What's in the Plan?

From the beginning of the graduation course to joining an architectural firm or further in one's own practice, Plan is one of the most used and terms. A plan is basically a graphic representation, a drawing or a diagram to showcase how something will be arranged. Of course, there is one other definition of the word Plan - i.e. to create a proposal of how things are going to be done - like a holiday plan. But, in this particular post, I am going to stick to the first definition.  

If we talk about the conventional approach towards designing among colleges, we find that students are given a site for a semester and if the kids are taught well, they would begin with drafting a 'plan' keeping the site constraints in mind. One good way of charting out a plan is to work on GRID. That helps you to understand the 'scale' (of whatever you are proposing) in a better way. One of my batchmates was one step ahead. She used to work on plans with free hand and make the grid herself - with exact spacing and size - which I believe was a remarkable skill for a college student. On the other hand, some people, like me, preferred working with free hand only - without using the grid - which, I discovered a bit later, was the wrong technique. I would make the plans (free hand) and think that the product would be good. But as soon as I transferred those plans to 3D, I realized the huge difference between what was built and what I was imagining. Then I realized the power of grids. 

But working on the plan first altogether seems to be a less apt (if not wrong) approach now. During my last years in college, I was deeply under the influence of the works by Christopher Alexander, an Architect, a mathematician and a design theorist. I saw few of his lectures online and read extensively about his 'process' of designing. What I discovered was something which I was 'casually' told by my faculty years ago - prepare models! Yes. A whole 'new' approach towards designing. Where plans are made at a later stage and the structure is built first (on a smaller scale). In one of the videos where his architecture has been discussed, Alexander says, "Life can not be produced by drawings. Life can only be produced from a process." Here is the video where you can look into his career in depth -

Whatever be your design problem, preparing and working out on models right from the conceptual stage would change the way you see things. A 3m long wall is just a line in a plan but the same wall is also 3m high when u work with a model. A room might seem to be a 2D square in plan but it has a volume in a model. A model lets you 'experience' space well before it is even conceived.

No doubt, great architects work only on a plan. But they became great after working on models first. This practice, if followed religiously, will teach you the relationship between a line and space.  

Seamless Transitions

There is a new category or genre of music available on media these days - it's called 'Mash-up'. Well, actually the genre is old but the name given to it is rather new suiting the needs and attitude of the new generation - fast paced. Earlier the same thing was there and was sold under the name of 'melody' - a song that has different songs clubbed together in such a way that the listener gets the feel of every song in one. A similar 'feel' is created in a 'remix'. DJs around the world pick up many songs and create a wonderful melody or mash-up out of them by adding music and elements we fall for. I was reintroduced to this form of art recently when I visited the college. Few of my juniors gave a complimentary jam session and sang few melodies.

Later one day, Sahil - my partner in crime - randomly came up with a lyrical mix of songs. Lyrics of different songs stitched together on the common words. The transition from one song to another was so seamless that, on one go, it seemed to me 'one'. 

What makes melody a successful design? What keeps us attached to the melody even when there are several songs combined in one? The Seamless Transitions, probably, is the answer! Places or notes or spaces where one can shift gear easily without creating chaos. In songs, particular notes which can stitch those two songs together - musicians will be able to put a better light on those technicalities.

Such seamless transitions, if given perfectly in architecture, can allow us to create multiple spaces in one space. Different microclimates under one common roof. The same has been attempted and achieved at several places. The best example I have visited is Jawahar Kala Kendra, designed by Correa Sir. The building complex in itself is a series of different experiences. Experiences which are totally different from each other. Another good example is the Indian Habitat Center in Delhi by Joseph Allen Stein.

These buildings or complexes allow you to have a series of experiences stitched together under one roof! So, learning about providing details is one thing... keeping those details together is another skill.

Thus keeping the value of such transitions in design could be an achievement in itself.

Architectural Photography

Clean Lines Open spaces is a remarkable documentary on the mid-century modern architecture. Apart from narrating the details of Modern architecture the most striking feature of the movie was the showcasing of buildings with such remarkable precision and perfection. Of course, if you are shooting a documentary, having a focus on details would be the first criteria in mind so as to connect with the viewers. But the way they have shot it, is appreciable, as they have managed to connect wonderfully. The documentary is such, that I would like to write a whole new post to describe it and thus, I am leaving it here as it is. 

But, the documentary reminded me of Helene Binet. In 2013, in 361 Degree Conference (happens every year organized by IA&B) as the speaker list was too long in the three-day event, I was clueless of what she does and what she was supposed to speak on. An Architectural photographer, I eventually discovered about her as she spoke. Her portfolio majorly concentrated on Zaha Hadid and thus she spoke about the beauty of Zaha's building structures.

As a student, it was an amazing experience to witness how different people have different perceptions towards the architectural structure. For Helene, it was the beauty of those building curves that mattered the most, leaving aside the function of the same. (That reminds me of an article of critical appreciation in architecture - it dealt with the perceptions you could keep in mind while studying a building. But will discuss it some other time.)

