Brick Newspaper 5th Issue 2022

WALKING THE TALK | BRICK 12 ON 12

with Ar. Gita Balakrishnan

An exemplification of these words, is the inspiring architect, educator and founder of Ethos, India- Ar. Gita Balakrishnan. The chief guest for the Brick 12 on 12 event this year was Ar. Gita. who recently completed a 1700km journey by foot from Kolkata to New Delhi to raise awareness about the role of good design in changing lives.

Brick 12 on 12 is an initiative undertaken by SMEF’s Brick Group of Institutes for churning meaningful discourses around Design. Students of Architecture and Interior Design present rep-

resentative designs each year through this platform. This year, we had a diverse set of designs that showcased a beautiful metamorphosis from First to Fourth year. The first-year students Vaibhavi Rathi and Yash Mathapati took the audience through sensitive aspects of Design, Vaibhavi connected her understanding of design principles and spoke about her explorations through the thread of the Vitruvian triad of- Venustas, Utilitas and Firmitas while Yash took us through a poignant narrative of collective memory in the settlement of Bhutonde via his design for the Living Heritage Museum.

Anish Sheth from the second year presented his design of a Workation for a role model that emphasised passive design strategies to address climate while Atharva

contd. on Page 2

Brick is offering a 2-year full-time Post Graduation Program – M. Arch in Design & Project Management, starting from Academic Year 2022-23.

The program is envisioned by Brick Management, considering the tremendous pace of our economic growth in the near future. India is already one of the top five largest economies in the World and it continues to grow at a promising rate. Our built environment is growing and evolving rapidly with the Economy, presenting a challenge of planned and integrated development. While designers are doing their part in envisioning sustainable development practices, the onus

THE TOPICAL PAGE

As the year ends, we thought it would be beautiful to reminisce on our past and revisit our hidden treasures and carry those memories forward into the new year. This issue’s theme intends to teleport the readers to the past and invoke a feeling of nostalgia and warmth.

Catalysts for Growth Collaborations

Institutional Collaborations

An MOU was signed to catalyse cooperation in the areas of staff and student exchange and joint endeavours in enhancing knowledge-sharing and educational opportunities.

Development

Brick has taken steps to aid its students’ transition to higher education in foreign universities, by collaborating with Alliance Francais and Kirti Tanmay for French and German language courses.

Technical Education Enrichment

LOMOS will help by introducing Design and Engineering related software training for students, conducting workshops, providing technical & soft skills training and more.

of realizing their vision lies with capable Project Management Professionals. The course on Design & Project management aims to produce such professionals with background knowledge in architecture.

This program designed by Dr Poorva Keskar, Principal and Ar. Manali Deshmukh, the Vice-Principal, is approved by the Council of Architecture, New Delhi & affiliated with Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. The program outlines knowledge areas of project management and focuses on the design

Archilabs

BRICK 12 on 12

Desai presented his design for a small-scale industry with residential units in the village Kudase, that integrated vernacular elements with the environment. Nayan Kela and Tanuja Tayade from BSID 2nd year each presented thoughtfully designed residential interiors and workspace interiors respectively.

The third-year designs from BSOA had two varied themes. Neha Patil took the audience through an emotionally charged journey of patriotism commemorating the armed forces, with her design of the Armed force Experience Centre in Pune, while Ashutosh Gaware presented his elegant interpretation of a sea-facing Multi-storied Business hotel that emblazoned the skyline of Chennai. Garima Mutha enthralled the audience with her interpretation of building imageability to recall the identity of Alandi in the Urban Design Studio. The 3rd and 4th-year designs of BSID were presented by Shilpa Choudhary and Hrishika Sharma who each focused on a process-based design for retail space and a health clinic for women respectively.

After all the presentations, Ar. Gita Balakrishnan gave individual comments to each presenter, bringing to the fore cogent pointers on possible improvements. She then took the audience through her 1700km walk from Kolkata to New Delhi. She spoke about her heartwarming journey through the rural hinterlands of the country imbibing lessons in vernacular living and also witnessing drastically changing and rapidly urbanising landscapes. She spoke of her interactions with various NGOs working on community upliftment. Her next phase focuses on bringing together a collaborative task force that will devise solutions and help address the various challenges she identified in several cities and villages in the course of her walk. The talk was also a call to action for all students and architects present in the audience to begin this conversation and build bridges between the architectural fraternity and the common masses.

This year, Brick 12 on 12 went beyond just knowledge-sharing but offered a platform to trigger conversations on the role of an architect in society.

Masters program at BRICK Research Workshop

contd. from Page 1

management processes undertaken across the pre-construction stage, execution stage and operation stage of a project.

