CAREERS360
YOUR QUICK GUIDE
TO A COURSE IN
ARCHITECTURE
THE ART & TECHNIQUE OF DESIGNING AND BUILDING
Architecture Course Review
Course Review Architecture
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1.
Introduction03
2.
Eligibility Norms 05
3.
Selecting an Institute 07
ARCHITECTURE INVOLVES MAKING AN IDEA INTO A PROPOSAL OF
A BUILT ENVIRONMENT, READY FOR EXECUTION. A BACHELOR’S IN
ARCHITECTURE HELPS YOU LEARN HOW TO CONCEPTUALISE AND
DESIGN BUILDINGS
4.
Course Content
09
5.
What after Graduation? 11
6.
Professional Talk
11
7.
International Appeal of the Course 16
8.
First Person
17
9.
Industry Talk
19
10. Select Institutes offering B.Arch in India
22
11. Select institutes offering PG courses in Architecture
22
12. Select institutions abroad
23
Project Editors
Research
Art Director
Asst. Art Director
Dr. Nimesh Chandra, S. Rajaram
Shiphony Pavitran Suri, Prerna Singh
Anshul Sharma
Rajesh Chawla
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Cover Photo: Rajesh Chawla
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I
“
don’t think I even start with any preconceived ideas - the real inspiration comes
from the person and the place and the
function to which they want to put the building
to.” Laurie Baker, architect and father of ‘lowcost’ housing in India (1917-2007).
Buildings for homes, offices and shopping malls
are the outcomes of hard work put in by architects. Architecture is not just confined to erecting
a structure. It encompasses considerations like
weather, cultural and economic factors.
With ample opportunities for specialisation
and employment in the diverse field of landscape
and urban design, a degree course in architecture
is high in demand.
“Architecture is a confluence of arts and science. It is a very interactive course where students are encouraged to come up with ideas,”
echoes Harshvardhan, an alumnus of JJ school
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FAST FACTS
Programme B.Arch Duration Five
years Eligibility 10+2 with PCM
Entrances JEE Main, NATA Fee Rs.
31,300 per annum at SPA, New
Delhi; Rs. 9. 99 lakhs for five years
at BIT, Mesra Best Bachelor’s
institutes SPA, New Delhi; Sir J.J.
College of Architecture, Mumbai:
IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur,
NMIMS’s Balwant Sheth
School of Architecture (BSSA)
Prominent Master’s institutions
SPA, New Delhi; IIT Roorkee; IIT
Kharagpur; Chandigarh College
of Architecture, Chandigarh; R.V.
College of Engineering, Bangalore;
Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi; CEPT
University, Ahmedabad
Architecture Course Review
of Art and Architecture. The 5-year course trains students to integrate socioeconomic, climatic and design parameters in the process of development.
Prof. Rajat Ray, former Dean, Sushant School of Architecture, Gurgaon says,
“Students learn how to conceptualise and design buildings. They build on
their skills of understanding spatial environments and expressing those ideas
through drawing, imaging and modelling.”
Course Review Architecture
ELIGIBILITY NORMS
IF YOU HAVE PASSED 10+2 WITH PCM, OR ARE GOING THROUGH
YOUR FINAL EXAMINATION, YOU CAN APPLY FOR JEE MAIN TO GAIN
ADMISSION FOR B.ARCH. SOME INSTITUTIONS HAVE A CUT-OFF
OF 50 PERCENT IN MATHS
C
andidates keen on taking up B.Arch
degree course at The School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi
should have scored at least 50% marks in Mathematics alone with Physics, Chemistry in combination at 10+2. The eligible candidates are
expected to qualify JEE Main examination conducted by CBSE annually. Most institutes
including IITs, SPA and Chandigarh College of
Architecture, Chandigarh admit students on the
merit of score obtained in JEE Main. Other Government, Govt. Aided & unaided institutes like
Guru Nanak Dev University accept admissions
according to merit in National Aptitude Test in
Architecture (NATA) conducted by Council of
Architecture. Regional institutes may have statelevel exams for admitting students to B.Arch.
Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi conducts its own
entrance exam comprising two papers on PCM
and aptitude respectively.
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Job Roles Design Architect, Town
Planner, Digital Architect Earning
Potential Rs.12,000–Rs.15,000 as
Junior Architect Job areas Town
planner, Architecture Design,
Design Associate Top recruiters
Town and urban planning
organizations, real estate firms, etc.
