To begin with, Architecture is a diversified field where one has potential prospects to grow. Architecture opens up a lot of options and doors to explore, apart from just planning and designing.
Very often, architects and designers with a flair for writing, pursue Architectural Journalism. They get an advantage to share their critical analysis of the work of an architect or its design philosophy. However, a basic sense of aesthetics and adequate reading on the topic helps in understanding design concepts tolerably to be ready to develop one’s career during this niche of journalism. Architecture journalism, as any quote journalism, is reporting the new advances within the architectural world, existing unknown and hidden facts and interesting concepts of buildings, innovative designs. In short, documenting anything associated with architecture is often termed as architecture journalism. The various articles we read in design magazines about the buildings, space planning, reporting architectural conferences, reporting about various architectural colleges, new architects, etc, all fall into this category. Anyone with a passion for architecture or buildings has the potential of contributing to architecture journalism.
It is an added advantage to the students and budding architects to master the skills to discourse the ideas and concepts through developing an individual writing style. There always has been a narrow gap between communicating drawings to others through neglecting to underpin these visual representations. An alternate way to fill this gap is writing on the deliverance of architectural work to a larger audience. Since Architecture is a multidisciplinary field, writing precisely about it through understanding these faces will be a real challenge and learning. India is lacking a platform to learn and master Architectural Journalism. Architectural Education in India is very well lacking to add the strength of Architectural writing apart from drawings and technical subjects in the syllabus. Although we’ve 450+ architectural colleges in India, the sorry state of affairs is that only a couple of them have Architectural Journalism as an interdisciplinary course. Some of those colleges are CCA, CEPT, NIT-H, SPA Delhi, KRVIA, Rachana Sansad, PVPCOA Pune, and McGAN’S Ooty School of Architecture, etc. Hence, we alright understand that awareness may be a big deal as far as these new emerging subject cares and there are more efforts required to extend this figure as compared to the increasing number of Architectural Colleges in India within the recent years.
But, on the other end, the profession of Architectural Journalism is gaining much value in comparison to that of being a conventional architect across the globe. This can be attributed to the very fact that aside from designing, explaining an equivalent holds sheer importance as far as formulating a brand is concerned. Publications related to architecture are categorized as magazines, journals (referred and researched), development monthlies, local quarterlies, conference proceedings (national/international), scientific journals (for example Scopus Index-Journal, Elsevier, ABACUS, Spandrel et cetera). Some of the favored architectural magazines based abroad are: Architectural Record, Architectural Review, Concept, Soiled, Landscape, Architect, Architectural Digest and lots of more; whereas those based in India are A+D, Domus, Indian Architect & Builder Magazine, Home Trends, Inside Outside, How Architect Works, Society Interiors and therefore the like.
As architects, perceiving one’s design and taking viva voce is one among the main troubles, if they’re not confident enough about what they need to be conceived on paper they may find themselves during a disaster and their entire diligence shall seem of no significance. Diverse people can have diverse thoughts and since we belong to a multicultural society, this becomes even more likely. Thus, making a client pay money and buy one’s design isn’t an easy job. However, one can enhance their thought process by discussing tons more with the people that are the benefactors and shall be most suffering from the event. Moreover, brainstorming on what is the priority, in terms of understanding on humane grounds and giving proposals accordingly for the benefit of the larger audience can be of help.
As an architecture student, one could start learning and understanding this subject by undertaking online internships at various portals of architecture and design, some of which are Arch2O, Dezeen Magazine, ArchDaily, etc. Other than these, one could take up full-time summer internships/training after graduation in offices of Indian architectural magazines like Architectural Digest, Architecture Update, A+D, WFM, IA&B, etc.
The complexity of the subject matter derives its nature from the complex events which make it quite difficult to derive an apt singular conclusion that justifies the nuance of the issue, whereas a study and career option, it has to evolve and go through a process for several years. If one understands the sensitivity of the topic and leads oneself to the latter part that shall accompany the maturity to start-up analysis, documentation, exploration, study, and research of architectural interventions. Architectural Journalism is a reality that individuals need to know, and not what they need to know”. This field as a career builds up its significance in being the fair analyser also the mindfulness advertiser of the plan world. Architectural Journalism doesn’t simply include ordinary analysis, yet also, tells the architect “What is being passed on through their method for passing on” and lets the per user /client know “What is being attempted to pass on”. Architectural Journalism is a grand slam for designers who can comprehend the brains of the per users/clients further-more and adjust their methods for correspondences and right the miscommunication assuming any.