The program intends to Empower Architects to lead efficient project delivery. Being the principal consultants, Architects are brought on board a project in its early stage. This gives architects a unique advantage in steering and streamlining project efficiency. To enable this, the program imparts industry-specific learnings, providing holistic growth in the technical and practical knowledge of students.

Brick is implementing this program with a case-based pedagogy, where the students will be associated with an ongoing project for the entire 2-year duration. This provides an opportunity to experience, observe, learn and contribute to technical and managerial aspects of the project.

To ensure industrial knowledge and resources, Brick has signed Institution-industry collaboration MOUs with Kumar Properties Group and Madhav Limaye Consulting LLP. Brick has planned many such collaborations to maximize exposure and opportunity for interaction with the industry.

by Dr Sarah Melsens

A Research workshop was conducted as a part of the Research in Architecture subject, for students of 4th year, SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture, Pune on Thursday, 8th September 2022 with guest lecturer Dr Sarah Melsens.

Dr Melsens gave a lecture on ‘Data Collection, Analysis and Methodology followed for the research proposal’ which was followed by a group activity with the guiding faculty giving comments to students on the data collection and methodology of their respective research proposals.

The workshop was coordinated by Dr Vaidehi Lavand and Ar. Ramiya Gopalakrishnan.

Brick Conversations Experiencing Brick Campus

Sustainability in Architectural Practice: An Ecological Perspective

Brick Conversation by Ar. Dhruvang Hingamire

The intent of the session was to sensitize students to an ecological and sustainable approach that needs to be embedded in architectural practice along with construction techniques that involve building with natural materials.

In this conversation, Ar Dhruvang Hingmire guided through his presentation, where he aimed to sensitize students to an ecological perspective that needs to be adopted in architectural practice. He touched upon some ecological principles that are essential to perceive for sustainable development in architecture. Further, he explained the diversity in India’s architectural, economical, ecological & cultural context with their respective building materials, their strength and

their applicability in the construction process. The session moved beyond a broader idea of sustainability to a more intrinsic way of integrating lifestyles with the built & unbuilt environments. The session concluded with Ar. Dhruvang’s inclusion of ecological principles in his own practice and design while he showcased his projects. The students were intrigued by the idea of a building that breathes and responds to climate with natural materials and were excited to visit his ongoing projects to understand the construction with natural materials

- Shreya Mirpigar

MOU Signed with Kumar Properties Group for knowledge and resource sharing

MOU Signed with Madhav Limaye Consulting LLP for knowledge and resource sharing

Brick Conversation with Ar. Girish Doshi

Ar. Girish Doshi gave an engaging Brick conversation through a guided campus tour for first year students, where he explained to them his thoughts and philosophies behind designing each space on the Brick campus.

World Architecture Day Celebrations

ACADEMIA & PRACTICE: BRICK CELEBRATES WITH A STIMULATING SESSION AND PANEL DISCUSSION WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS

“World Architecture Day” on 3rd October 2022 is a day to be commemorated every year to reflect on the limitless potential of the profession and embrace the enormous responsibility that comes with it, as architects, students, teachers and aspiring change makers. At Brick, the day was celebrated through a stimulating event to pause and reflect on the ways and means in which the institute could contribute towards generating meaningful practices in Architecture and beyond.

The event began with a meet and greet, address by Founder-Director, Brick Group of Institutes, Dr Pooja Misal and Principal, Brick School of Architecture- Dr Poorva Keskar. This was followed by an insightful panel discussion that aimed to spark a discourse on the intermingling of Architectural Praxis and Education. For the session, 3 eminent experts were invited who represented firms of varying natures and ideologies. The panel included Ar. Hrishikesh Kulkarni, Partner at VK:a architecture, Ar. Niraj Doshi, Founder & Principal at -Niraj Doshi Design Consultancy and Ar. Tarun Albuquerque, Senior Associate Architect at Dar-al-Handasah, Pune. After the guest architects each took the audience through their individual philosophies and diverse praxis, the panel discussion began. The dialogue was an enigmatic exchange of perspectives, and the discussion was steered by Ar. Mayuresh Shirolkar, Head of Department, Brick School of Interior Design. The panel discussion brought forth questions about- the relevance of architectural education in light of technological advancements; employability factors of student interns and freshers; opinions around the scope of architecture as a collaborative and multi-disciplinary field in the future, and the role of an institute in generating sensitive pedagogies that are informed by Praxis. Ar. Tarun brought

perspectives about the need for an eye for detail in the design process, Ar. Niraj emphasized the importance of keenly observing the site and context to design sensitively while Ar. Hrishikesh highlighted the need to learn allied skills that would catalyse creativity. The varying perspectives of the panel came together like a jig-saw that