Architecture Course Review
SELECTING AN INSTITUTE
THERE ARE 280 INSTITUTIONS, WHICH IMPART ARCHITECTURAL
EDUCATION IN INDIA. YOUR SCORE IN THE JEE MAIN OR STATE/
INSTITUTE-SPECIFIC ENTRANCES WILL DECIDE WHERE YOU STUDY
S
ome of the best institutions for architecture were started during the British
colonial rule. These include Madras
School of Industrial Arts, (1850) Government
College of Arts, Calcutta (1854) and Sir J. J. College of Arts, Bombay (1857).
MAH-AR-CAT (Maharashtra Architecture Common Aptitude Test) fill up
Outside Maharashtra Seats (OMS) in unaided institutes.
The Department of Planning and Architecture at IIT Roorkee offers 5-year
B.Arch degree course accredited by Indian Institute of Architects (IIA). The
institute is engaged in research and development through consultations and
sponsored projects with several funding agencies.
SPA, Delhi is another highly reputed institute for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in architecture and planning. Students are trained in an
inter-disciplinary approach towards construction. It is highly acknowledged
for experienced faculty and international collaborations.
Council of Architecture, the statutory body for regulating standards in
education and profession in India, approves the 5-year degree course offered
by all institutes.
Tin Maharashtra, the admission to B.Arch programme for the category of ‘All India Seats’ is
made through Centralized Admission Process
(CAP) conducted in several rounds. Maharashtra and outside Maharashtra seats comprise ‘All
India’ seats that are filled based on the meritorious performance in JEE Main (paper II).
There is a set quota for residents of Maharashtra at J.J. College of Architecture. Maharashtra
state candidates may apply for All India seats
through JEE Main score in paper II and avail
MAH-AR-CAT 2013 score for admission against
Maharashtra state seats. Students who qualify
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Architecture Course Review
COURSE CONTENT
THE COURSE SPANNING TEN SEMESTERS GIVES YOU AN
UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUBJECT RANGING FROM BASIC DESIGN
TO THE LATEST BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING INTEGRATION
A
The five-year course is spread across ten
semesters. The coursework pertaining
to arts, engineering and technology is
taught through theory classes and studio sessions. You will be introduced to Basic Design,
Descriptive Geometry, Mechanics, Graphics &
Visual Communication alongside Mathematic in
the first semester at IIT Kharagpur. Detailed
study of Descriptive Geometry, Basic Design and
Mathematics constitute the core of the second
semester. “An updated knowledge of architecture
softwares like, AUTOCAD and Revit is an essential part of the learning,” remarked Sahil Jalan, a
fourth year student of B.Arch (Architecture and
Regional Planning) at IIT Kharagpur, who is
also the Advisor of Students’ Alumni Cell.
enriched by course in Computer Aided Design & Simulation alongside History of Architecture. By the end of the second year you would have acquired
an in depth understanding of the History of Architecture, Architectural
Design and Building construction.
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies’ Balwant Sheth School of
Architecture (BSSA) has structured its 5-year course into three categories of
Design; Design and Technology; and Theory. The coursework is divided into
a trimester system advancing every successive year under the same classification. Theory comprises courses in humanities architectural history, theory of
design and elective.
Fourth year onwards you will be introduced to planning and architecture in
urban, rural and regional contexts under the subject ‘Building Bye Laws and
Design Professional’ at Sir J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai. At the end
of the fourth year, each of you will be assigned an independent dissertation
project. This enables you to conduct research and analysis of climatic conditions, socio-economic problems and transportation involved in designing a
building. Inclusion of “building information modelling (BIM) integration”
may you become industry- ready, explains Sahil.
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli gives the students to
flexibility to select up to three electives in the ninth semester while the final
semester is solely dedicated to dissertation work.
Third semester focuses on the concepts in Climatology & Solar Architecture, Architecture
Design coupled with field tours. The learning is
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Architecture Course Review
WHAT AFTER GRADUATION?
EXPLORE AVENUES FOR PRACTICAL LEARNING TO BRIDGE THE GAP
BETWEEN CLASSROOM LEARNING AND INDUSTRY REQUIREMENT.
