The collaboration of ISOLA with NASA (National Association of Students of Architecture) had started some years back when NASA student members approached ISOLA-INDIA to help them with Mohammad Shaheer Trophy brief and jury at their Annual Nasa Conventions. In 2018, the students again came up with a proposal to conduct Landscape oriented workshops at their Zonal Conventions. ISOLA took it as a opportunity to reach out to students to instigate the importance of Landscape among the students of Architecture. In 2018, ISOLA managed to conduct three workshops among the 6 Zones of Nasa with the help if ISOLA Members who volunteered to mentor these workshops.
A workshop ISOLA for Annual NASA, Bangalore
Theme: LANDSCAPE STORIES: A workshop ISOLA for Annual NASA, Bangalore
Mentors: Devayani Deshmukh Upasani, Bhakti Thakoor, Prachi Wakaley
The 62nd Annual NASA Convention was held at Innovative Film City, Bangalore. Like the last few years this year also ISOLA was invite to conduct a workshop at the convention. The theme of the workshop for this year was “LANDSCAPE STORIES.”
The purpose / intent behind the workshop was about throwing light on the perception of Landscape in the Architectural domain. It aimed at understanding scale, range and role of Landscape in the environment for users (humans) and its significance ecologically. It also included the understanding of the various elements of landscape, networks and interactions.
Approximately 30 students participated in the workshop .The participants varied from students of first year architecture to third year architecture who came from 20 different towns in the country, which enabled them to share a brief idea about the different landscapes across our diverse country. This geographical mix in fact also helped ascertain certain common issues faced by towns and cities in recent years.
The 2 day workshop was broadly divided in 4 sections to sensitize students broaden the understanding of Landscape.
Session 01-Orientation
The first session started with an open discussion on ‘What is Landscape? It was further expanded by the mentors who guided them to come up with a chart composed of pointers that comprised of their understanding of different aspects of Landscape.
Followed by this was an attempt to understand various Natural layers in a Landscape and understanding their interdependencies. To simplify these complex interconnected networks, the students enlisted the Natural layers and there attributes.
Session 01- Site Visit
The second session of the day comprised of a site visit to two water bodies near the venue. The students along with their mentors visited the Vrushabhavati, River Reservoir and Byaramangla pond nearby. The students were briefly informed about a natural resources and possible human impact on them.
They were left with the questions and asked to look up on information about similar such natural water resource in their own towns & cities.
The second day programme was scheduled in three stages. The students were to work in groups throughout the day, which encouraged them to interact with each other, understand and accept alternate view points and negotiate with each other. This enabled them understand Processes in design and also highlighted the fact that “process” is as important as the outcome. The students were divided into 2 groups and given the topics of “Lakes” and “Rivers” each. Each group was further divided in to three internal groups.
Session 01- Statement formation, Problem analysis and Design intervention
Each of the 6 groups were to come up with a problem/project statement regarding the topic given to them based on their previous day discussions and the understanding Thus there were 3 groups with a problem statement on the same topic.
The next internal group under the same topic reviewed the STATEMENT OF the earlier group and arrived at PROBLEM ANALYSIS. The Analysis was presented in a story format by the next group. The last group in circulation was to complete the story by DESIGN INTERNVENTION which again was in terms of a visual story.
The internal debates and discussions while working on others group work enlightened them on gaps in communication and the pro-cons in a decision making processes.
Session 02- Presentation
After the last i.e. the third group was done with the design intervention the circulation was completed with each group heading back to the table where they had started with the problem statement. They now had to consolidate the work of the 3 groups together and present the work to the mentors and rest of the participants.
The output in the form of the stories and graphical expressions were extraordinary considering the given time. This also stressed on multi-fold learning’s from collaborative work in narrow timespan.
Overall student’s reactions, comments inquisitiveness just showed us the intended sensitisation was achieved to a great extent indicating that the overall effort was thoroughly successful.
CLICK HERE for the pdf!
In 2019, ISOLA was prepared with a format , taking into considerations the feedback and managed to conduct ISOLA workshops at all Six Zones at the NASA Zonal Conventions.
Title: Landscape Projections: the art and design of carpet making
HOST COLLEGE: Poornima University, Jaipur
Date: 20-23rd Oct 2019. (ONE DAY WORKSHOP)
ISOLA MEMBER VOLUNTEERS: Amrita Kaur Slatch & Kriti Yadav, Delhi Chapter along with carpet specialist Resource: Mr. Abdul Rab Rabbani
This workshop explored the essence of landscape and its interpretations in designing and making carpets. It was more of an hands on experience where students were asked to design templates for carpets using abstracts from landscapes.
