During the third year of my graduation, my team and I represented the college at National Association of Students of Architecture, and headed the college contingent for the 57th Annual NASA Convention, held in Chennai in 2015. At the convention, we took part in various competitions, but our goal was to win the Affordability trophy for which, NASA India had collaborated with University Camilo Jose Cela, Madrid. We were confident about winning; however, due to unprecedented circumstances, after getting shortlisted in the top five, the host college failed to contact us for the final round of interview. I received a call from Anupama Kundoo, the internationally-acclaimed architect, who had introduced this trophy, she explained to me about the events that had taken place. Understanding the need of the hour, my team and I solved the issues, within minutes. After all the hustle-bustle, we won the coveted trophy.
A couple of days later, I got a mail from Anupama saying she was impressed with how I had handled the situation earlier, and offered me an internship at Anupama Kundoo Architects, Spain.
Work in progress
I was exposed to research work, model making, office management, and drafting. My research project was on affordable toilet using Ferro cement material. During the initial phase of the project, I researched on Ferro cement as a material. After completing the initial sketches and a series of discussions, I developed a 3D model of the prototype. Model making and drafting were carried out for the Proposed Mass Housing Complex where I had to create different housing alternatives, clustering of the masses, and physical model making. My research project was completed in 2016 and displayed at Venice Architecture Biennale.
I learnt about the office culture — the paperwork involved, client interaction, enhancing software skills, and the importance of model making. I also participated in a competition where I had the opportunity to showcase my work to the jury and get reviews from eminent architects. The kind of work that the international students presented, left me awestruck and motivated me to learn more and improve. After this stint, the quality of my drawings improved, and there was a proper workflow in my design process.
The writer is currently pursuing his Master’s in Architecture Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
Courtesy: intershala.com
