The first image that usually comes to mind when we think about architecture is tall skyscrapers, glass buildings, or giant monuments. However, on a Practical Learning Tour to Goa, students of the Faculty of Architecture from Parul University discovered that there is a lot more to architecture. It is not just a question of building, but the history, the culture, the climate, and how the people occupy their areas.
This concept was central to a lecture given by Leon Morenas, Principal at Goa College of Architecture, who discussed the relationship between history and background and architecture. In his presentation, he reminded the students that design is not created in a blank space, but instead derived through the people, land, and history of a community.
- Goa as a Living Classroom
- Architecture Beyond Monuments
- Learning From the Past for the Future
- What Students Took Back
- A Larger Learning JourneyIt can be the Writers Tour in Mumbai with authors and screenwriters, the Robotics Tour in Chennai exploring automation, the Biopharma Tour in Hyderabad learning about drug innovation, the Leadership Tour in Bangalore with changemakers, the Design Tour in Mumbai mixing art and technology, or any of the other tours. Students have an opportunity to learn in practice.
Goa as a Living Classroom
The streets of Goa became an open textbook.There were colonial and local touches as students went exploring: laterite stone walls with balconies in the Portuguese style, red-tiled pitched roofs to keep off monsoons, and open courtyards that allowed light and air into houses.
These were not only aesthetic features. They reflected practical responses to climate and cultural life. The students were able to observe how architecture changes over time to meet local needs by exploring these areas.
Architecture Beyond Monuments
The most powerful message of the session was one that was clear: architecture is not only about the design of buildings or monuments. It is about the background, how a city is developed based on its past, how the climate influences the development of a city, and the residents of such places.
Students started to pose new questions instead of concentrating on only the structure or design. Why is this house's roofing sloping? Why do Goan homes have courtyards? How does history affect what is preserved or changed? These observations helped them see architecture as part of a larger conversation between tradition and modern needs.
Learning From the Past for the Future
The tour indicated that knowing history is not all about looking back, but rather using the past to create a stronger future. The architects of today can learn the ancient techniques of using local stone or ventilating buildings naturally, and come up with a sustainable and culturally acceptable design.
This was one of the most important lessons that the students learnt, as they were able to balance between valuing the heritage and embracing modernity.
What Students Took Back
For many, the tour was more than an academic activity. It was an encouraging experience that expanded their view of architecture. They began to see design as an art that is responsive to people, climate, and history, and not simply a technical undertaking.
This view will remain with them in the future as they develop their careers and think about space and design.
A Larger Learning JourneyIt can be the Writers Tour in Mumbai with authors and screenwriters, the Robotics Tour in Chennai exploring automation, the Biopharma Tour in Hyderabad learning about drug innovation, the Leadership Tour in Bangalore with changemakers, the Design Tour in Mumbai mixing art and technology, or any of the other tours. Students have an opportunity to learn in practice.
These are not just tours, they are those moments when you get to know knowledge in the most raw way possible, when theory gets applied, and curiosity faces reality.