The panel discussion brought forth questions about- the relevance of architectural education in light of technological advancements; employability factors of student interns and freshers; opinions around the scope of architecture as a multi-disciplinary field in the future, and the role of an institute in generating sensitive pedagogies that are informed by Praxis.

took shape as a larger roadmap for future directions. In order to foster an environment of research right from the student years, the institute awards Research and Travel grants annually to students, as an opportunity for them to investigate a research area of their interest, or travel to unexplored places in India to explore architecture, lifestyles and narratives around them. Last year’s Research Grant winner- Ashritha Jaladhi and Travel Grant winners - Achyut Vanarse, Atharva Sakore and Aditya Sawalkar presented their work and showcased the outcomes of their year-long explorations. This year’s awardees were also announced, with Harshita Grandhi winning the Research grant 2022 along with Tejas Patil, Mayur Pande and Komal Kumbhar winning the Travel Grant 2022.

The event commenced with the unveiling of some inhouse publications. Every year a student-curated mag-

azine- “Design Infinite” is released. Each year it brings a different flavour. For this year, the theme that was revealed was Archi-Verse. This was followed by the launch of “SynThesis”- the 5th issue, a compendium of thesis projects of Final year students, that serves as a comprehensive collection of projects as well as a directory of student portfolios for firms.

Following this, was the long-awaited book cover unveiling of the first content-intensive resource book from Brick Publication House. Authors Dr Poorva Keskar, Ar. Ketaki Gujar and Ar. Sharduli Joshi along with Dr Pooja Misal and the guest panelists unveiled the book cover of- “Deciphering Aparanta- a journey through Sindhudurg”.

What began as an early evening event soon turned into the golden hour with soft sunrays bringing a warm glow across the dais. The most awaited segment of the event- winners and recipients of the various scholarships were to be announced. This time there were three scholarships announced. The Satish Misal Educational Foundation’s Scholarship 2022-23 offered by the institute, with a scholarship Amount of Rs. 50,000/- was awarded to Akshita Rathi from Fourth Year, BSOA; The Manoj Sahadeo Educational scholarship offered by Ar. Prajakta Chakravarty was awarded to Anuradha Yadav from Second Year, BSOA and a surprise came through with a third scholarship- the Dr S. M. Kulkarni Scholarship of Rs. 51,000/- offered by Smt. Rajani Kulkarni was awarded to Omkar Godse from Fourth Year, BSOA. Yet another surprise was a gesture from VK Group who awarded a laptop to Saeem Khan from second year, BSOA. The eventful day concluded with a vote of thanks by Ar Manali Deshmukh, vice principal, BSOA. The event was an apt way to celebrate “Architecture and the Built environment” and left the audience with a lot of food for thought.

Panel Discussion in session moderated by Ar. Mayuresh Shirolkar with panelists Ar. Hrishikesh Kulkarni, Ar. Niraj Doshi and Ar. Tarun Alburquerque

SKYWALKS - Collaborative Studio

In July 2022 SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture, Pune did a collaboration with RVS university, Padmavati School of Architecture, and Folds Studio Mumbai. It was the first technology workshop of its kind, where 90+40 young and creative minds researched and explored technology and materials together for 6 days. It was an equal partnership between two academic faculty members pursuing mutually exciting and beneficial research through a shared teaching pedagogy. Faculties involved in the workshop were Ar. Manali Deshmukh, Ar. Anurakti Yadav, Ar. Raghunandan, Er. Gurudatta Ingale from SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture, Pune, and Ar. Raman, Ar. Navneetha from RVS university, Padmavati School of Architecture.

The workshop proved to be an exclusive experiential learning with RVS university students in the fourth year- Advanced Building Construction & Services studio. The exploration was to design and detail a Skywalk with a parametric approach at tiger point, a scenic view at Lonavala near Pune. Through this, students learned and experimented with futuristic and innovative building technologies for long-span buildings in their exploration, they shared their ideas with each other and built a good connection.

The intent of the studio was to combine efficiency, practicability, and aesthetics through the integration of structural typologies.

The collaboration with Folds Studio sought to bring industrial expertise and trigger students to produce futuristic, innovative designs through parametric thinking. This was further enable with the help of the studio’s infrastructure in their construction workshop in Mumbai.

This workshop started with inputs and interactive discussions on the structural members whose bold statements added aesthetic value to the long-span structure.

Students worked in groups and worked on designing functional Skywalk/ Skybridge typology that tapped into latest technologies.

After the discussions, students decoded a few identified skywalks done by master architects to understand the design and working, they came up with detailed analysis along with physical models to visualize the scale and detailing of the same. Their work reflected deep research and a better understanding of the structure to be used as a reference to their skywalk design.

