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Four months is what the graduating students of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) had to give shape to the ideas close to their hearts. The resulting projects, which have been put on display at the India Habitat Centre’s Visual Arts Gallery, include a mechanism to remove floating debris in local water bodies, a park bench that is comfortable for people of all ages and a bike taxi that improves the passenger’s experience by enhancing the vehicle’s safety and comfort.
Each of the 19 design projects on display by the students of SPA’s Department of Industrial Design could be considered an extension of its innovator’s personality.
Take, for instance, Shubham Jain’s project ‘Sama’. It is an ode to his passion for the music of the legendary qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Sama is a specially designed chair that aims to enhance the experience of listening to qawwali.
“Qawwali starts off slow; gradually the tempo increases, making the listener want to sway to the music. I came up with the concept of this piece of furniture, which has a rocking chair effect so that the listener is seated comfortably close to the ground and is able to rock comfortably to enjoy the music while sitting cross-legged,” says Mr. Jain.
While music was the inspiration for Mr. Jain’s project, saving an injured parakeet and caring for it as a pet for 15 years led Pratik Wandhare to design ‘Nest-o-Care’. It is an incubation system that provides a controlled environment for the growth and development of orphan baby birds.
Niharika Walia’s background in Zumba led her to create ‘Hopfit’, which is an interactive dance and fitness platform.
Other projects on display include Aryan Kar’s ‘Little Sous’, a learning aid that utilises food-preparation activities to motivate children to make healthy eating choices. Shivendu Verma’s project is an air-drying shower for people with sensitive skin, which is an idea that came to him during a family discussion about starting a sanitary fittings store.
Aditi Singh, a faculty at SPA, said the students are completing their Master’s programme. Ms. Singh said the students either have a background in engineering or architecture and that the three-day design showcase has been organised at a time when they are on the cusp of finishing their academic life and starting their careers.
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