Evolution of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design discourse in B.Arch. Schools, India

Abstract

Architectural Discourse in a typical B.Arch. program across architecture schools in India was dominated by the “Star Architect”, for the most part in post independence India. It probably continues to do so in many schools or is at least an inherent thinking block in the minds of most young architects. However there are many compartments that post independent India can be categorised into, depending on the location and associated growth pattern. The late 90s to 2000s heralded a construction boom in the country, importing many building prototypes mainly from the western world. Landscape Architecture and Urban Design were more peripheral in this context, being limited to historical studies and as a secondary context to the architectural built form. Landscape Architecture was seen through a decorative lens, to be considered post finishing the construction of a building, as an afterthought, as mere decoration. On the other hand Urban Design was not necessarily taught even as an elective in many schools. It was found buried under the aegis of town planning, in very introductory formats in B.Arch. schools. At best it found a place in master’s programs trying to imagine the future India but tied to history in its thinking. Economic growth and associated development became the focus, further blurring boundaries of development, planning and design. Amongst the major centers of architectural training, the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad and Sir J J College of Architecture, Mumbai and many other schools in Mumbai, a certain shift in this viewing lens started to occur post liberalisation in the 1990s. Growth fuelled urbanisation and urban sprawl forced the focus on these disciplines at the bachelors study level also. This paper brings forth observations in these changes and how the viewing lens and discourse of these two disciplines now informs architectural education, particularly outside these centres of excellence. Key Words: Discourse, architectural education, viewing lens