People need places to live, work, play, learn, worship, meet, govern, shop, and eat. Architects are responsible for designing these places, private or public; indoors or outdoors; rooms, buildings or complexes. Since independence of India, urban development as an offshoot of a developing economy there has been a movement of population from rural areas to urban centres of industry, leading to demand for more housing units cities of India. Urban housing in India has to balance space constraints with an aim to serve the working class with their dwelling needs. Growing awareness of ecology has also influenced architecture in India during modern times.
Industrialisation has further contributed to problems of townships and pressure on civic amenities for workers. Fresh migration from rural areas to existing cities strains already, meager housing capacities of existing cities. The very scale of the problem is unnerving. 8,37,00,000 dwelling units are needed throughout the country and the demand rises annually apart from shortage in rural housing. India builds an impressive number of houses and other buildings of utilization in modern times. Climate responsive architecture has long been a feature of India's architecture though losing its significance of late. Indian architecture reflects its various socio-cultural sensibilities which vary from region to region. Villages in India have typically features such as courtyards, loggias, terraces and balconies.
Government as an agency with the largest resource, carries the heaviest responsibility for construction. Following organizations in Government sector look after construction and have a large number of architects employed. There is almost a continuous need to replenish the numbers offering immense employment opportunities for architects.
CENTRAL PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (C.P.W.D.) is a national organization with affiliated bodies at state level called Public Works Department (P.W.D.). It looks after all the construction of government office buildings, residential accommodation for government employees, institutional buildings, hospitals, public auditoriums, conference halls and hotels.
TOWN COUNTRY PLANNING ORGANISATION is responsible for physical and land-use planning on a national scale and then detailed land-use planning on regional scale. It is also engaged in preparing development plans for existing cities to ensure controlled growth of these cities.
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION is a finance body and deals with funds for housing sector.
CENTRAL BUILDING RESEARCH INSTITUTE conducts research into various methods of economical construction and various other aspects of the building industry.
NATIONAL BUILDING ORGANISATION acts as an interface between all incoming technological information and practicing architects and builders.
STATE HOUSING BOARDS and DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES are responsible for implementation and designing of the housing needs, and general controlled growth of the existing cities according to drawn up master-plans for development.
Architects as independent professionals typically undertake following activities
- Consult with clients to determine requirements for structures
- Estimate materials, equipment, costs, and construction time
- Prepare, design, and structure specifications
- Direct workers who prepare drawings and documents
- Prepare scaled drawings of the project
- Prepare contract documents for building contractors
- Manage construction contracts
- Visit worksites to ensure that construction adheres to architectural plans
Architects also offer specialized services to their clients.
- As Interior designers architects make interior spaces functional, safe, and beautiful for almost every type of building: offices, homes, airport terminals, shopping malls, and restaurants. They select and specify colors, finishes, fabrics, furniture, flooring and wall coverings, lighting, and other materials to create useful and stylish interiors for buildings.
- Landscape architects plan and design land areas for parks, recreational facilities, highways, airports, and other properties. Projects include subdivisions and commercial, industrial, and residential sites.
- Urban and regional planners develop plans and programs for the use of land. They use planning to create communities, accommodate growth, or revitalize physical facilities in towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.
Most architects earn their professional degree through Bachelor of Architecture degree program, intended for students with no previous architectural training. A typical program includes courses in architectural history and theory, building design with an emphasis on computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), structures, technology, construction methods, professional practice, math, physical sciences, and liberal arts. Central to most architectural programs is the design studio, where students apply the skills and concepts learned in the classroom to create drawings and three-dimensional models of their designs.
The scope for making a successful career as an architect is vast as the service of an architect is most sought after. From landscape designing to interior designing the job of an architect has become very important.
(Author is Director General at Institute of Technology and Science and a renowned Career Counselor. He can be contacted at akpuri@its.edu.in)
