India’s architectural practice and language have been growing and expanding as the years go by and simultaneously, institutions providing education in architecture have risen. Among the countless universities in India, is Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Architecture or BVCOA located in Navi Mumbai, was established in 1992. Since its inception, the institute has aimed to achieve a holistic and conscious approach in its pedagogy, to bring forth architects who are innovative, yet sensitive to the responsibility that comes with the profession.
Courses Offered
Affiliated with Mumbai University, BVCOA offers two bachelor courses. The first is a Bachelor’s in Architecture – a 5-year course with ten semesters, in which the first seven semesters consist of subjects like Architectural Design, Graphics, Construction, History, Architectural theory, etc. that train students with basics and understanding to derive an architectural design. The 8th semester (second half of the fourth year) is dedicated to internship practice for six months and the final year is the thesis year, where all the knowledge from the past four years is accumulated, presented and tested. The second course offered is the Bachelor’s in Interior Design (4 years) where design, construction, history, communication, etc. are taught. The course involves elective subjects which are employed in their interior design studios. BVCOA’ affiliation with the University of Mumbai also allows scholarships to students to provide a fair and even chance at gaining a quality education.
Campus Life
The entire campus encompasses the architecture, interior design, engineering, nursing and dental colleges. The engineering and dental colleges reside in separate buildings, while the remaining three courses situate in one building. Each building is separated by green spaces that allow interaction between all courses. The green spaces act as gathering grounds as well as an activity areas for students during their workshops and events. The architecture building consists of multiple spacious, airy and naturally lit design studios and a seminar hall, with additional facilities like Survey Lab, Climatology Lab, a Material and Equipment Lab and a Material Testing Lab (shared with the Engineering College). which provide practical support to the academic curriculum. The library is filled with multiple design books that are regularly updated to help the students stay with the current knowledge in the field, nationally and internationally. The architecture building consists of a courtyard which acts as the heart of the college – activities like outdoor studio sessions, cultural events, workshops, and seminars are all held in the large and open courtyard, which becomes an integral part of communication between students.
Extracurricular Activities
Every year, the college conducts multiple workshops, and the outcomes ornament on the walls of the college. The college has successfully hosted conference events, among which was Mosaic, where many prominent figures from the field like Ar. Junya Ishigami, Ar. Anjalendran, Ar. Itsuko Hasegawa, Design Jatra and many more, bestowed profound knowledge about their practice to the students. The college also had the opportunity to host NIASA (National Award for Excellence in Architecture), among which students of BVCOA have also represented the college. Many more events have been hosted and were handled completely by the students and faculty, providing exposure to management. The college also has a strong and competitive student group that participates in the NASA competition and has managed to achieve citations in various categories including LIK, Reubens, Nari Gandhi, Industrial, Panel Discussion, Photography etc. and has proudly held the 6th rank in the 62nd year of the competition, among all the participating colleges nationwide. Each academic year entails a study tour that can be national or international, in which students document their visits and studies which are further used to apply in their successive academic years. Additional tours like Indo- French, Student exchange programs etc, are also held to provide more opportunities for learning beyond the college curriculum. Work produced during these programs is showcased during exhibitions held by the college. Alongside academics, the college also possesses a highly competitive group of students that have played in inter-college competitions.
Culture and Celebration
A look into the BVCOA Facebook and Instagram page and one can notice how, despite the pressure, numerous cultural events take place, which helps students enjoy themselves amid work. The college consists of various clubs like photography, dance, music, etc., through which students come together and perform and delight the faculty and fellow students. Students and faculty alike participate in celebrating with great pomp in festivals like Navaratri, Shivjayanti, Christmas and other traditional days, showing how interactive and bonded the relationship between students and professors are. Each year has brought forward an enthusiastic and hard-working Council team that ensures the success of educational and cultural programs. The Editorial team release an annual newsletter and magazine called ‘Amalgam’, in which achievements and exemplary work done by the professors and students are published. Finally, the college conducts an annual fest called ‘Pinnacle’, in which students from both design courses join together and compete in the activities organised during the fest.
Faculties
The college has trained faculties with varying experiences that teach both interior and architecture students. Since architecture and interior design work together hand in hand, knowledge from both fields tends to help each other in critical thinking. The college also has visiting faculties who provide students with current-day knowledge of the field and market in design studios. Alumni and practitioners are often invited to give sessions and workshops on each of their successful practice, which exposes students to the varying architectural language and help them further understand the path that they would wish to work on.
References:
Dafedar, K. Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Architecture, Navi Mumbai .[online]. Available at: http://bvp.bharatividyapeeth.edu/index.php/college-of-architecture-navi-mumbai (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
BVCOA publication. Issuu. [online]. Available at: https://issuu.com/publication.bvcoa (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
