Arcade 2008

CHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, SEC- 12, CHANDIGARH- 160012, INDIA. Ph: 0172 - 2740558, 2740685, 274572, Fax no. : 0172-2740686 Website: www.cca.nic.in, E-mail :cca@chd.nic.in

ARCADE 2008 CHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

CHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

“Hypothesis�

If I say, Chandigarh planning, Is escapist planning And, If this statement, Is fully comprehended, I would have No more To say.

A tribute to Ar. Aditya Prakash

Born on March 10, 1923, Muzaffarnagar, Ar. Aditya Prakash was educated as an architect in London. He earned his ARIBA in 1951. He joined the team of the Chandigarh Capital Project on November 1, 1952, where he worked directly with Le Corbusier on the design of the College of Art in the late 1950s. Mr. Prakash also designed our college on the same principles.

He worked on the Type-VI houses and General Hospital, Sector- 16, with Jane Drew. He also designed the District Courts, the Treasury Building, the IndoSwiss Training Centre, the Cable Factory and frame controls of petrol pumps, Jagat, Neelam and KC Cinemas, and several of the city markets.

His most significant project in Chandigarh was Tagore Theatre that was constructed for the Tagore Centenary. From 1963- 67, he was in Ludhiana where he designed campuses of Ludhiana, Hisar and Palampur universities.

In 1968, he took over as Principal of the Chandigarh College of Architecture, from which he retired in 1982. He was a keen educationist and continued to be involved in the college even after retirement.

Being the multi faceted personality, he lead an active life in private practice, theater and art. He also served as the Chairman of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Academy.

Top to bottom: Chandigarh Markets CSIO, Chandigarh Agricultural University Hostel, Ludhiana Bahl House, Chandigarh

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Contents

Teacher Coordinators Ar. Sujay Sen Gupta Ar. Deepika Gandhi

Student Editors Anu Dhiman Richa Sarin

Photo Credits Cover Page: Oil Painting by Late Ar.Aditya Prakash Pg 2,4,8: Richa Sarin Pg 11: Umadhar Kamti Pg 42,43: Sagar Pg 53: Anu Dhiman Archo : Nawaz Ali Umadhar Kamti Richa Sarin Events: Rajeev

Anu Dhiman Face Value, Zodiac: architects.com Special Thanks: Gagandeep Bawa

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4. A Tribute 6. Principal’s Note 7. Editor’s Note 9. About CCA 10. Aditya Prakash 12. Discipline- A must for success 13. Architecture- An Opportunity 14. Of Life and Times in CCA 18. Green Architecture 21. Designing with Daylight 23. Art of water colors

Knowledge 27. Saturation of The Image 30. Virus 33. Blurring the Boundaries 34. Tips for Earthquake Resistant Buildings 36. Age of the Vintage 38. Can Design be taught

Experience 41. The Blazing Cutter 44. My Last Summer Vacation in CCA 48. My First Year at CCA 50. My First Week in CCA 52. A Workshop To Remember 56. IIM- An Invigorating Experience 58. Riding The Pulse 61. Chamba -A Land of Faith 64. The Real Picture 66. First Impression 67. In India

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CCA Folio 69. Thesis Season 70. Thesis Topper 72. Design - Final Year 74. NASA - ANDC Trophy 76. Design - Third Year 78. Design- Second Year 79. Design- First Year 80. Consultancy Projects 82. 3D Rendering 83. Model Making 84. Achievers 2007-08

Events 86. Events 88. ARCHO Fever Art 92-100. Graphics Poetry 102. The Escapism 104. Faith Personified 105. Muse Discovered 105. Piercing Truth 106. Paper Fever 107. A Quest 108. Nazar Andaaz 109. Jagriti 110. Ek Benoor Chiraag 111. Intezaar

Fun 113. The CCA Crossword 114. Face Value 115. You know it is FS time 116. Zodiac 118. Creative Thinking 121. Pulse of The Students Section

Principal’s Note

Editor’s note

Prof. Rajnish Wattas

I am happy that the new issue of the CCA students' magazine ARCADE2008 has been published. As the name of the magazine itself suggests, it is a manifestation of all hues and colors gathered while walking through the arcade of the vibrant student life in CCA. The college magazine is a myriad mosaic reflecting the pulsating student life, especially that of an architectural institution. CCA, which prides itself of combining professional training of the students with cultural development, is showcased very aesthetically and creatively in the magazine. In fact the name ARCADE itself has the ring of an architectural creation, lined with various moods and impulses of a student life. The profession of architecture as such a beautiful fusion of art and technology; that while it trains the mind to soar a high; it also brings the discipline and vigour of logic!

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Anu Dhiman

The college building- designed by Le Corbusier- to an inspiring ambience of indoor- outdoor space, playfully coming together to create volumes and voids, enlivened by shades and shadows. The spaces under the school umbrella of trees and shrubs in the courts become gathering spaces for the young minds of students to nurture their dreams and architectural creations.

Similarly the college canteen is a nodal point for the fertilization of young minds.

All the creative literary energy of the students comes together to enrich the ARCADE of imagination of our talented students. May the arcade keep growing and be memorable; journey for the generation of CCA students to come to walk through it; year after year.

Congratulations to the entire student editorial team and the faculty advisors for the new issue of ARCADE 2008.

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Connectivity is the driving force behind Arcade 2008. We tried to reach out to those people who are unmistakably connected to CCA - the alumni, the faculty and the students. It is an attempt to bridge the time gap between the three and establish a meaningful dialogue. It is a keepsake that contains the energy that is unique to CCA. We would use the term 'CCA Vernacular' to check ourselves on the way. Our prime concern was to capture the feel of the college. Arcade hopes to validate the presence of a true and free soul, Aditya Prakash that we all shall miss dearly.

It was fun to burn the midnight oil in an attempt to portray the college at its best. It was an experience which we are proud to share. Right from the tedious job of collecting articles to the technical minuteness of setting CMYK for the background color or printing resolution, the

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Richa Sarin

whole journey was very enriching and equally demanding. The task of designing, know how of softwares, chasing sponsors and unending editing kept us on our toes. It was strange to discover how even the smallest symbol becomes a decisive component of the design.

It is our endeavor to make the magazine a matter of prestige wherein the students and teachers are eager to share their work.

We are deeply thankful for each and every contribution from the students, teachers, college staff and special friends. We thank Kanwar Surjit Singh, Former Chief Town Planner, Haryana, for being a one man army and getting the magazine published. We thank Mr Kapil who ensured that the publishing was par excellence. We hope that the magazine goes from strength to strength and gets more interesting by every passing year.

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About CCA

The Chandigarh College of Architecture is a part of the legacy of Chandigarh. This prestigious Institution is a pulse point for the designers, planners and architects. Here are some vital facts about this institution.

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THE FIRST DAY

Monday: 07 August 1961

THE FIRST BATCH

1961-1966

FOUNDER-TEACHERS

Mr. A.R. Prabhawalkar, Mr. Vishwamitter Dr. S.S. Bhatti

THE PRINCIPALS

Mr. A.R. Prabhawalkar Mr. Harbinder Singh Chopra Mr. Aditya Prakash Lt. Col. I.J.S. Bakshi (1962-1967 batch) Mr. Rajnish Wattas (1967-1972 batch)

PHILOSOPHY

The Le Corbusier's School of Thought

FORMATIVE YEARS

1982-1996

CCA INSIGNIA

Designed by the Bombay-based, internationally-acknowledged, Graphic Designer Sudarshan Dheer.

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Aditya Prakash- The Energy That Kept Goodness Alive Having watched the city beautiful grow from scratch together, this lifelong friend shares his deepest thoughts and memories.

‘Creative activity gives me energy', he used to tell me. He was my friend but I respected him for his innovative ways of spending his life.

He had a knack of keeping things simple. That was his greatest gift.

Virendra Mehndiratta, Acclaimed Writer and Play Director

It is amazing how someone can live on the plane of a common man and still be so great. Even as the principal of CCA, I never saw him tense. He never felt like he was the boss of it all. In fact, he made many a thoughtful contributions to the system. The essence of the educational trip was his brainchild.

In the office, he used the smallest bit of free time creatively. He picked up on doodling. His initial work consisted of birds and life forms.

He shared his hobby of doodling at the cultural center for children. The children were delighted to watch him create art forms without lifting the pen.

We had a discussion group that

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comprised of thirty members.

Ranging from the Chief Secretary to D.G. Police, a psychiatrist, a doctor.

We met every month to talk on different topics. He was the convener. Every month each of us would receive a unique invitation card, drawn by him. They only got more and more interesting as the years passed by. He was ever so meticulous with the details.

We would spend a lot of time together. We were founder members of 'Abhinet'. I admired him for his set designing of my plays. He was very resourceful and always found the best design solutions. They would present the theme very well without dominating the performance.

He always displayed a great capacity to grow; especially after retirement. His role in 'Zindagi Kabhi Retire Nahi Hoti' added depth to the play. He was a wonderful human being and had no mental blocks.

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“ Even as the Principal of CCA, I never saw him tense.”

He was also a play director. Two of his plays- ‘chaarpai’ and ‘ek duni ek’ were phenomenal successes. But one of the play didn't fare well and he accepted the failure instantly. These are clear signs of greatness.

As a human being, he was very careful. He believed that small is beautiful. He wanted to use the smallest bit of paper. In the early years when we saw the city come up from scratch, he used to share his musings with me. The book he wrote about the city in prose shows how it had affected him not only as a professional but also as a creative person.

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He discarded unnecessary complications in life. He truly wanted the sector to be a self sufficient unit. He was a firm supporter of the cycle tracks and ensured that they were laid. His ideas were grand because they were simple and worked well. His designs were humble. Just like him.

He always worked to the best of his capacity. It was uplifting just to be in his presence. He was a remarkable person who had the energy that kept goodness alive.

Alas! It is this energy that we must do without.

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Discipline- A Must For Success

Architecture: An Oppurtunity

Asst. Prof. Gupta has a message for the students and teachers of CCA

Excerpts from seminar by Ar. Sen Kapadia

Architecture is an opportunity and we have to find an expression for the same Here are a few of the considerations that we work with in my office.

1. Absence of materiality. If a material is used in a different way or a different scale, they don't represent materials but they represent elements of space making.

Discipline in life is a must for success.

S.K. Gupta Asst. Professor, CCA

A student without discipline in his life is just like a plant growing, without any nutrients in soil. Every individual needs to exercise control over the mind, and value Time as the most precious commodity. It is very truly said, 'You waste time and time will waste you.'

Positive Thinking is another vital aspect of a healthy and successful life.

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by the teacher is misunderstood as harsh behavior. It is, but hard and not harsh. Rather it is very essential for the students to understand that heated gold becomes an ornament; beaten copper becomes wire and depleted stone becomes statue; so hardships carve a valuable human being out of an ordinary man.

“ Men and women of great achievement have learnt to keep their minds directed to that which they desire from life.�

A person with negative thinking can reach nowhere; whereas with positive attitude one can touch the stars even and change the conception of the whole universe.

Men and women of great achievement have learnt to keep their minds directed to that which they desire from life.

A teacher, therefore, should never hesitate to show the harder path to the students, but ensure that it leads to growth and betterment.

Moreover, it is the prime duty of the teacher and all supporting staff, to inculcate discipline in the life of students. Many a times, such an act

Every action of a teacher should be directed towards bringing out the best of a student and NOT gratification.

