Architects Role and Involvement: A Retrospection

Objective: To understand an Architects’ role in creating the built environment. To gauge the extent to which an Architects role can be extended. 

Outcome: The student will realise and reflect on the limited scope of work and involvement of an Architect, limiting it to the context of formally commissioned projects as well as self or informally built spaces in the cities.

Requirements: Laptop/Mobile, Google Docs to prepare the questionnaire

Prerequisites: Students prepare the questionnaire required for a quick interaction based survey with people they meet everyday such as their househelper, watchmans, drivers, friends, etc. The survey will include questions around the kind of houses they stay into and its designers. The questionnaire to include questions like

1) Who designed/built the house? 2) What material is used to build the house 3) If the drawing of the house was developed 4) Was there development of built area over years and if an architect was consulted in all phases of development. 5) Do they know who is an architect and what their role is? 6) Would they need an architect’s help in designing their house, would it be better if they designed it? etc.

Procedure:

Step 1: Students need to interview househelper, watchmans, drivers, cleaners, a few neighbours, shopkeepers, workers at petrol pumps, vendors, friends, extended families, etc and fill the survey forms. Document the responses.

Step 2: Understand the responses and document the percent of houses that are built by an architect versus those built by civil engineers, masons and self-built (by the owner).

Step 3:  Share the collective findings of all the students and reflect.