FIRST PRIZE WINNER!
Shruti Madhukar Teli
India
I am shruti Madhukar teli. I am doing 4th year of architecture from V.P.P.M.P.C.O.A. I was born and brought up in Mumbai, India. Other than architecture, I like to write, read and document my experience in visual format. My aim is to become a successful architect and country planner.
Interview with the Winner
What is your design philosophy?
Architecture is an art where we get to treat the whole world as one canvas. So, other than deconstructing and making it man made, our design is supposed to be appreciating what is already existing on the earth. Relatability is another point. As I have even mentioned in the writing, human experience is crucial. Design is supposed to be revolving around it, adding to the experience and not suppress it under concrete. Not only user should communicate with the design but the design should also communicate with the user, back. There should a two- way communication happening.
Can you briefly explain your understanding of the topic and the source of ideas?
Initially, my understanding for point in architecture was finding the one converging point. I was thinking in a more geometrical aspect. But then, that is my point and it is not important for everyone to have the same point. I thought of taking a broader image and let reader choose their point in architecture. So, other than going for one point I went for connecting dots with different elements like water, sky, height of a building, etc with the support of an experience converging to the principal point. Now that you have one principal point i.e., relatability, it’s on user to choose what to take from the writing. So, it can interpreted and it will portray different story to every reader based on their point in architecture. My source of ideas was solely dependent on my experience and my perspective about architecture.
When and how you were first introduced to architecture?
I believe architecture was always around me. From the calm I got sitting on the cold granite window niche for reading in the evening to running on the wooden staircase of the house in my village to reach the terrace and see fireflies around. But I learnt to appreciate it as I unfolded more and more about the elements, architect’s philosophies and details about it. I think Rajasthan and Laurie baker book truly introduced me to the architecture and gave me perspective. Otherwise, I think I am still unfolding architecture everyday introducing me to the different sides of it.
What does architecture mean to you?
Architecture for me is an opportunity for change. You get to implement you imagination into reality. Its an art that allows me to let people see through my perspective and experience it for years with the fact that it is going to have an immense influence. Through architecture, I am not just learning about the earth through climate, topography but also human psychology. As I have mentioned in my essay, architecture let you design the world with the limitless colours like wind, water, light, shadow, etc and that’s what makes us different than other artists.
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