photoshop and SketchUP, staples today for any budding architect. What are these softwares, if not, advancements in technology?

Vitruvius, writing on the subject of Architecture had stated, “Architecture is a science arising out of many sciences and adorned with much and varied learning.”

He had also said that “an architect should be ingenious and adept in the acquisition of knowledge, a good writer, a skilled draftsman versed in geometry and optics, expert at figures, acquainted with history, informed of

the principles of natural and moral philosophy, somewhat of a musician, not ignorant of the sciences, both of law and physics, nor of the motions, law and relation to each other of the heavenly bodies.”

I confess to being ignorant about most of the things mentioned by Vitruvius. Even to an impartial observer, our profession seems to be a demanding one. It demands the best from us for every project we work on. The moral repercussions of what we do cannot be discounted. With all these formidable challenges facing us, we will always depend on ever changing technology to make our lives easier.

Architecture does not just involve planning, designing is a huge part of the practice too. And designing, being a creative process, involves a certain amount of going back and forth. Today one click of the mouse and you can Undo or Redo any changes you’ve made. It’s the easiest form of time travel, achievable without breaking a sweat. On the rare occasions I have dragged out my Drafting Arm, the simplest mistake or change in design has involved copious amounts of tears being shed and several vigorously used erasers.

This is not the only way in which technology has made life simpler. Documenting an existing building is something we often have to do. For this purpose, a tape measure is often the

most dependable tool available. The handling of a tape measure is never a single person’s job. While you hold onto one end, the other end has to be placed in the hands of a trusted classmate/friend with solemn admonishments of ‘Hold it straight!’ And if ever your friend lets go of her end, you are doomed. The sharp steel edge of the tape measure reverts back to you at once, with lamentable quickness, to collide painfully with your knuckles. Today, however, there are Infrared scanners, depth sensing cameras and various other softwares that have reduced the long and sedulous process of surveying to a fraction of its original time.

Previously, Shade and Shadow analysis of a site would involve camping out on the site for a day equipped with caps, umbrellas and Glucon D. But now, shadow projection tools available in many 3D modeling programs like SketchUP and Revit have ensured that this job is done much more quickly and efficiently.

For the longest time, our creativity has been hampered by the simple reason of being unable to put our thoughts coherently onto paper. Softwares like Rhino and Revit have made this transition from 2D to 3D infinitely smoother. No more aligning set squares and T-squares! We work smart now.

There is a saying that necessity is the mother of invention. This explains then how Architecture influences technology and vice-versa. To

avoid any stagnancy in our profession, we are beholden to technological development. As service providers, architects must be cognizant of the inevitable changes coming in the future, which will bring with them the need for newer technologies, surpassing the current versions and counteracting their present inadequacies.

One of the biggest issues we are dealing with today is Climate change. We can no longer brush this subject off as “our grandchildren’s problem”. Our ever increasing population

and generally cavalier attitude towards the environment has ensured that this is very much our problem! 40% of CO2 emissions come from buildings. This percentage outstrips both the transportation and industrial sectors of society. So finding ways to make our buildings greener is something we need to do, and softwares like Green Wizard and Green Grade have been developed for this very purpose.

This past year floods in India led to widespread destruction of property. Several people lost their lives trapped beneath the debris of collapsed buildings. Our conventional building methods are simply unable to withstand such unexpected disasters, which will only become more frequent in the coming times. There is a need for technological support that will help us determine the extreme pressures any building can face, during natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons, floods etc. without collapsing imminently. By determining the pressure points, or rather ‘weak points’ of a

structure during specific natural phenomenons, we can work towards strengthening them, preparing for inescapable calamities coming in the near future. Building aesthetically pleasing buildings, using technology, is not the ultimate aim. The scope of technology is much larger. Making our lives easier, more obsolete of harm or risk is the goal.

To focus on a more current issue, the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic has just proven to us our fallacies as humans. We cannot deny that technology can certainly help us make our homes much more self-sufficient and adaptable. Of course, it is technology that ensures architects can keep on working despite being spread out all over the world (and architecture students can keep up with their everlasting submissions much to their dismay!).

We need all the help we can get. Norman Foster had once said, as an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown, but with the help of technology we can create our future, thus shaping the unknown. I will conclude with quoting William Arthur Ward, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” Technology has the power to turn our wildest dreams into reality. The sky for young architects today, is indeed the limit.

References: Translated version of De architectura via Project Gutenberg

Photograph by Saurav Gaur

Illustration by author

Illustration by author

THE BURNT BRUNT OF A WOMAN

S. Kirth

The field of architecture greatly depends on a person’s ability to multitask. It is indeed a known fact that women are no strangers to multitasking. Despite the fact that men too can multitask, it is not as natural and instinctual as it is to women as men need to cultivate some practices to achieve it. An instinctual behavior of multitasking has the ability to pave the way to a more evolved architectural community.

Architecture is a field where brutal conclusions are never to be taken. This has been remedied by following a set of processes - to be observed, analyzed, understood, designed, altered and finally arrived at a conclusion. These are always done in a comprehensive manner. The conclusions are always drawn from the bigger picture. Yet, a complete satisfaction is never

achieved. This issue can be solved when a woman’s mind is adopted.

The common nature of women is to spend less time in admiring the beauty and more time in pondering around the tiny little flaws. The word that encompasses a woman’s mind during these circumstances is “HOW”. The gears start rotating around how it occurred, how to rectify, how to preserve its beauty, how it impacts and finally how to reach the state of acceptance.

A flowchart is framed in their minds faster than any computer and gives an ultimate result. These results may either be positive or negative and may have from negligible to immense impacts. But, the case of zero impact has a probability of zero.

This is possible due to the multitasking ability that has been bestowed upon women. When presented with a situation, the various parts of the brain synchronously act and result in the best and feasible outcome.

Many voices are raised against ugly architecture claiming that it is devoid of meaning, history and culture. This issue can be overcome and a change can easily be brought about, when one considers from a woman’ view. This is due to the fact that the need for attachment has been deeply rooted in women’s minds.

The emotions are expressed more freely by them when compared to the other gender. This enables the woman to make changes without removing the necessary aspects in a design that maintains the essence. The roots of the need for attachment and expression of emotions in women, which stems from the biological necessity to provide and protect their young ones, can be easily branched out for various purposes which might provide an essenceful and evolved architecture as a solution to ugly architecture.

A sea of questions may arise as to why this evolution hasn’t yet taken place or as to why no such works have been recognized. A woman is a person who believes in the concept of ‘the wisdom of the crowd’. This is due to the fact that this concept has been proved to be a fool proof method throughout the course of time. Hence they prefer to be a roman while they are in Rome. This is also due to a reason described earlier called ‘Instinct’, the biological need to be one among the group to compensate for their lack of brute strength.

On the contrary, men overpower women by having the ability to stand alone and be detached, which is once again purely instinctual to ensure survival. This makes it easier for them to bring about changes.

Despite the women’s ability to multitask and the above mentioned aspects to be used for greater good, they do bring about mental and physical toll to their body. It is indeed true that men and women are from Mars and Venus respectively. Though they have the same systems, they certainly are different from one

Illustration by Darshit Chavda

another. For instance, lack of sleep is a very common situation in the architectural field. It is easy for men to compensate for the lack of sleep by sleeping at any available time, but it is not possible for women. Unlike men, women can easily adhere to the life of monotony. It is never so simple to break out of it, as women are convinced to view monotony as order. This provides them hardships to adapt to a new sleep-wake cycle. This may result in decrease or increase in their body weight as the sleep-wake cycle has an impact on their dietary habits which may further lead to other nutritional issues. There are also times when their sleeping postures get affected leading to body pain. A posture induced pain in men can rather be temporary unlike in women, which always brings a nagging impact in the future.

Though many similar circumstances and issues can be cited, it is sufficing to note that the work and efforts put forth are equal, the impact is always partial. Despite these impacts, women carry the brunt of odds in the society, merely due to their love towards this field and a hope for due recognition. They shall face these hardships time and again, simply because they like it as they have a burning need and desire to do it.

Kalaakriti - Photograph by Vaibhav Kumar

Photograph by Kiran Binani

How are architects portrayed in movies?

You see buildings in movies? That’s us. What else do you want?

Jatin

Ted Mosby, HIMYM.

Anushreya

Haven’t seen many movies with architects in the lead role. Maybe it’s time to change that!

Achirava

What are architecture students like?

Friendly zombies

Jatin

Raddi wale (scrap dealers)

Lovejit

We have stronger feelings for our stationery than we do for people at times.

Shreya

Why do architects wear black?

What is the meaning of concept?

How to sustain without sleep for a week?

Why do architecture students drop out?

It’s not easy being a zombie.

Jatin

Ok, we drop out because, in order to fully commit to architecture, you have to sell your soul to it, JK. It’s probably because it can be draining at times.

Mayank

So that they can finally sleep.

Anushreya

Why don’t architecture students sleep?

We are vampires who feast on the blood of innocents and then use that for creativity, JK. Too much work, less time.

Mayank

Because good designs strike at 3 AM (obviously)

Dipti

(Me - Oh, I am done with the sheet. I will sleep now. *Sees the clock* - 5: 37 A.M.) happens x 100 times. Maybe we just don’t have a good sense of time? Or, we just really love the last-minute hard work!

Shreya

POST-PANDEMIC ARCHITECTURE

The novel coronavirus has paused our lives for a few months now. Students, daily wagers, migrant workers, professionals, politicians etc. are all under lockdown around the world. This has started a new pattern among people that is, work from home and learn from home. As people are staying inside their homes, our economy is already at stake. So it is very evident that the world post-pandemic will witness drastic changes. Also the field of architecture and construction will face various challenges. As a student pursuing architecture, here are some of the possible changes in architecture post the pandemic and lockdown.

1. Possible changes in residential design

• Coronavirus survives only for a less time when exposed to open spaces. This insists

on creating residential spaces or even public spaces with a lot more open areas than before. Open spaces at homes can include outdoor decks, kitchen garden, open exercise spaces, terraces, balconies, alfresco and many more. Increasing the number of windows and their sizes can also help in circulating the air inside homes.

• Foyer or an entrance will be essential in every home. A small cubicle to contain sanitisers or a wash area with soap can be included. This disinfectant cubicle can prevent germs from entering the home.

• Reducing the number of walls can make a big difference in housing. Lesser the walls, lesser the chance of getting touched and hence reducing the number of germs.

Georgopol - Illustration by Kartik Khokhar

Using antibacterial paints is also a good option.

• As the requirement for people to be extra concerned about cleanliness increases, a large requirement for water also comes into picture. This means people will start using plenty of water on an everyday basis. We will use water to wash hands, hot water to wash vegetables/ fruits, cleaning the home and also for disinfecting. Hence an exclusive water recycle system can be installed in homes. The wash basins that are used for washing vegetables, kitchen water can be connected to an outlet to the garden. This can be sent to the plants in the form of drip irrigation. The water used for washing hands can be used for the water in flushes.

• Separate wash areas in front of infant rooms and storage spaces to keep disinfectants near these rooms is essential. So before anyone lifts the baby, make sure they are clean and germ free. This also applies to the space where elderly people are staying.

2. Automated doors for public places

• The coronavirus has given a major setback to public gatherings, commercial places and crowds. Malls, schools, colleges, offices, corporate buildings, markets are examples of places where a large number of people gather. Enabling automated doors in these places can reduce germs spreading through touching door handles. Taps with sensors can do a great contribution in controlling germs. Arranging

seats at safe distances in hospitals, making the waiting halls spacious enough for air to circulate can be useful. Public transports can improve facilities by adding sanitation cabins and changing seat arrangements on the inside.

• Lifts and elevators can also have voice control options to operate. This reduces the number of people touching the buttons to operate. Thermal detectors can be used in entrances as precautions. Queue lines can be controlled in cinema halls with false walls instead of just the railings. Private cabin with temporary walls in restaurants and offices will be helpful.

3. Solutions for airports and flights

• The major spread of the coronavirus happened when people from different parts of the world travelled to other places. So the right precautions must be taken to reduce risks in airports and flights. The waiting lounges in airports can be built in such a way that the seats are far enough from each other. In between these extra spaces, newsstands and greenery can be placed. Adding more windows and ventilators can be of great use.

• Before check-in, an individual sanitation for every passenger can be carried out. After the pandemic sanitation and cleanliness will be as important as checking the passengers. Before checking the baggage, they can be sprayed with a disinfectant.

• The duty paid shops in airports can attract people. A safe distance between each shop is essential. Instead of arranging shops side by side, the arrangement can be made opposite to each other. The space created in between can be used for seating/resting or even for greenery.

• Whenever a passenger enters the airport, they can be advised to sanitise themselves. This can be done both in the entrance of the airport and also inside the planes. Flights can carry or provide a separate sanitation point just like galleries that contain food. After every journey the flight can be easily disinfected with the supplies in the flight. Flight attendees can

insist passengers to stay sanitised throughout the journey.

4. Work from home & home schooling/ college

• This has become the major challenge for everyone right now. Educational institutions and universities are looking for numerous ways to resume with academics. They are trying to conduct online lessons, exams and tests to cope up with the lockdown. Children are missing out of regular school and are settling for home schooling. This brings in a new addition to arrangement of spaces at home. It is important that children and students have a separate space (other than their own bedrooms) to attend school/college from home. This will initiate them to stay attentive and also give productive results.

• This study space cannot contain beds, a fridge, television or anything that can distract students. They can have enough windows to allow light and ventilation. A proper study table, book shelf, computer desks for assistance. A space where parents sit to monitor or allow the home tutor to sit can be added.

• Work space at homes is not common in the present construction. It was part of the plan only when the client required it. However, it might become a necessity in the post-pandemic days. In today’s world, the earning/working member of the family is not just one person. So having at least one proper workspace at home can help in times such as lockdown. Such spaces can prevent kids from disturbing the working time.

• This workspace should have a computer desk, good lighting (both in daytime and night time) and sitting spaces/sofa. A coffee table or refreshments corner can make this space perfect. Also placing this space next to the kitchen can be of great help for people who also need to cook.

5. Community gardens & temporary shelters

• Every street or community can develop a

The 21st century pandemic experience - Illustration by Greeshmika Nagubilli

community garden. This can grow vegetables, fruits or flowering plants/shrubs/trees. Nowadays buying vegetables for daily needs has become difficult. The same goes for milk and other FMCG goods. So when each community has a garden, the produce obtained from the garden can be divided amongst its people.

• In times of need, this community garden can have some free space where the homeless can be accommodated. Temporary shelters, tents can be set in these free spaces for the homeless near the neighbourhood/community. Local parks, mandaps and meeting halls can be developed so that they can be converted as temporary shelters in times of need.

• Roof garden or kitchen garden in homes can also be created to plant required vegetables or fruits. This will be of great help in times of lockdown. Also these vegetables are directly taken from the garden unlike the market vegetables that travel from different places. Trends that will become popular after the pandemic

• Minimalism will be the new sustainability. Every design that is developed will shift to minimalism. That is because intricate designs and details attract a lot more efforts to clean.

• Product design will become popular. With increased demands for automated doors, sensor devices, voice control devices etc, product design will see a good scope in the future.

• Light weight and washable furniture will be preferred by people. This will help in keeping the home clean and it also eases cleaning.

• The general wards in hospitals will become more secure than it is now. False walls can be installed in between each bed.

• A surge in the textile industry is expected to happen. PPEs, masks, protective clothing for municipal workers etc will become important. On an ending note, the inevitable reality after the lockdown is the decline in the economy. As the construction fraternity, we can opt for natural and cheap building materials. This includes bamboo over steel, lime over cement and sun dried bricks over bricks. Opportunities for new construction materials like plastic waste blocks, agro blocks, cloth panels, reclaimed timber etc will increase. Cheap constructing methods like stone cladding, converting containers to homes will attract clients. People will look out for alternatives to cut down transportation costs and go for low budget construction.

This does pose a big challenge for the construction and architecture fraternity. However, it will open up opportunities for fresh design ideas, newcomers will be welcomed and sustainability will get a new meaning. Also a lot of employment options can be expected post the pandemic and this current lockdown. Considering sustainable and cheap alternatives along the way and young talented designers can take the architecture fraternity a long way.

Eiffel Tower - Photograph by Abhijit R Aiyer

ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN INDIA:

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

WWW.NASAINDIA.CO

“A spider conducts operations that resemble those of a weaver, and a bee puts to shame many an architect in the construction of her cells. But what distinguishes the worst architect from the best of bees is this, that the architect raises his structure in imagination before he erects it in reality.”

- Karl Marx, Capital: Volume One

The evolution of architectural education is a relatively new phenomenon demanding a different approach and pedagogy. The pedagogy requires the issue of a distinct cultural identity and the blend of tradition and modern aspiration to be integrally woven into the educational philosophy.

The current architectural education in India is struggling to keep up with the rapidly developing and changing world.

There is an urgent need to introduce, compare and discuss the meaning of alternative architectural education platforms between the political, economic and cultural spheres of society for the present and the future.

Architectural Pedagogy in India: Historical brief

“Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction. Pedagogy is also occasionally referred to as the correct use of instructive strategies. Effective learning results from quality pedagogy and this is a thorough and lasting acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and values the teacher or the institution has set out to impart.” (Felder and Brent, 1999)

Before architectural

formal setting in the 17th century in Europe, it was taught under the guidance of great masters. The new formal institution that were set up were fashioned after the BeauxArts tradition and the Bauhaus also referred to as the European and American model of architectural education. Each school came up with their own identity for design as a tool to tackle ‘micro’ to ‘macro’ level problems, based on the concurrent trends, social and economical aspects.

The various educational, socio-economical, socio-political, cultural, environmental and technological transformations that occurred in the western world much before are also causing changes in the fabric of India. These changes urgently require that architectural pedagogy as an education system needs to reconsider its purpose to align itself to these changes.

To some extent, although not substantial, there have been efforts to introduce more inclusive and collaborative pedagogical approaches in architectural education. There

have been several attempts to reexamine and reconfigure the structure of the curriculum and how knowledge is delivered.

With the advancement in technology and other fields connected to architecture, architecture has become more demanding, thus, requiring mobilization of diverse skills for its accomplishment.

Unlike the older times when the master builders used to supervise the complete projects, architects have now become confined to just designing buildings. To meet the vast evolution, there has been an emergence of other specialist professions. The problems inherent in the education sector of architecture are related to these developments and in particular the capability of architectural education to adjust to new demands in the profession.

The prevalence of engineering and medicine as careers also makes it harder for architecture to emerge as a career. Most people are either not aware of it, or if they are, it is not their first choice as a career preference.

Photograph by Panchal Harshil N.

Some pertinent questions thus arise: What changes and developments in architectural pedagogy will best meet the needs of the profession? How will it support the aspirations of the growing society and irreversible changes?

It can be mentioned that India focuses more on urban development (which is mostly privatized) and not on rural development (which is under government). Architecture colleges need to teach students the importance of rural development as well. This can be compared to how medical students have to work one year in a rural area.

Re-examining the Curriculum

In today’s time, architectural education exhibits an inadequacy to deal with the emerging urban and rural problems. Architecture

undergraduates spend almost half of their student life in the design studio but what is taught is very different from what is being practised in the real world. In professional practice, the capability of an architect in leading the other professionals involved has been challenged in recent times. This is because most of the college curriculum emphasizes on design and technological subjects often ignoring the importance of nonarchitectural subjects which prepare students for managerial roles.

The success of the curriculum largely depends on its implementation and execution.

Architect-educators play the principal role in this. It is essential for them to be aware of the educational aims of the programme that they are entrusted with. This needs a combination of knowledge, subject methodology and psychology of learning. There is insufficiency in

the number of trained architects as architecteducators which results in students getting deprived of teaching resources and facilities. Although the trend of graduates going into the field of teaching has increased over the years, it still remains low when compared to other courses.

The way and concept of design is different for every individual design teacher. Each teacher has his/her own belief and methods of teaching design. Due to this, there is diversity in methods of teaching and contents in different schools and sometimes within the same department, leaving students confused.

Another issue is the inability of architectural education to grow along with the changing socio-economic situations of the country. The dynamic changes in the socio-economic order of the country at the beginning of the century has placed before an architecture student many options for his/her professional career.

