08 INTERVIEW
archEASI newsletter
4. Ar. Ayshwarya; an alumnus of
A dialogue with Ar. P. T. Krishnan MEASI spoke on sustainable and green
buildings. Her prime focus was on the use
IMAGINE
In my days, it was necessary to pass a test in free-hand drawing to qualify for the
of Design Builder and its features and MEASI Academy of Architecture april 2017 edition
architecture course at Madras University. It involved making a sketch of a ‘still – life’ how the software enables an user to
object which was placed in the centre of the hall. When I took the test in 1962 the
still life we had to sketch was a brass vase with a flower arrangement! In those days,
explore features based on the climatic
data obtained from the weather file.
01STUDIO PROJECTS
RURAL DESIGN STUDIO
The rural study for this year was carried out with a focus
Architecture was seen to be more closely connected with the arts than to engineering She is currently practising in Sydney on
or science. There were schools of art and architecture, like the JJ School in Bombay
on how the building typology has been influenced by
the concepts of Green buildings. socio-economic conditions, religion, caste, local crafts
and I understand that before the architecture department was set up at the Madras
University, there were serious discussions on making it part of the Government School and vocation, built spaces, culture, available materials
of Arts and Crafts at Egmore. It was widely believed that such a test was required to and so on
see if you were ‘gifted’ and artistic enough to design buildings. On further analysis,
what the test did was to evaluate:
a) Your powers of observation – light and shade, textures and colours, shapes
and scale.
b) Your ability to replicate what you saw accurately on paper while capturing
the mood or spirit and
c) Your familiarity with the media to enable this transfer.
These skills which are the building blocks of what one refers to as ‘creativity’
were further honed, in the early years of architectural training with courses in Solid
09UPCOMING EVENTS
&COMPETITIONS
Geometry, Sciography and Perspective construction. You learned how to construct 1. MEASI Graduation Day 2017
complex shapes like tetrahedrons in three dimension, slice them at angles ranging
o o is planned to be held in the new
from 0 –90 and plot the shape of the resulting plane. You learned to differentiate
between shade and shadow and also how to plot complicated shadows such as one Altaf Ahmed Auditorium. THESIS
cast by a square capital on a round column with flutings. These skills enabled the stu- With the completion of their 4th reivew, thesis students will now face a new panel for the 5th
2. MEASI Sports day 2017 is scheduled
dent to imagine complex forms and interpret its physical attributes accurately. Using review starting 18th Apr 2017. They will face their final viva voce on the 18th & 19th May
these skills one could actually make two dimensional elevation drawings appear three to be held in May 2017 with students
2017.
dimensional. Thinking in three dimension became second nature and also powered grouped under 4 banners to increase
creativity. Why? Because the student was obliged to imagine what he or she could not the competitve spirit among students.
see. When one is challenged, usually one does one’s best.
3. 15 3rd year students accompanied
02
SITE VISIT
In the digital world of today when everything is available at the click of a button it (01) As part of Building Construction III, the 4th semester
important to remember that technology, like fire, is a good servant but a bad master. by our HOD, Prof. S. Kesavalu are students were taken to SERC Chennai on 21st Mar 2017,
In order to put it to beneficial use you need to master it – and that can come only participating in the DESIGN OF A where they were taught by research scientists about
through a sound training in the basics. PAVILION competition to be held at current trends in cost effective construction technology
Did you know that in 1969 man went to the moon without the aid of computers?
Westminster University, London in July. in the building industry.
(Watch the film ‘Hidden Figures’, if you haven’t already). A mainframe computer was
installed at NASA just before the moon-shot and its results were actually verified (02) The students of 6th semester A & C batches were
manually by mathematicians who were called computers. They assisted the engineers
in doing their math. With their knowledge of analytical geometry and traditional
10 CULTURAL
ACTIVITIES
taken on a site visit on 12th Jan 2017 to Oceanic, ECR
mathematics they worked out the exact point and speed at which an elliptical orbit Our Director Prof. N. Altaf Ahmed and Hiranandani, OMR as part of their case studies of
could seamlessly connect with a parabola – shapes that you as architecture students hosted a a lunch for the faculty members mutilevel apartment buildings. At these sites they were
must be familiar with, which had never been done before, but which was crucial to
on 30th Jan 2017. briefed by Ar. Srikanth on the functioning of apartment
bringing an object in orbit back down to earth. It is the software programs that were buildings.
developed from these humble beginnings that are used to manage NASA programs
today and it is also these very same programs that Frank Gehry uses to design his (03) The students of 6th semester B & D were taken on
mind blowing buildings like the Guggenheim Museum at Bilboa. But in most of the 9th Jan 2017 to Lala Towers designed by Ar.Arvind for
photographs I have seen of him, he is surrounded by rolls of paper, pencil in hand and their case study of a mutistoreyed ofiice building.
not by computers and flashing lights. Ever wonder why? It is because before you work
with your ‘shape’ on the computer you have to imagine ‘it’ and only old fashioned (04) The 4th semester students were taken on a site visit
creative skills can give you that edge, the edge that will help you master the digital to Kilpuk & Koyambedu water treatment plant, on 3rd
technology that you are fortunate to have
So it is up to you whether you wish to conquer the medium or be its ‘slave’. The trouble
& 10th Feb 2017 for Building Services 2 subject which
with being human is that you have both choices!
deals with water supply and waste water treatment.