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2. Presence of silence. As can be seen in the works of both Kahn and Le Corbusier. If we don't have too much materiality and too many fussy details including hi tech fussy details then the space acquires a certain kind of silence.

That silence is the sure fire for our way of thinking to make architecture which is enduring.

3. Windows are not just holes in the wall. They allow sunlight to come in, wind to come in and allow for view. This is a vital consideration for our space making and form making.

4. Expression allowing shift from the classical order. Don't allow the right angle to rule you, don't allow symmetry to rule you. Life is random hence more enjoyable. Of course, some kind of order is necessary but a great disorder also makes for nice order.

5. Dramatic spaces as only aesthetic experience. Exaggerated spaces do not need any fancy colours. Space can attain colour differently because if your aesthetic experience is space, then all other things are subservient.

6. Denial of adjectives. Taj Mahal for example has nine onion domes which are lending monumentality to the structure which is not possible any other way.

But it is not an objective; it is a part of a conceived object making process. So if you have fussy details in hi tech buildings, there are too many adjectives.

7. Abundance in architecture as is seen in the works of Kahn and Corbusier.

For example, the client asks for a passage and you create a gallery.

8. Redundancy to build essential scale. For example, the Great Wall of China is a defense mechanism but the scale is so huge that it seems unending. This is the beauty of redundancy. This is an important lesson that history teaches us.

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Of Life and Times In CCA An alumni shares his life story with us

Vikram Aditya Prakash, 1986 pass out, CCA

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I graduated from CCA in 1986, and now some 22 odd years hence, it is curious to think back at what it used to be, and where the years have gone. I was asked to write about my life after CCA but that is not very interesting. Basically, five years at CCA was enough to get me fellowship to Cornell University where I received a Masters in History of Architecture followed thereafter with a Ph.D. I taught for a while at CEPT, Ahmedabad, and at Arizona State University, in Phoenix, USA, and then in 1996, I became an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, the city where all the Boeing airplanes are made, where Microsoft is, and where I still live. Seattle has been good to me. I received tenure there (i.e. 'guaranteed academic freedom' also known as immunity to being fired by the Dean), was promoted to Associate Professor, became Associate Dean and Chair, and most recently, a Full Professor.

Full Professor means that there are

no more promotions left for me to try and attain, so now I am going through your typical mid-life crisis and am, like many of my other classmates in their mid-40s, trying to figure out what I am really doing, what is my life, as an architect and as an academician, is really about…

My wife Leah, who is also an architect (and was once my student!) thinks I should just get a new sports car and get on with it.

But, instead of taking this sage advice, I have decided that I need to come back to my roots and my home, at least for a short while, to try and rediscover who I really am.

In other words, I'm coming back to CCA! From January to March 2009, I will be parked in CCA, with 17 of my students from Seattle, undertaking an intense research and design program pompously entitled “The Modern City in the age of Globalization.”

The focus of our program will be a studio that will study the

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Class of 1986

architectural logics of new economy institutions such as a mall, and will try and design them into the rigorous rhythms of Le Corbusier's frame control for Sector 17. i.e. we will redesign Sector 17 trying to marry Le Corbusier to LaCoste. In addition, I will teach a course on the History of the Architecture of India, starting with Indus Valley and finishing with Chandigarh.

Sixteen highly animated, multimedia, powerpoint lectures on Indian Architecture according to your's truly. I welcome and invite CCA students to participate with us in this program.

When I look back at my years in CCA, certainly my strongest memory is of the close friendships I developed with all my batch-mates, and some seniors and some juniors. The close, intense time spent together that an architectural education inevitably involves, always results in deep bonds of friendship, whatever your difference. And then we had those

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annual tours which brought us all together in a different, more personal way. And then, of course, there was Architecture Week, where the cultural activities - the plays, the Music and the singing -- that introduced us to aspects of our friends' personalities that we never knew existed and that, in some cases, we remember the most.

Who will ever forget Mantri's songs, Banu's histrionics, Jolly's humour, Jyoti's laugh, Pooja's perseverance, Kothari's shayari, Kamaal's dhamaal,………ah, the list is endless…..:) Besides friendships, my other great memory is of the fabulous building that is CCA, that we all lived in. Now that I have studied, taught or lectured in more than 75 schools of architecture worldwide, I can say with certainty that the CCA building is amongst the world's best. The light is amazing, the space expansive, the forms purposeful and beautiful, the courtyard comfortable, the front façade subtle, and the mural memorable.

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“ Who will ever forget . Mantri’s songs, Banu's histrionics, Jolly's humour, Jyoti's laugh, Pooja's perseverance, Kothari's shayari, Kamaal's dhamaal, Ah, the list is endless...”

CCA Revisited The simple order and rhythm of the plan, and the forceful section, give to CCA an architectural identity that is singular and unique. I have come back to India every year, and each time I have come to CCA and have entered the porch and turned left into that beautiful, long corridor, with brise-soleil on one side and the courtyard to the right, I have stopped in my tracks, and said to myself “Yes, this is Architecture.”

You know, the faculty at every college of architecture that I have been to, and I belong to one of them, is always the same good, bad and ugly, distributed in even parts. The faculty try their best; what else can they do? It is always only the students that make a school of architecture, that make it what it is good, bad or ugly. We educated ourselves in CCA, and that was the best education.

Ultimately, architecture can only be taught by architecture itself. By looking, studying carefully and by observation.

No one can spoon feed you through a studio or hold your hand as you design.

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You must inculcate your own passion and the only time to do it is while you are in still a student and that will be your guiding light.

It is in this sense, that my greatest regret of my years in CCA is that I really did not appreciate where I was and the great architectural wealth that was oh, so carelessly - strewn around me.

In the 1980s when I was a student, postmodernism was in vogue, and what a curse it was. We foolishly ran around chasing “Indian-ness” under others roofs, while one of India's finest creations languished at home. It was only after I was away from home, and I realized what a struggle it is for architects to have any good architecture built, and how few are actually capable of good design, that I came to appreciate what an exceptional opportunity the making of Chandigarh was when architects had free reign to do express their best and have it built.

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I refer here not only to the buildings by Le Corbusier which are among the very best of this the most important architect of the 20th century - or even the buildings of Pierre Jeanneret, Maxwell Fry, Jane Drew which are certainly spectacular and worthy of more attention -- but more importantly the works of the likes of M. N. Sharma, Aditya Prakash, U. E. Chowdhry, B. P. Mathur, A. R. Prabhawalkar, Jeet Malhotra and J.K, Chowdhary, the first generation of Indian modernists who carried the torch for us, right after Independence.

Chandigarh is strewn with architectural masterpieces, and we as CCA students must study these first, and preserve and protect them, before we rush to criticize modernism and run to Banaras for inspiration (which has its own lessons to teach.)

Of course today, modern architecture is

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making a comeback worldwide, but here in India we are now caught up in the mall-fication of architecture, importing the very worst the US has to offer. So, be it; this is also a phase, at least now there are some reasonable goods and services to be had.

But one day soon, when we regain confidence in ourselves as equal world citizens, second to none, we will have to build an architecture that is not simply subservient to the whims of power and money. Of the next generation of Indian architects that are today being trained in CCA, some, I am sure, will have the courage and vision to stand up and express themselves. For them, the lessons of Chandigarh of the 1950s and 1960s will be critical.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to look back on my lives and times in CCA.

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Green Architecture Building Sustainable An alumni takes the initiative to share the latest developments in the field of sustainable design

Avneet Gujral, currently working with Sustainable Design Consulting LLC, Washington DC

Sustainable design is more than just the buzzword we hear in the current day context. It is an intrinsic commitment to promoting an environmentally and socially responsible design ethic, building a sustainable world where each individual is responsible for the environmental implications of his or her actions. As discussed by Mc Lennan in his book 'The Philosophy of Sustainable Design' in order to sustain the movement its proponents need to take it beyond the literal meaning of the word 'to keep in existence or maintain'.

It needs to be pre-emptive, responsible and restorative.

Gaining acceptance as more than a passing fad, sustainable design is now at the threshold of mass adoption as society realizes this is the means to preserve for posterity.

A sustainable design ethic seeks performance based solutions rather than prescriptive approach

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based answers, enhancing quality while eliminating negative environmental impact. Sustainable design adds a layer of conscience to regular design in terms of viability and the effects of choices we make today, most of which will be borne by those who are not responsible for making them.

The industrial revolution in its wake brought technologies and materials that allowed us to export and impose non-sustainable solutions globally irrespective of climatic, cultural, economic, or social context. Reactions to the adverse effects of our 'advancement by enhanced technological controls' and the increased consumption of energy to condition spaces built without consideration of place or climate gave impetus to the sustainable design movement, leading us to draw upon indigenous architecture, seeking solutions from nature that are intuitively responsive to the climate and exploit regional potential.

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The environmental movement brought into perspective the equation of consumption and available resource. This period is marked by highs such as the evolution of the US green building council, its pilot product LEED, signing of the Kyoto Protocol, more currently the Living Building Challenge and the carbon neutrality target of the 2030 Challenge and lows such as the period in the eighties that was marked by environmental regression taking all the staying power of those practicing green architecture to hold onto what they believed in. The vision of people like David Gottfried and Mike Italiano helped sustainable design to overcome its teething problems by adopting an “inclusive approach” seeking input from representatives of all fields. Now, in the twentieth century the sustainable design ethic is here to stay, becoming instrumental in changing the face of the built environment, governing choices made by professionals and by the common man.

Sustainable design needs to selectively synthesize technological advancements with age old indigenous techniques to make it a viable proposition.

Environmental degradation is a growing c a u s e o f c o n c e r n w o r l d o v e r.

Rehabilitation of our already imperiled environment becomes exigent. We need to reduce energy consumption drastically to conserve finite non renewable resources and to attain environmental sustainability through energy associated benefits such as reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Approximately 15 tones of CO2 are produced every minute by large

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coal burning power stations. We have already reached the point where our annual demand for resources exceeds the Earths regenerative capacity. The global ecological footprint has exceeded the global biocapacity (1.8 global hectares / person) by 0.4 global hectares per person (21 %) in 2001. Global warming threatens the existence of islands like the Maldives.

According to the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the sea level is projected to rise between 9 and 88 centimeters (3.5 and 35 inches) by the year 2100. The island state of Maldives is only 2.4 meters above the ocean water and stands to be wiped of the face of the earth unless we make a global effort to curtail carbon dioxide emissions.

“ The Building Industry accounts for almost 50% of the world's energy consumption.”

It is imperative to shift from hermetically sealed environments that rely on conventional mechanical systems and artificial lighting using electricity that requires an uninterrupted supply of fossil fuel energy in order to make the buildings habitable. Effectively functioning initiatives such as the US Department of Energy demonstration project - the Mount Airy library in Mount Airy, North Carolina, built in 1981

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Designing with Daylight a completely day lit, passively heated and cooled building using 75% less energy than a typical library in the region validates the feasibility of such endeavors. The logistics are simple, the solution seems obvious but the inherent challenges that lie in achieving this are complex.

Sustainable design philosophies reemphasize the most basic responsibility of the building fraternity to create healthy built environments that draw upon” solar income” rather than “solar savings” - one that is often marginalized for economic gain. The value of such environments lies in the impact they would have at the global level by reviving a fragile and fast degrading ecosystem, at the community level by potential benefits for employers and businesses, and at the individual level of personal satisfaction and physical and mental health.

