Seminar

A seminar was conducted in the seminar hall of B.I.T Mesra on 3rd October 2009 as a part of Zonasa’09. Three eminent people working with vernacular architecture and conservation were invited for the same.
1. Mr. Bulu Imam – Director, Sanskriti Kendra Research Center, Hazaribagh, Convener INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Culture) and campaigner against coal mining in Karanpura valley (http://www.karanpuracampaign.com/).
2. Dr. Ajay Khare- Director School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal and an active conservationist working with DRONAH (www.dronah.com)
3. Mr. S. D Singh- State Convener INTACH Jharkhand and an alumnus of B.I.T Mesra.

Mr. Bulu Imam presented a lecture on ‘Post Architectural Habitat in a Globally Warming World’. It made students think of a fast approaching world where there will be fights over water and not oil, where coasts will be flooded and when high rise buildings will be rendered useless because there will be no electricity. He implored the need to explore the simple solutions of a mud hut, a leaf dwelling and the self sustaining and simple life of villages when we design in a radically altered world.
Dr. Khare shared his experiences as a young conservationist in Jaisalmer. He talked of pragmatism in conservation (‘we should not be conservative while conserving’) and why certain structures need to be retained for the knowledge they contain for future generations.
Mr. S. D Singh presented his attempts of conserving the Rajmahal area with a group of students.
Audio-visual presentation made by winning students were played and discussed by the panel. It was widely agreed that that simple and passive techniques of yesterdays make more sense. The challenge to the modern day architect remains to make right choices over market driven sensibilities.
The entire experience of conducting the competition ‘Translating Traditions’ was very enriching. It was heartening to see the variety of structures studied. It put me in contact with a lot of students from across India as well as a number of architects and individuals who work towards upholding indigenous architecture.

Architects discuss displayed sheets

Dr. Khare talking about conservation as other Panelists look on.
Students engrossed in Bulu Imam’s talk.Winning Sheets displayed in the background

Inaugration ceremony of ZONASA'09

FINAL RESULTS

Dear Participants,

We are pleased to announce the results for the design competition ‘Translating Traditions’ supported by the 2009 BERKELEY PRIZE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FELLOWSHIP.

The competition was a great learning experience for both the participants as well as the organizers. We were glad to see the plethora of response and the variety of structures studied. It was also heartening to learn about the sensitization of youth towards their past and their zeal to carry it forward.


FIRST PRIZE (USD 1000)- Mukund Iyer and Hamed Khalidi, Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai

SECOND PRIZE (USD 750)- Apoorva Shenvi and Neha Parulekar,Sir J.J College Of Architecture, Mumbai.

THIRD PRIZE ( USD 500)- SHARED BY-
1.Arpita Choudhury, Indian Institute of Technology,Roorkee
2. Honey Jalali and Spondon Bhagowati , School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi

SPECIAL MENTION (USD 250) - Somraj Sarkar and Arnab Biswas, Bengal engineering and Science University, Shibpur

Winners are invited for the east zone ZONASA ’09. A seminar/discussion on the same topic will be held on 3rd October, 2009 where the winners are required to present their designs prior to prize collection.

The jury members for the competition were-

Ar. Chitra Vishwanath (www.biome-solutions.com)is a Bangalore based architect whose firm Biome Environmental Solutions specializes in creating indigenously ecological buildings.

Ar. Gita Balakrishnan is the lady behind Ethos (www.ethosindia.in) and very popular among students. She is at the forefront of organizing various green design competitions.

Dr. Satyaki Sarkar , Senior Lecturer,Department of Architecture, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi has special interest in urban conservation and has done a lot of work in Calcutta along the same lines.

Thank you all for your co-operation and support.

FINAL SUBMISSION

FINAL SUBMISSION: 15 th SEPTEMBER, 2009

Hey!

Hope all of you are hard at work for the second round......

Zonasa for zone four has shifted to 1st-3rd October,2009 hence the date for the submission is getting pushed........

Here are answers to some frequently encountered queries---

1. Last date for submission in 15th September, 2009

2. We require both a) softcopy by mail and b) Sheets by courier

3. Please bear in mind postal delays, last minute internet failures etc while sending over your entries. Select courier companies that can be traced online for your ease as well as ours.