Title: Landscape: The Context for Architecture
HOST COLLEGE: Amity School of Planning and Architecture, Mumbai
Date: 20-23rd Sept 2019. (ONE DAY WORKSHOP)
ISOLA MEMBER VOLUNTEERS: Saylee Surve and Dhara Panchal, Mumbai Chapter
This workshop intended to introduce and look at landscape not only as a setting for the built but the site as a whole.
Title: Landscape in Art & Literature
HOST COLLEGE: School of Architecture, Jawahar Lal Nehru Engineering College, Aurangabad
Date: 20-23rd Sept 2019. (ONE DAY WORKSHOP)
ISOLA MEMBERS: Yogendra Ballal , Sonali Dahotre & Shruti Humane , Maharashtra CHAPTER
The workshop intended to sensitize young minds to look beyond the conventional boundaries of observing and understanding landscapes. Shifting the lens from observing landscape through ecology, site, design and surveys to appreciating landscapes through literature and visual arts.
Title: Patterns in Landscape
HOST COLLEGE: School Of Architecture Techno India University, Kolkata
Date: 14-16th Oct 2019.
ISOLA MEMBERS: DWAIPAYAN BHATTACHARYA & JOYITA DAS Delhi Chapter
Patterns in landscape design are expressions of nature conceived, transformed and re-presented. This workshop intends to help students create pattern that can be used as a bridging mechanism between a landscape's utilitarian and aesthetic functions.
Title: Landscape through a looking glass
HOST COLLEGE: Acharya Nagarjuna University College of Architecture and Planning, Guntur Date: 5 -8 th Oct 2019. (TWO DAY WORKSHOP) ISOLA MEMBERS: Sriganesh R & Aparna Rao, Ficus Studio, Bangalore Mumbai & Bangalore
A riverside, urban woods and an urbanised zone in Guntur , the place of the ZONASA convention, were chosen as exploration areas to observe broad and fine-scaled aspects and issues of land planning, space- making and ecology. The workshop aimed at communicating landscape as a base for design thinking, rather than a residue of design. By reading it at various scales one can understand its behaviour and thereby inform the attempts to achieve harmony between development, architecture and open space.
Short exercise were conducted outdoors with an emphasis on examining ways of seeing / drawing/reading landscapes. The objective was to communicate the visible and unseen elements and features that influence the landscape and the developments which occupy them. .
Title: Living walls
HOST COLLEGE: Mariyam College of Architecture and Planning, Trivandrum
Date: 25-28th Oct 2019. (TWO DAY WORKSHOP)
ISOLA MEMBER VOLUNTEERS: Ganga Krishna , Kerala chapter
Resource: Ar. Guruprasad Rane & Ar. Manasi P., Bhoomija Creations
Living walls, a wonderful paradox; to build our habitats in harmony with the nature. In the chaotic urban environments, these breathing walls, gives an opportunity to explore the possibilities of Living with the Nature. This hands-on workshop aims at popularizing the use of eco-friendly materials and its prospects to craft a green wall which is accessible and not elitist.
The first round, more experimental, had focus on discussions of landscape in built spaces and role of landscape architect in the projects. The workshops spanned across a day or two in some cases.
ZONASA 2018 was conducted in College o f Architecture, IET Bhaddal , Chandigarh
Isola Member, Mr. Sachin Jain from Delhi Chapter mentored this workshop.
It was a two day workshop , wherein Day 1 was an interactive lecture structured to acquaint the students with basics of what landscape architecture is, it's components with some references through history and contemporary examples.
Day 2 involved a small exercise on understanding contours, role of vegetation and a small design problem of landscape design of the courtyard of the academic block of the campus.
ZONASA 2018 was conducted in Siddhaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur
Isola Member, Mr. T.M Chengappa assisted by Sachin U and Deepthi CB, all from Bangalore chapter mentored this one day intensive workshop
The workshop consisted of lecture component regarding Site Analysis and planning as a important process before design. The hands on components was a design exercise involving site analysis, drawing sections to understand topographies etc.
Conducted in Eranad Knowledge City College of Architecture, Manjeri , Kerala
Isola Member, Dr. Shishir Rawal assisted by Emee from Gujarat Chapter mentored the two day workshop. Various aspects were discussed over two days involving lectures and exercises for student groups.
Exploring experiential qualities of landscape focus on landform analysis in the context of natural system and its implications and applications for site analysis and planning for architecture students’ professionals
