Started off with modest inception in 1944 as a Department of Architecture of Delhi Polytechnic, later affiliated to the University of Delhi and integrated with the School of Town and Country Planning is now India’s leading and renowned university, The School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi.
The existing School of Planning and Architecture Delhi campus is located near ITO in Indraprastha Estate in New Delhi accommodating a girls hostel within it. Maharani Bagh, New Friends Colony, New Delhi, also houses the residential campus and hostel.
Acknowledging the niche and one of its kind nature of the university, that exclusively offered training at various levels, in different aspects of human habitat and the built environment. School of Planning and Architecture introduced academic programmes in these specialised fields both at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels, further promoting research and consultancy activities. In 2015, It was recognized as “An Institute of National Importance under an Act of Parliament” as it continues to extend by implementing programmes in new fields and emerging areas that are not yet available anywhere else in India.
The School of Planning and Architecture has two libraries, each with a significant collection of 66,000 books accumulated over a five-decade period. Census Reports, Dissertation Reports, Seminar Reports, Thesis Reports, Technical Reports of various expert commissions and agencies, and so on are all included in the collection. The Library is regarded as one of Asia’s most prestigious, finest, and specialised libraries, containing a collection of themes connected to architecture, design, and planning, as well as information on related fields. Faculty members, students, and visiting research scholars from all over the country and the world utilise this library to learn more about the aforementioned fields or to get materials for reference and reading. The Autodesk Centre of Excellence, which is located within the Architecture Building, also has 50 CAD workstations available to School of Planning and Architecture faculty and students.
The School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi offers undergraduate and postgraduate studies in planning, architecture, and design. All departments of studies administer up to ten postgraduate programmes and two undergraduate programmes in addition to the PhD programmes.
Undergraduate Degree Programmes | SPA Delhi
Bachelor of Architecture
SPA Delhi, Department of Architecture provides a Bachelor of Architecture course which is one of the oldest in the country. Approved by the Council of Architecture, the Indian Institute of Architects and the Commonwealth Association of Architecture. It is concerned with the design and construction of built environments in their sociological, technical and environmental contexts. It has the Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture, which is engaged fundamentally in the areas of energy studies, climate-responsive architecture, and approaches to design and solar architecture. The programme aims at accomplishing a high level of contextual excellence in architectural design enabling skills with a strong foundation of a multidisciplinary approach. The curriculum is structured for five years and the framework is divided into two levels. The first level includes three years of full-time study and 20 weeks of professional practical training. The second stage consists of one and a half years of full-time study, during which each student is required to produce a research-based dissertation, prepare for a seminar, and present a thesis while taking upper-level theory courses.
Bachelor of Planning
The School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, as a forerunner in the area, was instrumental in establishing the country’s first Bachelor of Planning degree. In 1989, the highly successful Bachelor of Planning programme began. Students who enrol in this four-year intense training programme will gain the wide knowledge and abilities required to plan for the coordinated and balanced development of human settlements and territories of all sizes. The Institute of Town Planners, India and Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, has approved this programme has granted professional recognition to the Bachelor of Planning programme.
Postgraduate Degree Programmes | SPA Delhi
Master of Architecture (Architectural Conservation)
Architectural Conservation is a specialisation in Architecture that addresses crucial issues confronting our built heritage resources by equipping students with the skills and abilities to expand their architectural practices to Conservation and design in historic areas. The course is structured in five modules to incorporate the conservation philosophy, conservation principles and practices, conservation science techniques and technology, conservation management and conservation studio. The emphasis is on planning and the regeneration of historic core areas and traditional housing. The course is carefully curated over three following semesters to concurrently facilitate students to develop methods and hone specific skills for devising suitable conservation interventions in heritage areas of increasing scales and complexity. Conservation Studio programmes are an important aspect of the Department of Architectural Conservation’s holistic and integrated strategy.
Master of Architecture (Urban Design) | SPA Delhi
Urban Design takes the liability of accomplishing the wholeness of the built environment. Within the broad historical, social, and political contexts, this course presents many theories and experiments that architects, planners, and social and behavioural scientists utilise. The urban design programme training and instructions are offered through interactive design studios, where the dynamics of growth and change in Indian cities are documented while design solutions are prepared. In this programme, inner-city renewal, as well as growth areas of contemporary cities, gain equal exposure in these studios.
Master of Architecture (Landscape Architecture)
The landscape architecture programme is concerned with both the built and natural environments. This programme aims at achieving proficiency in landscape evaluation and design methods by applying ecological principles while simultaneously socio-economic and cultural considerations. The course consists of various subject areas such as plant systems and processes, plants and design, landscape engineering, eco-system analysis and field ecology, etc.