Since time immemorial vernacular/ indigenous architecture has offered intuitive design strategies that respond to the local climatic and environmental conditions.

Industrialization has brought us to

In current day context, where annual demand for resources exceeds the earth's regenerative capacity, environmentally irresponsible design is synonymous with over exploitation of finite non renewable resources, in terms of the energy consumed to create, operate and maintain such development. Global warming, the peak oil crisis and the global ecological footprint are all wake up calls to the consequences of our irresponsible actions as communities and lifestyles as individuals. A shift to sustainable design is imperative and its success is largely dependent on individual introspection to accept its philosophies and techniques as intelligent choice to prevent further damage, salvaging that already done.

References 1. Mc Lennan, J. Philosophy of Sustainable Design Ecotone Publishing LLC, March 2005.

2. R. Banham, The Architecture of the Well tempered Environment, The Architectural Press, London/ The University of Chicago Press, 1969 3. V. Hart Kopf, V. Loftness, Global Relevance of Total Building Performance. Automation in Construction. Volume 8 Issue 4 pp 377-393, 1999.

4.

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Ar. Pradeep Bhagat sheds some light on the concepts behind the skylights of our very own college

the point where to quote Banham “… we now dispose of sufficient technology to make any old standard, norm or type habitable anywhere in the world. The glass skyscraper can be made habitable in the tropics … “ . The question here is at what cost, both at the macro level in terms of the global ecological impact and the micro level in terms of individual health and productivity.

Http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

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Le Corbusier, the Guru of daylight design probably had no idea that years after him, the sheet glass in his skylights in some of his masterpieces in Chandigarh would be painted in either black or white.

The criteria for the neutral smear depended on three practical factors on the availability of the shade with the Maintenance Department, whether the skylight encouraged peeping toms into gainful employment, and, thirdly, on the sensitivity factor of the retina of the 45 years plus chair-warmers who would have loved to deal with the public/students wearing dark glasses, - but fortunately the local vertical blinds seem to have saved the day for the prospective shady goggle hunters.

Where else would you find the North-light improving concentration by keeping the eyes glued to work (since looking up would probably mean staring at 10 thousand lux of illumination)?! Le Corbusier's response to site conditions and the given design

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criteria created one of the greatest vocabularies of urban design and planning known as Chandigarh and his daylight harvesting methodology or the level of integrating daylighting with design had such profound influence on the architectural form of his buildings that acknowledging them as “edifices” comes naturally to the mind. But why was Le Corbusier so fond of daylight when all that the useful light from the skylights was to be painted black? Or white?

Pradeep Bhagat has a Masters in Lighting and is presently teaching as Asst. Prof. in CCA

Skylights serve many purposes.

Their primary role, of course, is to provide the best possible lighting conditions in a building. Skylights also greatly enhance the work environment, allowing occupants to be more productive and comfortable.

They bring natural daylight into a building, bringing some of the outdoor environment inside.

Skylights also improve the appearance of architectural spaces, helping people enjoy

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shape, color, and texture. When combined with controls for electric lighting, skylights can substantially cut a building's lighting and cooling energy use.

For the French Master architect, it was almost all of above, churned with a vision for clarity of design, drama of light and shadow and throwing up the unexpected.

Web studies on 'Daylighting Designer's Toolkit' reveal the following six senses: · Treat the building as a luminaire. · Separate the vision and daylight glazings. · Position the daylighting apertures to create mood and visual focus. · Address the requirements of the visual task. · Integrate the daylighting system with the architecture vis a vis elements like a brise-soleil, light shelves etc.

Sector 10 Chandigarh which have judiciously redirected in daylight since 1965. This is a very good example of daylight illumination and of the excellent quality of concrete which has maintained a reflectance or luminance of 60% of incident light. The skylight is a very potent tool if used for just that and gives an interesting skyline, but do not keep the skylight area more than 6% of the total terrace area, (and keep the painters away from the glass surface). Any daylit opening will cause glare if the surrounding interior surfaces are too dark, but atleast Le Corbusier knew how to keep your concentration on your work-top.

Anidolic daylighting systems will surely bail you out where the skylighting has been overlooked, or where the situation warranted a skylight-free design.

· Incorporate the daylighting system with the other building systems like artificial lighting, interior design and mechanical services.

So, that brings us back to square one (square one, incidentally is also a daylight calculation website and with ecotect, forms the backbone of daylight calculation software paraphernalia) did we really waste the precious time of our maintenance people who would have been better off repairing wood-work than painting skylights in Le Corbusier's selected works? In blacking out the peeka-boo category, hats off, but absolutely it's a no-no when obliterating the free energy being channelized in interiors One of the least talked about daylight deflection systems through transverse concrete baffles are those cutting the eight skylights atop Le Corbusier's Government Museum and Art gallery in

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The Art Of Water Colouring Artist Bheem Malhotra shows how a beautiful piece of art can be created even from your immediate surroundings

A recent art exhibition of water color paintings, by renowned artist Bheem Malhotra was held at the prestigious Shri Dharani Art Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi, from 1st to 7th July 2008. The exhibition was extensively covered by media and highly appreciated by the masses.

“I guess Delhi is a little tired of abstract art”, he says. It was a treat for the art lovers to see his paintings that reflect reality as a mirror image making it even more beautiful with his magical strokes and his architectural perspective. He also has a great capacity to deal with industrial or mass produced subjects. This shows that he is not only an accomplished artist but also an original one.

Overall, it makes a nice learning to move back to daylighting basics with all that is available for dissection in our own city before getting deflected by regimented skylight apparatus hitting the market and by a bunch of chair-warmers claiming to be retina-sensitive.

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artists of Kolkata. But Bheem Malhotra makes a deliberate effort to stay away from being typecast. “I take inspiration from my surroundings”, he says. And this led him to paint a few refreshing scenes like a rickshaw parked outside his own house and his neighbor's old Fiat. As for technique, it changes depending on his subject. So it varies from textured effect to dry brush technique to simply the interplay of light and shadow.

Bheem Malhotra, Lecturer in Art, CCA

“I take inspiration from my surroundings” He has won many awards and laurels at national and state level. His water color paintings are often compared to the better-known

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Indian Street Bazaars Sr. Lecturer Sujay Sen talks about the fate of Indian street Bazaars in the light of the changing scenario of urban areas

Sujay Sen Gupta, Senior Lecturer, CCA

Street Bazaars of India used to be the most colorful markets from where one could pickup anything and everything. In fact street bazaars were the most exotic markets that showcased the true Indian culture, far away from pomp and show. Narrow lanes of the crowded bazaars have attracted a lot of tourists for ages.

The beauty and uniqueness of these street bazaars lies in their nooks and corners offering a variety of things at affordable prices. But the best part of shopping in the streets lies in the finger licking cuisine of the respective regions.

Even a few years back, the aura of street shopping in India used to be extremely popular amongst all age group of people. As one strolls through the alleys of these street bazaars, one could have exhilarating delight by indulging into price negotiation. And if one could master the bargaining skills and pick various items at the

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“The beauty & uniqueness of these street bazaars lies in their nooks and corners offering a variety of things at affordable prices.�

lowest price, these open shops could convert the most unwilling buyer to a potential client.

These chains of street shops could be found in every city of India. Of course, the hub of these bazaars was essentially the capital of the country, New Delhi. At one point of time, Delhi had some of the royal Street Bazaars, which used to cater the Mughal emperors and their ladies, the most renowned of them being the Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi.

Gradually, with change of time and keeping pace with the needs of the people, the nature of items available in these street bazaars changed. But the character of these crowded street shops did not change.

So we see the appearance of markets like the Chor Bazaar in Mumbai selling peculiar collection of jewellery, antiques, wooden articles and leather ware, etc. The over crowded lanes of Kolkata are famous for leather items and the delightful sweets of Bengal.

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Street shops of Anna Nagar area in Chennai offer a wide range of products that include clothes, jewellery, bags and shoes along with lip-smacking south Indian cuisine.

As a part of modern development, we come across the underground shopping hub by the name of Palika Bazaar located in center of Delhi in Connaught Place that sell every conceivable item including products from all over the country. So, till the middle of the 20th century, one noticeable thing was common amongst all these Indian markets that they follow a very indigenous pattern of shop layout and sell mostly Indian items.

But with the advent of the open economy and with the recent boom in the IT sector, things have changed drastically. The young professionals are now earning a hefty amount and their tastes have dramatically changed. This is apparent from their choice of markets and shops.

They no longer feel comfortable in the indigenous crowded street bazaars. Nor do they find pleasure in bargaining. So the Shopping Mall culture has cropped up. Here shops offer Branded items,

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which are more universally accepted.

Instead of the finger-licking Indian cuisines offered by the street hawkers, the youngsters prefer fast food like pizzas, burger or coffee or cold drinks.

So, the contemporary markets are airconditioned glass-boxes that do not have any regional or national identity. Rather they portray an international or to be more precise a western look. The traditional Indian street bazaars are gradually fading out from all Indian cities. The street hawkers are loosing their income sources.

I feel it is very important to assess the heritage value of these age-old street bazaars of India, not only to preserve our tradition but also for the very fact that these bazaars are points of interest for the foreign tourists. A huge amount of foreign exchange can be earned from these bazaars.

Why don't we Architects and Planners take up this issue and explore avenues to retain this character and heritage in all important tourist spots of India? Of course we can take the advantage of technology to modernize the functioning as well as the services within these markets, we can think of modular arrangement for temporary shop structures, excellent storage facilities, can provide good infrastructure, etc so that no one can ever term them as grey areas of a city. I believe, with our holistic planning approach and innovative designs, we would once again be able to orient the urban population towards the traditional street bazaars.

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Knowledge

Saturation of Image Ravi discusses the loss of meaning in the virtual world due to the information boom

This essay analyses the French cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard's critique of Hyper-reality. It can be said that the world today is in an era of multimedia. This culture has initiated the practice of copying.

Thus, the society today is influenced with the high level of communication. But the French cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard postulates that this more and more information makes less and less meaning.

Actually, information produces meaning. But re-injecting meaning into the information makes information a "technical medium".

Baudrillard suggest this dissolving action of information make it loose its meaning, thus devouring its own content. He says the information exhausts itself in the process of communication, causing the meaning too, to get exhausted.

HYPER REAL WORLD: Image has become a new reality or hyper-reality forming a virtual

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ARCADE 2008, CCA, CHANDIGARH

world. This virtual world is above the real world and has lost all the roots or references with the real world.

AESTHETICIZATION OF ARCHITECTURE

(World Of Image) It can be said that the culture of aestheticization has pervaded through more or less all the fields of the society. This culture is more pronounced in the fields which work with the medium of images.

Architecture is one such field which operates and is closely associated with images. For architects their mode of work is associated with visual representation like the images of plan, section and perspectives, particularly those who work in the process of aestheticization. Therefore the culture reduces the importance for the understanding of built environment and the lived experience. Little concern is given to the user's adaptation

Ravi Kumar 2002-05 batch Is back in Chandigarh after his M Arch in Germany

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“ Therefore, aestheticization gives privilege to aesthetic sensibilities and distorts reality.”

and sometimes functional aspects. More emphasis is given to the visual perception.

