ARCHITECTURE the ART & TECHNIQUE of DESIGNING and BUILDING Architecture Course Review Course Review Architecture

CAREERS360

YOUR QUICK GUIDE TO A COURSE IN ARCHITECTURE THE ART & TECHNIQUE OF DESIGNING AND BUILDING Architecture Course Review Course Review Architecture

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

1. Introduction 03 ARCHITECTURE INVOLVES MAKING AN IDEA INTO A PROPOSAL OF 2. Eligibility Norms 05 A BUILT ENVIRONMENT, READY FOR EXECUTION. A BACHELOR’S IN ARCHITECTURE HELPS YOU LEARN HOW TO CONCEPTUALISE AND 3. Selecting an Institute 07 DESIGN BUILDINGS 4. Course Content 09 5. What after Graduation? 11 don’t think I even start with any precon- 6. Professional Talk 11 “ ceived ideas - the real inspiration comes 7. International Appeal of the Course 16 Ifrom the person and the place and the 8. First Person 17 function to which they want to put the building to.” Laurie Baker, architect and father of ‘low- 9. Industry Talk 19 cost’ housing in India (1917-2007). 10. Select Institutes offering B.Arch in India 22 Buildings for homes, offices and shopping malls 11. Select institutes offering PG courses in Architecture 22 are the outcomes of hard work put in by archi- 12. Select institutions abroad 23 tects. Architecture is not just confined to erecting FAST FACTS Programme B.Arch Duration Five a structure. It encompasses considerations like years Eligibility 10+2 with PCM Entrances JEE Main, NATA Fee Rs. weather, cultural and economic factors. 31,300 per annum at SPA, New Project Editors Dr. Nimesh Chandra, S. Rajaram Delhi; Rs. 9. 99 lakhs for five years at BIT, Mesra Best Bachelor’s Research Shiphony Pavitran Suri, Prerna Singh With ample opportunities for specialisation institutes SPA, New Delhi; Sir J.J. Art Director Anshul Sharma and employment in the diverse field of landscape College of Architecture, Mumbai: Asst. Art Director Rajesh Chawla IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, and urban design, a degree course in architecture NMIMS’s Balwant Sheth School of Architecture (BSSA) Copyright © Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi is high in demand. Prominent Master’s institutions SPA, New Delhi; IIT Roorkee; IIT All Rights Reserved Kharagpur; Chandigarh College No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means electronic, “Architecture is a confluence of arts and sci- mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd. of Architecture, Chandigarh; R.V. ence. It is a very interactive course where stu- College of Engineering, Bangalore; Editor: B Mahesh Sarma Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi; CEPT dents are encouraged to come up with ideas,” University, Ahmedabad Cover Design: Rajesh Chawla Cover Photo: Rajesh Chawla echoes Harshvardhan, an alumnus of JJ school

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of Art and Architecture. The 5-year course trains students to integrate socio- economic, climatic and design parameters in the process of development. ELIGIBILITY NORMS Prof. Rajat Ray, former Dean, Sushant School of Architecture, Gurgaon says, “Students learn how to conceptualise and design buildings. They build on their skills of understanding spatial environments and expressing those ideas IF YOU HAVE PASSED 10+2 WITH PCM, OR ARE GOING THROUGH through drawing, imaging and modelling.” YOUR FINAL EXAMINATION, YOU CAN APPLY FOR JEE MAIN TO GAIN ADMISSION FOR B.ARCH. SOME INSTITUTIONS HAVE A CUT-OFF OF 50 PERCENT IN MATHS

andidates keen on taking up B.Arch degree course at The School of Plan- Cning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi should have scored at least 50% marks in Math- ematics alone with Physics, Chemistry in combi- nation at 10+2. The eligible candidates are expected to qualify JEE Main examination conducted by CBSE annually. Most institutes including IITs, SPA and Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh admit students on the merit of score obtained in JEE Main. Other Gov- ernment, Govt. Aided & unaided institutes like Guru Nanak Dev University accept admissions according to merit in National Aptitude Test in Job Roles Design Architect, Town Architecture (NATA) conducted by Council of Planner, Digital Architect Earning Architecture. Regional institutes may have state- Potential Rs.12,000–Rs.15,000 as Junior Architect Job areas Town level exams for admitting students to B.Arch. planner, Architecture Design, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi conducts its own Design Associate Top recruiters Town and urban planning entrance exam comprising two papers on PCM organizations, real estate firms, etc. and aptitude respectively.

