I recently attended a panel discussion on how to reduce the gap between architectural education and the profession. And got royally blasted from HOD for it. He thinks it’s a waste of time- says that the ‘panel’- does not have even one architect who actually knows what he’s talking about. I wouldn’t agree completely- I’m not saying I was ‘inspired’ by the experience, but I did get some insight into the problems we’re facing as a community. Some things were right on display, very much like HOD said. I believe that attending these kind of forums help you- in some way or the other- at least they help me form an opinion on the various issues of architectural education. They help you come face to face with the city’s architects. They give you a chance to stand up and ask questions to the selected ones. They help in creating your opinion of them- it’s definitely not a waste of time.

My final design review is in a week. We are to propose a metro station with added facilities on Bangalore’s most important road- the mg road. I have proposed an ‘infotainment’ centre with the station. The main agenda is to keep alive the organic skyline created by the unique green stretch. I am helping the dense pedestrian edge of the mg road spill onto the road (the road dips below as a subway), and fold into my building across the street- underground. The terminal and the building are one; one can see the trains pass as they sip coffee in the café. This might be a problem for the acoustics- the maddening sound created by the arriving train must be muffled. I have to detail it still. Hmm..

Its been a long time since I wrote. I wonder if it makes any difference to the quality of writing at all- unhealthy amounts of break- how are book authors supposed to handle it? ‘Sharpen the saw’.

My student life is coming to an end. I wont be attending any more building construction theory classes. I wont be attending any structures classes anymore. Planning, theory, sociology, history. The same madness that a combination of an eccentric genius as HOD, crazy faculty, peers who are more interested in the rain than the solar angles, the existence of ‘mediocre’ work, mass bunking, group ‘presentations’, and escapist attitude- cannot be dreamt of replacing. Unquestionable- in a masters course. Hehe. It was fun, to dream in class of the cup-noodles at the gate, and the free class at the end of the week. Architecture was fun when it was being taught. Now let’s see if it’ll be fun actually learning it. :)