Architectural Education Today

PRAKASH M. APTE
Introduction
The teaching of Architecture in our schools in India is still mainly design oriented. The
current times need Architects to possess varied skills required to play many roles in
todays economic and social system. These may call for qualities like Professional
promotion, Architectural appraisal, Teaching, Managing projects, Architectural criticism,
providing In house expertise, Architectural detailing, Visualization, Designing computer
programmes etc. Hence the educational institutions should mould/design systems of
measuring competence of the students on similar scale for all these qualities. The
selection of teachers will also have to be done in harmony with this new approach.
Increasing urbanization and changing socio-economic system make wider and varied
demands on the skill of individuals, professionals and institutions. The science of
medicine is a good example. Psychology, para-psychology, forensic medicine, medical
law, occupational therapy, environmental hygiene, social medicine are now being taught
and practiced as distinct disciplines for which only a basic knowledge of traditional
medicine may be necessary. Thus the teaching of medicine has kept pace with the
demands of contemporary needs for specialized skill.
The teaching of Architecture in most schools in India being mainly design oriented seeks
to produce an Architect who is first and foremost a designer. The needs of the present
times require the Architect to possess allied and different types of skills as he is required
to play varied roles in todays complex economic and social system. Many of these roles
may require only basic designing skills but call for quite different qualities. Some of the
allied and other skills that he requires to play these roles are:Professional Promotion:
In todays highly competitive economy, skills have to be marketed. Most Architectural
practices find it necessary to aggressively sell their skills. A good designer may not
necessarily prove a good salesman. There has to be someone with just enough
understanding of Architecture but with the skill to sell, make presentation, develop wider
social contacts and be on the look out for business promotion. This need leads to
division of work between partners/associates. If such is the case, why not teach this art
of professional promotion as a part of the teaching of Architecture?
Architectural appraisal:
With increasing institutional finance being made available for Architectural projects
through Banks, HUDCO, development authorities etc. the Architect is being increasingly
called upon to play the role of an appraiser/for the Architectural aspects of the projects
for the financial institutions. Invariably, Architects with a critical bend of mind and rational
analysis of design have taken up such assignments. Many have really developed the
process of appraisal into an art of constructive Architectural analysis. If it is the need of
the times and the economic system why not train such appraisers as a part of teaching
of Architecture so that appraisal is done with a constructive approach?

Teaching of Architecture:
The art of teaching requires, adequate knowledge of the subject but more than that, it
requires a sympathetic attitude to bring oneself to the mental level of the taught, identify
with him, search for the hidden potential in him or her and bring it out and nurture it. In
doing so the teacher has to almost have a split personality so as to leave out the
Architect in him/her so that his attitude to the taught is objective and not subjective. One
who has these qualities of a good teacher may not necessarily be a good designer.
quite a few of good teachers in Architecture, may at best be average designers. Hence
there has to be a conscious attempt to train a teacher or identify a teacher from amongst
the students of Architecture.
Managing/Coordinating of Projects:
By the very nature of his work, an Architect has to be aware of all the services and
systems that go into a building/project to make it functionally workable. Therefore, he
has to be a jack of all arts. As a result he may often be called upon to manage or coordinate a project. Once this task is entrusted to him, he is required to provide
leadership, prepare time schedules, evaluate, review, monitor and manage the project.
For this task he must know about project planning, scheduling, motivating people,
evaluating performance, financial implications etc. If these qualities are identified at the
student stage itself and nurtured he can prove to be a good Project Manager, for
Architectural Projects.
Architectural criticism:
Not all Architects can have capabilities of good oral or written expression. It is one thing
to design plan or create a project- and quite another to be able to write about it and
present it orally in a manner that can bring out the essence and philosophy of the design
for even non-Architects to understand and appreciate it. Not many Architects can write
or do write in a language that a lay man can understand and appreciate the importance
of Architecture as an art and science and the contribution of the Architect to the total
environment or the habitat. This requires the special gift to be nurtured from the student
stage, of expressing ones ideas simply and forcefully in words,make effective
presentations to make people understand and appreciate appropriate Architecture.
Despite the fact that socio-political and economic revolutions have been brought about
by thinkers through their writing; we tend to underrate the power of the written word
especially as Architecture is a visual art. Yet, thinkers and philosophers as well as critics
are as much necessary for advancement of an art as artists themselves. The qualities
required to make a good critic/could be nurtured at the student stage.
Catalyst for Architectural design process:
It is common today for large business and industrial houses to have in-house
Architectural expertise, though, the more important projects are often got designed by
eminent practicing Architects. The in-house Architects role is as a link between the
business house and the practicing Architect. Thus he is called upon to play the role of
the interpreter of his employers requirements in liaising with the practicing Architect.
Since he can speak the same language, it is in the interest of the employer to see that