JOBS ARE APLENTY, BUT GO FOR MASTER’S IF YOU ARE
ACADEMICALLY INCLINED
I
f you are interested in academics, you can
pursue postgraduate and doctoral programmes offered by some of the reputed institutes across the country. “Straight after graduation (B.Arch) students can take up higher studies
like M.Arch, MCP or MBA,” shares Sahil.
Undergraduates with a valid GATE Score can
apply through PGCET to secure admission to M.
Arch. Postgraduate degree gives you an opportunity to specialise in vast array of fields, ranging
from urban design to sustainable architecture.
You can also opt for an MBA (Real Estate)
offered by the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha
University’s School of Management Studies (in
collaboration with SPA), says Professor Satish
Khanna of the SPA, Delhi.
More than 70 percent of students opt for Master’ or further studies after completing their
Bachelor’s programme. They specialise in
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streams such as Landscape Architecture, Architectural Conservation, Urban
Design, Building Engineering & Management, Environmental Planning,
Housing, Transport Planning, Regional Planning, Town and Country Planning, Industrial Design etc. The SPA and CEPT Ahmedabad are considered
to be some of the best colleges for a Master’s degree.
If you are interested in doctoral research, Centre for Advanced Studies in
Architecture, at SPA is a good bet. The Centre is dedicated to conducting
research in the fields of energy studies and impact of climate and solar energy
on architecture. Sahil says that recent research in architecture focuses on
computational design, integrating BIM (building information modelling)
with live construction practices, biomimicry, algorithmic design, and use of
alternate building materials, like bamboo.
“Architecture has a rather steep slope of learning. The journey is lined with
constant dismissals and disapprovals before the final acceptance of projects,”
shares Sahil. Before you take up architectural projects, you should get registered with Council of Architecture after completing B.Arch degree. This
registration entitles you to practice the profession.
For undergraduates jobs are available in various government departments
such as Indian Army, Town and Country Planning Organization, National
Institute of Urban Affairs, Housing and Urban Development Corporation,
National Building Construction Corporation Ltd. etc. Teaching and research
at several reputed institutes are highly rewarding. A career in academics
essentially requires a doctoral degree after postgraduate studies.
Private sector jobs are highly concentrated in firms like Jones Lang LaSalle,
L&T, Jindals, IMAXE, etc. Private practices post registrations are equally
recognized in residential townships. Such a practice would entail more than
design as put forth by Bhaskar Rattan, associate architect with a Delhi-based
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Architecture Course Review
firm, “While 30 percent of the job focuses on designing what the client wants,
it is not about design alone.” A fresh undergraduate may start as Junior Architect or Assistant and earn Rs. 12,000 to 15,000 a month, says Pritpal Singh,
another Delhi-based architect.
Course Review Architecture
PROFESSIONAL TALK
Ankur Manchanda
Architect with DesignHaaus Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad
A
n architect with DesignHaaus Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, Ankur
Manchanda speaks about career avenues and scope for higher studies
in the field of architecture
Q. What are the job opportunities after gaining a B.Arch. Degree?
A. Currently, there is a huge demand and supply deficit in India for skilled
professionals in architecture. The difference between required versus registered architects is more than 4 lakhs! A fresh graduate with desired skills and
passion to excel is sure to find placement.
Q. What skills should a fresh graduate acquire to become
“industry-ready”?
A. A year of work experience brings to light the gap between classroom practice and industrial applications. The gap, however, may be bridged by exploring avenues for practical learning. The role of internships and part-time jobs
is crucial in developing practical skills. Therefore, internship projects must
be chosen carefully. The knowledge of the appropriate software is essential. I
caution students against picking up irrelevant CAD, MAX courses at random
institutes. Instead rely on inputs from seniors that are valuable in pursuing
additional courses.
Q. What are the requisites for pursuing a course in Architecture?
A. A degree course in architecture is dynamic in nature as it uses both left
and right side of the brain. This is not to say that people with lack of design
aptitude can’t make it to this course. In fact, design comprises only 5-10%
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Architecture Course Review
of the entire project execution. Get to know about architects with respect to
their thought process, projects to gain insights on architecture as a profession. Learning architectural history helps in understanding developments
that led to its progress over the years.
