Four Years at AOA - Part 2

As mentioned in the earlier post, Atul and I chalked out a manifesto for AOA. Today, I realize that this manifesto was actually a circle of thoughts that Atul and I contrastingly thought of. Atul had a heavy hang over of AA school of thought and I had a heavy hangover of KRVIA thought. Both these thoughts dealt with theorizing the idea of 'context'. Our basic manifesto was formed of our understanding of the idea of context from dual view points. Here is an excerpt:

"

a manifesto for academy:

“Context is the problem”

We aim at creating an integrated design environment which places itself between the realms of context and decontext. While we understand that architectural manifestations have to constantly respond to their surroundings, we realize that the environment is constantly changing. Architecture can contribute to such change, primarily through its physical being, and adapting to its surroundings through a constant inquiry into the changing environment.

Context

Context is the surroundings, circumstances, environment, background, or settings which determine, specify, or clarify the meaning of an event.

We realize that architecture must inform other disciplines while also adopting from them, towards building a holistic environment. Context makes us aware that we live in a system, and we all are parasites. The interdependence is what the society survives on. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand what context we live in, to be able to intervene into it. We have to constantly ask fresh questions to debate the relevance of a context, and its mutilation.

Contextual approaches are therefore top down approaches where there are already limited set of parameters which address the function of a programme. Recently, the term ‘function’ has been alternated by ‘performance’ which looks at programme as evolutionary rather than static. It is therefore important to arrive at the idea of de-context.

Decontext

In bottom up approaches, parameters for design are infinite. This not only throws new possibilities of imagining future roles of the profession of architecture, but keeps reminding that change is constant, and change has to be followed. De contextualization is not thinking without context, but thinking beyond context. De contextualization is also about thinking newer contexts.

"

Adarkar sir always supported ideas coming from young minds and encouraged our enthusiasm. We were to keep in mind this framework while we designed program briefs and events at AOA. We had long term ideas about how we wished to structure the new wing at AOA. It was roughly as ideated below:

YEAR	I	II	III	IV	V
Part 1 / context	Representation	Semantics and Semiotics			DESIGN THESIS
Part 2 / decontext			Structure and Framework	Research Methods

Adarkar sir was too close to the management to fuel radical change of thoughts in the system. However, he always tried to balance the situation by some middle ground solution tactic. He gave us a lot of freedom to design courses, programs and events. He offered to us his excellent contacts and made sure to introduce us to the biggest of people he knew. He had a lot of faith in us and he would never appoint any faculty without discussing with us. 

From Adarkar Sir, I understood the politics of not only AOA, but also the entire academic scene. I was very naive at all this and hardly took interest in all such matters. My inclination was teaching and I invested maximum time in reading, and discussion and synthesizing my own notes.  Perhaps, I realized that this politics was affecting me too - in the way i was working and the way I was being used. I had to keep myself aware of it so that I take measured action. (Perhaps this is how enthusiastic people set boundaries of operation for themselves). My biggest technique was to keep away from all this, keep restricted to my work and being closer to the students. But this technique does not necessarily help. I shall explain this later as I summarize my experiences of interaction with students. 

Talking to Adarkar Sir was always joyous. He was a repository of experiences. Adarkar sir would recount his old days in  which were emebedded images of the old city, old ways of working and old value systems. I always wondered how his value systems didnot cause any friction with newer generations. He accepted changes and mixed up with students so well. Initially I would get disturbed with differing value systems of different students and it would make me very unhappy. I learnt from Adarkar sir to maintain a distance, yet involve with students. The biggest learning from him that I shall carry with my for my life is the way to talk to people. He had a way of charming people and getting them on board even if they had the busiest of schedules. He approached people with abundant warmth and affection. He would never let you go without a cup of tea. I think Academy is unique because of its warmth. This warmth comes from people like Mr. Adarkar. People smile at you, inspite of all resentment you have for them. They do your work, even if they hate your methodologies. I think dealing with all that was a big learning towards my professional development.

I also learnt day to day administration techniques and academic chores from Adarkar Sir. Preparing, moderating and releasing results were the most important learnings. In the beginning I had no skills to negotiate peoples' schedules to suit ours (while preparing time tables). It is from Adarkar Sir that I learnt how one can persuade people to work with you. On the other hand, I also learnt how to politely decline, reject or make an offer inviting. I  learnt to some extent how to deal with awkward and embarrassing situations that get created when you are dealing too many subjects and too many people. I learnt from him to be responsible about small things during seminars, events and presentations. I believe he taught me the most and gave me a lot of confidence just by having faith in me and my beliefs.