For example, an architect has a definite role to play in rural development or in providing solutions to urban problems such as environmental pollution, social housing, lack of space due to population explosion. Architectural education is under increasing pressure to meet the demands of an evolving construction industry. It must cater to the increasingly varied career requirements that are emerging in the field.

The future of architectural education in India

Since the central issue in architecture is the quality of human habitat, one of the goals of architectural education should be directed towards the fulfilment of attaining a humane and responsive built environment. Architectural education is, therefore, an integral tool in sustaining both mental and physical health, and productivity of inhabitants. To achieve this, architectural education must -

1. Teach students the knowledge and skills to understand the psychology of humans and to identify the nature of human problems in their built environment.

2. Increase their knowledge base of various fields related to architecture while also focusing on their creativity.

3. Increase and foster their interest, motivation and dedication to work towards the improvement of the human environment.

4. Teach students to be able to respond and adapt readily to changes in the field of architecture.

Will Hunter, the founder of London school of architecture, stated that, “Architectural education should be a type of supported ‘proto-practice’, and the educational structures should reflect these new ways of working”. This means that while reinventing architectural education to align with the present time, we should ensure that it should be a symbiotic network, one that not only includes architect-educators but also a range of expert consultants emphasizing on different disciplines enabling students to shine in their professional careers.

Small but fast changes have to be made in the domain for architecture to reach the place it deserves to be.

References

McMurrin, S.M. (1968) On the Meaning of Philosophy of Education, Monist

Colomina, B. (2012) The Architectural Review

Hunter, W. The Architectural Review

Salama, A. (1995) New Trends in Architectural Education

Illustration by Darshit Chavda

Gardens by the Bay - Photograph by Adelin Rebecca

ART RELIGION

CULTURE HISTORY INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY EASE CLIMATE

HOPE UTILITY REGION EFFICIENY

Makhija | School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal

“Social science means inventing a brand of human we can understand.”

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a pantomath in the trade of societal analysis. Before diving into the current Bauhaus curriculum of architecture, we need to understand the subject interwoven with each thread of our course and one of the most expansive discipline taught in our high schools.

Social science with its various branches of geography, history, civics and economics forms the root of architectural education. And India is a country that experiences a heterogeneity of climates and peculiarly diverse yet challenging landforms. The snowy Himalayan ranges or the marshy coastal plains, the western deserts or the Konkani beaches; each one is wholly

divergent from the other. The land and its people have a boundless connection.

There are over 700 tribes following the terrains and at least nine different religions thrive in the country, localising large regions and yet, dispersed all over the nation. One would be called lucky to catch even a glimpse of the contents of the envelope.

It is a back-breaking task to study this enormous variety within a time frame of 4-5 years and with a curriculum like ours, we explore only a hint of it. One cannot simply learn architecture confined in a classroom, to understand the people we have to analyse their way of living and their needs, wants and desires. Maslow’s pyramid of the hierarchy of needs has to be observed for each place mapping this country.

But the people don’t just vary in the current timeline. The homeland has just as rich a history, a rather complicated cultural heritage to line the framework of ‘Incredible India’. Disregarding the past will only lead us to produce a poorly copied version of the western world. We have to realise the future isn’t a techno-themed party. The need of the hour is to keep up the legacy of our diversity, not lose the very essence of the sundry state. In our hands lies, the ability to provide a safe secure home to our future generations.

Maslow’s Pyramid

We need time, patience, effort and a side of human labour too, to dive in thoroughly into this field. The course can be based on the theory of critical regionalism. Kenneth Frampton lit the way of a progressive architectural education with his essay, “Towards a Critical Regionalism” in 1983. The key guiding factors being climate, culture and natural forms, Kenneth Frampton’s theory resists both, the blind use of the vernacular and the technology, offering a cohesive utilisation of all available resources to build a smart yet selective environment . The below-mentioned points dictate the theory of revolutionising contemporary architecture. But to be able to learn all of this, the rigid positioning of a necessity to be in the university all the time has to be omitted. We need to work with a variety of people throughout our profession and we must be adaptive to change, people’s behaviours, peculiar environments

etc. A semester of theoretical knowledge gives us so much to not do anything with. Since the second semester is usually lighter on the classes anyway, they can be made into weekly online courses to be taken as per a choicebased and credit-based system, choosing not from a large variety but grouped choicesclassified under-culture, climate, material and technology.

An interactive heuristic approach can be added along with the online course. Students of architecture shuffled with a group of engineers, artists, economists can come up with a realtime project in a city site, catering the current demands. Studios could turn into collaborative coworking spaces. In this way, our sensitivity towards the users would increase and hence our learning efficiency. It would also give us a better perspective of budget constraints and the crux of actual site problems.

We do not have to exclusively demark a semester for the practical work either, nor do we always have to spill the budget over travel and stay expenses. An intensive role of technology comes in play here. A stimulus of varying places and people combined with office and client pressure can be generated in an app, where real-life site problems and client demands reach the students and they can be scored based on innovative skills and efficiency in the time limited for the completion of each project.

To understand the economics of this trade, we need to know the extant status of each field. There is a high demand for architects in our rising country, there’s also a plethora of their service available. The good news is architecture is no longer limited to constructing buildings. The field is expanding its horizons into studio designing, website designing, journalism etc. We need to gather the know-how of the latest technology and the varying applications of architecture to be at the top of our game. Regular seminars with experts from varying fields and online webinars by the leading competitive sites should be a constant part of the schedule to keep up the motivation.

Mani

We need more time-based problems and competitive spirit race the changing times. Online architectural and design competitions could be a part of the curriculum itself. As many students participate in these competitions anyway, adding them to the curriculum would give the students a sense of time management and multi-tasking and give them an incentive to be attached to the task.

As a field, of course, we’re lacking behind in the sector of innovation and technology. 3D printing has taken over the western market, being used in construction in mass production all across. Only one of our nation’s college has introduced the technology and quite recently as well. Artificial Intelligence doesn’t even circle in the Venn diagram of our approach. We need to invest in the current education, to make India a current affair of the world. Absurd and eccentric approaches should not be rejected without a second look.

We need to believe in the young minds we’re cultivating, allow them to expand their horizons in the directions that appeal to their beliefs.

An extract of Frampton’s book

THE TALE OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN INDIA

“Too many students — and architects — think they will change the world by simply dropping their icons and monuments on the land.”

was an orderly chaos, but one that I found a place in.

- Edson Cabalfin

I was no different.

I grew up marvelling at the world’s signature buildings - the seven wonders, the tallest skyscrapers, and the most extraordinary homes. Hoping to be a part of this wonder of architecture, I decided to become an architect.

At architecture school, my thinking about the profession and design was continuously contested and rewritten. My batchmates, who came from different backgrounds had developed a diverse range of interests, and wanted different things from the profession. It

Unlike colleges where my non-architect friends had gone off to, I did not just study subjects, but designed solutions to offer. Reading and researching were not extracurricular activities, but interwoven with the project at hand. My first project - the design of a small kiosk in a bustling area in the city was a stagewise process from conceptualization to realisation. My professors questioned and guided me through each of them. Through these projects, I learnt how to think and question things.

The coming semesters had me juggling between classes and construction sites. It took me some time, but I started to see how the pages of my lecture notes turned

into designed environments. I also started reading about things I found interesting - not always architectural. I ventured into worldly philosophies, and absurd technicalities. Never did I feel that I was investing my time in something that wouldn’t add up to something wonderful.

As projects became more complex in successive semesters, we were allowed to collaborate. Here, my notion of architecture being an individualistic expression changed to being a collective footprint. I was often not thinking on the same lines as my team, and it led to arguments, but I learnt to appreciate their ideas; to question myself when it came to designing for people.

Working on a variety of projects familiarised me with the several specialisations in architecture, and I eventually realised that I would like to dwell deeper into learning about architecture in relation to the environment. Soon, I began compiling my work, being introspective as I noted the progress we had made with every project, and how our worldly perspective had broadened and narrowed down with specialisation.

Initially, I was apprehensive of my own skills and thinking while choosing to intern at a small studio. The directors recognised me for who I was, with my biggest skill turning out to be my ability to collaborate with everyone, yet question their advice at the same time. I was not the one who knew most commands on CAD but I knew who to go to when I needed it.

In my time off from the studio, I interacted with people as I travelled. It was an extroversion that helped me explore individuality and expression. I was one of them, and yet, as a professional, I was but a medium for them to manifest

their ideas. I accepted my sensitisation to people and communities. For me, it wasn’t just architecture and its interaction with the physical environment, but an environment that comprised of the living as well.

Picking up issues prevalent to the world and resolving to cater to them through design, our batch came together for the muchanticipated dissertation and the architectural thesis. Collaborating yet again and working on the project through multifaceted approaches, the problem’s complexity was realised better and worked on effectively. Through a direct interaction with people and agencies, we learnt not to impose our own values as viable solutions, but adhere to the communities’. The end solution was developed further through criticism by several juries and thereafter proposed to relevant agencies. Architecture became, and was realised through a collective.

Today, I am not afraid to venture into the world since I’ve been it for all this while. I am also not alone. Together, we’re a collective of young designers with a tenacity to change the world for the better. We’re not insecure for jobs, or trends in the market, since we design our own projects based on our sensitivity to the world. We’re not afraid of experimenting and innovating, but know when to not overexperiment. We are not hosts to a moment in the grand scheme of architecture, but a movement that will outlast any other, the movement for the world.

“For genuine change to occur in architecture education and architecture, we all need to work together—schools, students, teachers, administrators, professional organizations, institutions, users and clients. Architecture that empowers and emancipates people, and instigates positive change in the future is not something that will happen by chance. We cannot leave the betterment of our world to chance. The future lies in all of our hands. We need to change now.”

- Edson Cabalfin

Gunraagh Singh Talwar | School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal

however, does not involve any solutions that are bound by physical constraints including but not limited to finances and availability of resources by schools of architecture. By proposing a simple metaphysical iteration, the proposed system aims to revolutionise the existing educational system by instigating a collaborative aspect in design.

REFERENCES

The current architectural education methodology involves students participating in increasingly complex design projects under a time constraint allowing for their development as architects as isolated professionals, much like Corbusier and other high modernists from a bygone era. With their own ambitions and design ideals, these young designers look for employment opportunities and seek to climb up the professional ladder to realise their own dream projects. The authors condemn the education system for this methodology, and propose a counteractive methodology through the personified narrative above.

The narrative contrasts known facts about the contemporary architectural education and professional scenario with an ideal system that might seem too ideal at first glance. The system,

• Cabalfin, Edson - Paradigm shift - A Manifesto Towards Architecture that is Inclusive, Humane, and Empowering. (http://www. academia.edu/17982829/_Paradigm_Shift_A_ Manifesto_Towards_an_Architecture_that_is_ Inclusive_Humane_and_Empowering_)

• Benninger, Christopher Charles - Letters to a Young Architect, Create Space 2011

• Bhagwat, Aniket - Architecture in Interesting Times (http://www.landscapeindia.net/ architecture-in-interesting-times/)

• Outram, Christine - Why I Left the Architecture Profession (https://www.archdaily. com/440358/why-i-left-the-architectureprofession)

IMPROVIZING ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN INDIA

Khanter | Sinhgad College of Architecture

Architectural education in India has been in a very shoddy state for a very long time. Both, the wayarchitecture is taught and the content that is taught needs major revamp. The content which is taught hasn’t changed much since the last 10 to 15 years. Bachelor of Architecture is generally for up to 5 years which includes 10 semesters. Students embrace their academic life learning basic concepts of architecture in their starting semesters eventually climbing up the ladder learning the skills and understanding the nuances of the field. Each semester compulsorily involves a design undertaking where students delve into designing studio projects like hotels, schools, hospitals, houses, airports

and stations, museums etc. The level of design is often co-related to the level of knowledge he has gained from other technical subjects which he implicates in the design. This pattern often results in an incomplete output of designs which are limited to plans, elevations and visual representations. If asked about how they would go about doing the same project in practicality, the majority of students lacked the knowledge of how they would achieve the desired result. Limited industrial exposure, irrelevant and outdated theory, weak institutional infrastructure and below par standards of faculty and teaching may be some of the reasons to blame for. Instead of instilling a sense of curiosity and

intellect, most of the students’ academic life is lost in doing unwanted and repetitive submissions which are hand drafted and time-consuming. So the real question is that, why does this dire situation arise and what needs to be done to change this discouraging state of education?

Following points describe the subjects of the problems while also criticising and pointing out solutions which the COA might consider and bring about some necessary changes to improve the state of architecture education.

1) Pre- Architecture Requirements :

The eligibility criteria for admission into architecture requires a student to be from a science stream. This may be an unfair rule where students from commerce and arts are left out due to lack of skill or knowledge about a certain subject (particularly maths in most cases). An upgrade of the NATA syllabus is needed wherein equal importance is given to all subjects and hence no students are left out. Though drawing and artistic skills may be a prerequisite, a standardised pattern for NATA throughout the country is required which involves subjects from all three streamsArts, Commerce & Science.

2) Academics :

Though the present system inculcates in students the basics of every aspect of architecture, it fails to instil in them an appetite for curiosity and learning. Architecture is a field driven by passion. If passion and curiosity are missing, then the system fails in producing excellent architects with outstanding levels of knowledge and stature. It is necessary to bring about a drastic change not only in the system but also with the perspective of everyone involved. Instead of making

students do three to four different design projects, let them focus on one, but in detail. Students should be made to ask questions regarding why, how, and what they want to achieve in their design rather than just hastily presenting rendered plans, elevations and other architectural details.

Also, faculties might even help students understand a design project if they themselves take up a design project along with students. This will not only help students get another perspective but also help them understand the entire process involved in a project.

3) Compulsory Tie-up with Industries :

Lack of industry exposure and technical knowledge is the strongest point students of architecture point out that is missing in their education. With 250 schools coming up, COA must make it compulsory for all existing as well as upcoming schools to have tie-ups with construction industries and firms which can impart real education and hands-on experiences to them that is practised in today’s construction market. Imagine the amount of curiosity for learning that will arise if students learn to design, calculate and cast a slab on-site instead of learning it inside ‘closed walls.’

4) Introduction of New Subjects :

Instead of just teaching the traditional Architectural subjects like Design, building technology and materials etc, the architectural syllabus must also include in detail the following subjects:

• Social sciences

• Psychology

• Human Resources and Management

• Economics and Finance

Darshan

• Law and Policies

• Analysis and Writing

• Technical Communication

• Current affairs

• Environment and Responsible Architecture

• Software and Digital Presentations

Practising architects not only deal with design and construction but also manage project finances, deal with labour agencies and Human Resources, comply with legal issues and policies, negotiate with vendors and marketing agencies as well as with clients. In order to improve the quality of education and standards of graduating architects, the education system must not only impart technical knowledge but also look at the overall personality development of students.

5) Internship Period to be Extended :

Most of the architecture students who have undergone their compulsory internship program feel that the ‘first-semester’ internship is not quite enough to fully achieve the intent of such an undertaking. Most students cite that it very difficult as most of the projects they worked on would

take more than 6 months and hence the first semester of the internship is not enough to fully keeptrack of the project and learn the nuances of the trade. Increase in the internship period from 1semester (6 months) to 2 semesters (1 full year) will help the students in gaining enough knowledge and experience and fulfilling the intended purpose of an “internship.”

6) Update the Syllabus every 5 years

Keeping in mind the current trends in the architectural paradigms, architectural education needs to be revised/upgraded as per the current requirements that suit the needs of the students.

In order for India to be a superpower and a global giant, we need to heavily invest in our education systems. Improving the quality of education and learning for architecture as well as other STEM fields will help our country produce a strong intellectual diaspora that can be used for nation building. Inspiring young students into research and science will enable us to smartly tackle the issues of the 21st century. What the architectural education needs right now is a strong impetus in the right direction that will lead us to be smart and well-prepared architects of tomorrow.

REVIVAL THROUGH EDUCATION

Parnavi Habde , Janhavi Rajwade and Dnyaneshwari Khatavkar | Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women

A Thousand ants, each walking alone

Lifting the sugar, eating alone

Finding the path, wandering alone

Facing the difficulties, at times getting blown!

Alone they walk and work for hours

But building a home, alone they can’t

For the betterment of all, the decision is ours

To be a team or a single ant!

Architecture all around the world has been rapidly changing and evolving from the last two decades. The profession has seen a major shift in modus operandi from a community-based profession and teamwork to individual technicians and managers who design buildings. And most importantly, the architectural education imparted across our country is not belittling to the current scenario. It is essentially modelled on Bauhaus that in 2019 will complete a century. The Gurukul system in India and guilds of architects and artists are long gone and we still follow the educational pattern that the British left behind after independence. A paradigm shift in our approach to architectural education is inevitable.

During the last decade, India has seen growth in the number of institutions imparting architectural education from less than 100 to about 450 institutions. The ever-present problems of population and resource distribution that plague our nation also burden our current system of education. Population pressure hinders the certainty of quality control, while lack of resources forces compromises. It is now necessary, more than ever before, to review and revise the core system of Architectural education to equip students with the knowledge and skills essential to cope with the changing trends of the present times, It is now time to Bridge the Gap between the field and the college.

The nation-wide exhibition of Death of architecture this year, has moved our eyes towards the ticking clock and has tried to create awareness in the society regarding the harsh reality. The roots lie in the education system. Hence, let us look at this as a revival rather than an end to nudge, to provoke, to question. We do not wish to see the death of Architecture

and hence, need to strengthen the roots itself and provide nutrition to the sapling rather than providing support to the tree.

In a country like India, with such a vast cultural, social, historical and geographical diversity the solution lies in understanding the needs of the people of all strata and being sensitive and creative enough, backed by the technological advancement in the country. Along with this, a major change in the current syllabus is necessary which is proposed herein.

From a compulsory year course to a 3-phase education of 6 years.

As a solution, the programme in Architecture be increased to SIX years but divided into

THREE segments each of TWO years duration:

a. First 2 years will be devoted to drawing and drafting skills, Software skills, and basics of Building Technology and Services (BTS). After this, the students can step out with a Diploma in Architecture and can work with an architect. This will not only enable them to earn but also over-whelming participation from all economic backgrounds will be seen making education affordable.

b. Continuing for 2 more years, where they will be taught Designing Advanced BTS and Professional Practice sessions and an internship for 6 months at the end of 4 years. With this Student will gain a degree of B.Arch but not a Certificate Registration. Yet he may work with an architect at a good post.

c. 5th and 6th year would be for sharpening the skills and working part-time with professionals. In college, students would be introduced to the areas of specialisation and a short1-year course for the same will be conducted. Education regarding the

creation of construction documents, building technologies, construction details and around construction management will bridge the gap between Academics and practice. With this, a formal sandwich degree of B Arch and M Arch, and a legal Registration with the COA will begin.

This course will allow interim exits from academics, gaining experience from the field and re-entering in the next phase at will, which will lessen the gap between academics and practice.

Certain highlights of the syllabus would be:

• From ‘Designing in studios’ to ‘Constructing for the society’

Every phase-out of the three will have one compulsory hands-on project carried out by the students as a solution to the problems identified by them or the local governing body in their city or the rural area nearby. This will help them REALISE their RESPONSIBILITY as a member of society and a professional and expose students to the real world of permits, contractors, masons, consultants and real-life problems.

• Settlement studies at a rural and urban level (two in each phase)

The one at the rural level will aim at uplifting the society and one at urban will help them tackle the urban problems.

• Creating a technical base in 11th-12th

Architecture, Civil and Structural engineering aspirants should have a separate subject in 11th and 12th dedicated for the same as a core subject. This would build up a base and lessen the burden in 1 year of education.

• Giving freedom to students to make their design briefs reflecting upon the need.

• Interaction with artisans, technicians, workers, masons, suppliers.

Colleges can collaborate with builders for site access to students in exchange for free or

nominal cost training. Workshops by technical people alter learning about the topic in the class needs to be mandatory and material inventory needs to be developed in the college.

• Equal weightage to Indoor theory learning and designing, and field experience and site visits.

• The Oath of Architects

Architecture, a profession as noble and important as a doctor, a profession as impactful on the lives of people as lawyers, is not portrayed as one in reality. The roots of this harsh reality lie in the education system wherein the importance of the profession and the sensitivity we must have is not imbibed the way it should be. An OATH like the Hippocratic Oath for doctors will act as a moral compass. The “PROMISE” should be driven by the need to collectively recognise the values that would guide our careers. Broadly speaking, an Architect should pledge that they must strive to preserve the ability of the human race to provide shelter for itself.

