Rajalakshmi School of Architecture Activities

Critical academic sessions during our architecture program include the following –

DESIGN STUDIO
Design studios are incorporated in the syllabus every semester that graduate from basic design sensibilities in the first semester through single space designs, gradually increasing the scale, scope, and complex contextualities of the design finally culminating in an individual large scale design fully researched, conceptualized, drafted and presented by the student in their Final semester Thesis.

We ensure a sufficient student-to-staff ratio, including eminent faculty from the academic as well as industrial spheres who provide students one-on-one attention, personalized dossiers for each student, hone presentation skills, and generally develop their design sensibilities to the maximum. Architects strive to identify personalized goals for each student at the beginning of each semester, and continuously monitor progress to achieve superlative results.

GUEST LECTURES
Expert Lectures provide students exposure to subject experts, material experts, artisans, niche designers, reputed architects, and skilled workers to gain a wider knowledge of the design process for additional exposure.

CASE STUDY VISITS
It is universally accepted that visual and experiential teaching has the maximum understanding and retention capabilities for students. This axiom is doubly true for architecture, as it is only when a student practically experiences the various typologies of spaces, scales, and effect of light & shadow, the material chosen, technologies used, and contextualities submitted to, that they can truly understand how every decision they make affects not just their design but the lives of the people they are designing for.

In this regard, Students are assigned to visit and study existing buildings of similar typology/ techniques followed that are being explored in the design studio/ construction studio. Students are encouraged to visit as many buildings, construction sites, and related sites as possible.

STUDY TOURS
One-two week tours during the academic year are encouraged with every batch to fulfill curriculum requirements and provide exposure to students on good architectural examples from all over India

The list of tours advised for each batch of architecture includes the following:
First-year – Art and Sketching tour – 1 week
Second-year – Village case study – 1 week
Third-year – North India tour – 2 weeks
Final year – West India tour – 2 weeks
During the study tour, students are required to make detailed notes, drawings, and Sketches of buildings visited and submit a detailed report at the end.

STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
S.T.R.I.D.E – A students Association of RSA was initiated to promote a culture of healthy interaction within the department and a structure for co-curricular activities organized regularly by the school. Selected and elected representatives from every class form an organizing committee that takes responsibility to organize intra-department events, special lectures, student workshops, etc.

NASA
National Association of Students of Architecture, briefly designated as NASA India, is a student body association, one of its kind for the undergraduate students of Architecture in India. Established in 1957 (13th September 1957) with few colleges, with a common aim and objective to provide the students a platform for interaction, a platform where students from varied cultural backgrounds would learn and share their knowledge. NASA now includes students of over 110 colleges from across the country, divided geographically into six zones.

NASA India has its headquarters currently located at the Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. The following are some events associated with NASA
The Annual NASA Design Competition (ANDC)
Seminars, Panel Discussions, Workshops
Zonal NASA Conventions
The Annual NASA Convention
RSA Students are encouraged to actively participate in NASA events as they Provide exposure and interaction at a national level

SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
RSA encourages participation in seminars/workshops/events that are related to the department philosophy. The school also strives to host seminars/workshops/events that promote the department’s expertise and research and help in gaining prominence and recognition in academic circles. A national-level Technical symposium ‘ATTIC’ has been established as a yearly event in the architectural calendar.

FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR ARCHITECTS:
Architecture is a rapidly growing platform for creative professionals who aim to explore and positively transform the built environment we live in. For the motivated and interested architect, opportunities exist in almost every sphere of life. An architect can choose and juggle between establishing their own practice, joining an established firm whose design philosophy they ascribe to, going further and specializing in conservation, landscape, planning, urban and rural design studies, sustainable and energy-efficient architecture, alternate and vernacular architectural practices, construction and building companies, in-house architectural consultants to various high profile IT, financial, commercial and real estate establishments, pursuing full-time research in architectural, egotistical, structural, planning, applied design, interiors, materials, lighting or any number of such related fields to even teaching basic principles of design and architecture at various institutions if academically inclined.

HIGHER STUDIES:
While some choose to work, more than 70 percent of students opt for Master’s or further studies after completing their Bachelor’s programme,. They specialize in streams such as Landscape Architecture, Architectural Conservation, Urban Design, Building Engineering & Management, Environmental Planning, Housing, Transport Planning, Regional Planning, Town and Country Planning, Industrial Design, etc. Students also opt for an MBA (real estate). Besides these, opportunities also exist in government organizations such as the Town and Country Planning Organisation, the National Institute of Urban Affairs, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, National Building Construction Corporation Ltd., etc. Do remember what German architect Walter Gropius said, “Society needs a good image of itself. That is the job of an architect.”

PRACTICE OPPURTUNITIES:
The topmost priority for an architect should be to get on-the-job training. On-the-job training provides much-needed exposure to candidates to get a practical hand in architecture and a job in an architecture company. Additionally, asking for association with practicing architects works well to get a breakthrough in career for the reason that candidate gets practical experience by doing day-to-day activities with an architect. Internship programs with architects, structural engineers, or building designers help in enriching the profile which ultimately benefits candidates to get a job. Similarly, candidates should start building a portfolio with working drawings for design projects; the same can be shown during interviews to mark credibility. Certification can be of added advantage to get a job in an architecture company.