Architects are equipped with tools like Parallel, set squares, tracing papers, blue prints and particularly computer which are used for representation. This clearly separates the representation of space and the actual spatial practices.

The design as an image gets itself aestheticizied causing the norms and basic constraints governing the architectural practice to get disappear.

There is an increased detachment from the actual lived experience of the world as the logic of architectural culture gets trapped in the logic of aestheticization.

FUNCTIONALISM ALSO AN AESTHETICIZATION? Architects whose profession is governed by utilitarian concern claims that their work is free of aesthetic and are functional. Adolf Loos in his critique proposes that there is a clear distinction

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between the purposeful and purposefree. Functional architecture resists the incorporation of purpose-free ornamentations. But the German aesthetic theorist Theodor Adorno observes that functionalism is also a form of style where the purposeful and purpose-free are dialectically related. He proposes that a purpose-free art often has a social function even if not purely purposeful and functional elements must contain a decorative element and can't remain free of style. The culture of giving privilege to the images keeps the architects to think away from the user or the buildings and encouraging the aestheticization of the outlook. People are fanaticized by the aesthetics and this makes the failure of socially aware designing of contemporary architects.

They are rejected by the public even if the design is intended for them.

BRUTALISM AS AESTHETICS: In reality the movement of brutalism has a harsh and uncompromising nature. But the culture of Aestheticization has

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“ There is an increased detachment from the actual lived experience of the world as the logic of architectural culture gets trapped in the logic of ‘aestheticization’.”

turned the movement as an aesthetic landscape and its insensitive living environment is re-presented as very sensitive piece of architecture.

The Alison and peter Smithson projects of the Hunstanton School, Norfolk, England and Robin Hood gardens are example of pieces of architecture which projected the harsh nature of brutalism an aestheticizing element.

These insensitive structures are compared to exquisite works from the past which becomes a paradox. Actually Smithson's in these projects have treated the insensitive brutalism, oversensitively such that it increasing the aesthetic awareness of the materials.

Therefore, aestheticization gives privilege to aesthetic sensibilities and distorts reality. This phenomenon can be used advantageously as an aesthetic covering like cocoon to conceal if the reality is harsher.

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This era of aestheticization might also influence the present age of industrialization. When industrialization becomes fashionable, the old factories might be converted to apartments and power stations as museums and the industrial footwear becoming a fashion.

Thus in this aestheticization era, anything originally unattractive can get converted as aesthetically appealing.

Looking at the hyper-real world from a different perspective, they are also living spaces for the humans that provide them comfort. Considering the comic characters, like Mickey mouse, Tom and jerry, spider-man, they are the product of human emotions. People like to amuse themselves after monotonous schedules.

Hence these creations are products to relieve them into a new burden free world.

Sometimes the hyper-real world provides people with that which cannot be obtained from the real world. It's a space where people are free to give out emotions. Hence a hyper real or virtual world is indispensable for a real world and there is no hyper reality without a reality.

CONCLUSION But if hyper reality has to be disintegrated, it further deepens to an unanswerable question if the creator of the universe is also in a hyper-real world?

Perhaps the creator of the real world is in a hyper real world, unable to tolerate the world totally armed with deadly weapons of war.

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Virus- vital information resource under seige Umadhar offers the solutions to your virus problems.

Umadhar Kamti, Final Year

“ Pendrives are plug & play devices and most of the Operating systems are autorun enabled, making it the first conception point of virus on the PC”

Hello Friends, We know that pen drives have magnified the virus problem.

Computer viruses are just a set of instruction given in negative way to disturb the normal behavior and working & some times rendering drastic effects e.g. stealing, phishing of information & causing data losses.

It is also a fact that out of 100 the 90% viruses are only made for fun by new code learners. The remaining 10%

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Coming to our main point the pen drive viruses; let us first understand its working and nature. First of all since all the pendrives are plug and play and most of the operating systems have Autorun enabled for the convenience of user for opening of different media & data types, therefore it is the first conception point of virus on your PC. The virus or malicious code always have self executing or Autorun files with them & they take full advantage of this Autorun feature. This is a notepad file with “Autorun.inf” name. It is the same file which is also used to make self executing CD ROMs; in fact when windows first analyze the pen drive and finds this file; it tries to execute the instruction written within. We can’t see these files always as they are hidden system files.

“ It is painful to format the computer and reinstall the Operating System... ..specially before the Final Submission” are made by professional hackers and experienced coders.

Pen drives are an indispensable gadget of data transfer so most of the infections are more likely to travel with the Pen drives and not from its mother - the Internet. It is not fair to blame the internet for infections just because it is the fastest way of data sharing. In fact, it depends entirely on whether the user is browsing in safe domain or not.

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This Autorun file contains command to run associated virus coded file. In general these viruses are written in such a manner to duplicate themselves to the roots of hard drive partitions. It can also alter the Main Windows “Autoexec.bat” which resides in C:\or system root. Apart from this they may also contain instruction of altering the registry in windows.

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Most of the time they corrupt System 32 files and dlls* or may even change the registry entries of shell (which is the artificial graphical user interface i.e. your visible windows). It may disable right clicking of mouse, running of command line (DOS), taskmanager, Folder option to show hidden & system files & folders etc.

Since all virus files are hidden it is easier for virus to hide itself from user.

The most common problem occurs when windows tries to open the hard drive with infected software and Chinese characters appear instead of the drive name. Since viruses can’t execute themselves; they always rely on some user input or on the default Autorun feature. It is very difficult to reinstall the OS specially when thesis and final Submissions are around.

Here are some tips to protect you from ugly virus codes.

1.Turn Off The AutoRun Feature There is a free utility called “TweakUI” Powertoys for Windows Xp which can be easily downloaded from www.download.com for free. Use it to disable autorun on all drives except for the physical and logical hard drives. Run it and go to the My Computer head on left pane and expand it. Click Autoplay & then click on Drives.

In right window pane called “enable autoplay on drives” uncheck all the drives with red “?” mark including the CD -ROM Drive.

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2.Turn ON ‘Show Hidden Files’ This will help you see the Autorun.inf in pendrives and its main virus files. If you find any hidden file in pendrive with name Autorun.inf and with .com extension (e.g. 8u.com), any recycle bin icon or any other file which you don't recognize as yours, press SHIFT +DELETE. In every drive, there are two hidden and permanent folders called “Recycler” and “System volume information” .

Don't panic they are supporting folders for keeping record of deleted files and system restore information. If you are suspicious about them try to delete them. If it is a fake folder, it will get deleted.

WARNING: While deleting hidden and system files be cautious while coming to C: or system root drive.

Never ever delete “ B O O T. I N I , M S D O S . S Y S , CONFIG.SYS, IO.SYS, A u t o e x e c . b a t , n t l d r, ntdetect.com” files otherwise your Operating System will be doomed.

3. Boot in Safe Mode If you still get infected, boot in safe mode of windows while pressing “F8” key at startup and if you can see the hidden files follow the above mentioned

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Blurring the Boundaries

procedure of deleting. If not possible then try to restore the system to some previous configuration.

Richa talks about intrinsic change in architecture .

“ If data is accidentally deleted or the system Crashes, it is still there on the hard disk platter”

4.Update your Antivirus.

There are plenty of good antivirus for free on internet or at least gives one month of trial. After expiry replace it with some other.

5. Do Not panic If data was accidentally deleted or your system crashed, it is still there on the hard disc platter. Only the information on the system table has been altered.

Leave that partition or space/folder intact. Never try to copy or paste anything on that drive and if it happens to be on C drive don't install any software on it, as it may increase the chances of overwriting of the previous data .

If you have more than one hard disks on your computer then install the recovery software on unaffected one and try to recover the data. There are many free data recovery softwares for free and can be found easily on www.download.com.

Best of luck for virus hunting KAMTI@ DJSD.COM

ARCADE 2008, CCA, CHANDIGARH

Architecture is an outcome of our understanding of space and time. The speed at which we live influences this understanding. This speed is increasing tremendously owing to digital technology. The faster we travel the more the boundaries seem to blur. A progressive society is self absorbed in a speedy cycle of breaking and recreating these boundaries.

Space no longer exists only in the real sense. We are inhabiting more and more of virtual space. While previously a social gathering would have required a living room or a table at the local diner, now all you need is a wi-fi enabled Cyber café.

It is an alternate place where an individual can appear to be physically alone but actually be interacting with numerous friends online.

Richa Sarin, Final Year Student

The need for architecture to create walls and boundaries has also shifted into the virtual world. The physical lock and key has converted itself into the virtual username and password. Password theft is as much a matter of concern as is the theft of a car. It is also wise to remember that the space we inhabit does not contain only us. Numerous electromagnetic signals are the elements of this Hertzian Space. It is about time that they are used as elements of design as shown by Usman Haque.

Occupying a certain space and being present no longer has the same meaning. Our definitions of distance and separation have changed because of instant connectivity. While interactive architecture faces this issue head on, technology has already changed architecture from the inside out. E.g. Electric fire places, plasma screens and wi-fi have already sent conventional space standards for a spin. In the 1960s Cedric Price asked the question, 'what if building or space could be constantly generated and regenerated?' The answer to that question, in today's date is a big Yes!

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Tips for Earthquake Resistant Building Aditi shares her knowledge from a special workshop that she attended at Kanpur

“ Structures are designed to respond, without structural damage, to earthquakes of moderate intensities�

.

Basic design philosophy of Earthquake Resistant Structures: - Structures are designed to respond, without structural damage, to earthquakes of moderate intensities.

- Structures are designed to respond, without total collapse to earthquakes of high intensities.

Aditi Gupta, Final Year student

1) Structural performance can be improved by: A) strong column-weak beam design B) regular configuration C) resistance in both direction D) ductile concrete frame E) avoiding soft storey(completely open ground storey for parking) F) avoiding pounding possibility 2) Frames can be made ductile by: A) avoiding sudden change in configuration B) avoiding shear failure using capacity design approach C) confinement of concrete by closed hoops bent at angle of 135degrees D) confine region likely to have plastic hinges with closelyspaced and closed stirrups 3) Best way to provide openings in a rigid diaphragm is: A) providing it at the edge B) providing it in the middle C) providing steel bracing in the opening

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4) In the past earthquakes, best seismic performance has been observed in shear wall buildings. Shear walls should be located in such a way that the center of stiffness of the structure is closest to the center of mass 5) Staircase should be separated from the structure because A) its natural period is usually very different from rest of the building and it may cause concentration of stress during earthquake B) it may damage the building because of diagonal bracing effect 6) Masonry in-fill walls , due to their significant in-plane stiffness and strength modifies the anticipated seismic performance of a building.

So, separation must be accommodated between Frame and in-fill.

7) Notch effect problem : While designing a building use splayed rather than right angled re-entrant corners as it lessens the notch effect problem.

8) Separation joints must be provided where there is a drastic change in configuration.

9) Earthquake resistant structure system consists of: A) moment resisting frames B) cross-braced frames C) structural wall or shear wall but only one type of structural system must be followed in a one direction

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Age Of The Vintage Shilpa updates us with the latest trends in interior design.

Shilpa Ahuja, 2002-07 batch Is currently working with The Park, Delhi

Vintage represents a unique style distinguished by enduring appeal and maturity - a fashion of timeless beauty and elegance. Using this theme for your interior can create an aura of dignity. No, I don't mean to fill up your living room with antiques. Instead, classiness used in your own distinctive style can add a timeless grandeur to your area.