The workshop enabled enriched discussions between the two colleges on innovations, materials and technology. It sparked an exchange of radical ideas, all through playful interactions and hands on learning.

- Ar. Anurakti Yadav

DID YOU KNOW??

About the Concept of DIGITAL HERITAGE?

Digital heritage is generated through Artificial intelligence and computer-aided technology to create a repository of documented or imagined drawings of Heritage buildings and precincts. This repository is for future generations to look back to treasured memories of the Past.

To know more about this concept, visit: https://en.unesco.org/themes/information-preservation/digital-heritage/concept-digital-heritage

DECODING HABITAT Fourth Year Urban Design Studio

As a part of the fourth year Design VII- Habitat studio process, the students studied housing projects designed by master architects. The intention of the exercise was to decode and understand the design philosophy behind a project, master planning, unit plan design and massing. The cases were chosen considering different habitat challenges resolved by these Master architects.

The students were divided into 8 to 10 per group. In total 10 cases were taken from around the world. To name a few- Kanchanjunga by Charles Correa, Mumbai ; Future Tower by MVRDV, Pune; City Life by Zaha Hadid, Milan; The Mountain by BIG + JDS, Copenhagen, etc. At the end of the exercise, the students had to incorporate the learnings to come up with their habitat design concepts.

- Ar. Girija Indulkar

In the Footsteps of MASTER ARCHITECTS

Students of Second Year decoded Master architects’ works with a set of pre-determined parameters viz. Site & Context; Spatial Organization; Volume & Form; Fenestrations; Material

I don’t think that architecture is only about shelter, is only about a very simple enclosure. It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think.

- Zaha Hadid

BRICK + RVS COLLEGE OF ARHITECTURE CHENNAI & FOLDS STUDIO, MUMBAI

& Technology and Architectural Elements. Students analysed various works through this lens and took the thread ahead in the design studio project of an “Architect’s Abode”

Above: BRICK students and RVS students work together on campus; Below: Folds studio Visit Mumbai

Above: Models of Skywalk designs by students Below: Happy faces- Group picture of all students

Image source: The Busride Click to see post

The First year studio pedagogy explored, for the first time in Brick, a pedagogy that applied deep integration across subjects- The Integrated studio. The aim of the studio was to holistically integrate all subjects with the Design studio blurring the otherwise emerging boundaries through an Integrated Studio that moulds students to a design thinking process that is more deep-rooted and robust.

For this experiment, the first-year facultyVaibhavi A, Ketaki G, Ninada K, Rama R, Akshay G, Sarita B, Sharduli P, Neha G, Shraddha G, Kanchan S, Bhavna G, Ninad R, Bhagyashree B, collaborated with Ar. Priyanka Dapodikar, from Studio Agam. The site selected, through this collaboration was the quaint village of Bhutonde, in the Bhor Taluka, 60 km from the city of Pune, nestled in the foothills of Rajgad and Torna fort, a site that was home to the valiant hero- Senapati Yesaji Kank, a fearless warrior from the army of Shivaji Maharaj.

The village, apart from resonating with tales of bravery and valour, is also a cradle to rich traditional knowledge systems all embedded within vernacular space-making. The site selected thus reflected multiple layers that allowed for different subjects to intervene and aid in the decoding process which was crucial to the integrated studio.

The larger objectives of the Integrated Studio were:

- To enable a connected understanding of De-

INTEGRATED STUDIO

kind-

sign and its relationship with Aesthetics, Function, Structure, Material & Building Technologies, Services, Graphics, and History & Culture.

- To integrate the methods of teaching and learning through a common project that enables the faculty to work in a symbiotic manner.

- A demonstration of a holistic design response that achieves a far greater depth of understanding through the integrated approach.

The studio comprised one week of orientation before the settlement study, wherein students were taken to the old city core of Pune for understanding facets of wooden constructions. Then, a 4-day intensive documentation of the vernacular built and unbuilt environment was conducted in Bhutonde wherein students were guided into an in-depth understanding and documentation of several facets of the place, people, architecture, culture and nature. An exhibition of the drawings and site model was also displayed on campus which received appreciation from guest, Ar. Shailesh Devi from Nashik.

The final design programme was A Living History Museum of Bhutonde which aimed to provide a threshold of indigenous knowledge between the village and the outside world. The Design process followed a connected schedule wherein faculty from across subjects would discuss, critique and enrich student designs during studio hours and the exercises designed across subjects fed into the larger design outcome. The final outcome certainly showcased a more mature approach to design among students with processes that went beyond aesthetics to integrate site, context, materiality, and structure holistically into design.

