The Higher Education Review

Architecture is one of human's most visible and long-term forms of expression. For Arch. B. R. Ajit, a leader in the field of architecture for the past 35 years and the Chairman and Director of Asian School of Architecture and Design Innovations (ASADI), the art of architecture is just more than a profession. He started ASADI in 2013 with the sole objective of creating a new breed of young and enthusiastic architects who will be fully committed to the societal needs of the day. Ajit says, “Being an architect, a person proves the ability to change the world in the way he thinks. The architects have a social commitment to create a better and more responsible environment, especially to house the billions, who presently only have the sky as a roof above them.”

ASADI, considered as the first private architecture college in Cochin, offers a five-year bachelor degree in architecture, during which the students are exposed to the history of art and architecture, designing and drafting, freehand sketching and computer aided designs. The school imparts training related to structural design, building services, construction of buildings, and also to the art and its applications in architecture. For the ASADI team, the architectural education is not a

subject that can just be taught; instead they consider it as something to be experienced. “Many students are interested in this field, but they lack in fresh ideas. Our focus is on motivating them to think in a creative manner,” says Ajit.

In ASADI, the course is imparted through the ancient system of Gurukula, where individual attention is assured and each student will have a single mentor all through his education at the school. As per this system, every student would be attached to a mentor chosen from the full time faculty of the college. This mentor, who would be appropriately called the Guru by the respective student and he/she would act under the constant guidance all through the five years of education. “The continuous interaction with the Guru helps the student to create a good rapport wherein the students feel free to come up with their novel ideas,” claims Ajit. Along with the learning provided by the Guru, each student would also be attached to a practising architect in the city who would be the professional mentor. The institution is regularly visited by professors, including great masters of architecture from different parts of the world in order to fulfil the concept of professional mentors. ASADI believes that for an aspiring architect to have in-depth knowledge, he/she should also have the experience in the construction processes along with the knowledge related to the curriculum. Only the hands on experience and know how about the components used in the construction makes a complete skilled worker.

“This is very crucial in the course where the students get to know the complexities of the problems and the solutions to each component during the various stages of the construction phase,” opines Ajit. The construction of every unit of the college is done in such a manner that will enable the students to understand the components used for servicing like pipelines, electric cable works and air condition system and so on. These are all fixed in an exposed manner so as to help the students to have an understanding about the construction techniques that are designed and implemented in the project. “Our college building is a living laboratory for our students, which gives them detailed study regarding the art of architecture,” pinpoints Ajit. In addition to it, the services and structures are taught to the students as integrated horizontals from the first year itself. “Thus, we try to ensure that by the end of the course, students do not lack in the practical implementation of their learning,” adds Ajit. “With a creative mode of teaching, we mould a generation of architects who are very well committed to the betterment of the society” concludes Ajit. The School, which has just covered a short journey, is now ready for a long run to make a space for them by making creative architectural explorations.