Architecture solves complex problems

Around 20 stalls of arts and architecture institutions formed the major attraction at the education fair conducted by JNAFAU

Hyderabad: There was a huge response to the education fair conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) on the university premises which began on July 3. Witnessing a great strength on the last day of the fair on July 6, experts said that the significance of architecture has increased over the years and students are now moving away from the conventional courses.

Students have to clear National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA), which is an entrance examination for the purpose of taking admission in the course of Architecture. Only those students who have passed Intermediate with mathematics and have scored above 50 per cent are eligible for the NATA entrance examination.

Attractive presentations from different schools providing architecture programmes caught the sight of every student and inspired them to learn as to what goes into the making of a simple 2-storey building to a skyscraper.There were a number of full-time degree programmes being offered like B. Architecture (Bachelor of Architecture), Digital Techniques for Design and Planning, Bachelors programme in Interior Designing and Facilities and Service Planning.

Also a number of short-term job oriented courses are being offered for working professionals to enhance their skills. Software programmes such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Flash, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3dsmax, Autocad and Revit are also being provided on duration of 3-months and 6-months.

These courses can help those aspiring to make a mark for themselves in the multimedia industry, be it graphic designer, web designer, special effect designer, interface designer, multimedia professional, 3-D animator, 2-D animator, layout artist and product designer. Hari Narayan, one of the students who visited the fair, highlighted that the major change today is development and that there is a lot of scope in this industry but without hampering the environment.

“You just need to have the right skill, to propose your plan and help clients with their ideas. It’s not just about the layout but you need to be able to balance the requirements of appearance, financial budget of the client and the time frame proposed to the client. Not only in private sectors, but there are a wide range of opportunities when it comes to government jobs in this field. It all depends on the architect’s skill, profile and work experience,” he added.

Another student Prashanth Agarwal says that he always wanted to be in the construction business. He said “Laying out a plan before constructing a building is an art; a lot of thought goes into the designing of even a small piece of land. Understanding architecture helps us address the complex problems of designing to house human activity, issues of climate and energy, technology and structure.

There is no dearth of jobs, from property builders, housing boards, local bodies for construction works to architecture firms, consultants are all hiring architects. Some architects even work independently by setting up their own firm.” Students are also being attracted to these courses as it’s more of a practical experience then the boring theoretical sessions as students get to work on designing a project.

The curriculum is designed on the idea of learning through doing. The course work is structured to help the student understand the aspects of architecture which are very much integral to designing, planning and construction of buildings. -Pix: Mir Zulfeqar Ali

By:Navatha Y