Architecture has many facets. It’s not always about building the tallest skyscraper or the most poshest resort. Sometimes, it’s also about the homes we live in, the schools we study in, the bus stands we congregate at, and the museums that house our past.
The three-day exhibition being held at the Rotary Club in Panampilly Nagar is about just that. Through the works of the students and teachers of the Avani Institute of Design in Kozhikode, the first part of the exhibition showcases the inner workings of architectural designs.
The second part, titled ‘Emergent Practices in South Asia’, held in the same venue, offers a glimpse of how architecture ties different nations together.
The mobile exhibition that aims to take designs to the common people, inaugurated on Friday by artist Bose Krishnamachari, is curated by noted architects Rahul Mehrotra, Devashree Sha and Pranav Thole. It provides a glimpse into the emerging architectural practices of countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.
Works of 41 emerging architectural practices by young designers are central to this show. It provides an insight into the way public architecture develops with time, geography and climate along with the patronage, methodologies, emergent technologies, and construction techniques.
"The sociological and environmental aspects of design principles, especially in this age, are interesting to note. And in South Asia, a region connected by similar terrains and climate, these architectural designs have a few common elements, which is visible in the exhibition," says Tony Joseph, noted architect and principal and chairman of Avani Institute of Design.
The show highlights the humane and social aspects of architecture characterised by participatory frameworks used by practitioners today.
"In the long run, an awareness of design would help to improve the economy. We intend to do this by changing the design from its so-called elite status and bringing it closer to the common man, thus achieving the goal of design for everyone," he adds.
On the other side, nearly 200 BArch students and 40 teachers of the Avani Institute offer a plethora of ideas. The showcase includes architectural designs, drawings, sketches, 3D models, illustrations, installations, short films, creative posters, calligraphy and origami figures at the exhibition under the theme 'We Belong Where’.
Most of the work has been done in the last three years at the design studios in the institute as part of their curriculum.
"The idea is to familiarise the design concepts to people, along with parents of the students. There's an element of unknown about what architectural study involves. So this is an attempt to bridge that gap," Tony says.
On the two days, the event will offer workshops, lectures and panel presentations along with a plein air painting jointly with Urban Sketchers Kochi at the Panampilly Nagar Central Park.
The exhibition has already been held in Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore and Bengaluru. Next, the institute is planning to take the exhibition to the other cities of the country.
The exhibition will conclude on March 2