4. As mentioned in the brief, winners are required to be present for the seminar at BIT during zonasa. It will be held on the second day i.e 2nd October. So, it will be a good idea to chalk out your travel plans and book tickets in advance given the Durga Puja rush at that time. The travel expense will be borne by you whereas food and accomodation for two days will be taken care by us.

While working on the final submission it please be mindful of some jury comments--

1. Always quote your sources...magazines, books, architects etc

2. Give personal interpretations, ideas and experiences. It makes the work more interesting.

3. Translation means your interpretation and execution of the study conducted.

4. Link between your previous studies (first round) and execution should be visible and logical.

Best of luck!!!

Results: First Round

Hey,

There were a total of 42 entries in the first round. Choice of buildings and issues was diverse and refreshing. Judges picked out the 16 most promosing projects that had the potential for the second round-

1. Mukund Iyer and Hamed Khalidi, Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai
2. Somraj Sarkar and Arnab Biswas, BESU, Shibpur
3. Sharanya Srinivasan and Fareeha Bivi Omar, MEASI Academy of Architecture, Chennai
4. Apoorva Shenvi and Neha Parulekar, Sir J.J College of Architecture, Mumbai
5. Rashi Bharati and Kanika Melhotra, Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon
6. Honey Jalili and Spondon Bhagowati, SPA, New Delhi
7. Mayuri Playekar and Prachi Deokar, LBHHSCA, Mumbai
8. Sangeeta Kumari and G. Anand Rao, PMCA, Cuttack
9. Prakash T and Mahantha JM, NIT, Trichy
10. Pallavi Sharma and Pallavi Upadhyay, SDCA, Dasna, Gaziabad
11. Atul Rarraf and Alaknanda Yeshwant, MSRIT, Bangalore
12. Piyush Das, PMCA, Cuttack
13. Arpita Choudhary, IIT Roorkee
14. Swati and Tarun Gautam, SDCA, Dasna, Gaziabad
15. Gargi Roy and Shubhro Kar, BESU, Shibpur
16. Monisha Palinvelu and Archana R, R.V College of Engineering, Bangalore

Congratulations to all winners and Best of Luck for the second round!!! In the second round we seek answers to 'HOW' you intend to give a tangible form to your study.....on the applicability of the techniques learnt from the past in the current context.

NOTE: All winning teams are requested to submit scanned letters from their HODs stating that the submission made in the first round is the intellectual property of the participant by 16th August, 2009 failing which their selection in the second round will stand cancelled.

magazine

Hey!
While awaiting for the of results the first round we are working towards compiling a magazine to be published at the end of this competition. Besides publishing winning entries it will contain personal experiences, sketches, photographs etc. Cover design is also open.
So feel free to mail in with any suggestions or entries!!!!

First Round Submissions closed

Hey!!
The submissions for the first round of translating traditions has come to a close.
Thank you all for the wonderful response!!
In case you have not received a conformation mail after the submission do let us know as soon as possible. (call: 09931354863)
Watch this space for results in the comming week.
:)

first submission

Dear Participants,

The registration for the design competition “Translating Traditions” is almost coming to a close and it’s time to think about the first submission!!!! Please note the following information with regards to the same-
1. If you plan to submit soft copies of your work then please mail it to translatingtraditions@gmail.com by midnight of 31st July, 2009 (IST). It is advised that you compile all different sheets in one pdf file for ease of viewing than send separate jpegs. Do not reveal your name or college identity on the sheets.

2. If you plan to send hand drafted sheets them do courier them by 31st July. We have given a five day period for postal delays (so they should reach us by 5th August, 2009) but your sheets will only be accepted if the courier indicates that they were posted on or before 31st July, 2009. Leave a 2.5mm square box in the formatting for code. Write your name and college at the back of each sheet. Also scan (or photograph) your sheets and send the soft copies compiled in one pdf to our mail address- translatingtraditions@gmail.com

Address for posts--
Translating Traditions
C/O Dr. Ajay Khare
Head of the Department
Birla Institute of Technology
Mesra, Ranchi- 835215

For any further information or clarifications feel free to mail us or call me at – 09931354863

