anveshak
Jun 7, 2012
Graduate / Statement of Purpose for master's in Urban & Regional Planning in SPA - Feedback [3]
Background
My initial interest in architecture developed during my school days, when the design of our house was being finalized. Its design was done by my civil engineer cousin. My father would discuss the plan with me, and we would talk about modifications and additions. Later, during the construction I spent a great amount of time watching over the construction and childishly taking part in it; enjoying every bit of it. The idea of being an "architect" had already sprouted, and it became my career choice when I was looking for options during 12th grade. I realized, what I like is architecture and hence I joined the B. Arch. course in NIT Calicut.
Experience in NITC
After joining, I had a hard time coping up with the class. I had felt a lack of imaginative and sketching skills, as compared to most of my classmates who had prior training. It took some time and practice to learn sketching, rendering, etc. It was during my first summer training that I learned about the importance of planning in design. I got a little side-tracked in my III year; however, internship proved to be rejuvenating. It is then, that I re-found myself and had the "desire to learn". Then, during Urban Design course Form Based Codes(FBC) was introduced by Sir Prof. Vinod Kumar. It happened after a few lectures and discussions, I realized that this is what I want to explore. I even did the research seminar on the same. Unknowingly, I had developed a keen interest in the field of planning; though I didn't do much about it at that time.
Thesis
The topic of my dissertation was "Mountaineering Institute", which gave me ample opportunities to apply the principles of planning in design. Living in the NITC campus made me understand the necessity of planning at institutional campus scale. I wanted to plan a campus catering to all the needs of the institute with minimum intervention to the surroundings. I have tried to retain the natural slope of site at every possible place. The design follows different trends for different buildings. It has given the campus a sense of unity, with diversity.
Future Plans
As a child, I had visited some famous Indian cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Agra, Jaipur, Itanagar, etc. and loved the environment. But, a lot had changed since then. Increased population, immigration, development, etc. required enormous infrastructural development too. Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, etc. being planned cities; under constant review has struggled and is still struggling to sustain; whereas, unplanned cities like Itanagar are worst affected by urbanization. It's not just the big cities; even the smaller cities are facing problems due to the similar reasons. One of such visits to my hometown and many other places made me think; what better a way to serve the society and conserve nature, along with improving future prospects. Nature has always been my first love, and every bit of what I would do as a planner will have a direct or indirect impact on the environment thereby serving all my purposes.
Why SPA?
After doing some research, I came to know about "Chance2Sustain"; the research project lead by Sir Prof. N. Sridhran; and a publication by Sir Prof. Kavas Kapadia, "Temporal Transition of Global Space : Cities in Transition", both of which are inspiring. An opportunity to study and work with such faculties is what I thrive for. A few of my seniors and batch-mates pursuing various courses in SPA also speak highly of the institute's educational standards. The Masters of Urban & Regional Planning degree meshes well with my career goals and academic interests. Earning a master's degree with an urban environment such as New Delhi shall reinforce my understanding of how cities work and how community relates to the built environment.
Background
My initial interest in architecture developed during my school days, when the design of our house was being finalized. Its design was done by my civil engineer cousin. My father would discuss the plan with me, and we would talk about modifications and additions. Later, during the construction I spent a great amount of time watching over the construction and childishly taking part in it; enjoying every bit of it. The idea of being an "architect" had already sprouted, and it became my career choice when I was looking for options during 12th grade. I realized, what I like is architecture and hence I joined the B. Arch. course in NIT Calicut.
Experience in NITC
After joining, I had a hard time coping up with the class. I had felt a lack of imaginative and sketching skills, as compared to most of my classmates who had prior training. It took some time and practice to learn sketching, rendering, etc. It was during my first summer training that I learned about the importance of planning in design. I got a little side-tracked in my III year; however, internship proved to be rejuvenating. It is then, that I re-found myself and had the "desire to learn". Then, during Urban Design course Form Based Codes(FBC) was introduced by Sir Prof. Vinod Kumar. It happened after a few lectures and discussions, I realized that this is what I want to explore. I even did the research seminar on the same. Unknowingly, I had developed a keen interest in the field of planning; though I didn't do much about it at that time.
Thesis
The topic of my dissertation was "Mountaineering Institute", which gave me ample opportunities to apply the principles of planning in design. Living in the NITC campus made me understand the necessity of planning at institutional campus scale. I wanted to plan a campus catering to all the needs of the institute with minimum intervention to the surroundings. I have tried to retain the natural slope of site at every possible place. The design follows different trends for different buildings. It has given the campus a sense of unity, with diversity.
Future Plans
As a child, I had visited some famous Indian cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Agra, Jaipur, Itanagar, etc. and loved the environment. But, a lot had changed since then. Increased population, immigration, development, etc. required enormous infrastructural development too. Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, etc. being planned cities; under constant review has struggled and is still struggling to sustain; whereas, unplanned cities like Itanagar are worst affected by urbanization. It's not just the big cities; even the smaller cities are facing problems due to the similar reasons. One of such visits to my hometown and many other places made me think; what better a way to serve the society and conserve nature, along with improving future prospects. Nature has always been my first love, and every bit of what I would do as a planner will have a direct or indirect impact on the environment thereby serving all my purposes.
Why SPA?
After doing some research, I came to know about "Chance2Sustain"; the research project lead by Sir Prof. N. Sridhran; and a publication by Sir Prof. Kavas Kapadia, "Temporal Transition of Global Space : Cities in Transition", both of which are inspiring. An opportunity to study and work with such faculties is what I thrive for. A few of my seniors and batch-mates pursuing various courses in SPA also speak highly of the institute's educational standards. The Masters of Urban & Regional Planning degree meshes well with my career goals and academic interests. Earning a master's degree with an urban environment such as New Delhi shall reinforce my understanding of how cities work and how community relates to the built environment.