Despite all these changes and solutions proposed, it takes time for them to be implemented. Until then it is our responsibility to strive for the quality of education and our profession. We need to come together and ‘Be the change we want to see’. Future teachers, we must be sensitive and knowledgeable enough and impart the best of education.

India is a country with the highest percentage of youngsters and people in the working class. Looking at the positive side, we have many people with different skills to build up a team.

Of the cultural diversity and the secular values, we can build highly skilled labour, designers, technicians through an education system that is based on morals and values, on sensitivity and needs on teamwork and professional skills. We need to take charge of our society and build only that what is necessary, useful, suitable and that which brings about change in the society and lives of people.

Let’s strive for that!

A Thousand ants, walking together

Understanding the need and working together, Setting egos aside, for the betterment of all This sensitivity is needed that only education can impart!

Illustration by Darshit Chavda

PUBLIC ART AS AN URBAN REVITALIZATION STRATEGY

Maithili Awasarikar | Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture

ABSTRACT

It is believed that great public spaces are the living rooms of the city, they impact the everyday life of the common people, and also contributing in developing communities. Public spaces from time to time need to be regenerated, many factors like changing political conditions, ideologies, some social movements and time as well affect a public space. Various strategies like provision of infrastructure, redevelopment of existing infrastructure, revitalization of the streets, squares and public spaces like markets and gardens using different techniques of placemaking like public art, seating areas and other such spaces that give an identity to the area. Pune as a city is continuously developing and its public spaces are changing too. Attempts have been

made by local government bodies to revitalize the public spaces by using Public Art as the Public Revitalization strategy. This research paper attempted to study the impact of these strategies on the surroundings of the area of intervention, peoples’ opinions about the same using qualitative research methodologies like interviews and observations. The research paper led to the conclusion that unless and until most of the community is included in the process of decision making for urban revitalization strategies, the citizens residing in the neighborhood won’t show the willingness to engage with the provisions made.

KEYWORDS

Urban revitalization, Revitalization strategies, Public Art, Cities, Community development

INTRODUCTION

It is believed that great public spaces are the living rooms of the city- a place where people come together to enjoy the city and each other (UrbanDesign.org). Through out the history of the world Public spaces have had a great importance. Not only did they contribute towards great political movements, but they also create a breathing space for the city if designed contextually. A good public place creates a great environment for children, senior citizens as well as women, as it is occupied most of the hours of the day.

A public space can be enhanced, rejuvenated or regenerated in various ways. It may vary according to the need of different areas. It can be done by architectural/ landscape or an art intervention. These interventions contribute in building the image of the cities, which is, its distinctiveness, sense of aesthetics and cultural aspects that define a city’s appearance. Public Art contributes to the visual quality of an urban environment. It adds massive value to social, cultural, economic as well as aesthetic value of

the city. Public art contributes a lot towards the city’s legibility, encouraging community pride, sense of belonging while enhancing the travel experience.

Public art can be in various forms- Paintings, Sculptures, Installations, even street performances like street plays, dances, etc. Public art should be so that, it allows humans to

interact with it. Involving communities right from when the idea is conceived to the application makes the communities and the neighborhood bond with the space more, resulting into better and well-maintained public spaces. Public Art can create an emotional bond of the people with spaces.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A public space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all people, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. These are public gathering spaces such as plazas, squares and parks. Connecting spaces such as sidewalks and streets, are also

A CASE OF PUNE

Illustration by Jayant Negi

public spaces (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, n.d.). Any public space that is a non-domestic or not familial is a public space, any space where a person can freely form reasonable and political judgements is a public space, example, Coffee House (Rendell, 2006). India as a country, now, demands efforts on the availability of, and access to public spaces based upon the fact that public spaces yield benefits of greater inclusion, safety, democratic engagement and gender parity. Street activities act as “eyes on the street” that keep cities safe (Jacobs, 1961). Rejuvenation of existing inventory of public spaces is necessary. Parks, beaches, historical landmarks, places of worship, and century old architecture are in tatters. Indian public spaces can be revived if the government addresses the four basic needs of infrastructure, hygiene, security, and accessbility (Dhar, 2018).

Public Art denotes any work of art which is designed for and sited in a space accessible to the general public, from a public square to a wall inside a building open to the public. Public art is an umbrella term which includes any work of art purchased with public funds, or which comes into the public domain. (Public Art, n.d.). Public art contributes significantly to culture-led regeneration in terms of creation of a distinctive environment in cultural quarters that allows and encourages a creative milieu as well as development and investment that improves social cohesion and enhances quality of life for local people (Grodach, 2010). Public art reflects local idenity as well as promotes the place internally (within the city) and externally (outside the city). (McCarthy, 2006)

The integration of public art in a specific context is also referred to the form as the individual or community perceives it and the acceptance or refusal the individual/ community will eventually reveal. The social dimension on the art makes it popular and communicative. The art in a public space is to be liked and accepted by the majority of the populus and not just the critics and experts, this highlights the necessity of including people and their opinions as the art placed in a

public space should not make people feel that it is imposed upon them. But at the same time the decision whether or not a certain public art is to be installed in a particular space will depend on whether the group belongs to the same neighborhood, i.e. whether they identify emotionally with the space, also whether it is going to affect their day to day activities and so on or so forth. The decision also depends upon whether the initiative of intervention is taken by local authorities or the private sector (Casanovas, 2005).

Art spaces can serve a variety of public space roles, they act as spaces of community development. Firstly, they provide platform for meeting spaces, social gathering spaces. Secondly, the integration of public art encourage community participation as the neighborhood residents and audiences are often involved in the same (Grodach, 2010). Art spaces if strategically planned near the commercial market establishments may also boost the local

AIM

To determine the cogency of Public Art as an Urban Revitalisation Strategy within Pune Municipal Corporation Limits.

OBJECTIVE

• To know about Peoples’ opinions about the Public Art installed in 2 different areas in Pune.

• Comparing the intervention with the cases studied in the literature.

• Analyses the responses and discussions.

SCOPE

The study focuses on renewal of dilapidated public spaces within the city and newly developed areas around the Pune City and immediate newly developed areas.

METHODOLOGY

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income generation as increase in tourist footfall. At the same time it in one way or the other supports artists which contributes to individual redevelopment.

A new topography of places should be mapped that exist between the public and private which are on the threshold, for example, academic institutions, as they are the end and the beginning. People tend to welcome such art interventions in ephemeral spaces (Rendell, 2006). Public art interventions should also be done in places that attract a larger crowd, example, parkings, plazas or and other such gathering spaces.

Pune as a home to a rich culture and heritage has started to see many such art interventions at Swargate, Aundh, Bund Garden, and many other places. The research paper will try to focus on the cogency of public art as a revitalisation strategy in Pune city within Pune Municipal Corporation limits.

Public Spaces are a reflection of society and its culture. With urbanisation and integration of global economy, it is essential to build an image of the city. Public art adds massive value to the social, cultural, economic and aesthetic value to a city. Indian cities have an advantage of its rich culture and heritage that can be translated to art which can result into unique images of each city. (Sogani, 2019)

Public art as an urban renewal strategy has been in discussion within many urban planners, designers and architects around the world. Its facets are now being seen in Indian cities as well. Many organisations with the local government have been active in istalling art in the public spaces for the last decade and we can see paintings on the walls of academic institutions, art installations made from waste within the city. The question whether public art as a strategy for urban regenerations is helpful or not emerges. Thus, a study of two such cases was carried out- Swargate and Aundh Smart City Stretch.

The two cases vary from each other with respect to the type of neighborhood, people utilising it and the places around. Swargate

was earlier, outside the Pune city.Public Spaces are a reflection of society and its culture. With urbanisation and integration of global economy, it is essential to build an image of the city. Public art adds massive value to the social, cultural, economic and aesthetic value to a city. Indian cities have an advantage of its rich culture and heritage that can be translated to art which can result into unique images of each city. (Sogani, 2019)

Public art as an urban renewal strategy has been in discussion within many urban planners, designers and architects around the world. Its facets are now being seen in Indian cities as well. Many organisations with the local government have been active in istalling art in the public spaces for the last decade and we can see paintings on the walls of academic institutions, art installations made from waste within the city. The question whether public art as a strategy for urban regenerations is helpful or not emerges. Thus, a study of two such cases was carried out- Swargate and Aundh Smart City Stretch.

The two cases vary from each other with respect to the type of neighborhood, people utilising it and the places around. Swargate was earlier, outside the Pune city.

The city expanded rapidly in the late 20th century. Swargate gained its importance as a major transport zone after the State Transport Bus Stand was opened, and the Pune-Satara highway came into being. Swargate, now is a huge public square which connects the old city to the suburbs. There are many public spaces in this area that are used on a daily basis. Various bus stops, spaces near autorickshaw stands, spaces near the traffic lights so on and so forth. Various hawkers are stationed here, in this area, since more than a decade or two and they’ve formed a connection with their workspace, an attempt was made by interviewing most of the relevant groups that utilise the public spaces of the neighborhood to earn, or wait for their daily commute and other users like the traffic police who are stationed their all day dealing with controlling traffic, etc. As we go near the junction we see a sculpture of a horse and some boots in front of it, and as we walk ahead right along the road below the flyover we see a series of installations made upon the columns of the flyover and some “petis” are kept to be used as seating, the art is actually introduced keeping the focus on the footfall that will increase in near future as the Pune Metro Rail will be introduced. The space though, right now is not really used much, maybe not many users have yet been introduced to it, and one stretch of the same- art installations and seating under the flyover, is waiting for inaugration, it is locked,but that doesn’t stop the nearby children entering inside it. Hawkers nearby and the passers by were interviewed.

Aundh is an affluent suburb to the north-west of Pune. Since the mid- 1990s, Aundh has developed significantly as a residential area and IT professionals and immigrants due to its proximity to the Mumbai-Pune express way and connectivity to the main city via Shivaji Nagar. The road connecting the Parihar chowk and the Bremen Chowk has been redesigned

under the smart city project.

The redesign of the road has made the road pedestrian friendly for the residents. A few shopkeepers, hawkers and the residents living nearby were interviewed about the same.

Qualitative Research methodologies like interviews of people in the neighborhood and passers by. Observations were made of the two cases.

Interviews were taken of the nearby the people like hawkers, people waiting for autorickshaws, buses and for someone to pick them up from the swargate State Transport Stand. Some people were unknowingly utilising the shoes installed near the signal as a seating.

Following are the interview questions that were asked:

Q. Do you like the art installations? Reasons for liking it or disliking it.

Q. Has this changed the footfall in the area and impacted your business in anyway?

relevant groups that utilise the public spaces of the neighborhood to earn, or wait for their daily commute and other users like the traffic police who are stationed their all day dealing with controlling traffic, etc. As we go near the junction we see a sculpture of a horse and some boots in front of it, and as we walk ahead right along the road below the flyover we see a series of installations made upon the columns of the flyover and some “petis” are kept to be used as seating, the art is actually introduced keeping the focus on the footfall that will increase in near future as the Pune Metro Rail will be introduced. The space though, right now is not really used much, maybe not many users have yet been introduced to it, and one stretch of the same- art installations and seating under the flyover, is waiting for inaugration, it is locked,but that doesn’t stop

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Q. Has it ever become any kind of a nuissance?

Q. Do you think more such interventions should happen in the city? Why?

Q. What kind of art would you like to see in the public spaces?

Q. How do you engage with the public art?

The two cases vary from each other with respect to the type of neighborhood, people utilising it and the places around. Swargate was earlier, outside the Pune city.

But the city expanded rapidly in the late 20th century. Swargate gained its importance as a major transport zone after the State Transport Bus Stand was opened, and the Pune-Satara highway came into being. Swargate, now is a huge public square which connects the old city to the suburbs. There are many public spaces in this area that are used on a daily basis. Various bus stops, spaces near autorickshaw stands, spaces near the traffic lights so on and so forth. Various hawkers are stationed here, in this area, since more than a decade or two and they’ve formed a connection with their workspace, an attempt was made by interviewing most of the

the nearby children entering inside it. Hawkers nearby and the passers by were interviewed.

DATA COLLECTION

OPINIONS OF PEOPLE ABOUT THE PUBLIC ART

Figure 1 talks about the opinions of people about the Public Art, the responses were dependent upon the people and their involvement with the neighbourhood, the people being in contact regularly with the neighbourhood also saw the problems and hence had mixed opinions.

IMPACT ON FOOTFALL POST INTERVENTION

The impact on the footfall of the intervention,

case A i.e. Swargate hadn’t seen any kind of increase/decrease in the footfall, while case

i.e. Aundh witnessed a decline in the footfall as post-intervention scenario led to congestion of the road leading to the decline in the business of the shops in the smart city stretch, although the residents didn’t feel the intervention to be a problem.

NUISSANCE EXPERIENCED BECAUSE OF PUBLIC ART

The participants were also asked about the art intervention being a nuisance to the people in the neighbourhood case A

Figure 1. Source: Author

Figure 2. Source: Author

B

Figure 3. Source: Author

pointed out the spaces around the art are being a nuisance because of the homeless

urban revitalisation strategy, the strategy might lead to failure. The research tried to understand the reasons why this strategy is not as successful as the strategies in the western countries. Many more facets of the urban revitalisation strategies have been left for future due to lack of time. The future work concerns deeper analysis of the ways to include communities in the Urban revitalisation strategies, what kind of art can be introduced in the public spaces and how it can be made to motivate the people to engage with the Art.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

using the spaces as their sleeping spots, while case B did not lead to any kind of a nuisance to the people in the neighbouring areas.

WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC ART

Figure 4 states mostly about the involvement of people with the Public Art while most of the people referred the art to someone as a place to meet (Ola, Uber or friends) while case B also saw the art and space around it as a hangout spot and also as khaugalli (food street).

INFERENCES

While the interviews of the participants suggested that, the responses are highly dependent upon the kind of engagement the participant observes with a particular neighbourhood. Case A Swargate area doesn’t exactly house much of residents so it doesn’t show the full-time engagement of a single person with the art, which has certain limitations on the emotional attachment of the participant with the area.

While Case B, i.e. Aundh has a residential development around it which makes them bond with the public space.

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Also, most of the hawkers were disappointed as the decision-making procedure doesn’t include their opinions and they suggested that while doing such intervention local bodies should consider giving them spaces to carry out their businesses not just making the cities look good.

An interesting fact was also observed during the interviewing process, most of the younger generation was pretty happy and open-minded about the interventions, while the more experienced and older generation considered the spaces created as waste and suggested that infrastructure like parking would have been more suitable.

CONCLUSION

The research focuses on the opinions of common people about the Public Art in two different areas in the city. Interviews of the shopkeepers, hawkers and residents were taken and the conclusions suggested that due to lack of community inclusion in the

This paper and the research behind it would not have been possible without the support of my mentor Prof. Kavita Murugkar. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and detailed inputs have been helpful to keep the research procedure on track- my first encounter with Public Art in Pune city till the final draft of this paper. The generosity and expertise of hers was helpful to keep me motivated and develop liking towards Research in Architecture as a subject.

REFERENCES

a. Casanovas, M. (2005). Public Art and its integration in the Urban Environment.

b. Dhar, D. (2018, Apr 03). Realistic policies to revive public spaces. livemint.

c. Google Scholar. (n.d.). Retrieved from Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/

d. Grodach, C. (2010). Art spaces, public space, and the link to community development. Community Development Journal, 474-493.

e. Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

f. Kurniawati, W. (2012). Public Space for Marginal People. Retrieved from SciVerse Science Direct: www.sciencedirect.com

g. Maryam Al Suwaidi, R. F. (2017). The Role of Public Art and Culture in New Urban

Environments: The Case of Katara Cultural Village in Qatar. Architecture Research, 109122. Retrieved from Scientific & Academic Publishing.

h. McCarthy, J. (2006). Regeneration of Cultural Quarters: Public Art for Place Image or Place Identity? Journal of Urban Design (pp. 243262). Routlege Taylor and Francis Group Ltd.

i. Mitrache, G. (n.d.). Architecture, art, public space. University of Architecture and Urbanism, 18-20.

j. Public Art. (n.d.). Retrieved from visual-artscork.com: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/ public-art.htm

k. Pune Biennale. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pune Bennale Foundation: https://www. punebiennale.in/pune-biennale-foundation. php

l. Rendell, J. (2006). Public Art: Between Public and Private. Art and Architecture: A Place Between.

m. Roodhouse, S. (2006). Cultural Quarters: Principles and practice.

n. Sogani, V. (2019, June 13). Public Art: Shaping the narrative of Indian cityscape. Times of India.

o. Tanscheit, P. (2017, July 03). TheCityFix. Retrieved October 09, 2019, from https:// thecityfix.com/

p. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved from unesco.

q. UrbanDesign.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from Urban Design: http://www.urbandesign.org/ publicspace.html

Figure 4. Source: Author

ARCHITECTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

Rushali Malhotra | MBS School Of Planning And Architecture, GGSIPU, New Delhi

ABSTRACT

“Spaces determine our behavior — for the most part without our conscious perception” (Dr. Deinsberger-Deinsweger)

An architect can control human behavior with his design by understanding the way that a building’s design can influence a person’s behavior, thus, modifying the individual’s mood and perception,whether the environment is natural or man-made.

Understanding the way in which environment affects people, could enable the designand construction of work, recreation and living space that has the ability to influence people’s behavior.

The crime rate against women is increasing at a

terrifying rate. According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, reported incidents of crime against women increased 6.4% during 2012, and a crime against a woman is committed every three minutes. India has been characterised as one of the “countries with the lowest per capita rates of sexual assault”. A large number of crimes go unreported in various countries including India. The willingness to report the these crimes has increased in recent years, after several incidents of sexual assault received widespread media attention and triggered public protest. Even so, there’s hesitation in reaching out for help and support due to the culture.

A traumatic level of stress and pain is associated with these felonies which is difficult to cope with, without professional help. In this society,

it’s an obligatory requirement to have a good number of rehabilitation centres for women have gone through such traumas. Psychology of architecture can add significantly to the healing process of affected when combined with necessary medical procedures.

INTRODUCTION

Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a global health, human rights and development issue that transcends geography, class, culture, age, race and religion to affect every community and country in every corner of the world.

In India, gender based violence has many manifestations; from the more universally prevalent forms of domestic and sexual violence including rape, to harmful practices such as, dowry, honour killings, acid attacks, witch - hunting, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse, trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, child marriage, sex selective abortion, sati etc.

India was placed 131st of 152 countries in the Georgetown Institute’s global ranking of women’s inclusion and well-being . India’s National Crime Records Bureau reported 338,954 crimes against women in 2016, the most recent government data available. That’s up from 309,546 reported incidents of violence against women in 2013. A UN study states only 11% of the total number of sexual assault cases are reported around the globe.

Architectural psychology can be described as a branch of environmental or ecological psychology. This deals with the psychological processes of the interaction between man and his environment, as for example spatial perception, spatial thinking, orientation behaviour, or spatial experience, territorial behaviour, living requirements and satisfaction, local identity.

The architecture provides a sense of space and support to all types of human activities if used appropriately and it provides firmness, service, and delight. Architectural psychology is an important multidisciplinary field,

bridging traditional psychology, engineering, architecture, domestic planning, and much more to assist people to design buildings and living spaces for better occupation.

By understanding more about how people experience the built form, one can further take a more occupant-centred approach towards designing and engineering, which will lead to more truly innovative architectural designs.

AIM

To explore how psychology of architecture can help women recover from post traumatic stress in a healthier and therapeutic environment.

OBJECTIVE

1. To gain an understanding of the psychology and trauma of affected victims.

2. To study on-going research on how architecture can affect psychology.

3. To learn about sensory and responsive architecture.

4. To acquire a knowledge of medical requirements of rehabilitation centres.

5. To establish how the elements of colour, light, shadow, materials, proportion, scale, mass, volume, landscaping, detail and sound can be used to induce a holistic experience in social spaces.

Figure 1. Annual sexual assault per 100,000 people, for India compared to select nations

NEED FOR RESEARCH/ROLE OF ARCHITECTURE

Dr. Deinsweger, from the Institute for Residential and Architectural Psychology in Austria, researched that ill-conceived and inferior architecture, combined with other factors, can promote stress, encourage exhaustion, induce psychosomatic symptoms and even promote physical discomfort. These effects may not be immediately apparent, but often appear after a period of months or years. This allows for the reverse conclusion that spaces can also support healing processes and promote well-being.