Design Brief

Design Brief

1.1 Introduction

India has a rich and vibrant variety of climate and culture across its length and breadth. This automatically translates into architecture. Common sense and context have always been the ideology guiding buildings. This is why we can see a great number of ageless buildings that have sustained the onslaught of time, both in their structure and activity.
We, the youth of India, have experienced a sea of change within our lifetimes. After the liberalization of the economy in 1991, global forces have influenced our lives in a big way. Though this has done wonders for education, employment and the G.D.P., it is sad when one pauses to think what all we have lost in the way.
Today life has come full circle. Resources are running low and architects the world over are grappling for green and sustainable solutions. We, a developing nation, have seen both-the simplicity of a traditional lifestyle revering and respecting nature and the current high consumption attitudes. The knowledge of the difference between the two should be our armory as future designers.
Study of the local vernacular styles does not feature in our regular undergraduate syllabus and is sometimes added as an elective. So by the end of five years we accept steel sections and artificial air conditioning as the norm but are at sea about adobe, sloping roofs and wind tunnels. Maybe we are done severing our connection to the very roots that sustain us. It is time to make a journey back home.

2.1 Stage One : Tradition
Duration: June 15th-July 30th

Students are encouraged to pick a structure which exemplifies local architectural traditions. It may be their grandmother’s house where they have spent many a summer holidays, a building they pass by everyday to college or their very own houses. It may even be an urban open space, market or some aspect of indigenous town planning. The aim is to study and explore the structure in terms of its natural, social and traditional context. The uniqueness of the construction style, materials used and technologies adopted must be explored. Original research work and associative links will be given precedence.

Teams - maximum two undergraduate students of architecture can participate.
Registration- Teams can regester by mailing the following information to translatingtraditions@gmail.com -
1.Name of participants
2. College and address
3.Year of study
4.contact numbers
Regestration deadline- 22nd July,2009

Submission- photographs, plans, elevations, sections, views, sketches and text composed on a maximum of 5 A3 sheets and submitted online. Students who wish to hand draft can post the sheets with scans or photographs of the same posted online.
Submission deadline- July 30th,2009

August 5th - top 25% of all the entries qualify for the second round.

2.2 Stage two: Translation
Duration: August 5th -September 10th, 2009

Students are required to prepare proposals on how they intend to maintain the continuity of the structure and the wisdom it carries when the values and customs that sustained it are fast eroding. These may be schemes to adopt constructional wisdom to make new buildings cost-effective and green, to successfully bring the building back to life and integrating it with everyday community life or something radically different.
Submission- Plans, elevations, sections, views, sketches and text composed on a maximum of 4 A2 sheets and posted to Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi.

Winners announced – 15th September,2009

Winners will be invited to Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi. All final stage entries will be exhibited. A seminar session with lectures by the jury members and presentations by the winning teams followed by an open discussion with the audience will be organized.

3.1 Prize

First Prize - USD 1000
Second Prize - USD 750
Third Prize - USD 500
Special Mention- USD 250

4.1 Contact -

Translating Traditions
Department of Architecture
Birla Institute of Technology
Mesra, Ranchi -835215

email- translatingtraditions@gmail.com

5.1 2009 BERKELEY PRIZE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FELLOWSHIP

In 2008, the BERKELEY PRIZE Committee established the Architectural Design Fellowship Competition. This prize aims to foster the study of the social art of architecture by sponsoring local and regional design competitions developed and run by students.This competition challenges the candidates to produce a thorough and practical proposal for a design competition that would benefit a selected region or institution. Your competition should be based on some aspect of the Essay you have submitted in response to the current year’s topic of Sustainable Design/Traditional Wisdom. It is intended that your competition should be concluded before the end of 2009.The successful candidate will be provided with funds to support the competition and to provide individual cash prizes. You will be asked to name a Faculty or Administrative Advisor within your academic institution for your competition. He or she must agree to assist you with any professional guidance needed to make the competition a success. It will be up to you, however, to decide the scope of the competition, how you intend to publicize it, establish the entry requirements, select judges, and determine the awards. You will be asked to provide the BERKELEY PRIZE with periodic updates on the progress of your competition and a final report on the results, all of which will be posted on the BERKELEY PRIZE website.
For more information- http://www.berkeleyprize.org/