During this phase, we undertook the task of preparing Reading Lists,Preparing Book Lists for library, Making course structures, etc. I had to run a lot during this phase since Academy had a dearth of faculty and there was no one to teach basic things to students. I almost over taught and exhausted myself. I didnot receive enough support from my colleagues to realise course structure booklet for Academy of Architecture. Their inputs were regulated by the money they were offered and the time mentioned on their contract letters. None of them prepared for classes - they took subjects which assumably require no preparation. People prefer to take up design subjects only because they can easily get away with talking generic non sense. Its about realizing a drawing into a building. 

I was extremely ambitious about my first batch as a class coordinator. I wanted them to become the best students in the history of AOA - rigorous, dedicated and serious people. Two years down the line, I feel having ambitions with students is a silly thought. Students have different priorities and ambitions with their own lives.

As an academic, I maintained two essential practices - the first of writing reviews for projects and subsequently evaluating project success. The second was archiving student works. Over the last two years, I tested multiple systems of archival - collecting Cds, uploading on a server, emailing to blog, etc. All work in various ways and all can be equally efficient. It's only the will of students that makes any of the archival systems successful.

It is here that I must introduce the next entry in the AOA history - Mr. Ravindra Punde. I do remember my first interaction with Prof. Punde. He must have seen me having an animated critique session with my students in a design class. I don't remember how our interactions grew.

proceed to part 3



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Links to thread
part 1

part 3

part 4

Four Years at AOA - Part 1

As I begin to depart briefly from the academia here in India, I feel it's important that I summarize the last four years I spent in teaching. This post is essentially a crib post, since very little of what I actually tried to do was realized. Perhaps this post will be constructed in parts over the next two months, eventually trying to crystallize my teaching method and theoretical stance on architectural subjects. How has it developed and how has it changed. I want to be able to make these set of writings as a springing point for my post graduate study. Hence, I feel intensive reflection and discussion will help. At the same time, I want to locate problem areas (within the scope of my academic space - Academy of Architecture), extrapolating it to certain generic patterns of academic environment that has emerged recently. 

It may be difficult to be chronological, since these are glimpses of memory, flashes of instances and triggers of thoughts. I am only trying to stitch a narrative. A lot of work and commentary can be found on the posts tagged 'academics' on this blog. I will try to remain consistent with the thoughts that I have raised earlier. However, I may be wavering, since this post is intended as a reflection, and I assume to have collected some wisdom over the last four years in the area of teaching and pedagogy. 

I joined Academy of Architecture on the invitation of Mr. Arvind Adarkar, being recommended by Dushyant (Desai). Dushyant was fascinated with my thesis and thought I would be an interesting addition to his team. I was always interested in coming back to college and interacting with my peers. I was interested in discussion of ideas, debating architectural issues and thinking design. I quickly joined in, along with my classmate Dhaval. In the league of Dushyant, our team initiated projects that were conceptually difficult for first year students to undertake. We experimented with different forms of media and representation. It was difficult to keep pace with Dushyant's philosophical discourses. We (the faculty) debated, discussed and there were lots of intense sessions. It was enjoyable.

Dushyant left by the next year and I tried to immerse myself more with the school. I started taking Graphics lectures for first year students.  This was the time when thoughts of bringing serious changes came into my mind. Apart from learning technical drawing skills, I didnot understand what 'graphical' did graphics teach. Occassionally I would ask students to go beyond what was asked for and excite them by giving small trivia in class. Those who would finish first would get an additional trick question. Some students enjoyed. But this soon died out since other faculties weren't interested and their ideas of graphics or graphical composition were ages old. In architectural design, I took this time to unwind myself from the Dushyant hangover. I had found myself immensely stuck in his philosophical methodology, which for me, didnot work for several reasons. It was too philosophical for me (as well as the students) to be translated into a design project. At many instances, it was forced and was the faculty's project more than the students'.