In order to feel comfortable in an environment, does not only require a pleasant indoor climate. Light, plants, materials, construction methods, temperature, and air conditions also play a role for well-being and health. We have

to bear in mind that humans have a holistic perception: Our senses influence our thinking, feelings and actions and therefore our entire body. If our senses are positively stimulated, this can have an invigorating or calming effect. As a result, spaces can influence our thinking, action patterns and, thus, for example, promote motivation, our readiness to act, and strengthen our performance or concentration. If we feel uncomfortable in spaces, this can lead to restlessness or discomfort, hypersensitivity, lethargy or even anxiety.

An architect can control human behavior with his design by understanding the way that a building’s design can influence a person’s behavior, thus, modifying the individual’s mood and perception whether the environment is natural or man-made.Understanding the way in which environment affect people could enable the design and construction of work,

recreation and living space that has the ability to influence people’s behavior.

Psychology of architecture can help create healing spaces for victims to cope up and get back on their feet. This will contribute a great deal with simultaneous medical treatments and therapy provided by rehabilitation centres.

SCOPE

This study shows the relationship between architecture and behavioral psychology and how the same can be utilised in creating a therapeutic environment.

It includes:

1. Role of architecture in rehabilitation

2. Effects of various architectural design elements on human psychology initiating behavioral differences

3. Therapeutic value of architecture

LIMITATIONS

This study shows emphasis on phenomenology in architecture and psychological effects of the same with a contextual focus limited to Rehabilitation Centre for women going through Post-traumatic stress disorder due to the extensive nature of the subject.

Also, as there are numerous architectural elements, the study will be limited to colour, light, shadow, materials, proportion, scale, mass, volume, detail and sound due to time constraints.

LITERATURE STUDY

Architectural elements facilitating psychotherapeutic wellness:

• Colors

Color psychology is the study of how color affects/ triggers moods , sentiments and brings behavioral differences in humans. However what moods are triggered may vary from person to person and can be influenced by a

multitude of factors. According to the research accomplished by psychologists, in many cases the effects originated from colour are future based with less intermediate effects.

Colors play an important role in the perception of a space in mind . This plays an important role to keep in mind while designing spaces. Adding the right pop of colour throughout the space can help set the desired tone depending upon the purpose of that space and can boost productivity. For example, using lighter shades makes spaces appear bigger while darker shades make the space look smaller.

• Lighting

Light is the first condition for any visual conception. Neither space nor forms and colours are distinguishable in absolute darkness. However, light is not just a physical necessity but its psychological value is one of the most important effective factors on human lives in all grounds [Grütter, 2004]. It has a direct effect on mood and feelings.

Light acts on the production of cortisol, serotonin and melatonin , the three important hormones that affect our internal clock and moods. It is essential to keep these hormones in proper balance for a healthy lifestyle. Low levels of serotonin cause depression.

Some studies and examinations proved that in human thought and mind, sunny days are always accompanied with love, happiness and some sort of special warmth and excitement. [Boa, 1997]. Day lighting in human phantasm reminds such memories and brings some sort of mobility and positive energy to the person and, in contrast,cloudy and dark / rainy days are always accompanied with a sense of dullness, loneliness, worry, depression and discouragement.

A lot of studies suggest that proper lighting enhances concentration and stronglyreduces or delays fatigue of sensory-motor organs . Some studies show that white light improves even human temperament and concentrates the motivational forces on more activities.

When a person is in a state in which they are psychologically balanced, they have the required abilities for deep and accurate conception of various phenomena going on about them and are thus in a relaxed state to effectively deal with others. In this regard, improper lighting can cause an annoying sense in person thus rendering them somewhat incapable of dealing with the social stimuli around them. Also bad lighting can fill the place full of distressing atmosphere or make its local residents upset and anxious; poor and unaccounted light may cause headaches, eye fatigue or anxiety.

• Materials

For architects and interior designers the most related issue to the touch sense is the selection of materials they use. Every material has a different touch and thus a different effect. It’s worth mentioning, some ideas could be applied to enhance a room from furniture arrangements to background effects. Different materials used for tabletops and the feeling linked to that. “Tabletops of wood give warmth to room.

Tabletops of glass make a room appear larger. Tabletops of marble or stone give a feeling of quality. If you use woodwork (paneling) in a room, the room will feel warmer and more comfortable.”[Anderson, 2005.]

Therefore, the materials used in any space have a noticeable effect on the user, the differences between the materials from the degree of hardness and softness, rigidity and flexibility, lightness and heaviness, etc. All these various specifications influence the design decisions of the architect. This fact was proven in a survey on the effect of the finishing materials used in the psychiatric healthcare buildings in Egypt on the mental health of the psychiatric patients.

• Flexibility in Design

“Because the outside world of today affects us in the most intense and disparate ways, our way of life is changing more rapidly than

in previous times. It goes without saying that our surroundings will undergo corresponding changes. This leads us to architecture of which part can be altered, which is flexible” – Walter Benjamin

The satisfaction and psychological status of users and residents is directly linked to a well-planned and designed feature that makes spaces more usable and beneficial.

Functionality consideration encourages people to live and work effectively. The psychological and physical comfort of residents is linked to the degree of feasibility and flexibility of the design. The possibilities of flexible design to change the shape and size of internal space, and the impact of feasible functions of interior design in addition to the use of the space as integrated environment makes our interior more livable.

ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

The scope of the mutual relation between interior architecture and human psychology is wide, due to the multiple interaction with

social, cultural, physical and environmental factors.

The successful design for achieving welfare and happiness of interior architecture depends on how the designer finds a balance between the most dominant factors such as identity, privacy, safety, accessibility, functionality, flexibility, community interaction, and the provision of adequate space, should be given due weight.

Further, to prove my research, I conducted a survey of 94 people from ages 18-60 on how people respond in a given space. Here are the findings of the same:

1. After a long day, which type of lighting would you prefer?

a) Cool lighting b) warm lighting

Answer: 84% of the people preferred warm lighting over cool lighting due to its soothing

effect.

2. In your study room/office, which of the following would you prefer?

Answer: 71.3% of people prefer a flexible setting due to its more adaptive nature.

3. In your home, do you have rooms with red/ dark blue/orange/black walls?

Answer: Only 7.4% of the people have dark colored walls. These can be dramatic and have an adverse(possibly negative) effect on our mental health.

These colored are prefered for highlighting main walls instead of using them as the main base color.

4. What is the color of the walls in your bedroom?

Answer: 66% of people prefer light colors like white and cream. These colors are well-received and have a positive effect on the mind.

5. Have you ever had trouble finding a particular room in a hospital? If yes, then why?

Answer: 10/94 did not experience any problem. 84 people said they said they faced issues due to the following reasons:

1. Confusing planning

2. Poor signages

3. Overcrowding

4. Weirdly constructed building with lots of corridors

5. Unorganized sector

Figure 3. Types of Lighting

Figure 4. Wood texture

Figure 5. Glass

Figure 6. Metallic surface

Figure 7. The flexibility of furniture design and space usage

6. Too many intersecting corridors without signages

7. Not enough floor plans hence lack of indication

Post-traumatic stress is associated with negative thoughts and feelings which can cause aggression, depression and anxiety. This adverse effect can be minimised with the help of architecture. A calmer environment is required for them to have a speedy recovery.

Based on several researches by architects and psychologists, and the survey I conducted, the success of setting up interior architectural design is with active psychological conception judged by how the design fulfills values, needs, preferences and satisfaction of users.

DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

(A) IDENTITY

1. The design should demonstrate the background and motives of residents.

2. The design should demonstrate the structure of religions, cites, families and neighborhoods.

3. Usage of local materials and techniques such as plaster, stone and marble.

4. Architectural treatments of openings, windows and doors, especially in themain entrance framing and decoration.

5. The diversity and richness of arts and architectural treatments that belong to the local and national tradition.

6. Social and special niches, signs and icons.

7. Modern influence by western and international style concepts in comparison to the accustomed norm of the traditional architecture

(B) FUNCTIONALITY AND FLEXIBILITY

1. Apply appropriate design for windows and doors to adopt all diverse physical abilities.

2. Adopt the concept of one space that can

reflect different social functions.

3. Choose appropriate colors for switches and sockets that contrast with its background to be reached easily.

4. Equipment such as fans, air conditioning or the fuse box are easy to locate and operate.

5. Design the living room to accommodate various functions and sizes of group activities.

6. Select a wall system that offers a complete range of options from private space to open plans

7. In public buildings, the lobby should be broken down into smaller areas, where groups can gather.

8. Make multiple furniture configurations available.

9. Ensure that the design provides contemporary technology requirements.

5. Halls and corridors should provide safe and adequate circulation between space units.

6. Stairs to the upper level should be suitable for people with disabilities.

7. Elevator should have adequate space in comparison with the volume of use.

8. Elevator should be visible with wide-angle from entrance.

9. Let room’s space design allow access to furniture, storage, windows and appliances.

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10. Select durable floors, ceilings and walls finishing materials.

11. Ensure adequate cable interfaces with precise placements to offers appropriate degrees of flexibility.

12. The kitchen design should incorporate work surfaces for both standing and seated use.

13. Increase the size of desk tops surfaces and maximize vertical space.

(C) ACCESSIBILITY AND CIRCULATION

1. Approaches from streets toward a building or space should be leveled, clearly identified, and slip resistant.

2. Entrances should be clearly defined and furnished with adequate light

3. Use signs to identify the paths of horizontal and vertical circulation systems.

4. Lobbies should accommodate visitors with waiting areas and provide information about the space.

(D) HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS

1. Ensure safety fence with secured access to the interior space.

2. Signs should be useful with adequate size with the right orientation and clear text and figures.

3. Avoid sudden changes of level which could trip people, if they are present, it must be made clearly visible with contrasting colors.

4. Convenient entrances, people should be able to safely enter and exit without obstruction.

5. Make the floor slip-resistant, non-reflective light, glare-free and easy to clean.

6. Solid core construction for interior spaces doors.

7. Enhance the levels of lighting where it’s needed, it should also be easy to control and adjust.

8. Enhance the implementation of safety practices with technical equipment such as intercom system and security cameras with

monitoring response service.

9. Stairs should be in appropriate width, right steps dimension, strong handrails and adequate lighting.

10. The appropriate distribution of appliances in accurate positions such as stoves and air conditioners.

11. Install automatic smoke detector system.

12. Choose comfortable and safe furniture with healthy design.

13. Maximize the daylight availability through opening (windows - doors)dimensions, materials and design.

(E) SURVEILLANCE

1. Windows and other openings should allow for easy viewing of high-activity areas, as well as of street activity outside. For example, including ample windows in highly-trafficked spaces, such as building lobbies, allows occupants to clearly see activity on the street and identify potential threats before they arrive.

2. Orienting offices to face major corridors encourages occupants to take note of their surroundings and can facilitate early threat detection.

3. The creation of open, visible spaces should be carefully balanced with measures controlling and restricting building access, to ensure that the open spaces themselves do not increase potential threats.

Figure 8 Different types and colors of switches

4. Wayfinding strategies: Signs, placards and other markers should guide all visitors to a central area upon entering the building, with minimal opportunity to disperse into other rooms.

5. Lighting, artwork and other interior design elements should subconsciously enforce this direction by emphasizing spaces where designers most wish to draw the eye and direct visitors’ footsteps.

6. Secure designs should also limit vehicle access and, as much as possible, remove a building from the radius of external threats. For example, an exterior perimeter, even one simply demarcated by bollards or planters, will prevent vehicles from directly approaching a facility, and distance it from any accidents, explosions or other threats that might occur on nearby streets.

7. Other external features, such as plazas and courtyards (provided they are highly visible and easily monitored) are also useful as buffer zones.

(F) OUTDOOR AND OPEN SPACES

1. Create visual harmony between the indoor spaces and outdoor spaces.

2. Appropriate fence design, with regards to form, height, and the degree of transparency with exterior spaces

3. Ensure that entrances, openness and pathways as well as seating area should be provided.

4. Ground surfaces should be a mix of hard and soft surfaces according to the nature of use.

5. Design should be planned to minimize negative factors like exterior noise and smoke.

6. Sufficient night-time lighting to enhance safety, security and ensure efficient usage of space.

7. Design should be planned to enhance the visibility degree.

8. The selection of outdoor furniture should depend on their strength, durability, beauty and appropriate formation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Successful completion of any type of project requires help from several people. So as to complete this research, I have taken help from my faculties, friends and many others, titled “Architectural Psychology as a means to alleviate Post Traumatic Stress in Women”.

I convey my sincere gratitude to my Research guide, Ar. Jyoti Arora ma’am. Without her kind direction and proper guidance this study would have been a little success. In every phase of the project, her supervision and guidance shaped this report to be completed perfectly.

REFERENCES

a. PhD Ali Namazian, Armin Mehdipour (2013) - Psychological Demands of the Built Environment, Privacy, Personal Space and Territory in Architecture - International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2013, 3(4):109-113

b. Ricci, Natali, “The Psychological Impact of Architectural Design” (2018). CMC Senior Theses. 1767.

c. Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Rape Victims: A Comparison Between Cognitive-Behavioral Procedures and Counseling - Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology(1991), Vol. 59, No. 5, 715-723

d. Foa E.B. & Rothbaum B.A. (1998) Treating the trauma of rape: Cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD. New York: Guilford Press

e. Heba-Talla Hamdy Mahmoud- Interior Architectural Elements that Affect Human Psychology and Behavior DOI: 10.21625/archive. v1i1.112

f. Sona C.N. and Shailaja Nair (2014)Understanding Multisensory Architecture

g. Walid abdel moneim abdel kader- Does Design Affect Our Senses?

h. Daniel L. Ledford (2014‘Psychology of Space’: The Psycho-Spatial Architecture of Paul Rudolph

i. Zhao Ruoxi (2016) - Architectural Space and Psychological Feelings

j. Avishag Shemesh1, Moshe Bar, Yasha Jacob Grobman (2015) - Space And Human Perception –Exploring Our Reaction to Different Geometries of Spaces

k. The New England Journal of Medicine (NJEM 1995, 332:234-7)

l. Dawkins, Rachel (2010)- Engaging Sensibilities: An exploration into Architectural Techniques for Multisensory Environments, New Zealand.

Figure 10. Signage

Figure 11. Green courtyard

HOW ARCHITECTURE REVIVED A DYING CITYTHE BILBAO EFFECT

Aditi Srinath | School of Architecture, Ramaiah Institute of Technology

A dying city plagued by terrorism and failing industry. One building built on the grounds of impossible ambition and a spark of hope. Finally, an outcome that grew larger than life. This is the astonishing story of Bilbao, Spain and how one ambitious building turned around an entire city’s economy.

For years, Bilbao was scarred by the Basque separatist terrorism. Trade and industries were failing or were moving away. The now worldfamous museum Guggenheim was their solution to act as “a driver of economic renewal” and “agent of economic development”. It was meant to be a tool of mass attraction and a catalyst to improve their failing industries. Ambitious as it was, starchitect Frank Gehry made this dream into reality.

So, what exactly was the agenda? How does one revive a city with just a building? As herculean a task as it sounds, the plan of action was fairly simple in principle- turn Bilbao from the industrial port hub it was, to a tourism led service economy, the Guggenheim being its instigator.

Bilbao was an industrial port city that centred on shipping, manufacturing and commercial trade. But, owing to deindustrialization, Bilbao started losing industry. At this point was when the city’s council made an executive decision to transform the city into a tourist magnet. And the Guggenheim did just that. Once opened, the city’s economy exploded. It became a mandatory item on everyone’s bucket list of places to visit. Visitors spent large amounts of money on accommodation, shopping,

transportation, eating, drinking and other commercial activities. This opened up new avenues for business and created jobs. The footfall was so unbelievably enormous that it could revive and restart the economy of an entire city.

Tourists were pouring in to witness the amazing spectacle the Guggenheim is. For, Gehry had revolutionised the way buildings could be designed. His new take on modernism and insistence on breaking its fetters of stylistic tropes is what caught the attention of the masses. Steering away from any sort of accurate categorisation, Gehry’s audacious design was refreshingly new and effortlessly captivated anyone who set their eyes on it.

Sitting on the banks of the Nervion River, this mega project is described as “a fantastic dream ship of undulating form in a cloak of titanium, its brilliantly reflective panel also reminiscent of fish scales.” Enormous sheets of titanium along with stone and glass seamlessly blend into the background context which further solidifies its concept and makes

it a marvel. Architecture that blends in with its context without ostentatiously standing out, yet capturing everyone’s attention is truly appreciable and a goal most architects aim to achieve.

Gehry’s radical ideas of deconstructivism shown in this building drew the attention of thousands. It was this bold step that propelled Gehry to worldwide fame and recognition along with the Guggenheim becoming a symbol of modern architecture etched in our minds forever. The success and impact of the museum were so overwhelmingly huge that the term “the Bilbao effect” was coined.

The Bilbao effect, also known as the Guggenheim effect simply put, is “a phenomenon whereby cultural investment plus showy architecture propels the economic upliftment of cities, down on their luck.”

But, Gehry says Guggenheim’s popularity, though intended at being impactful enough to turn around an economy, took him by surprise. Having an annual footfall of an astounding

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, on the banks of river Nervion is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry

one million visitors, Gehry’s design, to this day, is passionately discussed by the public. This insane idea of transformative effects of art was reinforced by the massive success of Guggenheim. For architecture, is not just stone and concrete buildings. Architecture is a feeling that a space exudes; its aura precedes its aesthetic beauty. It is the happy marriage of functionality and aesthetics. Architecture can also be interpreted in the way it visually, culturally, socially and economically affects its environs. It is the owner’s signature as well as a mark of respect. When a building turns into the face of the city, impacting its economic growth due to its popularity, is where the unimaginable magnitude of architectural power comes in. Guggenheim, Bilbao harnesses all these qualities, leading to the Bilbao effect.

The Bilbao effect proves that architecture could be ambitious, aesthetic and popular all at once. The Guggenheim’s eye-catching demeanour and annual footfall are testimony to this.

Though past examples such as Sydney with its Opera House and Paris with the Pompidou Centre do exist, what set Bilbao apart is the economic gap between its before and after. As the craze to recreate the Bilbao effect continues, this building remains a pioneer of an ambitious project, massive economic growth, and art as a social and economic growth catalyst. The Guggenheim, Bilbao will forever be remembered as an icon in architecture.

Night view of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain

Artwork and Photograph by Amitakshi Banik

ODE TO NOSTALGIA

Kkanche Ratadia | School of Architecture, Ramaiah Institute of Technology

Oh Nostalgia!

I find you lingering. In the stone jaalis of Agra, Peeping, Hoping. Hoping you’ll catch a glimpse, Of the love you left behind.

Oh Nostalgia!

I wonder how Some of the world walks by, Through the Darwaza Looking straight at you. At the translucent Makrana Marble, And thinks, “Ah, Perfect Instagram picture” With clichéd captions like “Wah Taj”.

I see you disguise yourself. In monuments and moments, Of when an Emperor Proclaimed to the world, His unquestioned love for Mumtaz.

A reflection of Paradise Here on Earth.

I see you in the walks Shah Jahan took Through the Charbagh, In the shadow of the Minarets.

I wonder how Some of the world walks by, When you yell from Chattris, About an expression of love And thousand moons since.

Oh Nostalgia!

Does anyone not question you?

About why you sneak around Catching people unaware, In their favourite tunes And spaces.

Fashioning walls and structures, And arches that sing, That reminisce, The love, The memories.

Oh Nostalgia!

Does anyone not question you?

About what mortar holds These stories together, Love And the sparkle in your eyes!

Photograph by Lovejit Singh Saka

TOBÄD

It was the time of losar new year and the Tibetan streets were laden with colours. Rows of flat roofed houses were painted in red and green coloured mandalas. The folk all dressed up, singing and dancing to their heart’s content was worth watching. I couldn’t understand their language but I was sure that they were Buddhists from the red they wore.

With three quarter of the year being dry, the eastern and northern regions of Tibet have diverse climates. The former is highly influenced by the Indian monsoons whereas the latter is subjected to hot summers and cold winters. In the west it was cold.