Master of Planning ( Environmental / Housing / Regional / Transport or Urban Planning)
The Environmental Planning degree programme is meant to teach students how to use scientific methods to evaluate various aspects to plan for the ecologically sustainable development of human settlements and landscapes. Many of the degradation can be avoided if environmental issues are taken into account during the planning stage. The legislation established in the currently available advanced methodologies and tools for creating meaningful, environmental as well as assessing and forecasting environmental concerns has been taken into consideration by land-use planning.
The Housing programme began in 1958, following UN guidelines, and has been revised multiple times since then. Housing policy and finance, infrastructure and technology, design and project formulation, real estate and housing markets, catastrophe mitigation and management, and legislation are all covered in depth in this curriculum.
This Regional Planning degree programme is meant to equip students in the areas of regional analysis, regional and sub-regional plan development, action-oriented strategy development, and human settlements management. The curriculum prepares students to satisfy the professional needs of a variety of possible employers, including the government, non-governmental organisations, bilateral financing agencies, and the private sector.
The Transport planning curriculum addresses subjects such as the role of transportation in development, the identification and study of regional and urban development challenges, issues, and restrictions, and the development of mathematical models for transportation demand estimates. Integrated land use and transportation planning; traffic engineering and design; and an understanding of the function of public transportation: traffic engineering and design; appreciation of the function of public transportation, including system characteristics and selection, as well as planning, operations, and management; project preparation, assessment, and management, as well as law and organisation.
Finally, The Urban planning course is designed to focus on Planning aspects in the Second semester, Management and Governance aspects in the Third Semester and the Legal and Finance aspects in the Fourth Semester. The studio exercises also reflect the above-mentioned notion; the second-semester studio focuses on the planning aspects of urban regions, while the third-semester studio focuses on city management.
Master of Building Engineering and Management
The engineering and construction management components of building and related infrastructure projects are the focus of Building Engineering and Management. The goal of the course is to prepare competent individuals who can manage complicated construction projects by cooperating with numerous Domain specialists from concept to design, development, and construction. The programme allows students to develop advanced skills and academic talents in the fields of architecture, engineering, and project management. The curriculum is up to date to ensure that it is aligned with the industry’s present and future needs.
Project management focuses on design management as well as construction planning, control, and monitoring. This is accomplished through the dissemination of management techniques such as network analysis, operational research, financial and cost management, contract management, resource management, quality management system, building and structural systems, building science, specialised services, and computer applications. Apart from lectures, the course is conducted using a participative technique and field exposure to live projects. The programme prepares young architects and engineers to take on leadership roles in the business.
Master of Design (Industrial Design) | SPA Delhi
The main goal of the course is to develop a holistic design experience through an interdisciplinary teaching and training process. Theoretical, technological and managerial inputs, which are dealt with through various courses, seminars and workshops are all directed towards this central goal. The program’s focal point is the commitment to apply a professional design approach to cultural interpretation and to use design as a tool for cultural enrichment. The programme maintains tight ties with industry to stay abreast of new advancements in industrial processes as well as to ensure that the course stays relevant and thorough.
Doctoral Programme
In the fields of Architecture, Physical Planning, Urban Planning, Regional Planning, Environmental Planning, Housing, Transport Planning, Urban Design, Architectural Conservation, Landscape Architecture, Industrial Design, and Building Engineering and Management, the School provides facilities to conduct research leading to the award of a PhD degree. A total of 30 scholars have received doctorates from the School of Planning and Architecture since 1991.
Extracurricular Activities
Apart from academics, the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi places a strong emphasis on sports, games, and extracurricular activities. Coda, Inmotion, Sankalp, Sepia, Spandan, Strokz, Zephyr, and other drama, music, and photography clubs are successfully operated by School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi students every year, as are Utopia and Expressions, which are also part of the cultural events organised by the students every year. Spic Macay activities are also regularly participated in by the university students.
Work Scenarios | SPA Delhi
Graduating from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi secures graduates employment all over the world in both the public and private sectors offer a range of jobs. Graduates work in organisations that provide services in urban and regional planning, housing, transportation, and urban design, among other sectors, the broad study structure acts as a portal to a variety of career options and job prospects in the public, private, non-profit, and global corporate sectors, based on the students’ own interests. Some former students have gone on to work for the United Nations and the World Bank, and a handful has gone into business for themselves as consultants.
In its pursuit of greatness, the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi has always been at the forefront of extending instruction and research to new frontiers of knowledge.
References:
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/School_of_Planning_and_Architecture,_New_Delhi
Spa.ac.in. 2021. About:School of Planning and Architecture. [online] Available at: <http://spa.ac.in/User_Panel/UserView.aspx?TypeID=1201> [Accessed 10 August 2021].