Unwinding partly became possible because of 2 primary reasons: my research fellowship and working with Rupali (Gupte). Basically teaching at Kamla Raheja introduced me to working with a METHOD. In the process of my fellowship research, the mechanics of a "METHOD" clarified further. I realised that methods make the design output predictable to a large extent. Thus students can be pushed to experimenting with different methodologies to bring out newer concepts. With Rupali, I learnt how representation affects our understanding of space and how it is important to perfect representation before spaces are intervened in. Kamla Raheja's methodical approaches made me challenge Dushyant's philosophical ones. I realized how theories translate into space. Interacting with Rohan (Shivkumar) and all my colleagues at KRVIA helped me understand the relevance of theory. The idea of formation of methodology occurred through the pursuit of my Research fellowship. Here, I learnt to develop a 'research framework' for analysis, method of argument and structuring a paper. Thus, the fellowship enabled me to become more independent and think on my own.

Unfortunately, I was not able to continue at KRVIA due to logistical reasons. At the same time, there also seemed no options that KRVIA could make space for me. This was the time when I expected I would go for my masters. However, luck didnot favour and all projects I was involved in were stalled. It was economic recession and I was pressed to make a decision between practice and academia. The decision was hard since I would have ideally liked to teach at KRVIA - I knew I could learn so much more by being in that environment. At the same time, it wasn't logistically feasible unless I took up a permanent job. A sudden opportunity broke open at Academy. I was invited again, this time by Adarkar Sir to take up a permanent position for the new wing of AOA that was entering in its second year. They required permanent staff and I took it up. Frankly, it wasn't a job I readily took up, since it wasnt my first choice. I knew the visionless state of the institution and I knew I would have to deal with much difficult people. But I don't think there would have been any better option available to me at that point of time. I was too egoist to discuss these things with my colleagues at KRVIA. And I also realised that they were looking for a more permanent person who could stick along with them, in case they were to open to me a full time post. I knew I had to go for my masters.

I think that was a difficult phase. But I saw an opportunity to set the tone for the new wing of AOA based on rigorous dialogue, thinking and departure from the old programs we did in design. In this journey, my closest companion was Atul Mhatre. Atul had just flown down from London, after finishing his masters in Architectural Association. Atul too was in line with what I learnt as a 'methodical approach' at KRVIA. This boosted the way in which we designed programs. We understood each others' ideas, and we being classmates, understood each others' strengths and weaknesses. Thus we worked as quite an efficient team. Atul too was interested in theory and AA had prepared with with a lot of reading. We occasionally would share a lot of ideas and churned out lots of thoughts for events, programs and seminars for AOA. However, Atul was too busy setting up his own architectural practice during this period. It only revealed to me gradually over the year that probably, he just used the academic space as a buffer to bridge his comeback from AA to setting up his practice here. This full time job, which demanded him to spend only half his day in the school was used as an opportunity for him  to dedicate a time to his fledgling practice. 

Atul's contribution in the administrative affairs was minimal. He did not carry forward an idea he would initiate to its logical execution. He was extremely sophisticated and did not let us know whether he was really interested in pursuing a career in academics. Although he called himself an academician, he seldom contributed to the discourse of architecture in the form of writing or presenting his work. Although, he was extremely informed, too refined and too teacher like. But Atul also oriented me to tackling students issues in a more systematic manner. For the first time, on learning from Atul's experiences at AA, we conducted a Mid term Review. This review was meant to make students conscious of their progress taking into consideration their performance in academics, addressing their strengths and weaknesses and giving them a clear direction to improve their performance. We followed up this method and it seemed to be quite beneficial. Atul  made me realize the importance of written communication, like Charles Correa would also suggest subsequently. He taught me how to deal with students' personal issues professionally. I was quite an emotional guy without the intervention of Atul. I shall always respect him for that.

We prepared an ambitious manifesto for AOA and presented it to the Principal - Mr. Arvind Adarkar. It shall be the right time to turn to Part II of this post and talk about the next important person in my academic life - Prof. Adarkar.

proceed to Part 2

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Links to thread

part 2
part 3

part 4

Aross the railway tracks

Plant Moods

Do plants have moods? Have you ever felt of a fallen flower trying to make a conversation with you? I found this flower on the pavements of Marine Drive and picked it up. As I walked along with it, people stared at the flower. I yet did not know if it was a flower. I picked it up because it looked like a snake. A snake which I could domesticate. It had a large head and a long pink tongue. It's mouth was wide open and the tongue stuck out of it. It seemed to smile, but I wondered if it did so. But as I began to look at the flower through the lens, it told me multiple stories. 