The FIRST Year underwent an experimental pedagogy, first of its

combining learnings across subjects to integrate holistically into the Design Studio.

Settlement Study at Bhutonde- Faculties explain timber joineries in the Vitha- Rakhumai temple.

Ar. Shailesh Devi at the Exhibition of the Settlement Study Documentation by First Year Students

Design Learning OutcomesModels showcase an understanding of various layers of the architecture.

SMEF’s BRICK Student wins Honourable mention in the CHARLES CORREA GOLD MEDAL AWARDS 2022

Faculty FDP: Nashik Exposure Tour

The Charles Correa Gold Medal seeks out compelling visions for the future of the built environment across architecture colleges in India. This year, the Gold Medal addressed the urgency of climate-responsive architecture. Correa’s lucid intuition, ‘Form Follows Climate’ is remarkably pertinent today, a moment where the construction industry is a significant contributor to global warming, accounting for almost 25% of global carbon emissions.

The evening witnessed one of the proud moments for Amay Raskar, from SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture, Pune who won the first Honorable mention this year under the guidance of Ar. Ninad Rewatkar. The project titled “AI + X Paradigm Research Centre” an insightful proposal from an environmental research centre foregrounds computational intelligence, building diagnostics software as a tool to enable and evaluate passive design strategies while creating a vibrant urban realm for users and the city. The project deploys a set of procedural transformations to a generic volumetric grid of programs. The addition and subtraction of modules is rationalized by computational optimization, for daylight penetrations, thermal mass efficiency and cross ventilation, besides efficient organization of institutional programs.

The typological repetition of elemental public space building which generates surprising porous buildings with human-scaled Green terraces and open-to-sky voids which facilitates visual connectivity across the campus. Amay’s victory speech emphasized the journey where he quoted - “One might always get derailed in the middle of thoughts and ideas. To give up on some ideas is where you let the other ones flourish.”

The award challenged students and institutions to rewrite the values of the discipline and the profession, to foreground a strong environment-led framework of thinking and making, if we are to confront the challenges of living in the Anthropocene.

“Amay’s design was a fusion of traditional climate responsive strategies activated by Artificial Intelligence. SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture believes that technology can be intelligently harnessed for leveraging vernacular values. It grooms the students to leap into the future with their feet rooted to the earth.”

- Dr Poorva Keskar

The outcome was a collaborative effort of the SMEFs Brick School of Architecture’s Team of diverse sustainable Design experts, Principal Dr Poorva Keskar & Ar. Vinita Lulla.

- Ar. Vinita Lulla

ALUMNI MEET 2022

The first-ever Alumni meeting was held this year on 03 September 2022. The campus was graced by our very first 10 batches- 5 graduated and 5 current. With its inception in 2020, the Alumni Association was born to close the interaction gap between students and alumni, motivated by ideas and values that will assure the upliftment of both current and future alumni.

To set the event in motion, the current student body performed a composition of the Dhol -tasha to welcome the incoming alumni batches. The energy of the entire space was lifted with this homecoming and conversations sprouted with ease. This was followed by a general body meeting that provided a brief overview of the objectives of this association to the existing as well as soon-to-be members alike.

The existing alumni body consisted of professionals working in various architectural niches as well as others who are pursuing careers in set design, photography, stand-up comedy, lifestyle products and even journalism. The last segment involved the alumni presenting their works in these niches of the field to the existing students. This presentation series aligned with the institute’s vertical called “periscope”- an exposure initiative for the students to display professional opportunities in architecture and allied fields.

The event concluded with the possibility of networking and potential career opportunities for all members alike. Communicating with peers opened up doorways for many present on the day. The entire vertical cross-section of a decade of batches was a huge success for the institute as well as the organization, and brick hopes to host many more such meets in the following years.

- Sharvari Rajwaday

Architecture is something that we are surrounded by, at all times consciously, subconsciously and unconsciously. To the architects, it is fascinating to travel, to explore, to bid adieu to our beloved projects and sites for some time and just soak into different experiences and emerge differently out of it. With this intention, the tour was designed for the faculty to get inspired from various architects and immerse in the architecture of Nashik.

The prominent architects of Nashik were listed down with the number of famous buildings including Spandan Design Studio, Within and Without studio by Ar. Shailesh Devi, Grape County, Sandip Foundation by Ar. Sanjay Patil, and various other buildings. With the intention of visiting the buildings, the ideologies and the breakthroughs set in those times, the mindsets of people, the policies were enough to give us an idea about Nashik. The use of materials in the buildings, the thought processes, the period in which the architect made his/her mark and similar techniques used in different structures would add a bit more to the knowledge.

