Post bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and with the new government at the Centre, the sky is open for architects to showcase their talent, said Member of Parliament K. Haribabu here on Saturday.
He was delivering the inaugural address at Venustas-25, a two-day show on latest trends in architecture, organised by the Architecture Alumni Association, Department of Architecture, Andhra University.
The MP said there was a lot of scope in Navya Andhra Pradesh for architects. “We have a new capital city coming up and Visakhapatnam is going to be a smart city and hence a lot of infrastructure needs to be designed and planned. And this is where architects have an opportunity to be part of the entire process,” he said.
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According to Mr. Haribabu, the state of AP was blessed, as it had got a 1,000-km coastline, huge rail network and a number of rivers flowing through it. . “What we need to do is to tap the potential,” he said.
Principal of Andhra University College of Engineering, P.S. Avadhani, said the alumni of the university had played a big role in the rebuilding process of AU, post cyclone Hudhud. He also pointed out that the devastating cyclone had opened up new challenges and opportunities for the architects, as they had a major role to play in the rebuilding process.
Director of GITAM School of Architecture and founding member of Department of Architecture, AU, Prof. GVS Sai, recollected the formative days of the department.
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He urged Mr. Haribabu to take up the initiative to include the department into the UGC and AICTE fold, so that the department could get some grants for its development.
The HoD of the Department A. Ravathi Devi, convenor of the Association E. Vijaya Bhaskar and president P. Naveen also spoke.
Mr. Haribabu later inaugurated an exhibition showcasing the latest trends in architecture and furnishings and fittings.
Over 20 companies such as Jaguar, GE Lighting, Daikin, Schreder, Legrand, Kajaria, Blue Star and Aaron set up stalls.
The display ranged from LED electrical lamps to bathroom fittings and from designer tiles to latest electronic alarm system.
Mr. Haribabu appreciated the display of designs put up by the students. The two-day show would have a host of speakers and experts speaking on architectural trends.