Idea of Connect

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?