I was offered a bowl of guthuk soup by the locals. It was a noodle soup which was prepared

from tsampa or barley flour. The people mainly cultivate barley for their livelihood. Agriculture and tourism are the two sources of their economy.

I couldn’t help but notice the architecture of this land. The houses and the ministries had an Indo Chinese touch to it. Unlike India, the houses in China were mostly south facing with flat roofs and numerous windows. The roofs are believed to conserve heat, thus overcoming the fuel unavailability and the windows are built to let in maximum amount of natural light. The people may not be very educated but they are skilled to use the resources available.

The simplicity of the people sets an example to the entire world. Tibet is rightly called the ‘roof of the world’ not only due to the magnificent Everest but also due to the height at which their noble nature inspires people all over the world. Buddhism is not only a religion to the people but it’s a way of living. It is believed that Buddhism was introduced in Tibet by the Sanskrit Buddhists from India. A good conversation with the people really enlightened my mind and soul.

I walked my final steps to get the view of the humongous peak. “Chasing angels or fleeing demons, go to the mountains.” , they say. A land of snows and serenity. Chains of mountains and grasslands, herds of yak and nomads on the plateau, striking monasteries and unsophisticated smiles, peaceful lakes and transparent skies, all can be seen on this magical land. What a beauty!!

Stephin George | BJSOA

UNCHAIN THE UNSUNG

Women, they bring in a new life in the world; serve for the most difficult job of being a mother- always conceived as nurturing, caring and humble, do not perceive this as their weakness but as the strength. Considered sacred in cultural and religious beliefs, and yet after all this the world puts on an opaque spectacle when it comes to equality. We all are born equal, then why is it always that they have to prove their capabilities, while men are always perceived better than women. They are given equality like ‘freedom with handcuff’, they are given opportunities like ‘finding a needle in a grass lawn’. They face the restriction throughout their life yet put on a happy face. They bear the burden of all the norms formulated in the laboratories of orthodox minds. They are hindered with narrow thinking to an extent that they don’t have the right to choose what they want in their life.

Women can conquest in a “figure of a lamb the feast of lion” -William Shakespeare.

The world will see the revolution, a new era of dawn when it gives them all that they deserve. The potential growth of the world will become exponential once they are given their rights. Gender equality is a fundamental human right, once fulfilled will achieve peaceful society, sustainable development, spurs productivity and economic growth.

All the social growth happening should be complimented with a right environment built around it, which is the role of an architect, as an architect is one who makes people’s life better by their built environment. In a layman’s perception, one can tell women dominate the count in the educational platforms but fade away in numbers as an architect in the society. Finding women in a practicing field especially in India is no less than, spotting a mirage in a dessert. There is a rift in numbers of women

in academia to women in occupation, this gradually shift is due to multiple reasons, most are caught by the clutches of religious, societal and cultural norms, are allowed to study but forced to bid farewell when pursuing it as an occupation. Others include the unfair, unequal status faced by them which includes unequal pay to men and women for same amount of work, priority given to men, women considered incapable, men having problems with working with women etc.

Women are considered best suited as draftsmen and not designers hence, people hesitate to consult female architects. This can be supported by the fact that 27% of males and 73% of females apply for academia but only 60% (30,000) are males while 40% (20,000) are females in profession, while 35% of males are self-employed whereas only 22% of females are only self-employed.

not let them feel inferior or incapable. Impeach those who still feel women are only meant to serve men, as they once determined to sail for their aspirations no storm can alter their path. They can go hand in hand with men, or even supress them, do not consider them weak but herculean, they do not demand more but only that they deserve.

As one said “Injustice served anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Every preamble always grants equality to everyone everywhere.

“Women are considered skilled copyist but not creative”

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Men must also have their word of say to serve justice and equality to women, they should not let them feel as an odd one out and rather have an odd one synchronized with the rest. They should agree, learn and coincide with women, by helping in gender equality, men can help in uplifting the society and bringing in some fresh hands to our family of architecture and all other sectors. Make it a point, clog your ears to the orthodox thinking, lead the way and do

They are given less dominance, importance and the pay share nowhere near the men. Household in our society, where the idea of gender equality is so alien that they considered it has a hazardous misfortune. Women must break this rhythm of thinking and unchain themselves from the clutches of these norms. They say time weakens everything, hopeful the very idea of inequality weakens and abolishes one day, then the unsung can rise and the world will see their rise after fall. How often have you seen construction taking place with just women being employed and no men at all? Never. Male colleagues rarely agree with women.

One such instance where a woman architect’s designs were never appreciated; she was known as a paper architect meaning her design were too Avant-grade. To move beyond the sketch phase and actually be built. This impression of her was heightened when her beautifully rendered design often in the form of exquisitely detailed coloured painting were exhibited as work of art in museum. But as time passed, she proved herself, as those designs which were only considered imaginary were actually erected in real life, surprising everyone. This is the story of Zaha Hadid.

Barring one-half of the population from equal rights to live as a working architect, has an immense impact on the global growth, as architecture has key impact on socioeconomic growth. Its affects can be seen all

over the world. Even in India, as we see, the stream is heavily dominated by men, with few women working, and we barely see women as independent architects. This void created has deprived our land from some fine works of art, creative architecture, many adorned designed structures for our eyes to feast upon. By restricting one category of people, we will never understand their perspective of architecture, as who knows they could have evolved the very own concept of shelter, they could have constructed the tallest building on the earth in India. Who knows if we would have served them with justice and equality, may be the eighth wonder of the world would have been created by them, there could been many Zaha Hadid(s) if our society and inequality norms would not have forced them to step away from this background. So, they remain as the untamed potential for architecture in India and all across the globe.

(Left) Ratio of Male to Female in Academics (Right) Ratio of Male to Female Architects

Illustration by Aakriti Agrawal

Photograph by Panchal Harshil N.

WOMEN AND DOMESTIC FURNITURE

Nirupama KS | Avani Institute of Design

Keep your feet together when you stand

Do not sit with your legs apart

Do not lie flat, your body would be exposed

Don’t shake your legs, you will look restless

You are a girl, don’t keep your legs on the table

These are some of the first instructions to an Indian girl on her social conduct, often given by her mother. Growing up, domestic spaces are the first platforms that generate one’s social identity and reinforce gender differences. The article investigates how these spaces demand stereotypical poses in different social contexts as illustrated through the above behavioural “guidelines”.

Feminist studies have shown that it was conventionally thought there are natural differences between men and women that justify the gender division of labour in the heterosexual family, i.e., Man as the breadwinner, working in the public space and woman as the homemaker doing domestic, emotional and nurturing tasks. These strong gender differences, rooted in cultural

ideologies, legitimize masculine hegemony.

Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) is known to be the first Indian artist within the European academic realist and neo-classical aesthetic to paint Hindu mythological scenes and goddesses using the female to embody the nation. With the founding of the Calcutta Art Studio in 1878, images of chromolithographed and oleographed goddesses painted by Varma disseminated and found their way into the private and public spheres of India.

(Vishvanathan, 2010) Annapurna Garimella observes that “at this juncture, worshipping and tradition became interlocked with gender and art”. This reinforced the Hindu patriarchal tradition in their revised concept of the woman as a Devi and placed her within the nexus of the prohibitive and regulatory functions of a changing society. (Vishvanathan, 2010)

This metaphorical relationship was achieved through the negative spaces in these paintings which had various objectifications. I would like to illustrate this further through some portraits of Varma, that suggest gender stereotypes through Domestic Furniture. For example, In Keechaka and Sairandhri (1890), the defensive posture of the woman from the confident

dominant male is articulated through the curtain she uses to shield her body from him.

In Nair Lady Adorning her Hair (1873), Varma depicts the woman in her assumed natural habitat seated on a diwan adorning her hair with a garland of flowers. The draperies in the background, cushion, warm lighting, and table represent a domestic space as her natural habitat. In the positive space of such paintings, the woman is portrayed as a symbol of beauty and grace with sensuousness, and

Raja Ravi Varma, There Comes Papa, 1893, oil on canvas, Kowdiar Palace, TVM

(Left) Raja Ravi Varma, Nair Lady Adorning her hair, 1873, oil on canvas, Madras Fine Arts Society Exhibition (Right) Raja Ravi Varma, Keechaka and Sairandhri,1890, oil on canvas, Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Gujarat

(Left) Raja Ravi Varma, Nair Lady Adorning her hair, 1873, oil on canvas, Madras Fine Arts Society Exhibition (Right) Raja Ravi Varma, Keechaka and Sairandhri,1890, oil on canvas, Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Gujarat

the negative space is always copped up with various objectifications.

This extends to become a metaphorical relationship between women and domestic spaces. It becomes conflicting to imagine them in modern spaces as suggested through the collage.

movie Devasuram(1993) which tells the story of a village elder’s arrogant heir who squanders his inheritance and is a local bully. This personality trait of the character is captured through scenes that depict him lounging in the front veranda on the charukasera, where he exercises his power over the villagers in money matters and over his servants. The positions and body postures of his subordinates suggest his dominance over them. The woman of the household exercises her tasks of emotional support and nurturing, adhering to the social norms from indoors. This is suggested through postures adjacent to the column or immediately behind the front door as seen in the pictures below.

comfortable with a companion in red when a guest visits their home.

In the first image, it is easier to imagine the women as part of a domestic space and as patrons of traditional Indian Values. In the second image, however, this relationship gets conflicted because of the nature of their formal surroundings and their informal body posture in it.

Furniture as Political Statements

Furniture in domestic spaces suggests a particular kind of behaviour and appropriateness in space that adhere to social norms of gender and through this process, creates social and cultural identities. Furniture, being the protagonist of spatial experience in a domestic setting, are objects of political expression.

For instance, the charukasera which is a traditional chair typical of plantation bungalows in Kerala is traditionally designed for the male patriarch lounging in the veranda. This aspect of the furniture is captured in the

Home and the Formation of Social Identity

To understand this phenomenon further in today’s context, I would like to take the case of a perceived stereotypical cultural norm and investigate its direct implications in space.

Indian social norms suggest in an implicit way that girls remain standing when communicating with a guest at home. This is widely practised even today. To understand how such norms manifest in space, I conducted a small experiment with some of my classmates.

Coming from a background of 5 years in architectural education, these students were asked to draw out the plan of the living room of their home and identify spaces that seem comfortable to occupy alone in yellow, and

This behaviour was considered polite and graceful for a woman as per the social norms. This suggested a general lack of mobility for women of this age group in their own homes in the presence of an outsider.

The images show some of the common body postures during social interaction. Standing behind a chair while talking, partially sitting on the chair’s arms, standing behind another person, standing partially behind a door or curtain indicates a tendency to conceal one’s body partially or fully through a piece of furniture or person from another individual while communicating.

Almost all of them marked yellow along the edges which had access from the interior as spaces most comfortable to occupy alone. They found it appropriate to move to a more open space or sit down only with a companion like their mother or sister, and only when asked to.

Deconstruction of Social Identity to its Layers

At this point, I would like to compare these images with the paintings of Varma that we discussed earlier. While paintings are frozen perspectives of the artist, looking at them through the third dimension allows one to understand the spatial configuration and layering of the various components in the image. For instance, layering the objects in Keechaka and Sairandhri (1890) lead to an understanding of how the female conceals herself from the male figure. Each of these layers has a purpose in communicating the story in the painting. The approaching male, the scattered utensils, the curtain she uses to conceal her body in sequence suggests her vulnerability. Similarly, in Disappointing News 1890, the woman is concealed within layers of curtain, cushions, and shawl, which suggests her restrictions in space.

(Left) Raja Ravi Varma, Damayanthi, 1899, oil on canvas, Sree Chithra Art Gallery, TVM (Right) Collage by Author

(Left) Devasuram. Directed by I V Shashi. India: Anugraha Studio, 1993 (Right) Sketch by Author

(Left) Sketch by Neethi Regi, (Right) Sketch by Afna Fathima

(Left) Sketch by Neethi Regi, (Right) Sketch by Afna Fathima

Sketch by Ankitha Arun

Photographs by Author, Models: Niranjana CN, Anjaly VPVP h by Neethi Regi, (Right) Sketch by Afna Fathima

Applying the same layering to the images taken of body postures during social interaction at home, one finds shyness and restrictions which is experienced by women expressed through layers of furniture and people in space.

Understanding this aspect of non-verbal communication in a social setting can provide possibilities of better leadership and performance of gender without adhering to bias.

I would like to conclude by saying that the scope of this inquiry lies in shedding light and rethinking everyday settings of gender and leadership. As many sociologists have pointed out, the hope of improving leadership lies in the untangling of the explicit and implicit, their reassembling and through this, challenging the conventional.

References

Sharma, Mandakini & Gupta, Ila & Jha, Pashupati. (2017). Gender and Space in the Paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and Amrita Sher-Gill. 10.1007/978-981-10-2138-1_20.

Garimella, Annapurna. Engendering Indian Art. Representing the Body Gender Issues in Indian Art. Ed. Vidya Dehejia. Delhi: Kali for Women, 1997. 22-41.

Vishvanathan Kedar. (2010). Aesthetics, Nationalism, and the Image of Woman in Modern Indian Art.

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. United Kingdom: Penguin Publishers, 1972.

STRUCTURE-ISM

Hrishikesh Patil

‘The eras evolved in the past, let to our regionally sensitive present, which will lead to a chaotic variety of a mixed architectural future’

Architecture is a domain that has specificity suiting every variety. It morphs according to shifting criteria, due to geographical as well as cultural diversity. It tries to cater and convey all the possible mental faculties that a human uses for expression. Every particular historical era is recognised with the essence of its definitive topology, and then the actors behind it. It embraces change with grace. The outreach of our mental faculties have been evident through the advancement of different times. The times which are defined by its prominent traditional idealism. This idealism is what accounts for the structure - ism that has shaped our present architectural variety and can again shape a very obnoxiously diversified future. The one which can only be perceived when it will unfold.

Metamorphosis

Cut to the early twentieth century. Technological, political and economical ideals were strengthened and standardised into decade long trends. This very recent era of our civilization witnessed a birth of godless religions, called “isms”. A conceptual avant garde thought was induced into contemporary architects, pioneering the very field of contemporary architecture. We as a race, are presently capable of reaching the sky’s limit,

with the massivity of human made structures. We are capable, because of the outburst of this architectural butterfly effect of “isms” in the early nineteen twenties. Every successive trend had a unique aspect about it that resulted into developing a newer trend altogether.

This era improved and gave architecture a commercial platform. The Victorian era had a very strange architectural hierarchy, where approach to a certain clientele was very limited.This got more flexible, both physically

Collage by Author Embodiment of Leadership

Photograph by Panchal Harshil N.

and literally, with movements like modernism, cubism, futurism, minimalism. It opened doors for a more fluent medium of structural expression. The focus de-pixellised from complex timber joineries to steel and concrete fluencies. The isms proved to be a very definitive attempt at challenging the organic nature of chaos.

Imagine the international market during the neo classical era like a singular beam of light. The first revolution in the late 1920s acted like a prism to split that singular beam of monotony into multiple shades of structural diversity, by using nothing more than steel, glass, brick and concrete.

The B. I. M influence

B. I. M. stands for building information modelling. This was an evolutionary form of a working mechanism that was invented after the commercial normalization of large scale structures like commercial mall complexes and skyscrapers. This mechanism ensured a very apt and economically efficient way of constructing a said project within a stipulated time frame. We had outwitted chaos in architectural physicality but not its structurality. The B. I. M. module took care of the latter.

The advent of computers back in 1985, brought about the advent of these modules as well. They gave rise to the easy construction of parametric structures. This module gives the constructor a complete analysis of materiality, cost and quantity specifications, by showing a realistic three dimensional model with all the required finishes. It has now transcended the boundaries of building privileges which were a mere theory to achieve fruition. The Bhurj Khalifa, the Louvre, modular architecture etc , are it’s most cutting edge outcomes.

Critical regionalism

Increasing sensitivity of regional cultural identity and checking the structural credibility in accordance with international building standards, resulted in a very secular form of architecture called critical regionalism. This is

a form that combines an ambiguous concept with cultural sensitivity of a particular region (building site), giving rise to a built space that satisfies both international and regional standards.

This ism is a culmination of the ism butterfly effect that has evolved from its post Victorian roots. The elements were driven by either a theme, a form, or internal functionality of the space, whereas here, all of the said elements work hand in hand, as the primary element is the site. There are many vernacular styles of architecture that are combined with the conventional building styles and a new structure is “invented”. For example, in India, there are famous vernacular styles that are climate responsive and are existing since generations. The bhungas in Gujarat, or the kathkuni architecture in naggar, old Manali, respond to their specific climatic challenges. If an architect is given a project in these areas, then he or she will combine the essence of these vernacular styles followed by a modern retrofit to fulfill the present paradigm.

WWW.NASAINDIA.CO

Critical regionalism, unlike any other movements does not have a similar or a fixed form per say. It just works under a fixed idea of ‘balance by combining contrast’, hence giving it a very secularist approach.

Relevance for the future

‘For the past bears the seed, A seed that germinates into the present, A present that unfolds, Unfolds into a personality, Personality of the future’

The isms shaped our outreach both horizontally and vertically. Urban townships, sustainable architecture, modular housing and mobile housing, etc. are some brilliant outcomes that work solely on this root ideology. This is like a math problem where every passing decade came up with a newer application(irrespective of scale), following the same root formula. That is the relevance of it in the present, and similarly this present is going to be relevant for the future in retrospect.

Illustration by Akshatha P Palyam

THE PROCESS, A MENTION

Lovejit Singh Saka | Delhi Technical Campus, Gr. Noida, (GGSIPU)

Seeing the natural world, for it’s more fantastic than any dream made.

The facades, the beauty, the proportions, all created without human aid.

Everything in perfection, perfectly conveyed, from just to bloom lives, to dead’s grave. There sits the man, trying to figure out his plan, diving into the depths of observation, gets a faded inspiration.

Inspiration for what he was about to design, Giving him his conceptual spine. Takes out his sketch book, imprinting his thoughts’ outlook.

Scribbling, stippling and stroking With ideas soaking, hands provoking. Elevations, plans and sections, Detailing out all, from the abstractions. And then, the lines on paper stand out Towards realty, from a silhouette.

Projecting out of the sheets, Transforming into solid concretes. The space,the structure is created, Inside which a new charm is activated.

The man, as a user, then gives it a meaning, A meaning to the space which is now overweening.

Accomplishing this network of columns and beams, He finally makes his way towards a dream inside a dream.

Thus, happy, relaxed and satisfied, Adds another batch to his pride.

Something on 2-dimensions has added to it the third dimension.

With the passage of the so called fourth dimension, a mention.

SKETCHING DURING QUARANTINE

Manasi B | Dr. B. N. College of Architecture, Pune

The pandemic was a wholly unprecedented situation and it brought with it some challenging times. The persisting lockdown forced us to stay confined to our own homes. Routines became monotonous and it tended to be extremely difficult to stay sane in the same space 24X7. Many people tried to explore ways to deal with this slumber, for me, live sketching proved to be an excellent source of recreation. Sketching is not only a powerful tool for expression but also an all-inclusive medium of documentation. To me, every sketch is a source of inspiration for the next. Sketching has developed my perception such that monotonous and mundane spaces now seem dynamic and a 5 roomed apartment is an endless source of inspiration.

Before the pandemic, I didn’t know that the corners of a space and storage areas could have been so interesting! Clutter became an excellent way to brush up drawing free hand lines. Sketching such things took me to the past, giving a hope that these difficult times will also fly by.

Most of the time, kitchens are active spaces. They’re an excellent subject with an organic composition of objects. It was really fun capturing rare silent moments in the kitchen.

The following sketch is a composition of serial visions through my house. I tried to capture the scenes that build up the journey from the entrance. This made me notice the importance of corners and how even the smallest furniture impacts user perception.

Photograph by Rutu Kevadiya

The medium is black ink and fountain pen.

An object effortlessly forms a space around it. There are positive and negative spaces present around us. They are engaged in their own play with light and shadows, and it is always a delight to capture such moments!

These are some views from my terrace. A medley of colors and sometimes, forms, grab my attention. Every time of the day offers different views. Even though the outdoor subjects are still and stationary, their reactions with the surroundings are very dynamic!

Our homes are an extensive collage of our interests and memories. Sketching showpieces definitely triggered nostalgia. The objects and the colors made me remember long lost interests. Even if we do not notice it, such mundane objects are a “still life” rooted to our emotions.