Q. What are the current research avenues?
A. Select research areas are: Green Architecture, Net Zero Building, Bio-
mimicry, Low Cost Housing, Alternative Material, Seismic Architecture,
Real Estate, Vernacular Architecture, Urban Design, Pattern Study, Barrier Free Environment, Ergonomics, Furniture Design, Luminaire/Lighting
Design. Additionally, students may browse interesting videos online available
at research interest page of institutes like, Massachusetts Institute of Technology to learn more.
Q. How relevant is undergraduate curriculum to the industrial
requirements?
A. Architecture as a career goes beyond theoretical knowledge taught in
colleges. The faculties belong to an era that the industry has long forgotten.
Some faculties are obvious exceptions, but sometimes the faculty at the
institute may show restraint to new changes as they seek their utopia in rules
written in prehistoric times. The basic impediments during undergraduate
study are lack of sponsorships available for students to experiments and
learn new ideas.
Q. What are the latest trends in the field of architecture in terms of
design and concepts?
A. There is wide gap between Indian and international trends, but green
living is the latest avenue for architects. Experimentations with building
materials is gaining momentum once again, as seen in the revival of exposed
concrete, first used by Le Corbusier at Chandigarh. In addition to this, a sad
but heavily dominating trend in the architecture industry is Vaastu.
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Course Review Architecture
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
OF THE COURSE
RESEARCH ON COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES FOR GREEN
AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING IS BOOSTING THE DEMAND FOR
ARCHITECTS ABROAD
T
he opening up of the Indian economy and
rapid globalisation has led to equally
rapid collaborations of Indian institutions with their international counterparts.
Institutes like SPA forge international associations through Overseas Research & Development Centre to inspire students in Africa and the
SAARC nations.
Undergraduates from prominent institutions
in India feel that Indian architects are still not
preferred over their overseas counterparts. This
is mainly due to lack of professional approach
given to the curriculum at the undergraduate
level. The undergraduate training should follow
recent industry needs and demands.
Internationally, the undergraduate course can
be pursued at universities leading to the award
of B.Arch. /B.A degree course in architecture.
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Architecture Course Review
FIRST PERSON
A. Creativity remains the prerequisite. The recruiters look for advance skills
on platforms like CAD/Authority Submissions in fresh graduates.
Krush Dattani
Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur,
Working with Shimizu Corporation, Singapore,
A
n alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, Krush Dattani who is currently employed
with Shimizu Corporation, Singapore, gives his insights on the international appeal of architecture as a career option.
Q. How do you describe the changing face of architecture as an indus-
try?
A. The education and practice of architecture in India and overseas has been
an enriching experience. The field of architecture is driven by creativity and
technology now. With this the professional roles of an architect have become
more complex and diverse. It involves making an idea into a proposal of a
built environment, ready for execution. This can be explored at a construction- consultancy company or by practicing as a licensed freelance architect.
Q. What are the professional roles of an architect?
A. A fresh graduate in architecture may function in a range of domains
from inception to execution. The diverse functional areas include designing
wherein the designation is that of design architect. Areas such as construction industry employ architects for execution of the projects while real estate
firms seek analytical advice from them. In addition, digital architecture offers
many job opportunities in exploring this platform developed by reputed
‘building information modelling’ (BIM) players like, Autodesk.
Q. What are the international research and design trends in architec-
ture?
A: The use of advanced materials as cost effective alternatives to fulfil the
objective of green and sustainable living is being widely researched. In my
opinion, reuse of any material is a green concept and that’s how it should
be practised to foster sustainability. The other domain evoking research
interest among architects is the use of BIM technology, which is a one-stop
platform for all information regarding a building, encompassing all aspects
from Design to Details for example, Autodesk Revit. Apart from the newly
developed fields, conventional domains like, urban planning also interests
the architects today.
Q. How did an undergraduate degree help you in meeting your profes-
sional goals?
A. The study of architecture at IIT Kharagpur was inter-disciplinary on
account of the allied courses that we took up with Mechanical, Civil and Electrical Departments. The curriculum was designed to relate to the concepts of
Built Environment. It is imperative for an architecture student to understand
the system of mechanical services that make any living space functional.
The internship helped me learn new professional skills. In addition, participation in annual events such as Architectural Students’ Association (NASA
and ZoNASA) exposed me to different domains of design namely, design,
product and industrial. The institute encouraged and favoured architecture
students in cultural events like Diwali.