Décor: Classic ornamentations can instantly transform the setting of your room to a memorable one.

Antique elements of architecture such as arches or carved entablatures reminiscent of the Renaissance become focal points.

New Antiques: Go in for the lavish look by using tastefully designed pieces of furniture and artifacts. Add magnificence to your space by using grand sculptures in carved stone, long delicate vases with flowers like large roses and chrysanthemums.

Complete the ambiance with neo-

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classic artwork.

Lighting: Aim for lots of sunlight in the daytime and soft yellow lighting in the night-time. Use delicate wallmounted lighting fixtures embellished with crystals.

Tip try using sleek lighting fixture fabricated to your own design, using unusual elements.

Colours: Using monochromatic theme is the safest bet. Basic colours like black, pearl white and neutral ones like dark brown and beige can be used.

H o w e v e r, i f y o u w a n t t o experiment, choose toned down hues like olive green, dark purple, cherry red and shades of maroon teamed with your fundamental colour.A hint of metallic hues like copper, gold or pewter will refine your setting. It is best to use them sparingly, like in a mirror frame, on

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Materials: Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø

Ornamental furniture Rich upholstery Dark stained timber Metallic colours Yellow lighting Classic pieces of art Use of black and white Traditional motifs

Try contrast.

Here are some examples: Use an outline of metallic tint against a dark backdrop like deep purple, navy blue or black.

Do your wall in black & white combo and add a dash of colour using red cushions on your sofa. Try the ageless white & beige combination for a light mood.

Fabrics: Use rich upholstery. Soft-to-touch fabrics like fine silks, tissue and suede are recommended. Brocade and textured leather are de rigueur for a formal look.

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Pseudo-medieval materials such as marble, dark stained timber and stained glass can be used for a traditional look.

These can also be used with modern materials such as ceramic tiles or veneer.

Walls: Try different materials on your walls, for instance, fabrics, stone tiles and paint.

Use wallpapers with simple yet elegant motifs. The trick is not to overdo it. A combination of not more than two materials should be used for a single room.

Using classicism in a modern way can be tricky. Yet interesting. So go ahead, feel inspired with the vintage look, start experimenting and create a class of your own.

And when your space speaks of subtle sophistication, you know that your mission is accomplished!

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Can Design be taught..??

Extracts from the ongoing dialogue with the alumni on Orkut.com

It doesn't change, be it a graphic, a business or a building. There used to be a small book by Corbusier in the library, something like his Ten Commandments, the new future or something. Perhaps in that book, he devoted a page or more on how to teach (and learn) architectural design S: I remember reading that book...it seems our expectations while we are in college and when we are out of it, changes with the given situation. Now, we miss an influential teacher and when we were in college, we were rather keen to bunk classes and avoid assignments. That's the way of life unfortunately. We hardly gave the teachers a fair chance to influence us. Given a chance a few of them could have delivered I believe. I remember, we had one visiting faculty , a practicing Architect in Chd. He gave our senior class one assignment to design and detail a Command Module. This would have been a very interesting exercise in itself. But the students agitated, bunked his classes, etc all because that guy was rather exacting in nature. I am sure many of those students must be repenting their actions in leisure now.

Q: Can design Be taught?

S:Yes, creativity is an attitude. Can be cultured, though.

M: Of course! Why else do so many design schools exist?

I am certain that design can be taught. It is fundamentally a problem solving exercise like all others. Slightly more complex than 2 + 2 because of the many more variables. Therefore more fun as well. The problem in learning arises when one deems it to be a god gift or a bolt of lightning. Sheer laziness !!

S:Yes, Design is a process into which one can be initiated into by the Design colleges. Our knowledge in design can be enhanced gradually by great teachers/guides. By and by we can be initiated into higher learning.

Ofcourse, it cannot be taught absolutely the way we teach our children how to add 2 + 2.

Sh : right! design consists of more than just creating a nice shape or form. it involves certain complicated processes which can surely be taught. Or should I say that creativity might not be but design can be taught.

S: Even creativity can be gradually imbibed...I believe.

I was a very poor sketcher to begin with. But I improved a lot in a couple of years which made me believe that if a donkey like me can be improved as an artist then anybody can! !

M: Creativity can also be imbibed.

For that matter any human behaviour can be imbibed. Usually there is hardly enough instruction on the process of design. And hardly enough keenness in students to seek it out. And the others don't have a reason strong enough or an audience keen enough. Once you get a hang of the process of design, though slightly unpredictable initially, you can apply it to just about anything in the universe.

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L: yes, it can be taught..i

think architecture is all about generating ideas

creatively

and implementing the same....While the generation of ideas can be nurtured and cultured...the methods of implementation can be well taught...in facts and figures N:one can learn architecture but not designing or creativity. If u don't have the basic design sense, not just in architecture but any field, then nobody can help u with that.

That’s the difference between architects and engineers. The engineer knows the technical aspects of things but he/she lack d design sense. You can teach somebody to make d design functional, but can’t teach them how to make it artistic, or creative so to say.

D: creativity is there in everyone. May be a potter, painter or begger. Design is just a medium to put forward our creativity. Then be it designing a house or selling a product writing. or doing anything, I think design can be taught but more than teaching its about how u grasp it. Perception is also an important. or me, learning design from someone is just like polishing what u have inside of yourself...I feel everyone is creative, you just have to pick the right nerve and that is the forte of a good teacher.

S: A little something I read recently. The mystery of the creative process “ ...Scholars of the imagination write about four stages of creativity: To See, to Absorb. to Forget, and to Create.

The creative person must forget his sources, lest he feel he is merely imitating them.

They must become an integral part of him before he can use them. Yale professor Harold Bloom puts the thought another way. Talking of writers, he says the creative person unconsciously misinterprets and distorts his sources, with a sort of Oedipal combativeness, in order to develop an independent voice of his own... "

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Experience

The Blazing Cutter Pallavi is reminded of her life in CCA during her Masters course in the US.

A blazing laser cuts through the marked 3/8” MDF model making sheet. It takes about fifteen minutes for a 30” X 48” board to get finished depending on the moderately complex CAD file that it reads from a Pentium IV sitting next to it. No one guards the property in person, an absence made more conspicuous by an A-4 print-out on the wall that reads- “In case of a technical error refer to Troubleshoot.txt file on the desktop and if needed contact the G r a d u a t e Re p r e s e n t a t i v e a t Lorraine@gatech.edu”.

My memory travels back a few years and I can't help, but remember the first 'all-night-out' model that I made for the workshop class with my friends at Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA). After feasting ourselves with Poori-choley for dinner on that winter night, we had decided to get on with the model.

Sleep was setting in but the Ivorysheets were still untouched.

After loading the MDF sheet (3/8” modeling making board) into the

ARCADE 2008, CCA, CHANDIGARH

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machine, with a click of mouse; I waited patiently for the laser show to begin. Back then, in my CCA days the blades had to be replaced in a cutter or a ‘fine cut' edge would not be possible if the same cutter was to be used twice to slice the same route.

“Blessed is what I felt,...”

But here, the laser was already making way into acute corners and bends. All I had to do was watch the monotonous laser show. Yet, I smiled secretly! That cold night with sleepy eyes and cutter in my hand, working my way through Ivory sheet, I had made a wish; a wish that either the submission deadline be postponed or the damn cutter start moving faster. Neither happened, but an opportunity to study further arose, elsewhere in a different realm. Blessed is what I felt, sitting in a carpeted & airconditioned class, when the professor asked us to buy the 10th Edition of Stein Reynolds Grondzir

Pallavi Phor 2002-05 batch Is currently working with HOK architects, USA

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“ After feasting ourselves with Poori-choley for dinner on that winter night, we had decided to get on with the model.

Sleep was setting in but the Ivory sheets were still untouched.”

Kwok's book on Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, Edition of Stein Reynolds Grondzir Kwok's book on Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, as the course, was tailored closely around its contents. Blessed: because in 4th year of college, I had taken the pain and initiative to check out the only new (9th) edition of the same book, for many consecutive nights from the college library despite it being available overnight.

So the feeling was worthwhile indeed.

The laser is now working on complex curves; hence the speed is a notch less.

It is all about dreams! Weekly lectures of History of Architecture (HOA) in the foundation of architectural education made me feel old before time, drowsy needless to say.

One afternoon conversing with a globally distinguished Australian architect, Conservator and a scholar, Ronald Lewcock

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(a faculty at school here) over a cup of coffee, I wished that my moments in the HOA class had been spent awake. Unable to carry out an intellectual conversation on that subject because of insufficient retention of facts in my memory I spoke to him, about myself. I told him, that I came from an Architectural School that Corbusier himself conceived. He chimed in to make his guess- Chandigarh he said! I could only offer him a nod and a smile as he filled in the rest. We dispersed with a common understanding, he knew I could be found in Imagine Lab if Adobe Photoshop crashed on his Mac again (and the next time without a cup of coffee to trade).

“ I wished that my moments in the History class had been spent awake..”

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Whereas, I knew that more people back from my college/ country could apply to him for research and make it!

The laser is back where it started. For unloading, the hood has to be lifted & the sheet removed. I sighed, when I saw big negative spaces, as I collected my effortless MDF marvels. Two more sheets to go… and all I would have to do before turning my model in is glue the pieces to respective parts.

Since that coffee conversation with the big guy I have always carried my “From India, CCA” hat and sported it many a times in situations where a quick preview of roots was needed. It is a thing of pleasure and I hold it close to my heart. The experience at Chandigarh College of Architecture has anodized me; not just with textbook knowledge but, with a unique hand finish from each of the teachers who taught me. I am indebted to my friends, seniors & juniors for those touch ups that they offered in case of unfortunate dents. It is a heritage that I carry with me, one that is burnished by my recent graduation from

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Georgia Tech. But it was not until the field test of HOK which approved me, did I know that the craftsmanship was good.

“I told him, that I came from an Architectural School that Corbusier himself conceived.”

The job satisfaction that I get everyday has encouraged me to present to new takers a “Certificate of Guarantee” and a token of reverence to those who made.

My task is done and if you still did not follow the Instructions on how to operate a Laser Cutter, troubleshoot at pallavi(dot)phor(at)HOK(dot)com.

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My Last Summer Vacation in CCA Richa trades the unknown for the mundane and decides to accept a challenge

Richa Sarin, Final Year Student

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It was one of those days; I had lost count of the number of times I had logged in and out of Facebook. I had nothing better to do than watch mind numbing repeats of Splitsvilla on MTV. All motivation had been reduced to the size of a peanut.

That's when the seriousness of the situation struck me- I was wasting my last holidays as a college student.

This time next year, I would be a graduate, looking for a job or applying for Masters or whatever. I needed to make the most of what I had. It was a Now or Never situation. Incidentally, some of my enthusiastic classmates had been eyeing a trip to Leh, Ladakh for a long time. A passing moment of desperation, on that depressingly dull day and I had signed up with them just to cheer myself up. The trick had worked. But deal was on!

I had seen tremendous documentaries on Discovery and Nat Geo about this place. How cold it was and how thin the air was and how bright the sun was!

It tops the been-there-done-that of

the adventurer's list. Its one of those dreams that had a bleak chance of materialising. Those landscapes, the adventure, camping and trekking seemed to be too far off- for poor old fragile me- that too when no other girl had signed on.