the in-house Architect interacts with the outside Architect to safeguard its interest in term
of the efficiency of the design of the project and to generally oversee the design process.
It is a difficult role to play, to be able to present correctly the special requirements of his
employers with their rational relationship, to the outside Architect and see him build up a
form that fits the function. It calls for analytical abilities, clarity of thinking and tactful
handling of the employer on one side and the Architect on the other. An increasing
number of Architects are being called upon to play this role. Hence they can be
equipped for it during their education itself.
Architectural detailing:
Most Architects offices have to have atleast one person dependable enough to be able
to produce accurate construction drawings that interpret the Architects design in to
working drawings and details to be followed at site for construction. The person, though
an Architect has to have a far wider and deeper knowledge of construction practices,
building materials, construction methods and system to be able to design details for the
construction of the project. The job therefore calls for an aptitude, not for creative
design, but for innovative and scientific approach to construction details. At the student
level there could be persons who have greater aptitude for designing details rather than
conceptual designing and this quality could be developed at the student level.
Visualization:
In order to communicate the Architects concepts visually to other professionals as well
as laymen and to clarify the concept for the Architect himself, it is often necessary to
prepare perspective drawings and 3D presentations of the projects. One need not
necessarily be an Architect to be able to draw perspective or make models. But in case
of certain project it is very helpful if the perspective maker or the modeler is an Architect.
Then he can understand the concept quicker and better and also deliver the goods
faster. He can even contribute fruitfully in the concepts of the design itself. With the
availability of 3-D printers this aspect assumes great importance. Many Architecture
students show a remarkable aptitude for model making or perspectives and this quality
can be specially developed at the student level .
Designing Computer Programmes:
While a computer drafting package is a mere electronic fast worker CAD can generate
alternatives for layout planning as well as Architectural design and help in generating
optimum solutions. However, to work with the Computer one has to know its language,
which does not require Architectural designing capabilities. With stimulation technique, it
may be possible to write a programme which can generate in 3 dimensions the entire
project design at different horizontal and vertical angles which can be of great help in
decision making. This work would require a special talent for which one may not be a
full fledged Architect, if aptitude for this work is identified at student stage.
Therefore if it is accepted that;
(1)

An Architect in the contemporary socio-economic environment has to play

different roles,

(2)

These roles have emphasis on different aspects of Architecture and not merely
the design aspect;

(3)

It is possible to cultivate consciously one or more of these qualities so that one

can successfully play the role requiring these qualities with a general background
of Architecture. Hence our teaching system, syllabus of Architecture and
selection of teachers should be designed to achieve these objectives. The
selection process for the prospective student of Architecture should be designed
to identify and assess the aptitudes that are likely to help the student in playing
satisfactorily any one of the roles described earlier. We must also evolve
methods of measuring these qualities, design tests for these and ensure that the
prospective students are assessed for their potential for each of these qualities.

Thereafter, it is a matter of a individual policy and culture for each institute to decide
which mix it would prefer of potential qualities for fulfilling the different roles. It can still
continue to lay emphasis on the conceptual design qualities but would have by going
through this process recognized the equal importance of other qualities.
It follows form this approach that the institutions will have to design new and different
systems of measuring competence on similar scale for all these qualities so that there is
a range of parameters to assess the different qualities and a method to bring them on
par on a single scale of measurements. Obviously the system of evaluation in all
subjects and the system of teaching of these subjects will have to undergo a sea
change. It would mean that there should be a system of teaching of Architecture in
which almost for every subject taught, there could be different ways in which the
students can apply the knowledge received and get evaluated differently.
This, approach to teaching of Architecture pre-supposes that the selection of teachers
will also be done in harmony with this new approach. The basic aptitude one should be
looking for in a teacher is his/her capacity to identify strengths and weaknesses of the
students. The quality one should be looking for in a teacher is to be able to build on any
one of the qualities that are required for an Architect to play any one of the dominant
roles described earlier. Hence, the entire selection procedure for teachers as well as the
thought also needs to undergo a total change to install systems that can identify one or
more of these qualities that will help Architect play the role most appropriate to his/her
potential.
Prakash Madhusudan Apte

B.Arch. MSU 1959

apteyconsult@hotmail.com