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MAH-AR-CAT (Maharashtra Architecture Common Aptitude Test) fill up SELECTING AN INSTITUTE Outside Maharashtra Seats (OMS) in unaided institutes.

The Department of Planning and Architecture at IIT Roorkee offers 5-year B.Arch degree course accredited by Indian Institute of Architects (IIA). The THERE ARE 280 INSTITUTIONS, WHICH IMPART ARCHITECTURAL institute is engaged in research and development through consultations and EDUCATION IN INDIA. YOUR SCORE IN THE JEE MAIN OR STATE/ sponsored projects with several funding agencies. INSTITUTE-SPECIFIC ENTRANCES WILL DECIDE WHERE YOU STUDY

SPA, Delhi is another highly reputed institute for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in architecture and planning. Students are trained in an inter-disciplinary approach towards construction. It is highly acknowledged ome of the best institutions for architec- for experienced faculty and international collaborations. ture were started during the British Scolonial rule. These include Madras Council of Architecture, the statutory body for regulating standards in School of Industrial Arts, (1850) Government education and profession in India, approves the 5-year degree course offered College of Arts, Calcutta (1854) and Sir J. J. Col- by all institutes. lege of Arts, Bombay (1857).

Tin Maharashtra, the admission to B.Arch programme for the category of ‘All India Seats’ is made through Centralized Admission Process (CAP) conducted in several rounds. Maharash- tra and outside Maharashtra seats comprise ‘All India’ seats that are filled based on the meri- torious performance in JEE Main (paper II). There is a set quota for residents of Maharash- tra at J.J. College of Architecture. Maharashtra state candidates may apply for All India seats through JEE Main score in paper II and avail MAH-AR-CAT 2013 score for admission against Maharashtra state seats. Students who qualify

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enriched by course in Computer Aided Design & Simulation alongside His- COURSE CONTENT tory of Architecture. By the end of the second year you would have acquired an in depth understanding of the History of Architecture, Architectural Design and Building construction. THE COURSE SPANNING TEN SEMESTERS GIVES YOU AN Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies’ Balwant Sheth School of UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUBJECT RANGING FROM BASIC DESIGN Architecture (BSSA) has structured its 5-year course into three categories of TO THE LATEST BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING INTEGRATION Design; Design and Technology; and Theory. The coursework is divided into a trimester system advancing every successive year under the same classifica- tion. Theory comprises courses in humanities architectural history, theory of design and elective. The five-year course is spread across ten semesters. The coursework pertaining Fourth year onwards you will be introduced to planning and architecture in Ato arts, engineering and technology is urban, rural and regional contexts under the subject ‘Building Bye Laws and taught through theory classes and studio ses- Design Professional’ at Sir J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai. At the end sions. You will be introduced to Basic Design, of the fourth year, each of you will be assigned an independent dissertation Descriptive Geometry, Mechanics, Graphics & project. This enables you to conduct research and analysis of climatic condi- Visual Communication alongside Mathematic in tions, socio-economic problems and transportation involved in designing a the first semester at IIT Kharagpur. Detailed building. Inclusion of “building information modelling (BIM) integration” study of Descriptive Geometry, Basic Design and may you become industry- ready, explains Sahil. Mathematics constitute the core of the second semester. “An updated knowledge of architecture National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli gives the students to softwares like, AUTOCAD and Revit is an essen- flexibility to select up to three electives in the ninth semester while the final tial part of the learning,” remarked Sahil Jalan, a semester is solely dedicated to dissertation work. fourth year student of B.Arch (Architecture and Regional Planning) at IIT Kharagpur, who is also the Advisor of Students’ Alumni Cell.