The anxiety had built up in me when our journey started around two at night. The morning found us (four guys and I) in Manali. What used to be the termination point of the family trip was now a mere starter.

We did not feel the need to take pictures. Leh promised much more.

The brief halt for tea at Rohtang shocked us. The muddy snow was reason enough for those clumsily woollen clad families? Maybe they had been cheated on a promise and were making the most of it. But, the pandemonium of the 'mela' was not what I was looking for.

As some consolation, soon the landscape started changing. The scale of the mountains began increasing and the air turned chilly.

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And well, the roads suddenly became extremely bumpy. Some roadside workers would wave at us and beg for water. By six in the evening, we reached Keylong which was to be our stop for the night. The air had certainly gotten thinner.

My heart would race uncontrollably upon climbing the stairs.

Little apple cheeked children roamed the streets; making eye contact and smiling.

Next morning, we left for Leh after a cup of tea. The colours and the clarity of the atmosphere were unbelievable. But nothing looks nice on an empty stomach.

We were carrying all our cooking paraphernalia with us, down to the kerosene stove. We stopped by a lake in the middle of a splendid valley to cook our own lunch. The stove turned erratic (due to the pressure difference) and it took us three hours wherein lunch became early dinner. Beautiful dusk descended on our dinner. Consequently, we spent the night in one of the nearest roadside tents, frequented only by truck drivers. It was scarily disturbing but I knew I would be safe. (My friends had grown protective about me. I was quite the 'Queen'.) Our host was a local who wouldn't let us drink anything but boiling water. “Drink it if you don’t want to fall sick”, he counselled. My friends played

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an unending game of cards till the kerosene lamp flickered dead.

We set up early next day to see the sun rise on orange mountains and streams of gold. Who knows, maybe those wind carved mounds were ancient ruins submerged centuries ago. We went crazy clicking pictures and I marveled at the grandness of it all. The best thing about traveling by road was that one took a certain time to transcend that grand space. It was a complete experience that required time to travel through the space. That's when it hit me… I was really there! I was living my dream!

“ My friends played an unending game of cards till the kerosene lamp flickered dead.”

Tanglangla Pass bore news of serious trouble. The air was so very thin that all of us were on the verge of losing consciousness (thank god the driver sustained). It was a downhill drive to Leh so our state improved as we descended.

The valley was green where wild horses ran free, along moss dotted streams.

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Our car was towed into the camp that was already sensitized due to strife with the locals. No doubt we had free food and shelter in the religious camp with blaring music declaring the greatness of Lord Shiva. But it was the most nerve racking time. Not knowing if we would find a mechanic, or the spare parts. Not knowing if the engine had broken down as well. Not knowing if we would be let out of the camp without escorts. Not knowing just how many days would we be stuck there. Nearest assured help was 80 kms away, at Srinagar.

Clockwise from bottom left: Pangong Lake, Double Humped camels at NubraValley, Thiksit Monastry, Life in Ladakh

In Leh, at last! Next morning, we set out for Pangong Lake on the Indo China border for a night stay. The six hour journey was amazing. But four kms before our destination, the road had been cut off by a seasonal downstream that no car could cross. We were firm, so we decided to cross the stream and reach on foot. After the tedious task of crossing the ice-cold and rocky stream we walked down the road until there was none! We lost the road. It just wasn't there. The sky had turned the deepest blue, with a zillion stars. It was moonless. The barren mountains only looked like silent killers. Five people lost in the dark- close to the Indo china border - with a dying torch- no direction no network coverage. The unlikelihood of being in the situation thrilled me to my bones (and still does). It took us a good forty minutes (and my secret frantic prayer) to find the road again. Pangong Lake was saline and crystal clear. Its setting was worth the hassle and more.

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Next, we went to Nubra valley and saw double humped camels resting in burning hot sand dunes. The Thiksit monastery was ingenious. It was an act of faith that represented a vernacular response at its zenith. As the sun lit up its red and gold interior, the fragrant space got engraved in my soul.

By now we were all feeling the financial pinch and we reached Kargil too late to look for a hotel. The makeshift room at the Gurudwara was our last resort. What added to the equation was that it was right next to the Mosque. 'Five people cooking dinner in a dilapidated room on a small stove, late at night.. with one girl!?.' The news spread fast and we had curios locals peeking through the door.

We left next morning for Gulmarg. After a week of looking at just brown and blue, the greenery was more than welcomed.

But as fate would have it, our car lost its left suspension. The nearest hope was the Amarnath camp 23 kms away. We were stuck.

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Morning came. Still there had been no progress. We decided to dump our car with the luggage in it. We still had three days worth of journey ahead of us. We walked down to the nearest army Transit Camp 8kms down and met a Col. Khan who reassured us.

We were to become a part of the military convoy that travelled every day. In six hours, we reached Srinagar. The route was clearly splendid. As clichéd as it may sound, it really is the ideal picture of heaven on Earth. Alas, it was dotted by armed forces. I couldn't even peek out of the curtained bus window to take pictures. By now, the holiday seemed to be long over.

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“ Five people lost in the dark, Close to the IndoChina border with a dying torch,no direction, no network coverage..”

However, we got a breather in Srinagar where the transit camp was nothing less than a luxury hotel. We had one hour to sundown, so we dashed for a Shikara ride in the Dal lake. The whole city was patrolled. There was tension in the air.

But it all evaporated once we stepped into the Shikara. The pace at which it glided over the golden water ever so smoothly was so relaxing that it was unbelievable. It was a rare treat indeed.

The next morning we left on a twelve hour journey to Jammu in the convoy.

The bus was largely full of army men. By now, I was used to that sudden look of realization from them. My presence was slightly unexpected. We started making friends along the way. They were amazed to hear our story. The entire route was dotted with armed forces. There were rumours about curfew in Jammu. Not spending any time there, we simply caught the night train for Ambala. That was an adventure in itself (we got into the wrong compartment). But I suppose I must wrap up now. Our luggage arrived intact a week later. My trip was eventful to say the least. Curfew was declared on the Srinagar Jammu route (the one we had travelled on) three days after we reached home. It went on for more than two months. We were lucky to get back in time. I still get goose bumps when I think about it.

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“So our first mass bunk Was a failure”

My First Year At CCA Upon entering the second year, Ayooshi recollects the feeling of being in the first year and misses the attention.

Ayooshi Goel, Second Year Student

I clearly remember the day when I entered in the college as fresher. It was 30th July '07 and the day was Monday. I entered L8 and to my surprise on the first day of college, Col.Harbajan Singh was teaching!

The day went by and we landed up with homework on the very first day.

As the time went by, I became friendlier with my classmates and got used to the environment of the college. Just when I started thinking that the seniors would not rag us, it came as a shock that the 2nd year people called all the girls in the canteen. We were (especially me) so terrified, but it turned out to be just opposite. They just called us for asking our names so that we get familiar to them and could approach them in case of any problem.

Gradually, we got into college mood and thought of bunking the design class.

It was raining heavily that day and we pushed out everyone from the

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college. Everything was going perfect, but JP Sir saw us in the Pec market and warned us that if we don't go back to the class he would call our parents. We were terrfied and went back to the class. SO OUR FIRST MASS BUNK WAS A FAILURE. Our first DP also rocked! The experience of the CORBU DAY was really elevating as the feeling of oneness came to me. On our first fresher party, I was really nervous on performing in front of all the seniors and of course the chitrahaar. I was in luck and the Chitrahaar didn't take place ! The seniors were a great help and the interaction with them was motivating. They have been a great help and a huge support.

The 1st semester went by with the fear of first exams and was followed by a one month vacation, which were quite boring . I have started missing all the college fun.

The 2nd semester started with a bang, with the excitement of Archo and our first trip rising.

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But the fear of meeting the 4th year was also bothering everyone. They came and interacted with us. We felt like we were being scanned to be sorted into respective houses- Kanishka, Kalinga, Maurya. The fateful day arrived and we the 1st year was divided in three different groups.

Archo started with a thump and competition was in the air. Archo was 15 days of pure fun and enlightment. It taught me how to compete with my counterparts and also the spirit of working as a team. The night outs for the cultural night were so thrilling. Roaming in the college in the middle of cold nights, watching movies all 'night' long in L8, asking for food in midnight was unforgettable. All the hardwork paid off when our house Kalinga won many prizes. And the ‘DP’ after the cultural night was the best one of my first year.

We (me and Stuti) danced like we would never get a chance again. The last night

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left a niche in my heart with a presentation by MR. CHARLES CORREA. And the best part was that I was MRS. CORREA’ s escort.

“ And the ‘DP’ after the cultural night was the best one of my first year.”

The rest of the 2nd semester went by and it finished on 7th of June. In the course of first year I made great friends, some from my class and some from my seniors, who, hopefully, will be with me through my thick and thin. I made such memories which would last for a life time and gained experiences which will help me throughout my life.

The feeling of being special, feeling of getting attention from all the people in the college, feeling of being 1st year has now come to end as we enter the 2nd year but I will always cherish the memories of my first year in college.

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“ When i'm not in the mood I can just run away and never look back the whole day!

My First Week In CCA Ashutosh charts his initial reaction upon entering the college and hopes for good times ahead

W

oohoo..That's the beauty of being not in school. The idea is so liberating, that initially, it felt weird”.

Friends, Where do I begin? These past weeks have knocked me for a loop. 7 degrees of my first three weeks in college

Ashutosh Mukherjee, First Year Student

It's rumored that the day freshmen move into the college is always a gorgeous one. Well, I don't know if that's a fact, but it was certainly true of my first day at CCA. As I drove through the main gate and entered the parking, the sun was filtering through the trees, softly illuminating the historic, brick building and causing the green grass to sparkle in the early morning dew. I gazed out the window at this beautiful scene and thought to myself, "No freshman should be so lucky!”

I adore my classmates. They've definitely helped make this place feel more like home. Sure, we're completely different in terms of background, ethnicity, religion, and interests, but we actually reflect quite well the diversity that the

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college is so proud to offer. During the time I've had in the college, it's such a relief to automatically have four girls I can call friends and count on to help me through this adjustment process.

And, believe me--it's quite difficult at times.

The library is where i shall sleep if I have free time. the library is so quiet and I think I'm not alone in my quest to rest my eyes. You can find many people sleeping here.

Unfortunately, I cant disclose identities ...errr...

I only wish there was a candy shop in the college cause i really like to blow cash on lollipops..

At college, we get to skip Classes by our hearts desire which most people do at regular times, when i'm not in the mood I can just run away and never look back the whole day! Woohoo. That's the beauty of being not in school. The idea is so liberating, that initially, it felt weird.

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It would be great if the college also had an extracurricular hobby day, because deciding what to get involved with outside of my classes is proving to be equally challenging. There are a number of teams, publications, musicians, opportunities in which to get involved.

What I'm finding most difficult is deciding whether I want to stick with the activities I loved in high school, try totally new things, or attempt to do a little of both. I think I'll take that last choice. My friend says that he's definitely going to play soccer--He's played for as long as I can remember and he'd miss it if he didn't have it in his life.

Then again, I'm going to try writing for a student-runmagazine--something I've never done before. And, if time permits, I'd like to get more involved in both politics and community service. Lots to do!

“ I sense that these opportunities of the first week will make for great memories.”

