Architecture is not a dictum!!!

We have several people , to provide several ideas on the mere, poorly , pathetic term “Architecture”; which unfortunately is so much misunderstood that the beauty and charm of the excellence of the term is being so easily wiped off!!!

Architecture arose when man decided to build. He continued building and added art to his life and his dwellings too…….because man has the good lord’s cursed gift , “A creative mind”!!! So perhaps, man cannot be distinguished from what he builds! Unfortunately  or fortunately, an era came, when man came to know about things as such as finance,  commerce, display, economics , infrastructure, politics, religion, worship , and not to forget technology ,and hence man employed  and impeded with these, his buildings too……and thence came the great good cathedrals and palaces…….slowly crept in the extraordinarily gigantic massive “skyscrapers”……what mind – boggling heights do they sore to!!!!……….

The first day WE enter in our architecture class we are taught the essence of “SPACE”……very few of us actually comprehend the valuable concept of it…..why are WE studying architecture or perhaps are architects ?? Because We are the ones who have a little extra sync to ‘think’ , ‘feel’ ,‘imagine and ‘express’ , isn’t it??? Whom are we designing for ?……none other than our own brethren species, like our own self who breathe and feel  and have the right to live!!!! What is a building for…….To serve its purpose of providing spaces as required…….so why concentrate on HOW the building looks like……..

I don’t say do not build skyscrapers, please do, but a skyscraper must figure out its own space in its location as well, a skyscraper must provide a comfort factor to not only its inhabitants but also to the city at large…….just imagine watching an adjacent slum from your terrace garden at the 80th floor!!!!……… Or  imagine yourself , sitting inside your office at the 90th floor, and being bothered about how the entire building looks like from the exterior (if you weren’t an architect of course)……..

that does not mean you need not display art and your talents…….the question is to decide our priorities…….in a country where every second day a beggar dies homeless and without food , where population goes out of bounds, where cities and metropolitans are crammed with us , where traffic moves like ants on streets, our priority must not be to design and ornate the only individual building WE  are designing but also synchronize it according to the site , surrounding , location .It is us who have to decide what value a single built unit can add to the city , the people and the environment as a whole, keeping in mind the welfare of the owners too……WE will have to educate the people, our clients or for what reason are we educated architects!!!!…….or else there is no difference between us and the commercial builders…….The real art and challenge is to design “Spaces” that breathe in its surroundings  and  “Spaces “ which allows the inhabitants to breathe….. not an ornate glass box with plastic walls and plush air conditioners  where breath is at the cost of electricity bills ,especially when coal is depleting and rivers are drying!!!!!!!

Our buildings must communicate, interact ,with the people, the city, the roads ,the parks ……..a healthy communication not a ruthless quarrel , because they reflect us and our existence reflects them…..We are a  democracy, our creations must not give rise to disparity and economic clashes……….We have been building only paying heed to  individual interests, never had the magnified thoughts in mind and hence the consequences  of disrupted life systems and imbalanced growth……………believe  me  how much ornate your creation might be , if it does not synchronize with  its existence ,it does not have life ,whatever technology you apply  and whatever durability you  afford for it………….it is only a doom  for the world at large. You might create a burj khalifa , it’ll fill your pockets , the owner’s pockets, because it can only be used by the ones who can afford to fill the above mentioned pockets………..a common  man would just give  a disappointed sigh and move forward………Since all do not have their pockets filled…….

All this requires efforts, hard willingness, keen determination, and an urge …….You need to be a visionary as a responsible architect…….

”destruction is the first step to creation and change”……destruct yourself  to bring out the creative you…..create  anew with astuteness, fight for your creations , a creation BY  YOU, THE PEOPLE,  FOR THE PEOPLE AND FROM THE PEOPLE !!!!

It requires guts…what are you educated for??….or else go my dears, fill  your pockets till your death tolls to take you empty handed to the grave  with an ended sickened life, that of a dog, who wagged its tail on the whims of its clients called masters!!!!!!  Oh ! the disappointment is we’ll have to call  YOU , an “ARCHITECT”………….ALAS!!!……..

Jivantika Satyarthi

Note- this article does not hint at any individual specifically or any person living or dead…….assume it a coincidence if you very much connect with it!!!!