Third semester focuses on the concepts in Cli- matology & Solar Architecture, Architecture Design coupled with field tours. The learning is

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streams such as Landscape Architecture, Architectural Conservation, Urban WHAT AFTER GRADUATION? Design, Building Engineering & Management, Environmental Planning, Housing, Transport Planning, Regional Planning, Town and Country Plan- ning, Industrial Design etc. The SPA and CEPT Ahmedabad are considered to be some of the best colleges for a Master’s degree. EXPLORE AVENUES FOR PRACTICAL LEARNING TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN CLASSROOM LEARNING AND INDUSTRY REQUIREMENT. If you are interested in doctoral research, Centre for Advanced Studies in JOBS ARE APLENTY, BUT GO FOR MASTER’S IF YOU ARE Architecture, at SPA is a good bet. The Centre is dedicated to conducting ACADEMICALLY INCLINED research in the fields of energy studies and impact of climate and solar energy on architecture. Sahil says that recent research in architecture focuses on computational design, integrating BIM (building information modelling) f you are interested in academics, you can with live construction practices, biomimicry, algorithmic design, and use of pursue postgraduate and doctoral pro- alternate building materials, like bamboo. Igrammes offered by some of the reputed institutes across the country. “Straight after gradua- “Architecture has a rather steep slope of learning. The journey is lined with tion (B.Arch) students can take up higher studies constant dismissals and disapprovals before the final acceptance of projects,” like M.Arch, MCP or MBA,” shares Sahil. shares Sahil. Before you take up architectural projects, you should get reg- Undergraduates with a valid GATE Score can istered with Council of Architecture after completing B.Arch degree. This apply through PGCET to secure admission to M. registration entitles you to practice the profession. Arch. Postgraduate degree gives you an opportu- nity to specialise in vast array of fields, ranging For undergraduates jobs are available in various government departments from urban design to sustainable architecture. such as Indian Army, Town and Country Planning Organization, National You can also opt for an MBA (Real Estate) Institute of Urban Affairs, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, offered by the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha National Building Construction Corporation Ltd. etc. Teaching and research University’s School of Management Studies (in at several reputed institutes are highly rewarding. A career in academics collaboration with SPA), says Professor Satish essentially requires a doctoral degree after postgraduate studies. Khanna of the SPA, Delhi. Private sector jobs are highly concentrated in firms like Jones Lang LaSalle, More than 70 percent of students opt for Mas- L&T, Jindals, IMAXE, etc. Private practices post registrations are equally ter’ or further studies after completing their recognized in residential townships. Such a practice would entail more than Bachelor’s programme. They specialise in design as put forth by Bhaskar Rattan, associate architect with a Delhi-based

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firm, “While 30 percent of the job focuses on designing what the client wants, PROFESSIONAL TALK it is not about design alone.” A fresh undergraduate may start as Junior Archi- tect or Assistant and earn Rs. 12,000 to 15,000 a month, says Pritpal Singh, Ankur Manchanda another Delhi-based architect. Architect with DesignHaaus Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad

n architect with DesignHaaus Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, Ankur AManchanda speaks about career avenues and scope for higher studies in the field of architecture

Q. What are the job opportunities after gaining a B.Arch. Degree? A. Currently, there is a huge demand and supply deficit in India for skilled professionals in architecture. The difference between required versus regis- tered architects is more than 4 lakhs! A fresh graduate with desired skills and passion to excel is sure to find placement.

Q. What skills should a fresh graduate acquire to become “industry-ready”? A. A year of work experience brings to light the gap between classroom practice and industrial applications. The gap, however, may be bridged by exploring avenues for practical learning. The role of internships and part-time jobs is crucial in developing practical skills. Therefore, internship projects must be chosen carefully. The knowledge of the appropriate software is essential. I caution students against picking up irrelevant CAD, MAX courses at random institutes. Instead rely on inputs from seniors that are valuable in pursuing additional courses.