Q. What silks are required for international internships in architecture?
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Architecture Course Review
INDUSTRY TALK
The only condition to get admission was to pass the entrance exam, and I
did! Today, I tell people that to be an architect you need to be a creative person and not someone who is good at studies.
Hafeez Contractor
Renowned architect,
“Creativity, not marks make a good architect”
A
weak student up to Class 10, getting admission to an architecture college proved to be an expedition for this renowned architect! Yet, he
maintains that creativity and not merely good marks maketh a good architect.
Hafeez Contractor talked to Careers360 about his career trajectory, and tips
off aspiring architects
Q. How did you get clarity about your career?
A. I wanted to be an architect since I was in Class 3, though I didn’t know the
term “architecture” or “design” back then. I would design forts, tanks, cars,
guns, sections of a building. In Class 4, I was thrashed by my English teacher
Mrs. Gupta who caught me drawing instead of writing in class. But she also
told me to become an architect when I grew up. That was the first time I heard
the word ‘architect.’
Q. How tough was the admission process back then?
A. I got 50 percent marks in SSC and could not get even an admission form to
any architecture college. JJ School of Architecture only gave forms to those
with 80 percent and above. After a year of doing the rounds at various colleges I came to know of Academy of Architecture, and coaxed a nice elderly
Parsi gentleman Mr Dallas, Head of Indian Institute of Architecture to help
me. He wrote to Mr Wandhrekar at the Academy of Architecture, who in turn
allowed me to take the entrance exam.
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I never got more than 50 percent up to SSC but once I joined architecture, I
stood first class first throughout. It shows that the way our education system
is, even when people want to be architects they are not able to do so because
of academic numbers.
Q. Your first salary and the way you spent it?
A. I started with Rs. 30 a month in 1968. I gave it to my mom. I bought a
stencil, which I had eyed for months and a pen with the rest of the money. In
the first month I got an increment of Rs. 20. My studies were for seven years
and during that time I had several promotions and went on to earn Rs. 1,500
a month.
Q. What were the challenges you encountered as a young architect?
Has the situation changed nowadays?
A. Early on I have worked 19-20 hours a day for the first 14 years of my work
life! As an entrepreneur, came the challenge of maintaining staff. Especially
today, youngsters are more money conscious. As a young architect, I never
thought about how much I am going to get out of a project. I just wanted to
work. Today every kid first wants to know how much he will earn. Values have
changed.
Q. What are the turning points of your career? Which project gave you
visibility?
A. Right from my initial project of Vaastu at Worli, to Rajneesh Ashram,
to Lake Castle, to my DLF building in Delhi, everything has been a turning
point. Today also every new job has to be a turning point. And unless and until
you do that, you better retire.
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Architecture Course Review
Q. What sort of aptitude does one need to be a successful architect?
A. The attitude for every professional, at any stage of career, should be that
you started your career yesterday and you want to make it good today. Keep
abreast of the changes in your profession; what’s new, how you could adapt
and change with time, change and hard work being the only constant.
Course Review Architecture
Select Institutes offering B.Arch in India
School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi
Sir J.J College of Architecture, Mumbai
Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee
IIT Kharagpur
Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh
Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, NMIMS, Mumbai
Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology, Kozhikode
Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi
Manipal University, Manipal
Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai
Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Department of Architecture, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar
Architecture and Planning, MANIT, Bhopal
Select institutes offering PG courses in Architecture
School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi
Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee
IIT Kharagpur
Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh
R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore
Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi
Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
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Architecture Course Review
Select institutions abroad
Institution
Country
Department
Degree
Columbia University in
affiliation with Barnard college
USA
Department of Architecture
BArch
Georgia Tech, College
of Architecture
USA
The Irwin S. Chanin School of
Architecture
BArch
University of California
USA
Department of Architecture and
Urban Design
BArch
Cornell university
USA
Department of Architecture
BArch
UCL Bartlet school of Architecture
UK
Faculty of the Built-in Environment
BSc
Glasgow School of Art
UK
School of Architecture
BArch
Edinburgh School of architecture
UK
—
BA (Hons.)
University of Cambridge
UK
Department of Architecture
BA (Hons.)
Oxford Brookes University
UK
Department of Architecture
BA (Hons.)
University of Sheffield
UK
School of Architecture
BA (Hons.)
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