Thus, this quarantine became a wonderful opportunity to experiment and notice seemingly insignificant things that are a part of our life. I tried some excellent mediums like watercolors and fountain pens and sketch objects that I would never have noticed otherwise. It made me look forward to document such countless other scenes and prepare, once again, for outdoor sketching!

View of

Another interesting subject for sketching is food! Be it a finished cooked item or just the ingredients, it is fun to document the delicious colors. Every sketch is a reminder of the smells and the tastes!

This is a sketch of “the Indian Spice Box” that helped in adding many flavors to my life in these boring times!

DURGATECTURE

Suditi Chaudhury

Penelope Cruz says: “Calcutta is like another world. People there are very special and grateful”. Kolkata, also known as “City Of Joy” and regarded as the “Cultural Capital “of India is located on the East bank of river Hooghly. City is also home to the Mother house, Headquarters of the missionaries of charity founded by Mother Teresa. Infrastructure of city is known for its Grand Colonial Architecture, art galleries and cultural festivals. Kolkata Formerly known as Calcutta is an educational, commercial and cultural center for Eastern India. This city of joy is a pioneer of art, theatre, literature and music.

Kolkata apart from art and music is a city of mythological and spiritual beliefs having its name derived from the word Kalikshetra meaning “Ground of the Goddess Kali”. City is blessed with Maa Durga and one can relate this to a very extent when the world’s largest festival of Durga Pujo

is celebrated. Entire city welcomes Maa Durga with their arms wide open like a child meeting her mother after a long day. Maa Durga in Indian mythology symbolizes a woman who can be a great nurturer of her kids and at times can transform herself to a fierce warrior when it comes to the protection of her kids. Though Durga Pujo is celebrated all over India, rituals of this Pujo followed by people of Kolkata sets them apart.

So, when it comes to Durga Pujo how one can forget the splendid Pandal that is decorated as home for Maa for another 10 days. These Pandal are also an example of art and architecture that blends with the Indian mythology and gives itself the best form. Durga puja has eventually become the integral part of everyone’s life in Kolkata. This cultural heritage and our tradition are the roots of city infrastructure that has helped everyone grow and glow.

Durgatecture of Zamindars

Religion played a great role in architecture of Great houses as they determined religion is the integral part of their life. Raja Kansanarayan of Tehripur first started Sharadiyal (autumnal worship) Durgotsav in 1500. But it is believed that Raja Krishnachandra Roy of Nadia led to the widespread of Durga puja and hence made it popular. One such example is the grand puja celebration held by Raja Nabakrishna Deb in 1757 in his palace of North Kolkata. This palace is an example of early Great Houses. It was mostly kings and Zamindars who lived in these Great Houses.

Architecture of these great houses was based on the principles of Vastu Shastra. The palace is entered via “Lion Gate” which consists of twin Iconic columns supporting twin terracotta lion which resembles more of the British Raj Bhavan. Palace consists of a vast grassy courtyard surrounded by rooms for servants and guests. Palace also consists of Thakur Dalan (the podium to setup any Hindu rituals, worship the god/goddess and organize the annual “Durga” puja) facing the South and a NachGhar facing the North of the courtyard. It is believed that Durga Pujo was celebrated in this Thakur Dalan which was covered on the three sides by the subsequent second floor and instead of European balusters they have six decorative arches supported by the composite piers.

In early 19th century the designing aspects of these houses changed, by this time celebration was not limited to a single room in a courtyard but covered entire courtyard for grand celebration. In 1840, Radhakanta Deb added Natmandir on the ground in front of the Thakur Daland where deities were placed. This Natmandir were served as large public halls which consisted of stairs that takes individual to the balcony of the upper floor.

Role of Courtyard

In 19th century, Thakur Dalans which is part of courtyard played an important role while designing these houses as this Dalans

conducted religious as well as social gatherings. Motilal Sils Great House is a classical example of the same. Courtyards of these houses were surrounded on three sides by numerous public rooms such as Nachghar, dancing room and Baithakhana or hall. Whereas the fourth side of this courtyard i.e. on North Western side had Thakur Dalan which was raised on platform and was known as worship area.

On occasions like Durga Pujo, Diety would be enthroned and the religious items for the festival would be stored in the spaces beneath the Thakur Dalans which had small doors. The Engineers and Architects who designed these houses worked around the courtyards in different portions and then assembled it

as a whole structure. Later the great families opened their doors during Durga Pujo for local people to gather and celebrate and thus gave this courtyard another aspect of being used as a social space.

Durgatecture of 21st century

Durga Pujo of today is celebrated as a social aspect rather than being celebrated as festival of religious belief and as a result the festival has come down to streets of Kolkata. The main reason of Sarbjanin Durga Pujo was to bring people of different cast together for celebrating the festival. But these remarkable growth of Sarbjanin Pujo does not signify the religious importance instead it has resulted in the competition between “Pallis”. These competitions are carried to seek the attentions of crowd by spending money on pandal decorations instead of concentrating and highlighting on the conduct of the rituals.

Durga Pujo of today is contributing to the economy of West Bengal and marking itself as festival of glamour where the streets are not flooded with posters of goddesses but with the posters of various sponsors.

Whatsapp groups these days highlight the amount of money spent on Maa’s idol rather than sharing traditions and beliefs that gave birth to this festival. Pandal in North Kolkata are traditional whereas the pandal of South Kolkata are contemporary and can be termed as immodest.

Making of Pandals

Pandal making is an extremely tactile method of building, it has a connection between materials and craftsmen method of building these Pandal. Pandal earlier were abode and simply made of bamboo whereas the materials selected for making this Pandal today have varied from rice husk, timber, paper, jute to clay biscuits and coke bottles. Two months prior to Durga Pujo designers along with their team set themselves for making this Pandal and eventually they turn the entire street into their studio where they discuss about the theme with the locals and transform dream into reality.

Visual effects of this Pandal are rendered with the light panels which are transported from Chandan Nagar, a small town in West Bengal. It is said by the officials on an average 1.5 lakhs of devotes visit the pandal everyday and thus

The courtyard of the Palace of Raja Nabakrishna, 2004

Drawing of the ground floor of Raja Nabakrishna’s Palace, c. mid-nineteenth century.

Source, Chattopadhyay 2005, p. 154.

A side elevation of the natmandir, the Palace of Nabakrishna. Source, Chattopadhyay 2005, p. 159.

The thakur dalan and storage rooms below the courtyard of Motilal’s Sil’s Great House.

Source, Taylor 2008, The Great Houses of Kolkata

Pandal Making. Source, Telegraph India, 2019

it becomes important aspect for the palli’s to exhibit an unusual theme. So far themes have ranged themselves from folk lore’s of Goddess Durga to the corny themes like Jurassic park and Titanic’s to the current social problems faced by the country. Example of such “Pallis” is Naktala Udyan Sangha which chose “Kaal” (time) as a theme.

Pandal from outside has random placing of bamboos and scrap which helps you to create a perception regarding the theme but as soon as you enter the pandal, you witness something completely opposite. You can see pandal well lit with ticking sound of a clock that describes theme. Interesting fact about the whole designing of set was every visitor under the same roof is viewing different story at same time and they had also set idol of Maa Durga on a revolving platform.

Nutshell

Durga Pujo in Kolkata has set its own trademark features which has made it stand

out distinctively different from any other celebrations in the world. Durga Pujo has not been only about the idol making and pandal but it has been the success of lakhs of craftsmen from different genre who work day and night to turn their dream into reality every year. This grand carnival of Maa Durga has not only evolved in ways of celebrating but it has also evolved from the use of spaces from 16th century till date.

Right from a private festival celebrated inside four walls to a huge social event that has created its own identity in the world, it has been observed that from last quarter of the 20th century till date, every year crowd has demanded bigger and bigger idols and pandal which have led to the use of hazardous materials like cement, plaster of Paris, toxic paints etc. Do we need such ways of celebrating a festival where rituals are getting secondary and decorations are considered as primary subject?

by Yokesh G.

Photograph

UNEARTHLY RED Housing On Mars

Jui Gune | T.Y.A Dr. Banuben Nanavati College Of Architecture,Pune Guided By Ar. Poorva Kulkarni

ABSTRACT

Why did Columbus travel West? Why did Marco Polo travel East? Because it is that pull which forces us to explore. “Establishing a permanent colony on mars is not an option, it is a necessity”, is what some of the great minds including Buzz Aldrin, Elon Musk, Stephan Hawking, say. The only home we have ever known is Earth and with the current problems that we are facing, surviving as a species with everyone having a certain standard of living, on this tiny blue dot, in the entire universe is tough. Also our aspiration to explore more, inspires a whole generation of scientists, engineers, architects, technologists and mathematicians being beneficial to the man kind in one way or the other.

Keywords: AI-SpaceFactory, Housing, Mars, MARSHA, NASA.

1) INTRODUCTION

Is the ‘Roman God of Wars’ truly ready for us to settle on it and provide us with habitable environment?

Is there a necessity for humans to leave earth and settle elsewhere?

Can all humans adapt to this change?

WHY LEAVE EARTH?

The abstract of this article talks about why should we leave earth and settle elsewhere? What is the need? Apart from that, the two major reasons for colonizing mars are mentioned below -

Changing climate Earth won’t always be fit for occupation. In two

billion years or so, an expanding sun will boil away the oceans and us.

Becoming Explorers Again- As back as we can look into our history, man has been on the move. From there, we settled into the entire world overcoming one obstacle over another and adapting to new climates and environment.

WHERE?

“If not Earth, then where?” Years of research and observations has lead NASA to believe that after Earth, Mars is the second most habitable planet.

WHY MARS?

Today Mars is dry, desolate and cold with temperatures dropping to negative 225 degree Fahrenheit but billions of years ago it was a geologically active planet.

Temperatures can be controlled by structures like eco-domes. Lake beds and river valleys snake along the surface of mars indicating that liquid water was for a time present.

Water still exists on this planet but mostly in the form of polar ice caps. The water in the soil of mars can the extracted and the ice caps can be melted and be used.

Much like its terrestrial cousin Earth, it has a dense and rocky composition. At the centre of the centre of the planet is a core made of iron, nickel and sulphur which creates a protective magnetic field against solar radiations allowing just enough sunlight. Enveloping the core is a mantle made of silicate minerals and the crust rich in iron.

Gravity on mars is lesser than that on Earth but findings and experiments have concluded that human can adapt to the gravity on mars with certain technologies.

2) PROBLEMS FACED

Hurdles for housing on Mars are not less in number. The size of entire planet of Mars is equal to all the seven continents of the Earth combined.

Average temperature on Earth (61oF) varies largely from the average temperature on Mars (-80oF). But the real challenge is that a

Existence of ice water. (Courtesy – Nat Geo)

Riverbeds. (Courtesy – Nat Geo)

Polar caps. (Courtesy – Nat Geo)

Structural Composition. (Courtesy – Nat Geo)

warm summer day on Mars might hit 71F and will plunge to -100F at night. So the housing structure needs to be built that neither braises nor freezes the residents inside.

Dust storms engulf the entire planet at a time so durable structures are required.

Also, for habitat on Mars a reliable source of electricity is needed. Because of the temperatures, lack of natural resources, incompatible atmosphere, etc., almost all support systems are mechanized which means that it can prove fatal if the power dies.

Internal Martian forces are very high making a necessity of pressurized habitats to contain air.

3) STEPS TAKEN

Keeping this in mind, one of the first steps towards this mission is to design the housing suitable to Mars.

With this very intension, NASA conducted a competition in which participants were asked to design an effective habitat for a crew of four astronauts to be located on mars using construction techniques enabled by 3D printing.

Submitted schemes were ranked based on innovation, architectural layout and level of BMI modelling.

Team Zopherus, Team AI-Space Factory, Team Kahn-Yates, Team SEArch+and Team

Northwestern University of Evaston were some of the participants of this compettion.

The team whose design stood out was the ‘Team AI-Space Factory’ who was ranked second. The 3D printed huts were called the ‘MARSHA PROJECT’.

4) EXAMPLE – THE ‘MARSHA PROJECT’

FORM AND CONCEPT

While most of the Martian settlement concepts are centered around low-lying domes and submerged structures, the MARSHA is a vertical egg-shaped structure that is optimized to handle internal atmospheric pressure and structural stresses.

The architectural design of MARSHA promotes the idea of developing ‘ human centric habitats’. In other words, the project aims to integrate familiar human features into an alien like structure.

The habitat is split into four levels. The ground level of the structure has a garage that acts as an interface with the external systems and exploration activities as well as a supporting wet lab.

On the next level MARSHA contains a 34 square meter space that has a joint kitchen and dry lab.

The third level consists of cabins, sanitation pod and a hydroponic garden.

Finally, the top level is a skyroom for recreational activities and physical exercise.

There are windows on every level which provides a panorama view of the outside world.

Size Comparison. (Courtesy – Nat Geo)

MARSHA View. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

MARSHA Levels. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

MARSHA FIRST LEVEL. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

MARSHA SECOND LEVEL. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

MARSHA THIRD LEVEL. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

MARSHA FOURTH LEVEL. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

MARSHA PANAROMA VIEW. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS

AI-Space Factory’s construction plan utilizes a technique called ISRU (in-situ resource utilization) which involves harvesting and 3D printing with material sourced directly from the surface of Mars.

By using ISRU method, the team eliminates the costly dependency on rockets to deliver building materials.

The development team worked on a mixture of basalt fiber extracted from the Martian rock and renewable bioplastic extracted from the plants grown on Mars.

This unique fiber material has excellent tensile strength and protects against radiations while the recyclable bioplastic offers dimensional stability and low conductivity.

MARSHA has a dual-shell system that prevents the space from expanding and contracting from the external temperature swings. This allows the interior to have a light and airy feeling, replicating the conditions of an Earthly home. On the base of the foundation two sliding plates are introduced that are anchored deep into the martian core.

5) CONCLUSION

Taking into consideration the problems faced makes temporary settlement on Mars near to impossible let alone permanent colonies. But understanding of the solutions and advancement in technologies convert this dream into a reality.

The day when first round of humans successfully survive on Mars is just around the corner.

The thought of growing as a species and pushing ourselves beyond the limits of our atmosphere is a truly mesmerizing.

The technologies used in this project can be applied to local context till the time humans reach Mars.

Researchers have started the process of 3D printing of organic materials and creating large structures. But these have not proven to be habitable yet. In the coming year 3D printed organic houses are going to be the trend.

By the year 2024 NASA plans to send the first four humans to Mars for a 90 day experiment program. The question of whether Mars is suitable for colonization depends on the experience of these four astronauts.

References

1. https://youtu.be/D8pnmwOXhoY - source file (Video)

2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_o f_Mars (images & information)

MATERIAL STUDY. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’) Stepup - Illustration by Kartik Khokhar

STUDY. (Courtesy – ‘MARSHA’)

ADAPTIVE REUSE AS A WAY FORWARD

Rakesh K. Panigrahi

As cities become more and more alike over time, our historic resources become these unique attributes that can’t be replicated. As the populations of cities continue to increase, it’s important that these historic resources also fulfil modern uses. These structures need to be functional and utilize their spaces to fulfil the user’s needs. We must not forget that historically important buildings are crucial for transferring the cultural identity for further generations. When they can no longer function with its original use, proposing a new function is inevitable to preserve the significance of the heritage building.

Adaptive reuse is a method that can deal with the conservation of historic structures. More precisely ‘’Adaptive reuse’’ is known as reuse of buildings or sites for a purpose other than they were originally designed and built. After the change and renovation, new activities are featured in the renovated structure which can offer economic, social, and cultural benefits at their user, stakeholder and surrounding neighbourhood. It is one of the best approaches to sustainable development since it conserves

original building materials, and its values as well. It deals with issues related to conservation and preservation of existing built form as well as strategies and policies.

“Preserving historic buildings is important because buildings are part of our collective cultural patrimony. Just as we recognize the value of art and artists, historic buildings embody a vast array of crafts and artistic skill that is no longer utilized in modern construction.” That’s according to Gordon Ohlschlager, a Minneapolis architect. Reusing preserves what’s best about these places but develops them in a way that is more modern and usable. This form of development generally preserves the exterior of a building and repurposes the inside. It’s a means of infusing new life into historic buildings, which can create new beacons in communities. Several factors go into adaptive reuse projects, including flexibility, cost, and overall beauty. This reuse of spaces plays a vital role in the sustainable development of the community. When adaptive reuse involves heritage or very old buildings, it benefits especially environmental are more significant, as these buildings offer a lot to the environment, landscape, identity and amenity to the belonging communities.

it offers a chance to enfold the past design while moving towards the modernism. It serves as a conduit between the establishment and the experimental works. It also brings up a dialogue between the old design methodology and current ideas in art, architecture, philosophy and technology.

It is believed that old structures were made with a better grade of construction materials as compared to the latest construction materials that is the reason why they possess a longer life span. Every heritage buildings or old buildings have their meticulous form of design and

The conservation and sustainable development in the urban area provides a sense of belonging to a community. The conservation of the built structures is not only a contributor towards the economic and environmental components of a community but also helps to create dynamic places and defines the spirit, character and sense of place. Successful adaptive reuse can offer growth and bring historical tourism to its city and new life to its neighbourhood. As it is said by Daniel Libeskind —

“To provide meaningful architecture is not to mock history but to articulate it.”

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One of the main benefits of reusing buildings is the retention of the original building’s “embodied energy.” Reusing sites will retain embodied energy, making the project more environmentally sustainable as compared to entirely new construction. When done well, this idea of reusing spaces helps to maintain and restore the historical significance of the building and helps it to survival, rather than falling into disrepair through neglect or being rendered unrecognizable. Heritage buildings that are reused and renovated can continue to be used and appreciated. But there are many that query about ‘’why adaptive reuse?’’ Well, there are several answers to this question. First,

planning. Moreover, older buildings consist of generally strong building envelopes which maintain proper design principles in ventilation and heating. Reuse of a project rejuvenates the social factors such as the historical, social and cultural values of the building. The urban character is prolonged in older buildings which enhance the sense of a place.

Adaptive reuse not only preserves the culture, and tradition of the building rather it also creates a major impact in the surrounding. In any surrounding heritage buildings create a distinctive character as well as it also connects tangible to the past and enhances the locality.

Keeping and reusing heritage buildings has long-term benefits for the communities that value them. When done effectively, adaptive reuse can restore and maintain the heritage significance of a building and help to ensure its survival. Rather than being neglected and then, finally being termed to be unrecognizable and irrelevant, heritage buildings that are recycled efficiently can continue to be used and appreciated. Increasingly, a lot of communities, governments, and developers are seeking ways to reduce the environmental, social, and economic costs of continued urban development and expansion. We must realize that the quality and design of the built environment in our towns and cities are vital to our standard of living, and our impact on natural resources. In the context of local government planning, heritage is gradually being merged with more general environmental and qualityof- life concerns in recent years. Communities must be made aware that future generations will benefit from the protection of certain places and areas, including heritage places. Our lifestyle is enhanced not just from the retention of heritage buildings, but from their adaptation into accessible and usable places.

We slowly realize there are several financial savings and returns to be made from the adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Energy and cost savings from not demolishing a building will only increase with the predicted rise of energy & construction costs in the future. While there has been no definitive research on the

Illustration by Panchal Harshil N.

Illustration by Mohammed Haseeb K.

market appeal of reused heritage buildings, they have been becoming widely popular because of their originality to the local context, and historic authenticity.

Various examples worldwide show us the success of adaptive reuse like, ‘’The Market Hall of Monmouth’’ which was originally designed by the architect G. V. Maddox and was built in 1838 in the Priory Street of Monmouth (Wales). It is a rich architectural heritage with classical façades with pilasters, and Doric columns, which have all been retained. In 1963, it was restored for a wide variety of usage which includes a post office, government offices, 2 museums, a coffee bar and a flower side. A single-storey extension has been added on the west overlooking a river. On the other hand, ‘’The Townhall in Kolkata’’ was the first building which was restored for adaptive reusing in West Bengal, and which further opened the gates for various conservation and restoration processes. It was a public building built by the British in 1813 but was lying unused and vacant for a long time after the independence of India. A team of conservationists, architects and structural engineers worked during 1996-1998 to conserve this heritage building and give it a new use and meaning. This resulted in the opening of this edifice again for various kinds of public use that included a museum.

