In India, the construction and real estate is seeing a positive boom. The focus has shifted from just basic functionality to aesthetics, comfort, luxury and style. Hence, the demand for good architects is also on the rise. Architecture involves planning and designing of building and structures. A good architect can create marvels that remain as a testimony to his talent for ages. Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, pyramids of Egypt, Hotel Burj Al Arab, and many more like these are masterpieces of ancient and modern architecture. Today, architects need to blend their vision and dreams with materials to come up with structures that are high quality, with good functionality and environmentally friendly too.
Architects are required to design a variety of structures such as houses, apartments and colonies, shopping and commercial complexes, offices and industrial complexes, hospitals, hotels, airport terminals, schools etc. They are also required if a building has to be renovated or repaired. Thus, the demand for architects will never dwindle.
All those who are looking to make a career in this field have a few things to keep in mind. Ideally, students good at physics and mathematics are better suited to study architecture. To become an architect, one should have creativity with an interest towards designing. It is beneficial if one can also sketch and draw with a free hand. One should be socially and environmentally aware apart from being technically and mathematically sound to become a good architect. Of course, good communication skills, physical ability to work on the site, high concentration level, flexibility, patience, team spirit, responsibility and accountability can take one a long way in this field.
There are good training courses in architecture offered by institutes across India. To apply for a course, one should have completed higher secondary education with physics, chemistry, mechanical/ engineering drawing and mathematics, with a minimum of 60 percent marks. Most of the schools conduct entrance tests through national and state level entrance examinations. For entry to undergraduate programmes in government and private institutes, national level entrance examination is conducted by the Council of Architecture. However, there are separate state level tests too, such as one conducted by Tamil Nadu. Indian Institutes of Technology also offer architecture programmes. Entrance to these programmes is through the Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) held in May each year. Other than theses, one has to appear for an aptitude test to ensure admission.
The degree course B.Arch is a 5 year course. After the graduate course, one can also study architecture at the post graduate course which varies from 18 months to 2 years.
There are various good institutes that offer courses in architecture. School of Planning & Architecture in New Delhi offers two Undergraduate Programmes leading to Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and Planning. The Bachelor of Architecture is a five-year programme. The school also offers the Master’s and Doctoral Programmes in Architecture. SPA offers a 4-year programme in Bachelor of Planning.
Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) is another good institute. The college conducts a five year course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) The admission is made on the basis of the Common Entrance Test (CET) and Architecture Aptitude Test conducted by the Punjab University.
Based in Mumbai, the Sir J J School of Art conducts a 5-year course in Bachelor Of Architecture (B Arch). and a 3-year Master Of Architecture Degree. The institute also offers short term courses in computer education relevant to architecture after college hours.
Apart from these, there are other good schools like School of Architecture CEPT, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad; Lucknow University, Govt. College of Architecture; Goa University, College of Architecture; Indian Education Society’s College of Architecture, Mumbai; Pune University, Marathwada Mitra Mandal College of Architecture; Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, School of Planning & Architecture, Hyderabad; Kerala University, College of Engineering, Thiruvananthpuram; Anna University, School of Architecture & Planning., Chennai; IPS Academy, School of Architecture, Indore; Bengal Engineering College, West Bengal; Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon; Vastu Kala Academy, School of Architecture & Interior Designing, New Delhi.
Some architects go in for specialization in India and abroad. The fiels of specialization could be urban designing, regional planning, building engineering and management, architectural conservation, industrial design, landscape arhitecture, naval architecture, architecture concerning traffic and transport planning etc.
There are a lot of avenues to choose from for architects. There are opportunities available in government as well as private sectors. The government organisations include Public Works Department, the Archaeological Department, Ministry of Defence, Departments of Railways, Post and Telegraphs, Public Sector Undertakings, National Building Organisation, Town and Country Planning Organisation, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, National Building Construction Corporation Ltd., City Development Authorities etc. One can also go or private practice and start own firm and become a successful architect. After all, it requires dreams and good vision to make a mark in this industry.
By: Geetika Jain
Posts Tagged ‘Aesthetics’
Build a Dream Career in Architecture
January 27th, 2010Architecture Books: Knowledge Pool for Construction of Buildings
January 16th, 2010The architecture books are available in various formats. One of its best form is the pocket book. It can be carried with ease and is a good guide for people involved in construction work. Master photographs and modern classical collections of artwork as well as methods of constructing buildings are well illustrated in these books.
Several books have been released throughout history. The best examples of architecture books are ‘A History of Architecture’, ‘Modern Architecture’, ‘American Architecture’, ‘Details of Modern Architecture’ and much more . These books give detailed instruction as how to carry forward construction of a building so as to enhance the aesthetic looks of the building.
These books are also available online and so the user can access them on a computer. Different websites have been launched that are actually a library of books. Here, one can find architecture books too. Such online books are decorated with posters of tall buildings. The online books are also classified under different categories. One can find books on specific buildings. Books of ‘Fallingwater’ and ‘Hill House’ are great illustrations for they give the readers the proper knowledge as how to construct fountains in a building, or the proper construction of a Hill House.
Nowadays, such books are also available in CDs and DVDs too. People can simply buy them and read the architecture books on the screen of the computer. The price of the DVDs are kept low. So, people can buy them and keep reading them on their laptops. The best sellers among these books let the reader know the aesthetics and mechanism of building tall and marvelous buildings furnished with all the modern day luxuries and comfort. So, it is always wise to consult these books before starting with a construction work.
On the internet, it also becomes easy to search for architectural books. There is the search option on each website where people can just type the name of the book and instantly get access to it. The readers can also make use of keywords to find out the latest architecture books. It makes the entire process of reading books simple and easy.
By: Adam Jaylin
Territorial Architecture in Santa Fe
December 25th, 2009Santa Fe, New Mexico is home to some of the finest examples of Territorial architecture, one of the best known Old West building styles. Like Pueblo Revival architecture, the Territorial style combines many historic building techniques with modern touches, and its prevalence in Santa Fe has helped the city become a hot spot of southwest architecture. For anyone buying or selling property in the Santa Fe area, a general knowledge of this attractive and adaptable building style is a must.
Territorial architecture can generally be described as a mix between Pueblo and Victorian building styles. As the name suggests, it was developed in the Old West’s territorial pre-statehood days, when this vast region was populated by European and American settlers who brought with them Victorian two and three store building traditions, but often found pueblo building techniques to be more practical. Territorial homes often feature flat walled and roof construction, but with adaptations like large windows, in contrast to the small light portals, which were traditionally used to block as much heat as possible.
Territorial architecture typically includes more exterior wood than Pueblo buildings, especially near window frames and doors. Old building techniques like central courtyards and stone on stone construction keep these homes cool in the southwest heat, and have been elegantly updated to fit with modern building styles. Many Territorial buildings also include a touch of Art Deco or Art Modern, forms which nicely complement the simple aesthetics of the traditional southwest. While Territorial buildings often follow tradition closely, most new homes in this style use the latest building materials to emulate the elegance of Old West. Here, smooth stucco is often used in place of thick plaster on exterior walls.
Homes and buildings in the Territorial style can be found throughout the Southwest, but Santa Fe has fostered this building form more than most other cities. The city’s 1957 Historical Zoning Ordinance brought Territorial and Pueblo architecture into the 20th century, with its requirement that all new buildings in the city standard to be traditionally styled. There’s no better place than Santa Fe, New Mexico to see how this remarkable building style has developed since the pioneer days.