“with optimum utilization of space being of paramount importance today, the demand
for good architects is on the rise”
Architecture is one discipline
that has been interesting people since ages. Civilization are identified and
defined by the architectural style they follow. The Greeks, the Romans, the
Egyptians and the Oriental – all had their own distinct architectural style and
designs.
Study of architecture has become
international with the advent of the global village concept. As a discipline,
it has not lost its sheen; on the country, it is gaining prominence with the
successful accomplishment of every project like the Petronas in
Malaysia or the Lotus Temple in New Delhi.
Architecture is no longer limited
to the front elevation designs and aesthetics. It has become a part and parcel
of urban planning, turnkey housing projects satellite townships. Product designing, landscaping and construction management.
A modern day architect is the
designer and planner of a project. If one is designing an apartment complex,
besides the elevation design he or she has to take care of things like site
survey, building plan, aesthetics, plumbing and water lines, electric wiring
and of course the material to be used. In such a scenario, a career in
architecture becomes very demanding and a challenging prospect.
How to go about it ?
A degree in architecture is a
five-year course at the end of which one would be awarded B.Arch. the basic
qualifying examination for the course is 10+2 with science as background
(Physics and Mathematics and Mandatory). After Plus two, one has to sit for the
entrance examination. Till 2004, the test was part of EAMCET, but a separate
planning and Architecture Common Entrance Test (PACET) was introduced.
However, the Council of
Architecture (CoA) made National Aptitude Test for Architecture(NATA)
must for entry into Architecture courses and till 2006 it was applicable. But
the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) took objection to the conduct
of NATA starting CoA had no legal authority to conduct a test. Based on HRD
Ministry’s directive, the State Government is reviving PACET from this year.
The premier architecture college
of the country, the School Planning and Architecture, New
Delhi, has its own common entrance test.
Course details
The five-year term is divided
into four-and-a-half-years of classroom study and six months of practical exposure.
The course is holistic. It is a combination of engineering subjects and
humanities, with subjects dealing with structural engineering, surveying, water
supply on the technical side and those the sociology, economics, human
sentiments and historical perspectives on the humanities side.
After acquisition of B.Arch.
degree, vistas open up. To be a successful architect it is ideal that one takes
up a specialization. There are many specializations like product design,
interior design, urban planning, landscaping, heritage conservation
environmental planning and construction management. The specializations are
part of a two-year post-graduate programme offered by institutions like JNTU,
SPA in New Delhi and Ahmedabad and all the IITs.
GATE is the common entrance test
for admission into the PG courses, Students can also opt for universitits in
the USby
writing GRE.
Through architecture is an
age-old science. The concept of optimum utility of space, coupled with
economics, has given it a modern utility value. The demand for good architects
is growing with every passing day. Practicing Architects believe that today,
20% of the pass-outs opt to start their own consultancy, while the rest go for
jobs.
Which the passing of the architects
Act in 1972, and MNCs opening their doors for Indian architects, the demand is
growing, Most MNCs are outsourcing their jobs and that is tilting the scale in
favour of Indian talent. Moreover, the specializations open up windows of
opportunities. If one specializes in product designs he or she can fit in any
company, right from automobile sector to commercial products like white goods
manufactures. Similarly, if one takes up green architecture for promoting
sustainable eco-friendly housing designs, then the NGO sector is wide open.
Architecture is all about design, visualization and creative ability. So the
field is wide open from traditional architect firms to advertising agencies and
from government planning departments the NGO sector.
Top colleges in the
state
School of planning
and Architecture, JNTU, Hyderabad CSI
Institute of Technology, Secunderabad.
S.V.College of Architecture, Hyderabad.
SAR College of Architecture,Vijayawada
Department of Architecture, College of
Engineering. AU
Premier College in India
School of planning
and Architecture, New Delhi.School of Architecture and Center for Environmental planning and Technology, Ahmedabad.
J.J.school of Arts, Mumbai L.S.Raheja School Architecture, Mumbai BITS Ranchi,
Jadhavpur University, Kolkata, Regional Engineering College, Tiruchipalli,
School of Architecture and planning, Anna University, Chennai.
Websites:
For Indian colleges
www.searchinf.com/architecture/indiancolleges.htm
for colleges in the US
www.aia.org.
