This is not a new idea that is
being expressed here. Concerns regarding this idea have been expressed since a
long time in India. The intention of writing this article is a suggestion to
apply this idea in academics - or precisely, architectural education.
The article starts with a concern
that is felt regarding contemporary situation which is probably present in most
architectural colleges. It then proceeds to express the effect of our
environment on the idea of connection. The article further mentions some
personal experiences that the author had felt in a foreign environment.
Finally, the article would suggest approaches that can be followed for major
subjects in architectural education.
The central concern that I wish
to state here, is the rate of change and the nature of change that seems to
affect the psychological environment of the individual. Students seem to be
exposed to increasing levels of information exposure from various medias or
platforms - most common among them are by mobile and television and radio infrastructural
resources. Information through such platforms is extremely fragmented, false,
ever changing, instant - conveying a
sense of "noise" and a total disregard to understand the overall
picture of physical and existential environment. Why do they seem to rely so
much on the internet or other online medias for navigating through life or make
decisions? This question has a relation to whether the younger generation seem
to engage itself in "real time" with their extended families and
elders? The question is what are they observing from their immediate
environment, how and from where are they getting signals and how do they seem
to interpret these signals? It will be clear as one thinks deeper, that they
seem to be getting or relying more on virtual environment since the real
environment doesn't seem to critically engage them - maybe because their
parents don't have much time, or due to pressures of earning, or nuclear
families or many other environmental issues. It is observed that students are
constantly made to perform numerous "tasks" as they grow up and
perhaps very little time is given for self analysis or review or even to
entertain a critical thought. Are we only producing followers? this is a
complex issue, but summarily I can say that the impact of the environment is
manifesting in terms of highly individualized routines of individuals, lack of
time to understand oneself and the environment.
Following things seem to be
compromised by 'us' as a society:
The idea of being empathetic or
connected with people and environment around us. Thus, it is worthwhile to
think about this fundamental need to connect and the required processes
undertaken to achieve this feeling. Do we connect with people by casual talk,
by observing, by doing things ourselves, by planning and engaging oneself
collectively? Can we begin to see relationships, activities, and even those
technological inputs that make or break our connect with the environment? Do we
connect by sharing ideas, concerns or values and if yes, whether these variables
in turn dependent on the nature of our environment? And finally, how such
connections or empathy generate profound memories and expressions of those
memories on the physical environment? Again, is the nature of memory/ connect/
empathy also related to the extent of 'time' we give to the person/ process/
activity? What seems to be at stake here is our natural tendency to hear or
listen, empathize and respond to our environment. The qualities and feelings
that get generated in the individual are one of isolation, anxiety, stress,
depression, loneliness, arrogance, aloofness, coldness - to name a few.
Collectively, such qualities result in abuse of the self and the environment.
My personal experience in
Vancouver, Canada suggests that society has transformed completely into being a
collection of individuals who have nothing in common with any other person.
This reflects in the way any kind of urban and architectural space is imagined
and used by people. As the idea of individualism goes on getting more and more
weight, the need for multipurpose, multiuse, flexible, spontaneous, ambiguous
spaces would be increasingly questioned and perhaps erased completely from
collective memory itself! This state of existence has already arrived in parts
of 'Developed' or 'Advanced' Nations and is also making a way in our urban
environments where tried and tested ideas of empathy with Nature or
appropriateness or frugalness or community itself are increasingly sabotaged by
vested individual interests. Comfort for mankind is also dependent in
acknowledging the dependence on Nature and working as a part of the
'community'. What we may be losing is a sense of mental comfort by being
disconnected with our environment that comprises of people and Nature.
If this is a concern (of
disconnect) that requires acknowledgement and reestablishing the 'connect' is
to be seen as a priority of today and for tomorrow's generation, then how can
our academic environment help to endorse this idea? Following can be seen as
approaches by which various subjects may be seen -
A) Design - Considered as a
melting pot of all knowledge systems it therefore becomes essential to see the
overall picture of the environment. The framing of design questions therefore
need to push students towards interacting with different communities, living
with them, decoding the absorbed experiences and slowly interpreting ideas of
multipurpose, multiuse spaces through design. This can be complemented by
showing appropriate examples of architecture done by people.
B) history and humanities - This
can be seen from the point of view of environment, ecology, geography, behavioral
science and of course architecture. This is one subject that demonstrates a
link between the individual to the community and the environment. By laying
emphasis on this subject, students may realize that architectural form making
is an act that is informed by concerns larger than the immediate self or the
client. Appropriate reading, writing and debates may help to strengthen the
theme.
C) Research in Architecture and
Thesis - Questions and projects addressing social, cultural, environmental
concerns may be encouraged. Relevant modes of analysis need to be discovered to
strengthen the concern.
D) Building Technology - The act
of doing needs to be critically looked at - in terms of how do people decide,
plan? How do they mobilize resources and from where? How are materials
assembled and what is the maintenance of the building itself? Can we see technology
from a contextual perspective and can the process of imagining and building be
seen as a conscious intent to develop empathy among all?