Q. What are the requisites for pursuing a course in Architecture? A. A degree course in architecture is dynamic in nature as it uses both left and right side of the brain. This is not to say that people with lack of design aptitude can’t make it to this course. In fact, design comprises only 5-10%

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of the entire project execution. Get to know about architects with respect to their thought process, projects to gain insights on architecture as a profes- INTERNATIONAL APPEAL sion. Learning architectural history helps in understanding developments OF THE COURSE that led to its progress over the years. RESEARCH ON COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES FOR GREEN Q. What are the current research avenues? AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING IS BOOSTING THE DEMAND FOR A. Select research areas are: Green Architecture, Net Zero Building, Bio- ARCHITECTS ABROAD mimicry, Low Cost Housing, Alternative Material, Seismic Architecture, Real Estate, Vernacular Architecture, Urban Design, Pattern Study, Bar- rier Free Environment, Ergonomics, Furniture Design, Luminaire/Lighting Design. Additionally, students may browse interesting videos online available at research interest page of institutes like, Massachusetts Institute of Tech- he opening up of the Indian economy and nology to learn more. rapid globalisation has led to equally Trapid collaborations of Indian institu- Q. How relevant is undergraduate curriculum to the industrial tions with their international counterparts. requirements? Institutes like SPA forge international associa- A. Architecture as a career goes beyond theoretical knowledge taught in tions through Overseas Research & Develop- colleges. The faculties belong to an era that the industry has long forgotten. ment Centre to inspire students in Africa and the Some faculties are obvious exceptions, but sometimes the faculty at the SAARC nations. institute may show restraint to new changes as they seek their utopia in rules written in prehistoric times. The basic impediments during undergraduate Undergraduates from prominent institutions study are lack of sponsorships available for students to experiments and in India feel that Indian architects are still not learn new ideas. preferred over their overseas counterparts. This is mainly due to lack of professional approach Q. What are the latest trends in the field of architecture in terms of given to the curriculum at the undergraduate design and concepts? level. The undergraduate training should follow A. There is wide gap between Indian and international trends, but green recent industry needs and demands. living is the latest avenue for architects. Experimentations with building materials is gaining momentum once again, as seen in the revival of exposed Internationally, the undergraduate course can concrete, first used by Le Corbusier at Chandigarh. In addition to this, a sad be pursued at universities leading to the award but heavily dominating trend in the architecture industry is Vaastu. of B.Arch. /B.A degree course in architecture.

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FIRST PERSON A. Creativity remains the prerequisite. The recruiters look for advance skills on platforms like CAD/Authority Submissions in fresh graduates. Krush Dattani Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, Q. What are the international research and design trends in architec- Working with Shimizu Corporation, Singapore, ture? A: The use of advanced materials as cost effective alternatives to fulfil the objective of green and sustainable living is being widely researched. In my n alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, Krush Dattani who is currently employed opinion, reuse of any material is a green concept and that’s how it should Awith Shimizu Corporation, Singapore, gives his insights on the interna- be practised to foster sustainability. The other domain evoking research tional appeal of architecture as a career option. interest among architects is the use of BIM technology, which is a one-stop platform for all information regarding a building, encompassing all aspects Q. How do you describe the changing face of architecture as an indus- from Design to Details for example, Autodesk Revit. Apart from the newly try? developed fields, conventional domains like, urban planning also interests A. The education and practice of architecture in India and overseas has been the architects today. an enriching experience. The field of architecture is driven by creativity and technology now. With this the professional roles of an architect have become Q. How did an undergraduate degree help you in meeting your profes- more complex and diverse. It involves making an idea into a proposal of a sional goals? built environment, ready for execution. This can be explored at a construc- A. The study of architecture at IIT Kharagpur was inter-disciplinary on tion- consultancy company or by practicing as a licensed freelance architect. account of the allied courses that we took up with Mechanical, Civil and Elec- trical Departments. The curriculum was designed to relate to the concepts of Q. What are the professional roles of an architect? Built Environment. It is imperative for an architecture student to understand A. A fresh graduate in architecture may function in a range of domains the system of mechanical services that make any living space functional. from inception to execution. The diverse functional areas include designing wherein the designation is that of design architect. Areas such as construc- The internship helped me learn new professional skills. In addition, partici- tion industry employ architects for execution of the projects while real estate pation in annual events such as Architectural Students’ Association (NASA firms seek analytical advice from them. In addition, digital architecture offers and ZoNASA) exposed me to different domains of design namely, design, many job opportunities in exploring this platform developed by reputed product and industrial. The institute encouraged and favoured architecture ‘building information modelling’ (BIM) players like, Autodesk. students in cultural events like Diwali.

