On an odd day with no previous alert, if you randomly ask any architect- What is architecture for them? There will definitely not be a well-defined answer to it. Every designer has their own subjective perspective as to what is the substantial significance of their careers in their lives, or what does it mean to them. Being an architecture student, who is sited at the threshold of entering into the professionalism of the career, there will never be a singular take on what this field really means to me. However, along with learning and technical insights, four years of life in college has not only built our personalities but also gifted us with some of the best experiences.
Personally, the most memorable incidents are undoubtedly humorous as well as involve the peculiar level of embarrassment. In initial years of studying Architecture, there are some things we can’t deny- bunking lectures, pulling overnights for next day’s submissions, getting attendance marked for lectures we never attended and the list can go on and on. We all have some of the other comical incidents to which we were a party.
I myself have had my share of amusing events as an architecture student. Getting into trains early, just to avoid peak hour rush so that the model isn’t messed up, unable to get prints for the jury in time and hitting the panic button, having my home-made tiffin eaten up by peer-mates when least expected, and much more. Nevertheless, if I am to name one most hilarious experience of mine then it has to be this.
The Incident
In my entire educational journey, the mode of travel was either by bus or private vans and nowhere had I ever used a mode of public transport to commute. The location of my college is in the heart of Mumbai. Trains are the only suitable mode of transit for regular college days. On my first day of college, I had to board a train from a western railway station. Now, after getting into this career we realize the importance of the north and how to read the directions in a map correctly.
However, as a new-bee all I knew was I resided in the east and had to catch a train. I was clueless that the stations have east and west too. I spent literally 20 minutes, climbing up and down the same bridge in search of the ticket booth and the platform I had to go to. By God’s grace, an old woman read my tense and confused face and offered me some help. That was the day she explained to me that henceforth all stations I go to, will have two-directional sides and I must ask for help rather than wasting time to figure out where my destination is.
This directional confusion doesn’t end here. Site visits are extremely important and are key to architectural success. The first site visit was another major blunder for me and one of my friends. A person who learns at once from his mistake is a smart person, but one who repeats the same mistake has to rectify it the hard way. We were given an assignment in our first semester to understand street lives in Mumbai and produce at least 4 sketches replicating the same.
Unaware of the huge city already, we chose to go to the southern end of the city. Our train journey started decently where we took a ticket and left for the destination in time. Who knew what was coming next? We had to reach Khotachiwadi. We figured out which station to go and then we were assured that google locations will help us.
As soon as we reached the train station and switched on the maps, the indication showed that we were already at the location. The feeder streets in that area are extremely narrow and weren’t clearly reflected on maps. Again, where we should have asked someone vocally, we thought let’s walk and see if we can find the location. After 45 minutes of treasure hunt, with no success, we finally spoke to a local shop owner. When he told us that we just had to cross a foot over bridge to reach our destination, we couldn’t help but laugh at our foolishness.
Realization
Undoubtedly after that day, never again did we hesitate to ask for help rather than roaming around like complete nomads. Even though this was something we learned after the repetition of flaws, this became one of the most humorous episodes in architecture. Even today when I look back to my undeveloped personality, all I realize is these smaller things hardly matter but have so much to teach us. As of today, we have developed the directional sensibility in ourselves. Being vocal, even in your local areas is way more important than relying on technical media.