Naughty

Playful

Obedient

Lazy

Pose / Portraiture

Sleeping

Snoring

Smiling

?

The feeling of restlessness

I have yet not begun counting my days towards my journey to US. I feel trapped in a time bubble. The time bubble is something that distorts the relative experience I have with the outside world. This period makes me feel I am not moving at all. I feel what a floating bubble would feel in air - where it constantly negates any reference with the moving world. The bubble waits to burst to take in more air, to lose itself... Similarly, there's a momentum frozen within, waiting to explode.

I have lost any experience of the outside world. I have lost any sense of time and space. I have forgotten mathematics, I have not counted minutes for a long time now. I do not know when the new day begins - I stare at the watch for hours to feel no change in time. I can not feel the time biologically. 

My every day schedule too has become amorphous. I wonder if I operated similarly some days before. Yesterday when I went to get some pages binded, I had 5 sets for which the shop keeper quoted Rs. 15/- per set. I wanted to bargain to lower the price - and combined 5 sets into 4 and told him to charge me Rs. 60/- for 4 sets. He agreed and I felt I made a good deal. Calculating the cost of per binding today, I still arrived at a figure of 15/-! What does such an act reveal of my mental condition?

Was I was completely lost? What was happening?

There are so many things in the head. Is it accumulated energy or is it apprehension? Is it fear or is it excitement? Am I being prepared or am I over-preparing? I do not understand what is happening to me. I feel like my bones are pushing my body - I keep stretching my muscles. Do I want to grow out of myself? I do not react to movement in the city. I do not react to the change in my everyday. Is it anxiety? 

But I do know I have felt this earlier. Similar impatience, restlessness. It was when I decided that I wanted to do architecture. I waited to finish my 12th studies as soon as possible. I was so hungry to consume architecture. I remember ranked 6th in the merit list for Academy of Architecture. I waited impatiently to begin my new world then. It's similar now. 

I had said this earlier over my blog - "winning after a lot of hard work is a great feeling". Two years ago I was rejected in all colleges I applied to. This year, I got selected in a University (Yale), the best in the world and the field of theory that I applied for, that rejects 90% of the applications it receives, further, for a course which admits only 3, maximum 4 people over the world - and I just don't know how to express this feeling. Perhaps expressing this is a difficult thing. But I am not trying to be boastful. If it reads that way, it's only because I just do not know how else to express it. It has raised my expectations of myself altogether. And I am not sure if I will be able to cope up with it. I think I am worried.

I am worried to be floating, to have lost my referentiality. I am struggling to frame sentences. I cant frame it through conventional language. I often gaze at the sugarcane crushing machine and wonder about the biography of the sugarcane. I can feel myself between the two cylinders. And I would also like to believe that the result would be sweet.

Drawing Boards

It may be possible to understand imaginations that go within students' heads as they work on their drawing boards.
Here are a few selected drawings, doodles, captions, messages, notes on drawing boards. A more detailed post must be awaited till I find some better pictures.

Writing Architecture

Types of writings:

1.     Journalistic: A journalistic writing is primarily a form used for getting across an idea quickly. It gives a gist of the 'whole'. There is generally no pressure of an argument in a journalistic piece. The write-ups are kept around 800-1000 words. Thus they have a faster rhythm of reading, understanding and perception. There is no pressure of giving references or bibliography.

2.     Academic writing: An academic writing is primarily argumentative. It has to fit in a structure. The structure is defined by a clear methodology. Establishing a lineage becomes important in an academic piece since generally it refers to an author / body who has a history himself / itself. References and bibliography thus becomes important. An academic piece is generally around 5000-15000 words

Eg.: Kenneth Frampton

3.     Essay: Essays are argumentative, long, but polemic (making a point but polishing it to a level of absurdity. There is no obligation to give references but one can mention people, etc.

Eg.: Gautam Bhatia

Modes of writing:

1.     Argumentative pieces: Makes a point. Proves an opinion.

2.     Conversation Structure: Not under any compulsion to make a point. Eg.: Interviews, etc.

3.     Layout: Opens up a field (just saying what different people see, think, speak, etc.). They are descriptive and do not give opinions. There is no value judgement. 

