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Architect Building Dream Habitats

She grew up in picturesque


Gangtok, day dreaming about
creating beautiful structures
which would stand tall before
her, braving the chiaroscuro
of sun and light. In her free
time, she would observe her
architect neighbours nimble
fingers sketching on the
drawing board for hours.
Maps, T scale, compass and
precision tools were her
friends.
Today, Debashree Pal, 25, is
an architect with a leading
architect firm. A plot of land
for her is the canvas onto which
she pours her imagination, a drawing board which comes alive with a dream habitat for the less
fortunate. She loves to design sustainable buildings that dont take kindly to high-end
high
materials.
Bamboo and sun-dried
dried bricks are her favourites. And her dream pro
project
ject is to construct a
sustainable orphanage in a far-flung
flung village....
Pal studied at Gangtoks Tashi Nangyal Academy (one of its famous alumni being football player
Baichung Bhutia). In Class 11, she took up science with chemistry and physics as her mains
ma and
geometrical and building drawing as her elective.
As luck would have it, she topped the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) in her
state. That brought her to Delhi for the five
five-year
year BArch programme at School of Planning and
Architecture.
cture. She did her internship at the Centre for Science and Technologies for Rural
Development led by legendary architect Laurie Baker where she got a chance to work on a lowlow
cost housing project in Tamil Nadu.
Ask her about skill sets prospective archit
architects
ects should possess and she says: They should excel in
day dreaming.
And how is the work? An architect is the central figure for any construction project. He/she
has to design a building keeping in mind the local ecology and keep an eye on aesthetics, she
s
says, and goes on to add, Every project is different. Its the variety that I love, says Pal.
Agrees Vidur Bharadwaj, director, 3C Company, Architecture is more of a passion than a

career. Its not only about designing habitats but an individuals effort to create a balance
between his dreams and reality.
What's it about?
Architecture is the study which deals with planning and designing of building and structures.
Architects are involved in designing a variety of structures such as houses, apartments and
colonies, offices and industrial complexes, hospitals, hotels, airport terminals, stadiums,
shopping and commercial complexes, schools, etc.
They provide professional services to individuals and organisations not only regarding new
constructions but also for alterations and renovations. Further specialisation in the field can be
in industrial design, urban design, landscape architecture, town planning, environmental
planning, and transport planning, etc. Postgraduate courses in these areas are open to BArch
degree/diploma holders
Clock Work
9.30am: Reach office using the car pool
11am: Discuss status of a project with colleagues
Noon: At the drawing board. Sketch out ideas
2pm:
On the computer; transfer paper sketches onto the computer
5pm:
Discuss outcome with seniors; re-do or finalise sketches
7pm:
Leave for home if work is complete
The Payoff
Pay packages depend on the type of employment taken up. Private consultancy in architecture
can fetch the highest returns. As a starter, you can expect a salary of R20,000 and in two to
three years, about R40,000
Skills
. Understanding peoples needs is at the core of the work
. An aspirant should be a creative artist with an interest in designing
. Ability to sketch free-hand plan though not of utmost importance is beneficial while
explaining intricate details of the structure to clients
. Imaginative outlook
. Awareness of social and environmental factors
. Apart from being technically sound, good mathematical ability is important as the work
involves working out cost estimations
. Good communication skills; physical stamina to work on the desk as well as on site
How do i get there?
. Anybody who has studied physics, maths and chemistry at the 10+2 level can apply for
admission. BArch is a five-year programme. Most schools and colleges
select students through a written test. On completion of the bachelors programme, you can
study architecture at the postgraduate level also.
. Entrance test for BArch programmes: The Central Board of Secondary Education conducts a

nationwide test - All India Engineering Entrance Examina


(AIEEE). Most colleges also accept the National Aptitude Test for Architecture (NATA) score
. National Aptitude Test is conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies in
Architecture (NIASA), Pune and the Academic Unit of the Council of
Architecture (COA)
Institutes & urls
. School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi
www.spa.ac.in
. Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
www.cept.ac.in
. Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon
www.sushantschool.org
. Amity School of Architecture and Planning
http://www.amity.edu/asap/default.asp
. The Bartlett (University College London, London)
http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/index.php
. Cooper Union School of Architecture, United States of America
http://archweb.cooper.edu
. Sci-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture), USA
http://www.sciarc.edu/portal/programs/overview/index.html
. Cornell University, USA
http://www.aap.cornell.edu/arch/
Pros & cons
. Allows you to stay young as every project is a new learning
. You can live your dreams through designs
. Get to travel a lot
. Profession does not really allow for flexibility or part-time work from home options
. Not a regular nine-to-five job; takes over life in its entirety
. Less paying than jobs in related fields
The work is all-consuming
An architect talks about the demands of the profession
Whats a career in architecture all about?
There are two main aspects. One is the actual job description of an architect which is all about
conceiving the built form and actualising it right to the final detail, and the other aspect is that
it is a profession of choice for those who are extremely passionate about it.
Above everything, once you have selected architecture as a profession, you must realise that
you are responsible for the entire human races built environment and everything that will
become a part of history. Within architecture, there are various levels of interest that cater to

built form for the lowest strata of society to the high-end of the spectrum. Architecture varies
and there is enough to keep one going.
Whats the pay off (in terms of salary at different levels)?
It is an extremely ill-defined market which hugely depends on demand, skill and reputation. The
starting pay is around R3 lakh a year and goes up as per your skills and experience. It also varies
from company to company.
What skills must students desirous of taking up architecture as a career have?
Passion for design, perseverance, long-term goals and a keen interest in technology, sociology,
science and computation.
What are the high and lows points of the profession?
On the brighter side, it allows you to stay young as every project has a new learning and lets
you to live your dreams through design. Its not a regular nine-to-five job and instead takes over
life in its entirety and becomes an integral part of your life.
On the other side, it offers less remuneration as compared to finance-related fields maybe,
although it involves the same hard work and rigour. Also, the profession does not really allow
for flexibility, part-time work or work from home options due to the nature of the work.
Whats your advice to youngsters keen on becoming architects?
Persistence, hard work, initiative, enthusiasm and interest towards design and the built
environment.
Sonali Rastogi, director, Morphogenesis interviewed by Vandana Ramnani

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