- Ar. Sharduli Joshi

After a long time, I enjoyed the exploratory, well oriented and architectural Nasik tour. The most prominent observation was an involvement and role of landscaping in built forms in all of the projects. The connections between built and inbuilt were also beautifully designed.

- Ar. Sudhir Deshpande

DID YOU KNOW??

“In the Limelight”

Did you know, that before electricity, theatres would use heated calcium oxide (commonly known as quicklime), to illuminate their stages. This is where the phrase “In the limelight” comes from!

ARCHI-

QUIZ by Ninad Rewatkar

4. Who designed the masterplan for Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan in the 1960s?

A. Le Corbusier

B. Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis

C. Otto Königsberger

D. Kenzo Tange

2. The architect who claimed that: “The ultimate goal of the new architecture was the composite but inseparable work of an art, in which the old dividing line between monumental and decorative elements will have disappeared forever.”

A. Frank Lloyd Wright

B. Le Corbusier

C. Walter Gropius

D. Mies Van de Rohe

Books Unveiled

5. Described as the Central Vista, this stretch was known as the Kingsway (Rajpath). Recently it was renamed to :

A. Kirti Path

B. Kartavya Path

C. Vijay Path

D. Loktantra Path

6. Who was awarded the 2021 Pritzker Prize?

A. Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal

B. Diébédo Francis Kéré

C. Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara

D. Arata Isozaki

7. Who are the authors of this book?

A. A.K.Srivastava

B. Kenneth X Robbins & Pushkar Sohani

C. Jaymala diddee & Samita Gupta D. Amita Kanekar

Click to solve digitally

3. The works of Mahendra Raj are written in this famous book? A. The Structures B. The Megastructures C. The Stadiums D. The Archives CLUES Across 2. one of the Architects of Bihar Sangrahalaya 6. I am the town planner of Bhubneshwar 9. The golden showers of flowers that herald summer and mark the beginning of the harvest season 10. Architectural BIM CAD software 11. The line from which the arch rises from its vertical supports Down 1. A movable joint or mechanism on which a door swings as it opens and closes 3. Gothic spout 4. A spiritual space with rainbow light streaming into the interior, a chapel in France 5. A property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force. 7. Science of human settlements, this term was coined by Constantinos Apostolos Doxiadis 8. Early-20th-century avant-garde art movement

The book cover of the longawaited book publshed by Brick Publication House was unveiled on “World Architecture Day” . The book explores the untouched region of Sindhudurg in Konkan, Maharashtra, and attempts to bring together and build upon exhaustive documentation done by students of SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture.

Synthesis 05: A Compendium of Final year Thesis Projects that acts as a springboard for student careers.

Click to view the digital publication.

Library: NEW ARRIVALS

“Word of the Month” Library Initiative

For learning about the pioneering building below, read the book on “ Structures” in the Brick Library

The library announced a new initiative called ‘Word of the Month’, a theme-based interaction where a word will be introduced every month around which discussions happen. This activity is initiated to encourage both students and faculties to explore architects and architecture outside the normal syllabus teaching. The first interaction took place on September 28th, 2022, and the word/theme of the discussion was ‘Expression’. The interaction included students’ discussing how a building communicates itself to the people and the surroundings through examples from books. The initiative is coordinated by Ar. Ramiya Gopalakrishnan.

THE ARCHI CROSSWORD 102 by Ketaki Gujar

BOOK WATCH recommendation and Sketch by Ninad Rewatkar

Reminiscence: Treasure Troves of the Past

As the year ends, we thought it would be beautiful to reminisce on our past and revisit our hidden treasures and carry those memories forward into the new year.

This issue’s theme intends to teleport the readers to the past and invoke a feeling of nostalgia and warmth. Ar. Mayuresh takes us through journey in two different contexts- Pune and Uzbekistan. He pens down his urban sketching experience at the Mandai where architecture meets life. Ar. Ramiya takes us to her fond memories of an old artefact that continues to live on in her heart as living heritage, connecting her with her roots. Ar. Ketaki paints fluid memories to treasure her experiences of a vibrant city. Ar. Shraddha writes about the vast repository of knowledge systems and values housed within the ancient prayers and scriptures and Ar. Rama reminisces about traditions that connect her with memories of her grandmother. We hope these stories allow you to vicariously enjoy the treasure troves of the past!

Urban Sketching at Mandai - a revelation

- Ar. Mayuresh Shirolkar

The central forum meets the bays And talks about the age old past Gothic Arches all golden awash Sunlight peeping in with grace.

People move around and wait No time to see built form n style Just buy their stuff as per the list Quick, fresh lest they get late!