Conversation in an Auto Rickshaw

Today while traveling back home with Paul (Aniruddha), I had an interesting conversation on how he started his career and his perceptions of the city. I am not too sure with sharing his biography here, (without his consent), but I shall definitely like to put down his perceptions of the cities he has been closely associated with over his life by far. I shall try to objectively put them down here:

Aniruddha was born in Jamshedpur, studied in Kolkata, did his postgraduate studies in Delhi and has been practicing in Mumbai since the last 20 years. Thus he has extensively spent time in all these cities. Talking of them one by one he says

"Jamshedpur was a fairly cosmopolitan city, due to the presence of Tata Industries. The city was fairly well developed and you had everything around. Wilderness edged the city so outsikirts was a perfect place for recreation. It has one of the best ICSE schools in the country. Infact, students were so competitive. Competition was like madness. Most of my friends went to IIT or did IAS. Although many of them may not be pursuing engineering now. But competition is so high that everyone wants to end up in engineering or medical. There is nothing else that they look at..."

"I studied in Kolkata, and although it was an industrial city because of jute and other, people there are extremely laid-back. The leftist ideology of labour class has not allowed them to grow. The labour there does not believe in working. They don't work hard. They are not motivated, even if you give them more money, they are not willing to work.Most people want to get work done through political connection."

"When I first came to Mumbai, I liked the city, because I felt the same kind of cosmopolitanism as in Jamshedpur. I had come here earlier for an internship. That time, I had liked the city. There is some kind of positive feeling with this city. You get a feeling of emancipation. People have aspirations and the positive will to achieve them. For example, each person you meet has a desire, and he works towards it. You can find people discussing their desires in trains, roads - even when you travel by an auto. The rickshaw driver strives to go to the next level of life. The street hawker wishes that he will have his own hotel one day. And many of them realize these dreams too. There is this positive emancipation of Mumbai. The best aspect of the city is that it respects your work. People are ready to work for more money. You can get more work out of people if you are willing to give more money. The city is professional. I like this city...I can not stay in any other city, I start feeling uneasy if I am out of Mumbai for too long..."

"Delhi is a horrible city - its a city of cheats. In Delhi, people don't believe in working, they believe in networking. They can not just see you working harder. I don't like Delhi at all - it is contrived. It is a very hard city - in its comparison, Mumbai is really soft..."

Somewhere in his discussion on Mumbai, he mentioned something that I felt was quite interesting. He said, "I have seen that mobility makes people human. Movement makes a space acceptable. It gives you a kind of access to things. There is a feeling of palpability through movement..."

I am not exactly able to remember his ideas on the last aspect in detail. However, I am glad I was able to know so much about how one synthesizes and analyzes cities. These impressions are valuable and I think they come with age. That is one reason again, why I perhaps like growing old. I am a collector of my experiences and I can't wait enough to be able to put them in a perspective that allows me to negotiate my life across space and time.

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Aniruddha Paul is the Dean of Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture.
The conversation above has been recorded purely to suggest one of the many opinions people have on cities and is in no way meant to demean any city or people staying in these cities. The above chat was informal and is to be taken light hearted-ly.

Response from the Chief Manager, BEST on my complaint

I was surprised to have a response from the Chief Manager of BEST today in my mail box. This in in reference to my earlier post on Complaint to BEST Buses:

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Sir,

This refers to your mail to us. In this connection we have to state as follows

Sr no 1:- The conventional seats are replaced with new design plastic moulded seats considering the new technology concept and the viability factor. The broken / torn seats are being repaired by our bus contractor.

Sr no 2 and 3:- Those seats which are having loosened / broken head rest are in the process of being replaced with metallic head rest which are more safe and comfortable from commuters safety point of view.

Sr no 4:- Your suggestion is noted.

Sr. no 5:- The LED indicators are introduced as an innovative concept. Arrangement for defective LED indicators is being done.

Sr. no 6:- You may send report on the irregularities committed by the bus conductor / driver  with details such as date, route no, bus no, time , direction, copy of ticket etc so as to enable us to take suitable action against the erring staff.

Yours Faithfully

Chief Manager (Tr)

The Aesthetic of Dirt

draft link