As an enthusiast photographer myself, I always felt that an image/photo must convey the story of the subject it focuses on. I always try to, somehow, capture the 'spatial' qualities of a building in a 2D photograph, which is as impossible as it sounds. But in order to do that, I always struggled with the dilemma of including or excluding people while shooting architecture. With this confusion in mind, while listening to her lecture, I was wondering if she could give her insights on such an issue. Somewhat, she did. She mentioned that the purpose of capturing a particular frame actually defines a photograph. She mentioned about different themes on which here images are based, Light & Shade, Space, Materiality, Texture, Function, etc. it could be anything that you want to capture in a photograph. This, to some extent, was the answer to my quest. If you want to showcase the function of a particular building, take your shots including people. On the other hand, if you want to showcase the beauty and play of architecture, exclude everything.

This lecture, Composing Space, has the same Title as of the one I attended. This particular one held at Harvard GSD and would provide you with the in depth details of her works and elements of architectural photography as well. As an Architect, I have always felt that the 'scope' of this field is boundless and thus, for those who have a knack for capturing building edges, clean spaces, amazing structures, this might be an interesting catch!

Why Cooking is a good idea for Designers?

Advantages of having a super- cook mom -

1. You get endless variety of delicacies on the menu every time you sit for a meal.
2. You don't need to experiment with cooking, as you don’t even realize that it is a necessity until your mom is out for a trip. 

The same happened with me a few months back. Our mythological books talk about devi Annapurna. Apart from being the world to us, moms are definitely that devi, for sure! Thus, the whole idea of trying my hand on cooking started with my mom planning a short trip out of town for a week. Well, quite frankly, even though I always had this feeling that I would do justice to this 'art', I was quite scared of trying it in the beginning. But very soon I realized the magic and 'Design' behind the art of cooking. I realized why it is called an art. I realized the importance of 'details' required to be applied (just like any other design) to get the perfect result.

Months after my initial trials, last night, while preparing vegetable pulao the idea of charting out these 'details' came to my mind.

Cutting/Chopping

Like any other design process, the earliest stage is 'preparing the resources'. And for the same, one needs to be precise and fluent with the tools. In this case - knife and other cutting instruments - play the lead role.
During that epic moment when you hold the knife for the first time in your life - it all seems easy. But the actual problem begins here only - 'holding' the knife correctly is an art in itself. Well, it took me more than a couple of trials to get closer to the right technique. (Yes, I am still figuring out how it works!) 


Things you learn  
1.Analysis of the science behind the design of knife.
2.Textural study of vegetables - as each vegetable needs a different angle.
3.Visualizing the aesthetics behind cutting - for eg. You have to judge and choose whether the so called potato-fries-type-cut is ok for making curry potato or not.

Adding the spices
Spices are the integral part of cooking process in India. And I must admit, it is the trickiest and one of the best kept secrets too. From Daadi-Nani to Maa, you ask anyone about the quantities of spices and the answer would be, "andaaze se". Actually, it is the wisdom that they have earned during all those year when they were learning this art. Its like asking a painter the quantity of colors he has put in while preparing a masterpiece. 


Things you learn
1.Elements like Proportions. With each and every trial, you get closer to what it needs to be like.
2.The aromatic sense of cooking - suddenly you realize that you have this ability to smell and tell what seem to be good and what not.
3.Cultural and agricultural appreciation of our country - Its awesome to research a bit about all the spices that you have put in, it will connect you with what you are making.

Veg Pulao 

Mixing it all together
Now this is another tricky part. This heading actually has two meanings - mixing of the already cut veggies and masalas AND mixing all the work together... yes, TOGETHER!
Dealing with the first, one needs to be super precise about mixing technique as this stage can either make or break you 'design' apart! 
One needs to be THERE while mixing, each and every second. Consider as if you are blending two separate layers of design together.  A good blend will mold out the final product well.
While looking at the second perception, you need to be good with your management skills. It is all about time and project management. Unlike other design problems, cooking doesn't give you the privilege of trials. Every single step here is the final step. You can’t keep strolling around while the water is boiling in vessel. 

Pao- Bhaji

Things you learn
1.Time management - no one can teach you this like cooking does.
2.Innovation - mixing spices? Done your study? Try out what you can add.


Patience
At last, when all is prepared, it’s the time to ‘cook’, literally. This is the time which if spent less wouldn’t bring in the taste and if overdone would spoil the whole design. This phase is like meditation, one need to forget every other thing in the world and concentrate on the design. One needs to be super patient with the veggies and spices while they do-the-dance together. Just be a silent spectator and keep your eyes and nose open as the moment the ‘chemicals’ start reacting, you will know that its done!

Things you learn
1.As the topic says – patience!
2.Self-analysis – you realize your mistakes and you note down where do you need improvement during this stage.
3.Overall, any design – if done with dedication – will give you happiness and cooking is one of such forms of art/design. I find cooking as a stress buster and a practice that a designer must always try to improve him/herself! I hope I am improving!

With some garnishing 

Special thanks to my friend Anuja Khokhani, whose cookery blogs inspired me to take up this art as a challenge. You can check her blog here.