The adaptation of heritage buildings presents a genuine challenge to architects, planners, and designers to find innovative solutions. As globalization, urbanization and development pressures increase in our cities, more heritage buildings are being reused, producing some excellent examples of creative designs that retain heritage significance. As the world ages, more and more buildings with rich histories and architectural value are finding themselves in need of renovation and rejuvenation; adaptive reuse is the conscious decision to preserve the past while planning for future. Restoring an old building starts to be taken into consideration by the governments, national and international associations as we started to

feel the need for reusing the existing structures, and the number of advantages offered by this orientation. We must take steps to bring into existing buildings of the past in the attempt to promote conservation of our national heritage and to save neglected buildings that might otherwise be demolished while reducing urban sprawl, increasing the compactness of cities and reshaping the image of the whole is a beautifully enriched by history way.

We have all come across historic cities or settlements in our lifetime. Whether it be the holy city of Varanasi or ancient Rome, the remains of Pompeii or the religious city of Madurai, all of them have their importance in history. A lot of factors play an important role in making them distinct, whether it be the cultural and traditional values, architecture, climate and morphological features, or the historical events associated with these settlements.

These historical settlements face a huge challenge in terms of their sustenance. Since there are constant changes taking place all around the world, these cities need to retain their historical values, and roots and need regular development in terms of infrastructure. There is a lot of built heritage in a city which is of historical, and cultural significance to society. This built heritage, like our outstanding and unique natural surroundings, provides a vital link to our past, assists in celebrating our achievements, and offers a vision for our future. It is a working, socio-economic functional illustration of many chapters in the story of our nation. So, they need to be conserved. The emotions of love, fear and sacrifice etched in these buildings must not be wasted in vain.

A wise architect once said, ‘’How would I design that’s loved and bold, If I don’t realize that old is gold.’

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Photograph

Tom Raju

What (do) architecture students do?

Deforestation. And that’s true!!

Lovejit

I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out. (Procrastination is one of the things we do)

Mayank

They create masterpieces which are often rejected by their professors.

Achirava

Which is the best laptop for architecture students?

How to recover lost CAD drawings?

Rendering software has crashed. What to do?

Why are architects so pretentious?

That my friend, is our raison d’être.

Dipti

The fool doth think he is wise and the wise knows him to be a fool. (Quoting Shakespeare makes us very non-pretentious)

Shubham

We aren’t pretentious! Godly? Yes. Pretentious? What makes you think that?

Somya

Why are architects so arrogant?

I’m not arrogant, just above 90% of the population (Irony intended)

Mayank

Architects are not arrogant. They simply know more than you do.

Achirava

We aren’t arrogant. We are just always right.

Somya

Why are architects so important?

Imagine a world where every single building looked the same, boring right? So, architects make lives and places more interesting by breaking the monotony.

Anushreya

Their creations last centuries!

Lovejit

Architects are such romantics! They believe that the smallest tweaks in a space can change people’s lives. And they do. They make lives better, a whole lot cosier and oh so, beautiful!

Shreya

About 1,61,80,33,98,875 results for more questions in your mind (05.00 years)

WORKING ON CREATING A TIMELESS AURA

Urmi Angne

Designing sustainable architecture entails than just practical calculations, aesthetics, taking a few fundamental elements into it is shaded with hues of sustainability, consideration: orientation, shading and sunlight created by pre-existing elements, ventilation, use of biomass, Ambient Assisted Living or domestics and renewable energy systems, all created and incorporated with materials studied specifically to interact with the environment and its characteristics. Zero carbon emitting buildings in India are made by some architects. Their relentless efforts for spreading and educating various architects not only in India but also abroad about sustainable architecture and making Earth a better place to live.

The architectural landscape is so much more than just practical calculations, aesthetics. It is shaded with hues of sustainability, green energy and so much more.

In an attempt to comprehend these terms we decided to profile Architects who have dedicated their careers to making concepts like sustainable living and green architecture a reality. These Architects are an inspiration only to the Indian architectural community but professionals across the globe. By studying their individual and unique ideologies we attempt to capture not only their essence but the purpose of their principles.

1. STEPPING TOWARDS VIABLITY

...is experientially engaging, environmentally sustaining, socio-cultural responsive and most importantly contextually appropriate. He endeavours to create contextually relevant contemporary resolutions that inspire from the rich Indian traditions and yet aspire for its future dreams.

- AR YATIN PANDYA

He endeavours to create contextually relevant contemporary resolutions that inspire from the rich Indian traditions and yet aspire for its future dreams.

The Ahmedabad-based architect believes that as professionals, one has an obligation to ensure larger societal good. He also believes that any contextual design, should optimize resources and maximize effectivity. Sustainability is an inherent dimension of any design, which stems from appropriateness to the milieu, the place, people and program. Sustainability is about the environment and traditions. Reduce, reuse, recycle and regenerate are integral to the design and construction decision. Keeping a building cool in a tropical climate without using energy-intensive devices like air-conditioners, regulating the flow of air inside a building, reducing exposure to extreme sunlight, northfacing open terraces with open-to-sky plinths with a lot of vegetation all around mark an ideal Pandya design.

Manav Sadhna Centre, Ahmedabad is a community centre for celebrations and events. The centre offers an outstanding example of environmental architecture using reclaimed waste as construction materials. Waste such as fly ash, dump fill, site waste, crate packaging, plastic water bottles, glass bottles, rags, wrappers, metals scrap, and ceramic wares, compact discs and electronic hardware, etc. have been transformed into walls, roofing, flooring and fenestration elements. The architecture demonstrates creatively environmental concern by recycling waste as construction materials. waste, enabling the poor economically through value-added processes, and improved their quality of life with the development of affordable and sustainable alternative building products for their home.

MADHAVA SADHANA CENTRE

2. HERITAGE FOSTERS CONTEMPORARY

Turner, whose claim to fame was his book ‘Housing as a Verb’, taught me that when you looked at housing as a number — which we did at that time in India, architecture was a noun; but if we talked about the act of building a home, it became a verb

- AR. KARAN GROVER

3. CONVERGING DUALITY INTO UNITY

As professionals, we have a dual responsibility. We must serve in the best possible way the legitimate need of our client. Equally, we must see that the means and ends of the building design solutions we propose also serve a larger beneficial pie pose. We believe that the creative practice of architecture would seek to converge the duality into unity.

Ironically even though his designs aped in the west he chooses his post-graduate thesis as 'housing the urban poor in India'. As of today KGA, established in 1985, is a strong believer that a region's culture and heritage pose as key aspects to contemporary architecture which is extremely relevant in the Indian context. He's dedicated his career to stressing the urgent need for practising and believing in “green architecture" and inspiring citizens of the architectural community across the globe and imparting knowledge on environmental and ecological concerns. The concept of this architectural wonder is pure poetry, just as whatever grows from nature must go back to it, the very same way whatever the construction of a building takes away from nature must strive to give back.

CII SOHRABJI GODREJ GREEN BUSINESS CENTRE

One of his evergreen and most celebrated projects is the CII Sohrabji Godrej Green business centre, the first LEED platinum rated building in the country. It offers advisory services to the industry in the areas of green buildings, energy efficiency, water management, environmental management, renewable energy, green business incubation and climate change activities.

Engaged in architectural education since 1990 he has developed curricula and teaching methods to address environmental issues. AR. Ashok B Lall has his company specialized in sustainable construction which is self-evident to any visitor or user of the building.

THE INSTITUTE OF RURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

He has published many articles and presented papers on environmentally sustainable design while being an active member of institutions and groups, promoting awareness and building competence in sustainable design of buildings, trying to change the ideology of many architects.

He is currently interested in developing strategies for sustainable urban development in the context of rapid urbanization.

The Institute of Rural houses the headquarters for the Non-profit Government Organization, S.M. Sehgal Foundation (SMSF) which works on development projects in rural Haryana. Aimed to be a model of sustainable development, it is the first office building in which earth blocks are used in the masonry and for creating the landscape garden slopes. It thus has a platinum rating under the LEED rating system post-construction. Using the excavation soil for in situ, the rainwater from the rooftop being used for water-based air conditioning, providing internal courtyards for ventilation and daylight, the building has achieved innumerable environmental goals. Due to its high energy efficiency, the monthly energy savings are 35% to 40% lower.

- AR ASHOK B LALL

4. COMMUNITY ATOP LUXURY

Low costs are one very powerful convincing tool. We have always tried to preserve craft in our buildings, not just for nostalgia but for reasons of ecology and social continuity. New technologies and materials do bring benefits but their factory models disconnect communities.

- AR DEAN D'CRUZ

Respecting the traditional heritage; his buildings glamorized the local architecture of Goa. Dean's work consciously advocates sustainability and green architecture. On realizing that, the costly luxury homes are a waste of resources and an ecological burden, he chose to avoid constructing them and rather started with affordable homes for group projects after three decades in the field. He felt, the luxurious houses were nothing more than the show of financial greed and social wealth.

Cruz projects are now for resource-sharing communities. Hospitality remaining the key focus of his firm and his company now primarily operates in small, and environmentally friendly hotels. Some of these hotels are temporary and are fully built with natural materials. He believes that in terms of technological and socio-economic aspects, architects do have a responsibility to the society, like any other profession does.

THE BECK'S HOUSE

Anterior of a mountain and surrounded on one side with fields is the Beck House. It is the last house off the road to the village on a side lane. We are greeted by a distinctive style of paving and laterite wall surrounded with fudge tiles. Therefore, all that is visible are very rare elevated rooftops on the laterite walls. The house has barely any right angles. The architecture and its broadly diagonal location on the ground establish a vast garden outside of the living room on one hand and a veranda on the other. The plan is linear and the main living room is symmetrical.

Illustration by Nikita Konwar Gogoi

SEE THE SEA

The city of Mumbai has grown from being a neglected piece of land to being the dream city. The city dates back to the 16th century where one can find no similarities between the then Bombay and the present Mumbai, except the sea. The sea is the only constant in the city of Mumbai. It binds the city and its people irrespective of their cultural and economic background. Mumbai was under the rule of the sultanate of Gujarat, the Portuguese and finally the East India Company. Given as dowry to Prince Charles II, Mumbai was originally a collection of seven islands which were connected to each other through the sea. Over the course of time, the city gained its importance because of its deep harbor which allowed ships to enter the bay easily. The city has undergone a series of reclamation projects to be what it is today.

In a city where land is more valuable than gold, every patch of land is used to its maximum potential. Naturally there is bare minimum open spaces for the citizens of Mumbai and in this scenario, it is the seafront that connects Mumbaikars to nature. Mumbai is surrounded by water from 3 sides and the language changes from one seafront to another. The relation of people with the sea changes from one locality to another. For this study, sea fronts in the northern part of Mumbai were in focus. The sites selected were diverse and each had a different fabric wrapped around them with respect to the landscape, cultural background, economic background and users. These sites cover a broader spectrum which helps understand the relationship of people with the waterfronts in the city. Conservation, recreation, tourism and livelihood are four words that give an overview of these four selected sites. Carter road promenade is an example of harmony; nature and development go hand in hand. Juhu beach is a famous recreational spot on the other hand Versova beach is home to the oldest community of Mumbai – the kolis. Dharavi sits on the estuary where the Mithi River meets the sea. For them the waterfront is a source of livelihood.

The first site is the famous Carter road promenade which is the only promenade in the northern part of the city. Carter road sees a lot of visitors throughout the day from all across Mumbai who come here to unwind after a busy day or to hang out with their friends and partners or just to enjoy the un-abrupt view of the sea. Home to the elite crowd, Carter is one of the posh localities of

Nimit Patni

the city. The residents of carter road are deeply connected to the sea front. It is their track for their daily morning and evening walks. They use the promenade to socialize with their neighbors from the vicinity by organizing events at the amphitheater.

What makes Carter road promenade special is the simultaneous effort of developing the promenade while ensuring most of the natural ecosystem remains unharmed. Most of the city of Mumbai is built on reclaimed or marshy land. How we see Carter road today was not the same back in 1898. The promenade sits on the marshy lands of 1898. Citizen organizations are actively involved in promenade development and its protection. Similar approach is noticed on Juhu beach. The residents of Juhu are well aware of their water front. It is their prized possession as it makes their homes special from the rest of the city. The Juhu Citizens Welfare Group is another citizen run organization which has taken up the responsibility of looking after the maintenance and development of the beach. Organizations like these are often present in the elite localities of Mumbai where the residents are aware of their environment and they care for it. The city of Mumbai has multiple waterfronts, sadly not all are looked after in a similar way. It is the financial status of the residents of the vicinity that decides the fate of these waterfronts.

Juhu beach is on every tourist’s checklist when visiting Mumbai. The beach is fragmented; the chowpatty region attracts the tourists whereas silver beach region is used by the locals of the area for their daily activities and workouts. Today, Juhu is one of the prime residential locations in the city, however back in 1898, this part of land did not constitute to form Mumbai. Inhabited by the kolis, Juhu beach was not used for recreational activities at all. It was an important economic waterfront for the kolis, salt traders, toddy tappers and cultivators. Juhu started developing in the 1890’s after Jamsetji Tata built his residence here. Since then, Juhu started going gradual development which eventually led to the formation of this upmarket neighborhood.

The beach of Juhu is a source of livelihood to many photographers, food vendors, martial art trainers, chaiwalas, etc. Most of these people are migrants in this city who are completely dependent on this waterfront. Where these migrants eagerly wait for tourists, the locals on the other hand prefer to maintain their distances. According to them, it is because of these tourists their beach is littered with garbage and food waste. Juhu beach is a cultural hot pot brewing with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

It was considered that the poor are often the destroyers and the middle class care for the environment. This Middle-class environmentalism can be observed very well on Carter road promenade and Juhu. For the residents of these sites, their waterfront is a pure source of recreation. However, this notion was brought down in 1997 as the idea of environmentalism for the poor was introduced. The theory says the poor are dependent on the

environment for their survival and they care for its protection.

Coming to the third site – Versova beach and koliwada which is a little up north of Juhu beach. Versova is a residential area however the beach here is not looked after the way the other two water fronts are. This beach had undergone a major clean drive which made the beach accessible. Unlike Juhu beach, this beach attracts very few tourists. This waterfront has informal settlements along its stretch known by the name of Aaram Nagar. Residents of this nagar are fishermen or daily wage laborers or house helpers to many families of the vicinity. For them, the beach is like their verandah. They use it for net making, fish drying, growing methi and dhaniya or for drying their clothes. Not all of the beach stretch is covered by these informal settlements. A part of Versova beach is used by the locals from the vicinity for their daily walks and workout. As the locals from the tall residential towers step out food vendors

and horse riders flock to this part of the beach in the hope of making money. Unlike the other two sites, Versova beach is not perceived as a safe public space by many after sunset. It is infamous as many come here post sunset and involve themselves in antisocial activities which makes the locals especially girls and women uncomfortable. For the locals it is a regular affair to complain to the police and report the ruckus that happens on this beach.

Versova village dates back to the 1690s. This village was ruled by the Portuguese for a long time before the Marathas took over and finally the British took control of it. Since the beginning, the villagers were involved in fishing and till date Versova is an active fishing village in the city. Nostalgically, the kolis talk about the changes the creek has undergone. Back in time, fish were easily available. However, today the kolis have to go deep in the sea to catch fish. They plan expeditions for days and go as far as to Goa to catch fish. According to the

kolis, the government turns a blind eye to their problems. The bunder which is recently built by the BMC has made loading and unloading easier for the kolis, however there is no water and electricity line. Sanitation line from the village opens directly in the bunder, there is no regular waste collection by the BMC. It is only during the time of elections when the authorities address the problems in and around the koliwada.

The residents of the village barely use the beach for any recreational purposes. Their occupation of fishing keeps them occupied throughout the day. One can notice a stark difference in the types of users from one point on the beach to another. The first entrance to the beach sees the residents of Aaram nagar, walking further the user group changes; the locals from the vicinity are spotted and by the far end the beach is the work place of the kolis who are actively involved in net making, fish drying and other fishing activities.

The city of Mumbai is on an estuary which is a waterfront as well. Dharavi sits on this junction. Unlike all the other fronts, the language and the setting here is quite different. Surrounded by mangroves, the Mithi River divides Dharavi from the business district of BKC. People of this area are directly and indirectly dependent on the river and its banks. The locals of Dharavi have their fishing ponds in this river which is their source of livelihood. On the other hand, scrap dealers from sector 13 use the river banks as their warehouse. Taxi drivers from in and around Dharavi use this front for parking their vehicles. Dharavi is recognized as an informal settlement by the government. Most of the northern part of the city is built on reclaimed marshy lands, today all of them are formal settlements except Dharavi. This informal status has prevented Dharavi from getting basic amenities like sanitation facilities and many more. The riverfront acts as open toilets for many of the residents of this area. Walking along the stretch of the river that flows through the area of Dharavi, the typology keeps on changing. This waterfront is surely not of recreational importance to the residents of this area.

Back in time, the picture was different. The waterfront was an active site. Ships entered the creek and docked themselves. There was no clear land and water edge division like today. Koli men entered the creek and fished here without any restrictions, while the koli women sorted these fishes at the shore and later sold them in the market. Women used mangroves wood as fuel to light their chulas. There existed a symbiotic relationship between nature and the kolis. During low tides, the shore became an active playground for the kids. Since the coming up of the Sion-Bandra link road, the connection between the kolis and the creek was lost. Today as it is a protected region no one can enter the creek. This seclusion makes this creek a site for anti-social activities.

The idea of environmentalism for the poor can be noticed on the sites of Versova and Dharavi. For the residents of these areas, their waterfront is a source of livelihood. Environmental protection is not their primary motive for maintaining the waterfronts. They care for protecting them as their lives depend on these waterfronts. The city of Mumbai is full of diversity which is very well observed on its waterfronts. Though there exists a strong capitalist division in the society, the citizens’ care for their waterfronts in their own ways.

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Illustration by Anand Jain

TIMELESS ARCHITECTURE WITH DATED TECHNOLOGY?

Anushree Raghushe | G.S Mandal’s Marathwada Institute of Technology

In an era when our gadgets and technological inventions enable us to do just about anything online, the physical built environment is starting to lose ground. Our perception of the built environment is changing, because we spend less time engaging with the space around us, and more connecting to other people, places and things online. Pedestrians in a public space are present in the physical and the virtual realm at the same time, and one cannot help but wonder if this omnipresence of virtual space is turning built environments into nothing but a liminal space for people to enter the virtual world.

Photograph by Panchal Harshil N.

Although most arguments of the integration of architecture with technology talk about the ways in which technology is enabling architects to enhance their design process, this essay explores a new perspective of looking at the integration of the two fields. Now that technological devices and artificial intelligence have become sophisticated enough to understand and respond to human inputs, is it time for architects to start exploring how this technology can help us enhance the experience of an architectural space? Can help re-establish the connection that people have lost with the city, its architecture, and one another?

This essay evaluates the reasons for the need for interactive architecture, and through citing and analysing different examples, makes a case for how it can help architects turn technology into a tool instead of competing with it for the attention of users.

People are constantly engaged in their phones, scrolling through social media, clicking and sharing pictures, listening to music, watching videos, reading articles, playing video games, etc. This limits them interaction to both the space and the people around them, since the spaces we design today are not in sync with the way people spend most of their time. Physical spaces are becoming less central to human connectivity, which has decreased the role of space design in facilitating interaction.

public spaces and museums a passing fad, or can interactive technology be an integral part of designing buildings of the future?

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Unprecedented growth in technology in the past few decades has led to huge changes in the way people live and the way they perceive the world around them. People’s lives are no longer compartmentalized into homes, offices and recreational areas- due to technology, the functions of these spaces are no longer singular, and the built environment is no longer instrumental in fulfilling people’s needs and dictating their actions. Moreover, the way people interact with one another has changed. Messaging apps and social networks have connected people from all corners of the world, and made it easier for us to stay connected to the outside world 24x7.

Because of this constant urge to stay connected, this need to stay engaged at all times, the way people’s behaviour in the built environment has also changed drastically.

And while on the one hand we can blame the emergence of new, pocket-sized technologies for limiting the users’ interaction with space, on the other hand, we can employ these new technologies to help us rebuild this relationship. Instead of people being engaged in their phones at all times, can we fulfil this compulsive need of today’s generation to constantly stay engaged, by changing the design of space itself? Can digitally interactive architecture help enhance the way people interact with others around them? Can it help build that interaction in the physical realm?