But when I sit with my sketch book Put line to paper, we like minded few Some pen, pencil or colour wash Makes them pause to give a look

What Why some stop to comprehend How? Elders, children reluctant to leave Is it a planned setup, possibly class of sorts Or a contest with a prize at the end?

Exploring Uzbekistan

- Sketches by Ar. Mayuresh Shirolkar

Whatever they say I really don’t mind Pointing at heritage that I quickly sketch A natural Curiosity woven for our city Opening eyes which hitherto were blind

Once they realise the story it beholds A sense of carrying these visuals at home An experience of being there, like no other A flavour of personal smell, taste unfolds

Urban sketching is not only drawing sublime Not great style, background or how old - Just, Required is a mind - ready to show the world, YOUR CITY ONE SKETCH AT A TIME !

Fluid Memories : Abstracting Cities

- Digital Art Series by Ar. Ketaki Gujar

Hey! What did you eat last night? You had to stress your brain, right? Memories are crazily unreliable, sometimes they bring back incidents from 30 years ago whereas sometimes one wouldn’t even remember what one ate last night!

Memories are fluid, they can take shape of any vessel in our brain factory! Do you remember how Dumbledore stored his memories and took them out to see through a “pensieve” whenever necessary? I wish I had similar powers. How I wish I could remember things clearly as they happened! Photography helps in keeping track of my memories and I try and click at least one photograph everyday! Showcasing some of my fluid memories from the stack of memories from my brain factory.

(Click each of the images below for magical memories to unravel and teleport you to a different space)

The only surviving Heritage

- Ar. Ramiya Gopalakrishnan

Growing up, I never really had any connection to my roots.

Born in the Middle East, to a family who migrated to Kuwait to subdue the struggles of middle-class life, I did not get a chance to connect with my past or my grandparents, the closest to the heritage I had.

Things changed for me when I came down to India for my bachelor’s degree. I used to visit my aunt every time I got a break. On one such short vacation, my aunt happened to get the attic of her house cleaned. Her house is a 50-year-old mud house with many extensions done later on. From here I discovered a couple of small vessels and objects, most of them old and worn out. I always got excited seeing old items so I was curious to know where they came from. My aunt told me it was part of the few things that survived from our ancestral house. A deeper inquiry about the house was heartbreaking. It was demolished and the last time she saw it was when she was a toddler. I requested my aunt to give me one of these treasures – a small copper vessel for safekeeping. Let us call it my desperate attempt to hold on to something.

The story of my lost ancestral home connected me to this object. The realization that these are the only few things that survived gave me the revelation that I would never get to see or know anything about my heritage. And this is how the small copper vessel my aunt gave me became an object close to my heart.

A vessel of memories

The vedic chants which were learnt by heart by the people and especially by the scholars of the past give glimpses of the knowledge and value system of our country. I really wonder how they would have mapped the geography of our country and narrated it in a melodious Sanskrit Shlokas. The morning prayer “Pratah Smaran” has mention of the mountains and ocean on three sides of the Indian peninsula.

Intangible heritage of knowledge

- Ar. Shraddha Manjrekar

the motherland is wearing the crown of Himalayas, which is at North and ocean on three sides at South of it keeps on abulating her feet. I bow to the Motherland Bhaarat, whose paramount sons are the Brahmarshis

practice of mapping, assessment and valuing all are reflected by these lines. A sloka from Rigved has mentioned paying regard to the environment.

The motherland is considered a goddess and hence it was the first ritual of morning to bend down and ask for forgiveness as the whole day we would be touching this motherland by our feet. Later, I understood that this is not only a prayer, but the forward bending while doing this prayer activates blood circulation towards the head and brain, and if it is done in the morning, it’s the best start of the day. It was made as a ritual before leaving the bed.

I have grown up chanting the “Ekatmata Stotra” too, and the seeds of regard to the geographical diversity, natural resources, rivers and cities of India and knowledge systems were sown in my thought process through this prayer. This stotra educated me about the wealth that our country has, and giving regard to all the natural resources. The geography of the country has been poetically narrated in this prayer. We had a morning assembly and the whole school used to sing this prayer together and this ritual enlightened our minds in a musical way. These are a few shlokas of it that mention the geography, heritage and knowledge system of India.