Q. What silks are required for international internships in architecture?

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INDUSTRY TALK The only condition to get admission was to pass the entrance exam, and I did! Today, I tell people that to be an architect you need to be a creative per- Hafeez Contractor son and not someone who is good at studies. Renowned architect, I never got more than 50 percent up to SSC but once I joined architecture, I stood first class first throughout. It shows that the way our education system “Creativity, not marks make a good architect” is, even when people want to be architects they are not able to do so because of academic numbers.

weak student up to Class 10, getting admission to an architecture col- Q. Your first salary and the way you spent it? Alege proved to be an expedition for this renowned architect! Yet, he A. I started with Rs. 30 a month in 1968. I gave it to my mom. I bought a maintains that creativity and not merely good marks maketh a good architect. stencil, which I had eyed for months and a pen with the rest of the money. In Hafeez Contractor talked to Careers360 about his career trajectory, and tips the first month I got an increment of Rs. 20. My studies were for seven years off aspiring architects and during that time I had several promotions and went on to earn Rs. 1,500 a month. Q. How did you get clarity about your career? Q. What were the challenges you encountered as a young architect? A. I wanted to be an architect since I was in Class 3, though I didn’t know the Has the situation changed nowadays? term “architecture” or “design” back then. I would design forts, tanks, cars, A. Early on I have worked 19-20 hours a day for the first 14 years of my work guns, sections of a building. In Class 4, I was thrashed by my English teacher life! As an entrepreneur, came the challenge of maintaining staff. Especially Mrs. Gupta who caught me drawing instead of writing in class. But she also today, youngsters are more money conscious. As a young architect, I never told me to become an architect when I grew up. That was the first time I heard thought about how much I am going to get out of a project. I just wanted to the word ‘architect.’ work. Today every kid first wants to know how much he will earn. Values have changed. Q. How tough was the admission process back then? A. I got 50 percent marks in SSC and could not get even an admission form to Q. What are the turning points of your career? Which project gave you any architecture college. JJ School of Architecture only gave forms to those visibility? with 80 percent and above. After a year of doing the rounds at various col- A. Right from my initial project of Vaastu at Worli, to Rajneesh Ashram, leges I came to know of Academy of Architecture, and coaxed a nice elderly to Lake Castle, to my DLF building in Delhi, everything has been a turning Parsi gentleman Mr Dallas, Head of Indian Institute of Architecture to help point. Today also every new job has to be a turning point. And unless and until me. He wrote to Mr Wandhrekar at the Academy of Architecture, who in turn you do that, you better retire. allowed me to take the entrance exam.

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Q. What sort of aptitude does one need to be a successful architect? Select Institutes offering B.Arch in India A. The attitude for every professional, at any stage of career, should be that School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi you started your career yesterday and you want to make it good today. Keep Sir J.J College of Architecture, Mumbai abreast of the changes in your profession; what’s new, how you could adapt Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee and change with time, change and hard work being the only constant. IIT Kharagpur

Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh

Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, NMIMS, Mumbai

Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli

Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology, Kozhikode

Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi

Manipal University, Manipal

Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai

Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, Ahmedabad

Department of Architecture, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar

Architecture and Planning, MANIT, Bhopal

Select institutes offering PG courses in Architecture School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi

Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee

IIT Kharagpur

Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh

R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore

Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi

Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, Ahmedabad

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Select institutions abroad Institution Country Department Degree Columbia University in USA Department of Architecture BArch affiliation with Barnard college Georgia Tech, College The Irwin S. Chanin School of USA BArch of Architecture Architecture Department of Architecture and University of California USA BArch Urban Design

Cornell university USA Department of Architecture BArch

UCL Bartlet school of Architecture UK Faculty of the Built-in Environment BSc

Glasgow School of Art UK School of Architecture BArch

Edinburgh School of architecture UK — BA (Hons.)

University of Cambridge UK Department of Architecture BA (Hons.)

Oxford Brookes University UK Department of Architecture BA (Hons.)

University of Sheffield UK School of Architecture BA (Hons.)

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