Architecture is not only the process of drawing something on a piece of paper or pouring concrete into forms, it is the process of creating life, culture, and places where people will live all their lives. This is the reason why the group of Architecture Students of the Parul University was roaming about the scenic landscapes of Goa not in search of beaches and night life but in search of a more serious learning exercise that turned the state into a living classroom.
The highlight of the trip was an interesting visit to Studio Momo where students got a close-up view of how sustainability and architecture can be integrated. To preserve the old buildings and create spaces that use less energy, the session encouraged students to look past the glass front and flashy skyscrapers, and to question: how can a building breathe with its surroundings?
Restoring Without Destroying
Among the key lessons of the session was that restoration of old buildings could be achieved without degradation of the ecosystems surrounding these buildings. Trees, landscapes and organic contours do not always have to be sacrificed in favour of building. They may instead be conserved and included in the design.
This was a different approach to design that made students realize that construction is not necessarily starting new. It is sometimes about respecting what already exists and improving it. By doing so, restoration is never a bargain, but rather, a chance to make something worthwhile.
Bringing Beauty and Function Together
The students also got to know about how restoration can be both aesthetic and functional. An old building that has a tiled roof or carved balconies can also be transformed into a modern building. Therefore, the area still maintains its original allure and becomes functional.
This concept demonstrated to the students that sustainable design does not only involve saving energy, it also involves emotional attachment. A beautiful building which functions effectively is one that individuals desire to live in and conserve over the years.
Goa as a Living Classroom
A walk around Goa offered students a chance to study some practical examples of sustainable architecture. Locally available materials also made buildings cool down naturally and appropriate to the coastal climate, which is depicted in the heritage houses using wood, clay tiles and stone of laterite.
Every street, every courtyard, every building became a practical illustration of the relation between culture and design. Being able to observe these spaces very closely, students realized that architecture represents the identity of a place and serves a practical need.
A Lesson for the Future
They also came to realize by the end of the tour that it is a responsibility to be an architect. Making decisions that are also respectful of both people and the environment is as important as being creative in the design of a building. All decisions, including materials and planning, are long-term.
The visit made the students realize that sustainable design is not a constraint. Actually, it generates new lines of thinking. As architects draw environmentally friendly and energy conserving areas, they are also designing buildings that can stand the test of time and inspire the next generation.
More Than Just Goa
The Goa tour was not the only one in this series of learning at Parul University. Students often get to leave classrooms and visit real world industries on tours.
From the outing with writers in the Writers Tour in Mumbai, or a Robotics tour in Chennai, to learn about Biopharma in Hyderabad, or the leadership tours in Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, every trip brings something new.
Learning as a Journey
The special feature of these tours is the ability to combine theory and practice. Students do not just learn concepts by reading and watching examples of how to act; they also learn to envision their difficulties and imagine how they can help it. To architecture students in Goa, this was not just the idea of sustainability in a book but also in practice.
Each trip contributes something new to the education of a student. These tours make them thinkers, innovators and problem solvers who are prepared to enter the professional world. It is not only classroom learning at Parul University, it is going out of the four classroom walls and discovering that knowledge is everywhere.
