Surrounded by the serene Shivaliks, the Greater Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas and the Zanskar mountain ranges, and home to scenic beauty, lies the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is also known as the ‘Land of Deodars’ — the Himalayan Cedar.

“Nothing is more beautiful than the calmness of the woods before sunrise”, and the people of Himachal live with it daily. Walking down the lanes of Himachal Pradesh, you will experience the worthiness of a traditional technique of Kath-Kuni that uses alternating layers of wood and stone masonry held in place without mortar for the construction of houses in these isolated hills of northern India. Kath-Kuni is derived from the Sanskrit words kasht meaning ‘wood’ and kona meaning ‘corner’.

As beautiful as Himachal winters are, they are also harsh and unforgiving. The hilly areas, being semi-connected and not being extremely facilitated, cannot rely on expensive heating arrangements. These humble abodes made in the Kath-Kuni style serve the purpose of protection against the extreme cold climate, as most parts of Himachal gets covered in a thick blanket of snow between November and March.

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In cities where the real estate prices are high and space is an expensive commodity, most people are forced to make use of every square inch of available space. The confines of designing small spaces compounded with shoestring budgets often make a jigsaw puzzle look easy. It is the problem which demands creating the right equilibrium between open space verses functionality.

In space planning, the important goal is to visualize how a space will function when finished out and furnished, and communicate the design of an interior environment that will meet the needs of the individual user.

Of primary concern are the functional and aesthetic aspects of the individual rooms and how the rooms relate to one another. Good coordination of these two elements creates effective Space Planning. Good practical solutions with creative ideas provide residents with a comfortable lifestyle within the restricted environment.

A home should be such that the settings that surround you should speak for themselves. Optimum use of space, a functional layout, keeping structural safety in mind, attention to details, effective use of colour and illumination with quality workmanship are the mantras for a successful space planning.

Though there are constraints at all the sites, budget and completion time being the key factors, the challenge lies in being true to one’s own sensibilities and satisfying the individual needs by creating a smooth functioning home, where one feels happy and confident.

One of the first steps while space planning is to sketch a furnishings layout on the floor plan based on what a typical room requires. This sketch will help define where the traffic flow will be in the space and it will also show if furnishings will fit in the room and point out any asymmetry (or symmetry for that matter) where it isn’t supposed to be.

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I am currently studying in Class 10. I want to be an architect. Which subjects should I take up in Class 11 and beyond?
Akansha (15) / Surat

Architecture is the art of planning, designing, and constructing buildings and other physical structures. You can become an architect after completing Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch.), a 5-year course available at many universities all over India. Eligibility is 10+2 with mathematics and English as compulsory subjects.

Almost everywhere, selection is through a written examination and an aptitude test. The Council of Architecture conducts an aptitude test, NATA, (nata.in) on an All India basis for colleges of architecture private and government. Many engineering colleges having architecture courses admit students on the basis of the results of the entrance examination common to other engineering courses and the aptitude test especially for architecture branch.

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Are you creative and imaginative with a special interest in design? Then architecture may be best suited to you. It includes courses on design and aesthetic theory, engineering and technology, arts and grafts. Eligibility is 10+2 with physics, chemistry and mathematics and duration is five years. Admission is through competitive examinations.

Student work is often in the form of drawings and renderings, either through computer-aided design or drafting by hand. They also build physical models and create presentation boards for drawings and graphics.

The work of an architect is varied, challenging and brings alive the creativity in oneself. They not only design a building, but also look at other aspects like how it will be used, what it will cost and how it will be built.

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Engineering courses require mainly maths and science skills. But for becoming an architect, aptitude is important. This job requires not only a creative mind (it takes more than just drawing pictures), but also good communication skills as you will interact with many clients. The initial earnings of an architect are not very high, because this is a field where a student has to learn a lot even after finishing the course. They may start with a salary of Rs 40,000-50,000 a month. But after gaining experience of few years, architects with the right aptitude can earn quite a high income.

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To be an architect, you should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture (B.Arch.). Eligibility for this course is 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Selection is usually through an aptitude test and written examination. An aptitude test is held to judge the applicant’s visual and spatial perception, creative ability, imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, etc. After finishing the course an architect must register with the Council of Architecture to practise as an independent architect.

The prospective architect should have that intelligence and enquiring open-mindedness, which fosters creativity, and should be analytical and self-critical. It is an asset, if s/he can do free hand sketches and has CAD skills. Literacy and numeracy are vital, as is the ability to work in teams.

Initial earning of an architect is not very high, because this is a field where a student has to learn a lot even after finishing the course. But after gaining experience of a few years, architects with the right aptitude can earn quite a high income. To know more just Google “career in architecture”; you’ll get a list of many sites.

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Sir J. J. School of Architecture, Mumbai, is considered one of the foremost institutions of architecture in India. Therefore you need good score in NATA to get into this institute. Marks in 10+2 exam is also given due weightage for admission.

Other notable institutes are School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (spa.ac.in);
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur (iitkgp.ac.in); Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee (iitr.ac.in); Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh (cca.nic.in); National Institutes of Technology all over India; School of Architecture, Centre of Environment Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad (cept.ac.in).

Opportunities in this field are highly dependent on the level of local construction. Big cities are developing very fast, and construction of commercial as well residential buildings are going on. Even renovation of old buildings is on the rise. This trend is especially good for architects, as it provides many job opportunities.

B.Tech. is totally based on technology, on the other hand, B.Arch. focuses on designing part of architecture along with technology. To become a good architect you must be a good designer.

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