What are the fundamental human needs and what can interactive architecture do to add to these needs? Are interactive installations in

Rather than studying the role of technology in designing buildings that have parametric forms and facades that are climate-responsive, I would like to explore another dimension of the relationship between architecture and technology- the emergence of ‘soft architecture’ and ‘interactive spaces’. Through this relationship, we are going to explore how in today’s age, architectural design needs to morph into the design of a wholesome experience, rather than just material spaces. Moreover, it is important to understand how technology has not only created the need for this change, but will also help fulfil it.

Although the fields of architecture and digital interaction design traditionally deal in two separate realms- the physical and the virtualthe distinction between the two is now being challenged. With the advent of technologies such as physical and ubiquitous computing, the Internet of Things, sensors, and embedded systems, there is little limitation to what designers can achieve in terms of bringing the digital into the material.

There are different ways in which designers can achieve this balance between architecture and digital technology. For one, architects can employ screens, data, and artificial intelligence to make the experience of a built space richer and more seamless. Another way is to use dynamic digital technologies to enliven static architectural elements such as walls, furniture, windows and building facades. Thirdly, on an urban level, physical installations and permanent structures driven by responsive technologies can reinstate the connect people seem to have lost with their city.

For illustrating these hypotheses, we are going to look at different examples from all over the world, where the integration of space and technology left an impact on users that static brick-and-mortar structures could never have been capable of, especially in today’s age.

Photograph by Richa Chabra

City Of Sydney Infinite Choir

The Infinite Choir is a series of atmospheric light sculptures on a walkway in Sydney, triggered by movement and number of people walking through. Each of the sculptures represents a unique voice from the choral choir, and is fitted with proximity sensors, LED lights, as well as a directional speaker. When the sensors detect the presence of passers-by, it responds in terms of both light and sound, in real time. The choir was set up on Pitt Street for the month leading up to Christmas.

In transitional spaces such as pathways, streets and corridors, people are more likely to shift their attention to their smartphones, for listening to music, making calls, checking their emails, social media, and more. And a bunch of passers-by looking down at their smartphone or tablet, without merely acknowledging one another’s presence- let alone the surroundingsinculcates a sense of alienation to the city and its people. For a long time now, architects and urban designers have been focusing on visual mediums to draw people’s attention and appeal to their emotions. But in today’s era, in a street full of people looking down at their phones, visual cues are not enough to connect to a user, since there is a lesser chance that each one of them will even see it. To breach through this bubble of portable personal space that wireless technology has provided people with, it is important to start with creating a multisensory experience that is more likely to hold the nearly non-existent attention span of today’s users. Not only has the conjunction of

technology with architecture helped passersby enjoy a multi-sensory experience, it has helped the designers be able to facilitate interaction among strangers passing by on the street. Through this design, people interacted with strangers on the street to explore how the melody changes as they regulate the number of people walking on the pathway. Such small, playful interactions can not only boost an individual’s mood, but also his ownership and connect towards the city and its people. The design of such an interactive and multisensory experience, created and executed with the help of technology, is more relevant in today’s era than just designing a visually aesthetic walkway that most people don’t bother to look at long enough for it to have an impact.

Prada Showroom Design, New York and Los Angeles

For Prada’s flagship stores in New York and Los Angeles, Rem Koolhas designed and curated a well-rounded in-stored experience. The range encompassed ‘Magic Mirror’ interactive changing rooms allowing customers to see themselves from multiple angles delayed in time; RFID tags on clothes allowing the customer to call up the designer’s sketches; ‘Prada Interactive Privalite Walls’ with an opacity that reacts to a customer’s movements through the store; and the ‘Headline Karaoke’ and ‘Digital Theater’ custom software’s which created real-time collages, and were shown at the Prada SS/05 catwalk show in Milan.

In a world where everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, and apps like Facebook and Twitter and Instagram are all trying to fight for the users’ attention at the same time, it is becoming harder to attract their attention

and make an impact. Now, architects need to engage people in creative ways that makes them want to engage with the space rather than delve into the multiple experiences offered to them by their phone. Architecture, in its deepest, purest form, is the innovative curation of an experience, as opposed to merely designing a visually appealing structure. In today’s age, the appeal of this experience can be augmented with the use of interaction technology, and its integration with architecture can result in a new paradigm for the next generation of architects. Designing a store with rich colours and exotic materials just isn’t enough to make an impression that stays with the consumers in an experience economy, and Rem Koolhas, while designing Prada’s flagship stores, understood that.

By making the store’s walls and mirrors interactive rather than static, the architects of the store allowed the users to see the journey of every piece of clothing, from how it began as a concept sketch to how it’ll look on the ramp. This establishes a deep relationship of the users with the product- and interactions such as these will prevent online shopping apps and virtual stores from taking away the charm of the retail experience of a brick-andmortar store. With every business working its way towards designing unique experiences rather than just physical commodities, it has become important for the buildings around us to reflect that change.

Blinkenlights 2001

Regarded as the main precursor in the field of interactive media facades, Blinkenlights, features 144 windows on the facade of the building which were equipped with translucent slides and illuminated.

Every window of the facade was treated as a pixel, which helped display images of simplistic motifs on the facade in real time. These motifs were submitted to a service number by the public, and generated instantaneously on the facade.

With billboards, smartphone notifications,

posters on sidewalks and bus stands, and the numerous other forms in which we see brand advertisements in the urban landscape, the city is being choked by visual pollution. The citizens are being flooded with unnecessary information and commercial advertisements at any given time- and they would not want more. Media facades have often been a medium for large-scale, interactive brand advertisements. And such digital advertisements taking over the facades multi-storeyed buildings ubiquitously add nothing, but more forms of visual pollution to the urban experience.

Countering this conception of media facades and their purpose, is the Blinkenlights in Berlin, where the dynamic images formed on the facade were contributed by the citizens themselves. This participation of the citizens in creating the skyline of the city, even if for a minute each, illustrates media architecture at its most compelling. True media architecture will not just be about innovative lighting and dynamic advertisements, but will close the loop of interaction between people and their built environment.

This participation of people’s perception and behaviour in the urban fabric defines the difference between the users having a body that feels like a part of the space, as compared to having a body standing in front of a picture. The difference lies in the sense of consequences and the spatial experience of the citizens. However, as compelling as this difference can be, it is important to design these facades in an interactive, meaningful, and clever fashion, so as to not run the risk of making them a redundant set of screens and lights flickering across the urban fabric.

These examples clearly demonstrate the different ways in which the incorporation of technology in architectural and urban design on different scales was able to address not only address what the users need; but also took it a step forward, providing them with what they did not know they wanted it. If people today are glued to their screens instead of indulging more in the physical world, architects are required to design solutions that will help them be more mindful of the built environment, rather than expecting users to alter their actions in order to fully engage with a design. Buildings and cities today cannot only be designed to look good- they need to do more, by engaging, exhilarating, evolving, and communicating to the users.

Summary

Through the ages, architecture has evolved to become more than just the design and construction of a shelter. As more activities started being incorporated into the daily lives of people, architecture has constantly adapted to them by developing new typologies of buildings based on newly evolved functions. The discovery and invention of new materials led to revolutionary changes in the architecture of some cities and buildings. Through all these changes, the one thing that has remained constant is that the needs of the people inhabiting buildings end up shaping the architecture of the era.

The more we rely on our smartphones, the more our attention span and ability to concentrate starts dwindling- and this effect is prevalent not only when we are using our phones, but also when we are in proximity to them. And since most people carry their phones in their pockets these days, buildings and urban spaces are forced to work harder to offer them new experiences they will remember.

Today, in this experience-based economy, it is important for architecture to evolve into the design of an experience, rather than just be about erecting static structures that won’t be able to fully address the needs and habits of

today’s users- let alone of those who are going to inhabit our buildings in the future. There needs to be a shift from architecting buildings to architecting experiences- from creating space to creating place. And if the design of this experience can be made more dynamic, adaptive, and more in sync with the way people live, work and entertain in today’s time with the help of technology, there seems to be no reason for the separation of architecture with cutting edge digital technology.

Bill Gates had once predicted that by the end of the first decade of this century, there will be nothing that is left untouched by the digital. And there is no doubt that the digital revolution is now coming for architectural and urban design, in the form of smart homes, smart cities, and other such proposals that most architects believe are more data-driven than design-oriented.

As designers, it is our choice- do we want to criticize this omnipresence of technology for its replacement of art and design, or do we want to steer technology into a direction where it itself becomes a medium for art?

Bibliography

1. Matthew Claudel, Beyond ‘Things That Flicker’- The Next Step for Media Architecture, 2014

2. Eness- City of Sydeny Infinite Choir

3. Alexander Wachlowski, Interactive Media Facades in the Urban Context, 2011

4. Anne Lorentzen, Carsten Jahn Hansen; The City and the Experience Economy- Role and Transformation, 2012

5. Kram/ Weisshaar, Prada Instore Technology

Photograph by Panchal Harshil N.

THE UNTRAVERSED ANTIQUITY

Bharcavi K.

Through my lens and words I attempted traversing through the Dravidian style of architecture which emerged hundreds of years ago in the southern part of the Indian sub-continent. The Dravidian style of architecture was at its zenith during the reign of the Cholas in terms of both the study and elucidation of architecture in Indian history.

The splendid structure “Airavatesvara Temple”, a hallmark of Dravidian architecture, stands tall in the town of Darasuram near Kumbakonam. The term “Airavatham” means a white elephant.

This marvel was built by king Raja Chola 2 in the 12th century.

Its outer Gopura is a large gateway tower. The outer gopura niches indicate the coming together of several traditions in Chola art. The axial layout, cloister scheme,’ hara’ arrangement and gopura alignment are some key features of the Dravidian style, observed here.

The intricacy in the carvings is notable, especially in the “Rajagambhiran-Thirmandapa.” It’s in the shape of a chariot with royal elephants adorning curled balustrades and ‘makaras’ carved on the stairs leading to the mandapa.The “Mookahmandapa” is another structure brimming with artistic complexity.

Many carvings measured as less as 1-2 inch in height but were articulated in astounding detail. In this wonderland of sculptures and carvings, there was also a set of ornately carved steps that produced ‘musical notes’ when walked upon, named the “singing steps”.

Every nook and corner of the temple echoes the sheer hard work and craftsmanship of a time long gone. The respect and honour accorded to the artisans of this era is palpable through their work, which has stood the test of time and become a window to the epoch of Cholas and Dravidian Architecture.

Photograph by Prathamesh Patil

Illustrations by Pratik Malpure (1), Panchal Harshil N. (2, 4, 5, 6), Kartik Khokhar (3)

4

ZONAL REPORTS

Zonal President - Zone 1, 62nd Year NASA INDIA

National Association of Students of Architecture or NASA India is much more than just a student body association. Unlike other associations , students get connected to it through various initiatives and evolve themselves as an entity in various fronts which would further help them in their professional line of work.

Architecture Education in India cannot be parted within closed boundaries of a classroom and NASA India has adapted itself continuously to complete that missing link.

My journey as Zonal President Zone1 for the 62nd year of NASA India was something that I would not have imagined in my student life. Working with the EC, ZC and the whole General Council of Zone 1 , we all had one aim of reaching out to the students community

and focus on what was required of us by the present scenario of Architectural fraternity in India.

The idea throughout was to achieve more than what we could and rise to our full potential. Achieving together is always a success and at the end we all have something to take ahead with us. I wish the association as well as the Zone “ALL THE BEST” and keep growing.

#WENASAINDIA

- Zone 2, 62nd Year NASA INDIA

I can say NASA-India is one of the reasons I joined architecture and today I do not regret my decision. It started with a willingness and passion to learn something more than a college studio and lectures. NASA-India, is one such experience. It has shaped me as a better and productive person on and off the profession.

NASA-India has been developing and expanding at multiple levels. Today,the reach is to almost 60,000+ students in India. The association whose name students will for sure come across in their college life.

Being a part of the college NASA team and moving ahead to become Zonal PresidentZone 2, it has been a great journey. Zone 2, a zone that is like a small family of 45 colleges out of 250+ colleges nationwide. As a part of the 62nd Year we at Zone 2 started our journey with the Zonal Council Meet, which played a vital role in shaping the year ahead for zone. A lot of ideas and thought provoking discussions were held including the start of collaborations with government bodies,

organising plantation programs on NASA Day, etc. We at Zone 2 introduced a complete new format of Zonal NASA Convention. The convention started with the initiation of a theme “INCEPTION” - instance of beginning, and it was the beginning of something new for Zone 2. Convention had a qualitative and productivity approach. The formal and informal activities were well balanced and it turned out to be a new experience for everyone who were part of it.

The 62nd Year of NASA-India happened to be my best year in the association. Having worked closely in the council, helped me to understand the administrative part of running such a big association. From having formal meetings to a long lasting friendship with the council members, is what I will be cherishing in my life. I would like to thank each and everyone who has been a part of my life for supporting and encouraging me throughout my NASA-India trip.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

- Ursula K. Le Guin

Warm wishes to the 63rd Year Team ! Hoping to see NASA-India reach higher than ever before.

Akshat Jain

Parshva R. Shah Zonal President

Zonal president - Zone 3, 62nd Year NASA INDIA

“NASA”- An emotion with countless memories linked to it. An organisation that has given power to each and every student of architecture to voice out their opinion has now entered its 63rd year with its reach expanding every year in multifolds. In the last few years, the association expanded its exposure to SAARC nations as well, providing a medium of exchange of knowledge between different countries. NASA is a story which we’ve all heard as freshers across the country. What you learn in this journey as a part of the organisation, is taught in no classroom. Whether it be team management, challenges, new discoveries, experiments, ideations, workshops, communication skills, or any other domain, this platform serves you all of it.

As the 62ND Zonal president of Zone 3, it is an honour and privilege to be a part of the council of this student organisation. In the 62nd year, the no. of colleges in zone 3 increased substantially and we also saw the improvement of the zone in the annual trophies. The zone moved a step

WWW.NASAINDIA.CO

Zonal president - Zone 4, 62nd Year NASA INDIA

forward and started with new activities in the year.

This journey as the ZP, has imbibed immense values in me through various experiences and helped me evolve as a person. It gave me an experience which I had never thought of getting as a college student. Working with the executive and zonal council not only gave me bonds to cherish for a lifetime but also helped me look in new directions being stuck in the same boat. It was indeed an enriching journey.

I hope we all have gained our own share of experience and learnings in this year, and are ready for a more power packed 63rd year of NASA India.

ALL THE BEST!

#WENASAINDIA

With its objective of creating a platform for architecture students to learn, interact, and engage them on a common tenet, NASA India strives to move forward with past learning/ experiences and new initiatives.

The 62nd Year was all about ‘Embarking a New Journey’ for a better future of NASA India and the architecture fraternity of India.

My journey as the Zonal President of Zone 4 in the 62nd year of NASA India was a very pronounced experience. I was obliged to work with a very supportive team of the EC and ZC and a very energetic General Council of Zone 4.

Last year, as a Zone, we were open to many changes regarding long-term visions. We had an idea of strengthening our base, thereby setting up a foundation for the better functioning of the Zone in the association. The goals set were a continuous ongoing process of development that I wish the Zone takes forward in the upcoming years.

This platform has given us a lot of learnings and memories to carry forward. I wish the association as well as the Zone “GOOD LUCK!”

#WENASAINDIA

Ayushi Sawalka

Ritik Khare

62 years and counting. NASA India has stood the test of time and become a large part of the lives of architects and architecture students in India. It’s interesting to see a huge network which comprises administration, management, statistics, economics numerous other fields (in which no architecture student has any proficiency) wholly managed by students.

Rightly said NASA India is by the students, for the students and of the students.

As an active part of this association, a lot of opportunities and possibilities opened up for me, giving me the zeal to pursue further as the Zonal President of Zone-5. The one common trait any zone-5 member carries is pride and the zone-5 slogan. Comprising 48 colleges, the zone comes with an enthusiastic bunch of

Unit secretaries and Unit designees who never will let go of the mics in their hands, multiple responsibilities, challenges, fun, love and the Zone-5 family.

The calendar started off with the Zonal council meet, Gopalan school of Architecture and Planning, for a period of 2 days where we ideated on the year’s proceedings by setting up the Zone’s vision as “improving the quality of the content being generated” which was the need of the hour for us. Not to forget the intense Zonasa discussion which went upto 3 AM in the night on day-1. Though we couldn’t implement the ideas, the discussion shall be ever remembered by the 62nd year GC. Anaagata-Arch 105 talk series was hosted at a very nominal price for students who don’t have access to the conventions to have an experience of a NASA event and as well to

provide an opportunity to learn from eminent architects.

NASA day was celebrated by different colleges in different fashion. A bike rally and plantation drive was hosted collaboratively by 3 colleges. Three more colleges raised funds, visited the government schools and educated the students about menstrual hygiene, distributed sanitary pads and architectural reading material. A few colleges hosted workshops as a part of the celebration.

Prior to the Zonal NASA convention, Zone-5 for the first time had a pre-convention meeting to plan the proceedings. The 62nd year Zonal NASA Convention, Zone-5 was the largest convention zone-5 had witnessed with 2100 delegates. The convention was oriented towards workshops with formal & informal events, seminars and talks to keep the rest of the delegates engaged. We also witnessed a few firsts of the Zone-5 ZNC. We had post jury discussions for all trophies and student-faculty interaction sessions. There were many hiccups along the way, due to the scale of the convention, but with the right support and cooperation from the zone-5 family, the event concluded as a success.

In the 62nd year, 10 colleges were given the observer-ship and 1 college was given the membership during the first council meeting. Zone 5 saw the vision we set up in the beginning of the year come true, when it received 3 citations and 2 special mentions and multiple shortlistings in various different trophies at the Annual NASA Convention. All the Unit secretaries signed off by receiving their certificates and as we stood for a group photo, we could remember the amazing time we had in the past one year - a moment to cherish.

This year as a council member I experienced many things - multiple meetings, events, sleepless nights, never ending conference calls, traveling and meeting new people. That’s what keeps us connected at the end of the day. This is just my experience. But there are thousands of similar stories, a testimony to the stability of NASA India. Looking forward to continuing my association with this organisation and being a part of history in making! Hope to see more hands joining in this process.

Dinesh Prasad

Zonal president - Zone 5, 62nd Year NASA INDIA

#WENASAINDIA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The IndianArch team would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the following people who made this edition into a reality:

The Interviewees:

Ar. Shiv Rao

Ar. Manju Yadav

Ar. Sharukh Mistry

Ar. Sathyaprakash Varanashi

Ar. Gita Balakrishnan

Ar. Vatsal Dhamani

Ms. Apsara Iyengar

Designer Harshit Daga

Mr. Vipul Gupta

The Interviewers:

Rajasee Datta

Amrutha Vishwanath

Abhigna B.

Radhika Jhamaria

Nidhi Bang

The Writers:

Shubham Kr. Sagar

Swita Joy

Rhea Chabbra

Riddhima Gupte

Samruddhi Shendurnikar

S. Kirth

Sudharshanaa

Aditi Srinath

Stephin George

Bharcavi K.

Nimit Patni

Jui Gune

Rakesh K. Panigrahi

Urmi Angne

Suditi Chaudhury

Manasi B

Lovejit Singh Saka

Hrishikesh Patil

Nirupama KS

Rushali Malhotra

Maithili Awasarikar

Kkanche Ratadia

The Illustrators and Photographers:

Panchal Harshil N. - Cover Picture

Darshil Mukhtyar - Inner Cover Picture

Rohan Varma

Nikunj Vara

Saurav Gaur

Aparupa Saha

Darshit Chavda

Kartik Khokhar

Shubham Kr. Sagar

Ashutosh Patil

Atharva Mahamunkar

Tanaya Gupta

Apurv Samariya

Jatin Rawat

Jayant Negi

Vaibhav Kumar

Kiran Binani

Kartik Khokhar

Greeshmika Nagubilli

Abhijit R Aiyer

Panchal Harshil N

Adelin Rebecca

Amitakshi Banik

Aakriti Agrawal

Akshatha P Palyam

Rutu Kevadiya

Yokesh G.

Nikita Konwar Gogoi

Anand Jain

Prathamesh Patil

Pratik Malpure

Rithik Thiru

We would also like to thank all the people who extended their support in making this magazine a success.