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I'm slowly realizing, though, that the best assets the college has offered me thus far have been the other students I've met.

Almost everyone in my class I've encountered here has been so down-toearth that every time I see those same people either singing an incredibly moving song at an a capella concert, performing an amazing violin solo at a talent show, or saying something extremely profound in one of my classes, I'm pleasantly shocked. There are so many gifted people here, it's easy to feel insecure. But once I realize that, no, I'm not "the freshman the admissions office accidentally let in," and learn to be comfortable with who I am, I can begin to appreciate all the talent that surrounds me. I think that's what will make my college experience truly priceless.

Three weeks down, five-plus more years to go. I can't wait!

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A Workshop To Remember Saumya travels to IIT Kanpur for an experience that leaves her with friends and memories to last her a lifetime.

Saumya Sharma,

Final Year Student

Two minutes after writing the title, I'm still wondering what should be the content of this article. What would interest you guys most? Would you prefer a technical input or the narration of an enriching emotional experience? Well as it's an invisible audience I'm talking to right now, the only person who decides is me (and I love it!). So decision has been taken, interested or not you get to read a summary of both.

Let's start with an introduction to the whole concept of this article.

Four of us, namely, Aditi, Rahul, Kamti and me, went to Kanpur for a workshop on Earthquake Resistant Architecture hosted by IIT Kanpur. (I'll skip the what, how and whens.)

The catch line was earthquakes don't kill, buildings do. Not one person has died because he had a

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heart attack due to the shaking of the earth. The basic aim was to familiarize us with the importance of horizontal loads along with the vertical loads on a building. The best part was that not once did they tell us to restrict our creative side. Yes, the structure is important, but to make safe buildings we cannot make boxes everywhere.

“ No two students from the same college could sit together, so that we make new friends, and that is exactly what we did.”

‘ The catch line was that ‘Earthquakes don't kill, buildings do.’

My personal lesson from this workshop was that design whatever you want to but you must have enough knowledge about earthquakes so that you can judge the design on the grounds of safety.

So somewhere while designing we need to be conscious that if during an earthquake a building collapses, it is not only the fault of the structural engineer but also an example of carelessness on an architect's part.

The best thing about this trip was the way the hosts treated us. We were not students at all. There is a saying in Sanskrit “atithi devo bhava”.

Exactly!!!! So the arrangements were flawless. IIT campus is another name for freedom. We were allowed entry and exit 24 x 7. Me and Aditi were out on roads at 3 a.m. in the morning,

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ALONE. Boys were allowed inside the girl's hostel and vice versa. No time limits (they were completely confident about their security). I guess it was because of this that the students felt responsible for w h a t e v e r t h e y d i d .

We attended seminars the first three days. The faculty was invited from different corners of India...real learned people with a lot of knowledge to share. Not only did they focus on the learning part of it but also made sure that everybody was comfortable with each other.

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“We were allowed entry and exit 24 x 7.

We were out on the roads at 3 in the morning�

We talked to the faculty as if we were friends. Hats off to the amount of comfort level they provided. It was a rule that no two people from the same college sit together, so that we make new friends, and that is exactly what we did. I have come back with 16 new numbers in my cell which would remain there forever. Now I have friends from Nepal, Lucknow, Chennai, Guwahati, Bhopal, Goa, Pune etc. Etc. Next, we were given a design assignment which was to be safe against earthquakes. We were supposed to design an apartment complex with about 160 apartments. Groups of two were made, again on the same principle. So, my partner was a guy from MNIT Jaipur called Arvind. He was a fourth year student and a complete computer freak. So it was a perfect experience for me as we balanced each other as a team. The final day was the jury of the design which was followed by the valedictory function.

Aditi's group was short listed amongst the best 8!!

It was an amazing experience and it couldn't have been better. But there was one realization all of us had, our college is amazing. We enjoyed so much because we were with architecture students. Believe me there is nothing better than the combination called CCA and Architecture.

This sounds so much like a letter that I feel like changing the title to 'A letter to CCA', but anyways I'll forget about it and just sign off.

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An Invigorating Experience IIM Ahemdabad Gurleen visits the building by the master architect

Gurleen Kaur, Fourth Year Student

As an architecture student we come across the work of great architects via magazines, books and internet.

But it is not often that we get an opportunity to actually witness their work.

I was fortunate to visit the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad during my recent visit to the city.By the time me and my friends reached the campus of IIM Ahmedabad we were pretty exhausted. But as soon as we entered the campus it filled us with a new vigor. The whole environ seemed so inviting.

The boulevard of trees at entrance compelled to explore the campus.

The first sight of the main entrance, accessed by a flight of steps made me conscious of the monumentality of the building. It created a subtle mystery about what to expect within.

As I went past the grand entrance foyer I was startled by the openness of space and flash of daylight. It took

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“.....every brick narrates the story of a triumphant attempt by Ar. Louis Kahn”

me few seconds to realize that I was standing at the other end of the famous Louis I Kahn Plaza. The plaza is surrounded by IIM building on three sides it serves as huge, central relief space which gives you a complete view of the IIM campus. It is the best possible place to admire the shear genius of the master architect LIK.

The use of simple geometrical openings makes one wonder about the beauty of simplicity.

The shear simplicity of the campus, its blend of austerity and majesty; it’s frequently changing perspectives made it look like a work of art. I remembered FLW’s saying that

Walking down the corridors it seemed as if every brick narrates the story of a triumphant attempt of Ar. Louis I Kahn to give India a Contemporary Institute of its own.

Moving around the campus I got so involved with the building that I felt like capturing the every nook and corner of the campus in my camera.

Even plane walls in succession seemed like a creative composition.

I lost track of time.

“Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art.”

Mesmerized, I reached the corridor of lecture rooms made of baked brick.

The corridor exudes a beautiful play of light. The bright far end of the corridor not only defines the space but also creates a heavenly ambience.

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The aesthetic austerity of spaces, be it the lecture halls, seating spaces, corridors dorms etc, seem to be pieces of a one big consciously thought picture .

IIM campus has a solemnity which renders it an unexplained eternity.

Someone had asked me once, Can architects create timeless architecture through their works?

Well after visiting IIM Ahmedabad , I think we can !

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“ It is accompanied by the usual chill in the back of my mind, ‘Will I catch it today in my first attempt? I guess not.”

Riding The Pulse Sarang narrates the adventure of riding the Local Trains of Mumbai

Sarang Goel, Final Year Student

There is constant hustle bustle here.

You'll find it in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, even at night, on workdays, on holidays, especially in the festive season; with a reason or without a reason. You flow here there or back somewhere.

You flow with the waves coming in and flow out with the waves flowing out.

So already guesses what I'm talking about? Let's continue…

Its the lifeline of a city that never sleeps, a city famous for Ganpati Celebration (‘Ganpatti Bappa Morya’) and Janamashtmi ( ‘Govinda aala re’), for Siddhi Vinayak Temple and Haji Ali, famous for its Gothic Architecture, vada pav, paani puri, pav bhaaji and bhel puri, famous for Asia's Biggest slum (Dharavi) and for many other unscrupulous reasons.

I am talking about the lifeline of Mumbai- the Local Tains, referred to as Local.

The name Mumbai = Hindu goddess Mumba Devi + Aai (mother in marathi).

India's largest

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metropolitan city has a population of 18 million people is a cluster of 7 islands is the commercial capital of India. The local carries 6.3 million passengers.. Daily!

Its 8.30 am and I am already under the Monday morning blues. I still leave for the station vile parle.

Passing through the serpentine queues at the ticket counters (I have a monthly pass), I use the foot overbridge to reach my platform. Don't ever travel without the ticket any day any time.

The Tc does his job very well.

Walking on the overbridge I see a Local come in and the resultant chaos. It is accompanied by the usual chill in the back of my mind, ' willl I catch it today in my first attempt?' I guess not.

While I wait for the slower one, the sight of a fast Church Gate bound Local with people on the roof and on the pipes connecting two bogies sends another chill through my body.

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It had taken great effort to memorize the stations on my way to office. But without signage, public announcements and cooperation (mainly from my office colleague Dhavanik) I would have never been able to travel by a Local.

A sudden push from a passenger brought me back from my thoughts.

The public address system announced the oncoming Local. Everyone started gearing up. The first and last bogey is for women, there are other reserved ones for physically handicapped people and for those with heavy luggage. Everyone knows where to stand for their coach.

As the Local pulls into the station, passengers start jumping off it even before it stops. ( this is the best way to get off during peak hours). From one side of the door, people start rushing into the bogey and people start gushing out from the other. With god's grace, I was able to board the local as I became a part of' the sea of humanity.'

Upon entering , everyone started vying for every inch of

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space. This, sometimes, results in heated exchanges of even blows, sometimes absolved and at times, propelled by the co passengers. Thank god , there never arose a situation where I was amongst those warring.

“My shirt already looks like I never washed it or ironed it.”

Heaving a huge sigh of relief as half the job was done (the remaining half was to get down), I tried to make some space for myself, in vain. I am sandwiched between my co-passengers who themselves were sandwiched between others. Its an unwanted massage- that makes you want to have bath again. Its in this scenario one gets to know about all varieties of hair oils, shampoos, powders and perfumes and their performance as well. My shirt already looks like I never washed it or ironed it.

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“It is in Mumbai that I witnessed the first ever chain snatching incidence�

The whole process is repeated at santa cruz. But now I get a chance to place both my feet on the floor, which were partially off it. Through the window I peek at the runways of the Mumbai Airport, the old buildings flaunting their architectural surgeries, slums and more crowded stations.

In the other corner of the bogey a group of office goers are chanting 'bhajans'. I have come across many such groups in the morning and evening. In the meantime, the train is approaching bandra. That's my stop. Enquiring fellow passengers interested in getting off here, I make my way to the door. And I become a part of the 'sea of humanity' and spill out of the Local.

I walk out of the station crossing those are about to begin the early morning journey. I catch a rickshaw for office. So, the mission stands accomplished.

But I know, that it will be the same in the

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Chamba- The Land of Faith Saumya shares powerful myths that she hears during her travel

evening or whenever I am traveling by a Local.

I have become used to it. In fact I have started enjoying this adventure.

My 6 month stay in Mumbai will remain a cherished memory. It is here that I got to know that all Punjabis are sikh and only Sikhs live in Punjab( as informed to me by my colleagues, who nicknamed me sardar) It is my Mumbai that I witnessed the first ever chain snatching incidence. Even though I cooked my own food, Mumbai accounts for the most dosas I have ever eaten in my life till date. That also includes the best chocolate cakes I have ever eaten.

I highly recommend at least one experience of traveling in the Local. It is the pulse of the City. My best wishes are with you for your travel in the Mumbai Local..

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Chamba can be called the richest part of Himachal Pradesh as far as its cultural heritage is concerned.

Frankly speaking every part of Himachal has the capacity to surprise you. The way nature has spread all her beauty on these mountains is not the only aspect. It is unbelievable how man has been able to conquer such heights and has settled in unimaginable places.

The mountains, rivers, hills, variety of vegetation and change in weather only add to the natural beauty. I can go on but I prefer to focus on one of the most intriguing part of this place, that is, the stories related to its gods and goddesses.