Shloka 3 of Akatmata stotram, mentions that

(scholars, and researchers), and as Rajarshis (kings who turned into a royal sage). Shlok 4 mentions the mountain series, Mahendragirri (in the present Orrisa), Malay, Sahyadri, Himalaya, Revatak, Vindhyachal and Aravalis. Shloka 5 of this stotra reminds of the great rivers- Ganga, Brahmaputra, Sarawati, Gandaki, Kaveri, Yamuna and Narrmada. Shlok 6 introduces the holi cities Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi (present Varanasi), Kanchipuram, Avantika (present Ujjain), Vaishali, Dwarika, Jagannath Puri, Takshashila and Gaya. Shloka 7 mentions the developed cities of Prayag, Patliputram, Vijaynagar, Indraprastha, Somnath and Amritsar. Shloka 8 mentions the knowledge system of four Vedas, Puranas, Upanishashads, Ramayan, Mahabharat, and Geeta. These texts guide humanity for civilized and meaningful life. The

It means that the Environment blissed humanity, leading life perfectly. Rivers blissed the life with sacred water. This land makes people experience good health, through its vegetation, and nutritious milk of cows. The Sun, its movement, day and night, seasons all act as nourishment and medicine for life. Chanakya’s Arthashastra has focused on the regional planning principles that add into prosperity, peace, balanced growth and sustainable development. Similarly, there are many practices ingrained in our culture that lead us towards a Bharatiya way of living. Becoming aware about what we have, recognizing and respecting it and then taking advantage of it, is a practice that is ingrained in our culture. This practice seems to be the first step for a sustainable and resilient way of living. This is a treasure of knowledge from the past. The only need is to study, understand and interpret them in an appropriate way.

Memory and Space: traditions that evoke nostalgia

- Ar. Rama Raghavan

Certain memories that dwell in the deep recesses of our minds, surface when we traverse a certain space, hear specific sounds, or catch a familiar whiff. The triggers could also be partaking in particular activities or witnessing certain rituals that bring strong associations from childhood. These figments of our mind evoke feelings of reminiscence and are invariably drenched in nostalgia or at least dipped in a certain wistfulness.

For me, a certain tradition has always conjured up warm sentiments- The Bommai Golu, an intricate decoration of dolls and idols in a hierarchical, stepped arrangement. This arrangement is typically a tradition around the Navratri festival and is practiced in several states in South India.

For me, the Golu brings back memories of my dear grandmother- Thathi, as I would fondly call her. As children, we used to be filled with enthusiasm as we excitedly helped her set up the Golu and create unique scenes and sceneries- A park, a zoo, a forest, and so on, with whatever dolls and toys we could lay our hands on. This was a real test of our imaginations as kids, and we would go absolutely berserk with our wild ideas. The urban or rural scenes we created would inevitably be an eclectic and freakish mix of figurines with skewed human and animal proportions- (A giant

For me, a certain tradition has always invoked a feeling of warm nostalgiaThe Bommai Golu, an intricate decoration of dolls and idols in a hierarchical, stepped arrangement.

dog next to a tiny human figurine was not odd at all from a kid’s P.O.V). Thathi was the creative one in our family who always brought great gusto to any event. She would create vibrantly painted kolams or patterns around the golu with oil paint, and handcraft small installations with tiny syringe medicine vials (this art form was quite popular in the late 80s and 90s). The epicenter of the Golu was, however, the Marapachi– or ancient wooden dolls that have a tremendous heritage significance since these are passed down through generations. Every year, tiny new clothes would be crafted for these dolls and they would metamorphose beautifully.

Even today, when I witness the Golu and partake in the decorations at my in-laws’ home, memories of Thathi, my grandmother, surface and illuminate the corners of my heart with warm nostalgia. Some day, I hope to begin the Bommai Golu tradition in my own home to treasure these memories and keep them alive.

Marapachis or Wooden dolls in Golus.

Raja-Rani doll set or Marapachi Bommai, wood, mid 20th century, made near villages around Tirupati temple.

Courtesy: V. Ramesh.

A repository of memories: The Traditional Tamilian Bommai Golu.

Painting by Ar. Rama Raghavan

Faculty Achievements

Dr. Poorva Keskar invited as a Speaker at the Greenpro Conference in HICC, Hyderabad.

Dr. Poorva Keskar invited as a Speaker along with eminent architects Ar. Ashok Lall and Ar. Prasad Vaidya, at the Solar Decathlon Faculty development Program at IIHS in Bangalore

Ar. Mayuresh Shirolkar on the jury for PCERF Safety Awards.

Ar. Rohit Gadiya invited as one of the Panelists on a panel discussion on Urban Revitalisation organised by the VK Group, Pune.

Ar. Manali Deshmukh and Ar. Ketaki Gujar invited as Speakers for a Knowledge Sharing Series organized by S. B Patil College of Architecture, Pune

Ar. Shraddha Manjrekar invited as a Panelist in a Panel Discussion on Urban Planning and Wildlife organised by Friends of Ecological Society, Pune

Dr. Poorva Keskar felicitated by The Indian Institute of Architects, Pune, at BNCA. Pune, on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.