Amid crisis, these budding architects dream to cement their ambitions

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 6

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a group of budding architects are attending classes on Zoom app and dream to build a sustainable future for coming generations.

After classes were suspended due to the lockdown, many students of BArch (4th year semester 8) left the Shahpur campus for their home while others stayed at PGs. But a bunch of architecture students from the CT Group of Institutions share a common dream – to become an architect and building futures. Shivam (23) dreams of being a practicing sustainable architecture and own his office one day.

Taonga Sibongile Zulu (20), a Lusaka native, dreams of working with the Zambian government to provide affordable and sustainable housing to people of Zambia. Taonga’s friend Lisa Mugara (22) from Zambia and Mizoram-based Immanuel, who left the campus recently and headed to home in Mizoram, have also been attending lessons on Zoom.

The lockdown might have initially caught them off guard as a student describes it: “It felt like those apocalyptic Hollywood films.” However, it has only strengthened their dreams and career goals. The students now eagerly await 2021, looking forward to architecture field trips.

Putting up at a PG in Jalandhar, near her campus, Taonga has been attending the Zoom classes on her mobile phone. At times, she used to share screen with a friend when she ran out of data. However, with the relaxations in the lockdown, things have improved.

Taonga says: “It was like devastating to be away from home initially. During a global pandemic, you feel safe with family. But we adapted. I am taken care of well here. Classes keep us busy. Theory classes on Zoom are going good but the architecture and construction classes are a bit tricky on video.”

An 8th semester student, Taonga dreams of affordable housing for Zambian people. “Architecturally, we can’t afford mistakes of the past. Before we move forward, we need to look back. Architecture and construction need to adapt to climate change concerns. Our generations see that. My dream is to provide affordable, sustainable buildings to people. I want to serve the Zambian government to provide affordable housing.”

Shivam, her 23-year-old classmate, at present staying in Noida, left the campus in mid-April.

Shivam says: “We are covering theory on Zoom and professors also send PPTs to us holding even doubt sessions. We are now awaiting field practice in 2021. A railway site was opened recently, commercial big sites have begun opening, soon residential will too. We have to adapt to this way of life for all future work.”

Shivam, who is a follower of architect Sanjay Puri, also dreams of sustainable housing to preserve ecology.

They said the PTU also recently surveyed their exam centre availability and their Internet access to make arrangements for their future exam centres.