Architectural Short Story Writing Competition, India: Series 1 was themed as ‘Architectural Travelogue’

Concept brief was described in the competition as: During travel, it is innate to meet people native to a place. Who could be better to know a place, the virtues and the demerits of a place than the people who inhabit it?! There is a vast amount of knowledge that can be extracted from those people itself, about the comforts and discomforts that the place has been providing them with, over the years. They could also tell about the factors to be altered to provide them with a better lifestyle, allowing expanding the horizons of what is present.

Series 2, was themed as ‘Journey to attain Design Expression ’

The design is a strong medium of expression. It is through design that things are actually brought into tangible existence that represents feelings and emotions via architecture, and that shall sustain for years to come. As budding architects, the major subject that must boggle our minds is to take into consideration our culture and traditions (to go ahead for a protected future) and address the environmental factors simultaneously. Thus, the protocol is to celebrate our past and design the future keeping in mind the efforts of our ancestors.

The organization has announced the winning Entries and the winners with their Abstracts are as under:

Series 1

Special Mention: ‘Architectural Travelogue’ By Ar. Ridhima Sharma, Architectural Journalist, New Delhi

Abstract- ‘Architectural Travelogue’: “Travel” an activity that you’ll hear every single architect recommend you as a sine qua non of learning, to evolve you through the journey of architecture. But this version of travel distinctly differs from the usual meaning of the word. How?

Let’s take a look:

When one goes towards a hilly destination on a road trip, one embraces the natural beauty, takes the perfect pictures to flourish their social media accounts.

However, an architect’s mind functions in a different manner. Noticing the tiniest details, we perceive and analyze everything in a unique manner – like a symphony between art and other elements of design. Perhaps the light yellowish hue of the faint sunlight falling on the snow creating a radiating emotion of warmth, or the calmness of watching the mystic hills complemented by the lush of greens. An architect’s eye has the ability to perceive the delicate patterns crafted by a spider in the cobweb and also the metaphoric meaning behind the intricate motifs in a Mughal arch. An abandoned wooden hut built ages ago, standing in the middle of the vast landscapes wouldn’t shun us away! Instead, an architect would be mesmerized by its raw exteriors. He would appreciate the simplicity of this rustic bucolic setting bringing unity to the tranquil landscapes around it.

Click here to read the full story

Series 2

Special Mention: ‘Decoding Identity’. By: Sulagna De, B.Arch Student, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

Abstract- ‘Decoding Identity’: October 1945, I wish I had some more share of time to stay. The experiences I’ve gathered in all these days shall always be memorable. I’ve never felt like an unknown, an outsider. This city has wrapped me up with love and hope and gifted me a vision of a happy life enriched with cultural & traditional integrity. Today, when am about to leave, forever, I feel a heavy heart to say goodbye to the ‘City of Joy’ indeed.

Time is running at its highest gear as is life. But, I feel like I’m stuck. Perhaps, losing myself into the depth of timelessness. I wonder, where are our lives leading to? What’s the identity? Of me? Of us? Of the city, we are dwelling in? Every single soul needs a physical body to pass through an eventful or maybe eventless but life. Perhaps the collection of these countless events creates the individual identities and the collective one be that of the city. A city, a town, a village, a metropolis represents its people, their activities, their lifestyle, their perspectives. Perhaps, it reflects the era - its time & space. Life seems like a narrative; the narrator is the Self – the inner voice. I feel like to give a pause, to listen to that voice, to look above & beyond the rapid & dynamic lifestyles and see people, thus to witness the change, the path of which I seek to trace.

Click here to read the full story

Jurors for these Series were:

Prof Krishna Rao Jaisim: Principal Architect Jaisim-Fountainhead

Ar. Pappal Suneja, Freelance Architect & Architectural Journalist, India

Ar. Jinisha Jain, Prof. McGAN’S Ooty School of Architecture

Prof (Ar.) SS Behl: Dean, Guru Nanak Dev. University, Amritsar

Ar. Sangeet Sharma, Practicing Architect & Author Chandigarh     

For Further Updates, Visit the Facebook Page of the Competition Series.

Top Image © Ar. Shruthi Shetty

> via Architectural Journalism Series