“This newsletter is an initiative to bring to light and acknowledge the larger spectrum of activities
“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness” - Frank Gehry and initiatives happening within our campus” - Shilesh Hariharan (Editor)
05COMPETITIONS
07 WORKSHOP & 01
(05) The students of 1st year B & D batches 3. Dr. S. Ganesan, Registrar, Anna University SEMINARS STUDIO PROJECTS
were taken for a case study on Rural Health inaugurated MEASI Academy of Architecture’s 1. A seminar on Current Trends in Real Estate
Centre to Moratandi, Rayapudhupakkam on new annex block & auditorium on the 31st of was organised at MEASI on 22nd Mar 2017
02
7th Jan 2017. March 2017. by Dr.Thooyavan, Design Chair, M. Arch (R.E.D.) SITE VISITS
(06) The students of 1st year A & C were taken
sponsored by CREDAI. Eminent personalities 03
from the construction industry presented their MEASI ACTIVITIES
to SOS children’s village on 9th Jan 2017 for
perpectives on the status and future of the real
a case study of rural health centre and rural
1. The design entry submitted by MEASI estate industry and employment opportunities 04
library.
student team (Anusha, Gayathri, Edwin and for architectural students. EVENTS&LECTURES
(07) The students of 2nd semester M.Arch Real Aghila) was shortlisted at the regional level for Speakers : Mr. Suresh Krishn, President CREDAI| 05
Estate Development did a detailed study and the National jury as part of INSDAG -National Mr. Shankar, National Director, Startegic COMPETITIONS
market survey in February 2017 on the real consultancy JLL| Dr. Kumar, MD Navin Housing|
estate dynamics of Hyderabad and its corridors
Award competition for students 2016.
Mr. Ajit Chordia, Khivraj group| Mr. Mehul 06
2. MEASI students won 3rd place in MIDAS AWARDS
of development. The study is part of the mixed Doshi, Doshi Housing |
use mega township project. Trophy football competition held at MIDAS 07
School of Architecture. UPCOMING
COMPETITIONS
(08) As a part of the Academic program, the
8th semester students were taken on a study tour 3. MEASI 3rd year students Akash Clive, Ummi 08
of New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Ahmedabad Fathima & Zaheeb won the 3rd place in RETAIL INTERVIEW
category of Society Interiors competition 2017.
accompanied by Ar. Anuradha Menon, 09
Ar. Radhika Senthil, Ar. Shilesh Hariharan &
Ar. Febin Mohamed.
04 EVENTS & LECTURES UPCOMING
COMPETITIONS
2. A guest lecture by Ar. Paul M. Schwartzbaum, 10
an Aga Khan Awardee for Architecture, Chief CULTURAL
ACTIVITIES
Conservator of the Solomon R. Guggengeim
Museums was organised by MEASI Academy
BIRTHDAYS
MAY 11
06AWARDS
01- Anjali
of Architecture, INTACH (Chennai Chapter) & 17- Clisson
IIA (Chennai Chapter) on 22 Mar 2017 at our 18- Anuradha
22- Chetna
campus. His talk was on “ The Conservation and 24- Gajendran
Restoration of the Bomb and Fire Damaged JUNE
Paintings and Stuccos of The Al Aqsa Mosque 01- Jeyapandian
1. Ar. Jaggu Jaganathan shared his
in Jerusalem”. 02- Prof.V.Balaji
03 MEASI ACTIVITIES experiences with the students of 3rd and 5th
years on the planning, design and construction
20- Nithya
25- Febina
Our Dear Director Prof. N. Altaf Ahmed, was JULY
1. We welcome our new faculty members Ar. of healthcare facilities on 23rd Jan 2017.
felicitated by the MEASI board, presided by 05- Arjun
Mohamed Anis K.A., Ar. Silvinus Clisson Pragash, 2. Ar. Satish from Nataraj & Venkat addressed 20- Devanand
Janab M.Mohammed Hashim Sahib, patron &
Ar. Thasin Basha, Ar. Gajendran T. the third year students on various aspects of past president of MEASI on 31st Mar 2017,
23- Rupalatha
25-Hariharan
apartment design using one of their office on being awarded the “Madhav Achwal Gold 29- Dr.Thooyavan
EDITORIAL BOARD
projects - OCEANIC, ECR as an example. Medal” for his life long contribution in teaching. Mentor
Prof.V.Balaji
3. Ar. Arvind from Arvind Varuna Associates Editor
2. We extend our best wishes to our ex-faculty presented some of his office buildings to the 3. As part of the M.Arch (Gen.) subject, Ar.Shilesh
Ar. Gayathri A. & Ar. Sara Mathan. 3rd year students on 5th Jan 2017, to explain Contemporary processes in Architectural Hariharan
Team
various aspects of office building design. Design-II, students of the 1st year had an Ar.B.Subhasree
4. Ar. S. F. Salma’s paper on “Climate interactive workshop on 21st & 22nd Mar Ar.Anuradha Menon
Ar.Radhikha Senthil
Resilient Communities of South India” was 2017 with Ar. Kavitha Mohanraj (Director of Ar.Abiraami K
published in ISOLA magazine 2017. We congratulate Ar.Shilesh Hariharan M. Arch., INTO Design | Research) on 3D modelling in Ar.Divyalakshmi
“As an architect you design for the present with an awareness of the past for a future which is on getting the “Young Teacher Award” from Rhinocerous and Grasshopper software about Ar.Devanand
Layout Designer
essentially unknown”. – Sir Norman Foster IIA, Chennai Chapter on 6th Feb 2017. generative design exploration. Ar.Divyalakshmi