My trip to Chamba was a 12 day long experience and almost everyday I visited a temple. It is amazing how faith affects the life of people. It doesn't really matter which god one believes in. Personally, I think it's all about faith. If you have faith on a stone, it's your god. It's like a lucky pen during exams. Out here people have faith on 'devis' and 'devtas' and

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they believe that they would save them from any calamity or danger.

Amazingly every mandir has a story of its own; here are some.

Chaurasi (84) Temples, Bharmaur and Bharmani mata Mandir, near Bharmaur This is a well known temple because of the existence of 84 small temples in one complex. Quite contrary to ones expectations only 5 temples are full fledged temple structures with beautiful brass idols. The others (the discovery was sort of disappointing) are just small structures having 'shivlings' in them. On the hill top facing this complex is the Bharmani mata temple which is an important stoppage for the Manimahesh pilgrims. It is said that the 84 temple complex was once the abode of Bharmani mata. The story begins when some ascetics, on their way to Manimahesh, reached Bharmaur at night and requested the mata to provide shelter. But being a lady, mata refused and told all the men to leave the complex immediately.

Saumya Sharma,

Final Year Student

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In a fix and with no place to go the sages prayed to Lord Shiva asking for help. The solution was thus provided by Lord Shiva. He told Bharmani mata to shift her abode to the hill top facing the complex and promised her that before coming to Manimahesh every pilgrim would first have to take her blessings. Thus the well known Manimahesh pilgrimage is considered to be incomplete without a visit to the Bharmani mata temple.

After the mata left for her new abode, the ascetics stayed there for the night leaving behind a temple complex. It is said that they were 84 in number and to pray that night they built their individual shivlings or idols.

Bhelei mata mandir, Bhelei This is the temple of THE mata.

People of Chamba have blind faith in Bhelei mata. Every big occasion, like a marriage, begins with a visit to Bhelei mata mandir. The building is a modern interpretation and thus not much of an attraction. It is believed that if you pray to the mata with a pure heart and ask for something, the idol sweats. Can you believe that?? Our driver swore that he had seen the idol sweat.

There is no way that you can express your doubt. The faith is immense and unbelievable.

Comparatively recently, a theft took place in the temple. It is said that when they reached the Balu

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Pul (the bridge which connects the road to Chamba), they couldn't see anything beyond it. Ultimately they had to go back to the temple, return the belongings and it was only then that they could cross the bridge.

Kartikey Temple, Kutther This was as good as a trek. Almost no road, amazing height and a small village in the middle of nowhere. This is supposed to be one of the two temples of north India dedicated to Lord Kartikey, the elder son of Lord Shiva. As he was a bachelor, married women are not allowed to enter the temple. According to the story, the idol was found by a woodcutter near the river Ravi. The idol came with the flow of the river. Assuming it to be a piece of wood the woodcutter struck it with his tool.

People believe that the axe hit the idol's face following which blood started oozing out of its nose. The man immediately gathered his friends and the group made a palki in which the idol was to be taken to the top of the mountain. When the group reached a small village named Kutther, they decided to take rest for a while and thus kept the palki on the ground.

It is said that nobody has been able to move the idol from that place since then. 'Devta yahin sthapit ho gaye' is a very common sentence in Himachal. By the end of our trip I almost knew why every temple was situated where it was because

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“ It is believed that if you pray to the mata with a pure heart and ask for something, the idol sweats.

Can you believe that??� all the stories ended with the same line 'phir ye murti hili hi nahi' or 'lekin murti sthapit ho gayi'. It was kind of amusing how the gods chose their place of stay.

Coming back to the Kartikey temple, there is another mystery attached to the idol. The pandit, who was a young government employee too, told us that numerous efforts have been made to find out the material of the idol. They say no test has been able to unfold this material mystery. Obviously science will say its some alloy but then the local people don't agree. Amazingly the observers can't really tell. Some say its wood while the others say it's stone.

Shiv Temple, Saho This was the last temple I visited. Again located in a small village near Chamba, this temple is built around a natural shivling. The people who are not able to go for or complete the Manimahesh yatra go to this temple. According to the story a very rich man made this temple around the shivling with an aim of covering the whole shivling in bronze. It is said that the moment they applied a layer around the base the shivling grew to the size of the intended cover. The awestruck labor continued its work by making a new

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layer. But every time the shivling grew to its new extent. Then one day the man had a dream in which he was told to let the shivling remain in its natural form otherwise it will never stop growing.

Thus the process was brought to an end leaving behind a huge shivling with intricate bronze work still visible at its base.

Another interesting piece of faith is placed right infront of the temple which is a huge piece of rock with a hole at its base. It is believed that if one passes through it three times while praying, his prayers are answered. This is also accompanied by three times passing under the Nandi which is placed facing the temple.

These are only some of the many stories and temples of Chamba. Apart from the spiritual aspect, Chamba has also retained its culture through these stories. I guess maybe it is this faith and fear of Gods and Goddesses that maintains the humility of this place.

Throughout my experience I never witnessed or even heard about a mishap due to the very common developed human vices. Faith has its own power and Chamba is a live example.

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The Real Picture Gagandeep shares the life story of those he learnt to call friends

Gagandeep Singh, Final Year Student

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No matter how firm the visa rules are or how strict the borders are drawn, people from developing Asian and African countries are immigrating illegally in Europe and America. Their poverty forces them to choose this track, which is sometimes the only option beside suicide. They cross countries broadly by foot, in trucks or in boats and they all call this journey 'Donkey'.

I had heard a lot of stories but I had a first hand experience in Paris during my internship. I stayed with my uncle who had migrated to France in 1985 and is well off now. His children are born and brought up in France. The whole family visits India every year. They are the best category of immigrants who never lost contact with their roots and have good friends within the French community as well. He adviced me to stick to the Indian values if i wanted to retain my identity.

Most of the Indians are illegal immigrants who live solitary lives. I met such a person whose story sent

“...you should not have any prejudice about the illegal immigrant ... this is their alternate to suicide�

chills down my spine. He had got a tourist visa for Moscow, from where he crossed the Italy border in a cargo truck.

I met an uncle who had reached France in 1975 by crossing Russia largely on foot. Back then, the financial conditions were so bad that they could have either committed suicide or they could have set out for this journey. He spent so much time in the ice cold mountains that he lost his left arm to frost bite. But now, he is a respected citizen with an established business. He told me about a Russian Prison where stories of Punjabi immigrants are engraved in the Punjabi script of dangerous routes and lives lost on the way.

The most common technique is to apply for a tourist visa to some country and destroy the Indian passport. The law passed under AB Vajpayee states that a person without the Indian passport cannot enter the country.

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In case a person is caught without the passport, he is imprisoned and he wins himself a criminal record with the INTERPOL. After two months of imprisonment, they are released on the border of that country . They cross the border and meet other illegal immigrants and become a part of the network.

Even I was tempted to join a part time job as a car wash. If I was caught I would be deported to Tihar Jail within 72 hours and my fine would be the air fare. My passport would be destroyed. It was interesting just how many times I approached by these people, but I was firm.

It is understandable that these immigrants do not want to live a suffocating life. They will do anything marry a local citizen and apply for divorce once they get the citizenship.

There are French citizens who do it for the money. The easier way is to get oneself registered when a country opens immigration. The news spread like wildfire and people from all over EU travel to that country to get registered.

Illegal immigration to UK is virtually

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impossible as they have motion detectors to scan movement in cargo trucks. The last resort upon being caught is to remain shut.

An incident shook me. Six of us friends were roaming the streets of Brussels, with beers at midnight. Three of us had our ID's and the other three were illegal. One of my friends abused a passing by police vehicle. The car stopped. We got scared because those illegal friends lived with us. While the officer was approaching us, we asked the three friends to leave us. While we started talking to the officer, the car slowly backed and cornered the other three friends. We were asked to stay there. They were not able to show their ID because they had none. They started speaking in Punjabi to show that they are tourists. They were left with a warning.

In fact, I discovered that the people who go through all these hardships get sensitized to the finer things in life.

They didn't even let me pay the rent for the last month. I realized that even the so called worst person can be very nice. I learnt how to see the nice qualities in everyone.

Once I started understanding them, I knew that they were not criminals. I have traveled to five countries and I always had a place to stay. I will never forget their hospitality.

I would only say that you should not have any prejudice about the illegal immigrant.

While we hear about farmers in Andhra Pradesh committing suicide, this is the drastic step of the Punjabi farmer.

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First Impression

I n

Ania expresses heartfelt feelings for India

Paul sums up his experience as an Erasmus Student

“ The first impressions of the next day were unforgettable.

The surprise was the explosion of colors, senses and noises.”

Ania Buczak Is an ERASMUS Student, originally from Poland

We came to India in April. When we got out of our plane in Delhi it was already dark. We didn’t know what to expect. The air had that strange smell like just before the rain and it was extremely hot even during the night. We felt lost but very happy at the same time.

The first impressions of the next day were unforgettable. The surprise was the explosion of colors, senses and noises. I found an interesting thing that even the poor on a street seemed to be happy like others in better conditions. Many times they were very friendly and helpful.

We were impressed by architecture in Delhi which was monumental, very decorative but also delicate with the play of lights and shadows strengthened by the water reflections. The red stone in the buildings marked their importance.

All of that created a mystical and unreal atmosphere like in a tale.

Delhi’s architecture was very contrasting with Chandigarh’s. And

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it was interesting to see how Le Corbusier’s projects are working outside Europe. Surely, thanks to this famous architecture that we were sent by French school for the workshop with students of Chandigarh College of Architecture.

They showed us the interesting buildings, explained how Le Corbusier’s ideas are functioning, so that we could improve together the existing situation.

At the beginning it was a little bit difficult for us to find the common ideas but at the end we reached the aim which was the Redevelopment of Sector 17 Piazza.

I spent a great time in India speaking with people, exploring their culture and style of living. I hope to visit again to know it even better.

Someone told me that India is beautiful only on photographs when you cannot see the poverty and sadness. I don’t agree. In my opinion you have to spend some time in India to really appreciate its beauty.

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“ The love for life expressed by all we encountered in India was very humbling & a lesson we could all benefit from..”

Renowned for its hot climate and even hotter cuisine India is only a dream rather than a reality for the majority. The road less traveled from Saint Etienne to Chandigarh is the one we set out on armed only with a motley crew of international students, french professors and a love for Le Corbusier.

Even with the background work on one of the worlds most famous architectural pilgrimages fresh in our minds the real thing simply blew us away. Eighteen hours of planes and airports is not the ideal arrival state but the natural beauty of our surroundings somehow gave us a new burst of life. The college welcome at the airport was also a huge helping hand in getting accustomed with our home for the next ten days.

The real beauty of Chandigarh is not only its architecture buts its inhabitants and getting in amongst both was the highlight of the trip.

With such a rich culture embracing religion, race, cuisine and

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architecture the color of the city with its concrete backdrop really shines through.

Listening to the histories of our new friends and colleagues and in turn sharing our own brought meaningful relationships together in a very short time. The cultural differences of all nations represented really brought an international strength to the workshop. This allowed for more than just an architectural education on the trip as we were able to benefit from all aspects of our group work and its participants.

Paul Murray Is an ERASMUS student, originally from Ireland

The love for life expressed by all we encountered in India was very humbling and a lesson we could all benefit from. The giving nature of the school, professors and students was also unending though I'm sure some of the students agreed that the giving nature of the professors was sometimes too much with the lecture times.

We take with us great memories and a new view on both life and architecture.

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