FIVE LITTLE THINGS THAT NO ONE TOLD ME WHEN I WAS A DESIGN STUDENT – #6

IN RETROSPECT

This is the last post in our series ‘Five Little Things’. In the last five blog-posts, we talked about how architectural pedagogy has changed and how it has still not corrected certain fallacies that are imbibed in students deliberately as tested postulates of design development.

In detailing these five arguments, our aim is not to change the constituents of architectural practice, but the thinking process of the individual. The arguments are focused specifically on cultivating an attitude towards design and the construction of buildings and built environments – to highlight the diverse technology, people and articles involved, their needs, roles, and specificities.

It has taken time, for us as practitioners to realize these fallacies, and even more time, to correct them; since they have been deeply rooted in our way of approaching design, which is something endowed from our education.

To follow up on these arguments is not mandatory; in fact, there is nothing particularly mandatory in the discipline of architecture. But, negating these values brings forth bad professional habits, errors, and to an extent, man-made disasters also.

These ‘five little things’ aren’t a part of any architectural pedagogy yet, but hopefully will be in some time. This does not mean, that they are not relevant to budding design professionals today. And what transformed the architectural pedagogy years back will continue to transform it hence – the internet – and the students, today, can put it to use to understand as much of these values and inculcate them in the way they approach their assignments, to the degree that it is possible to inculcate them.

Doing so, will not only prepare the students to face the architectural practice with a strong desire but also allow for the growth trends of the profession in our country.