Dr. A. Madhumathi

As part of our Institutional distinctiveness one of the best practices we follow in our school is Societal engagement towards sustainable development.

To achieve this we are trying lately in our school to have a public discourse of architecture students work not only in classrooms but also in hall ways, corridors, studios. We believe the best and novel way to disseminate the ideas and talents of young minds is to organize an exhibition which would be a wonderful and interesting platform to meet and interact with people especially – industry experts. Practitioners, connecting with alumni etc , we strongly believe that it will pour an extra enthusiasm and create an awareness of current work practices in industries towards sustainable development and expose the students to real world experience.

In this HAT 2022 Exhibition we have largely organized our work focusing on 3 architecture themes Heritage, Art and Architecture and Technology.

Students of our school get involved in Heritage connect as part of our community engagement and we also made a conscious attempt to incorporate this event as part of our curricula to amplify the voice on behalf of threatened heritage places in Vellore and traditions. Vellore heritage connect event – started in 2018 and students have been taken to various sites in and around Vellore and few of these sites are documented where today you will be exploring some sample works in this central atrium spaces.

The next theme is ART as we believe Art and Architecture have deeper connection and it an integral part of our program curriculum: Every year we conduct Art Festival which is an annual event organized by our school where it brings together artists from across the country to Vellore to promote the interest in art forms among students, teachers and general public at large we organize workshops which encompass several genres including ceramics, sculpture, print making, water colour, oil painting Glimpses of samples are displayed here.

Final theme focuses on ART AND TECHNOLOGY Our school is blessed to be within a vast technological resource that has a high standing as an academic institution at the national and global level. Apart from academic works we can come across works where Students participating in National and International competitions which are creative and cognitive production of the design process and the proposals are so unique and thus increases in efficiency and competitiveness among students.

This premier event brings together all students, academicians and practitioners and provides an opportunity for everyone to review and appreciate of our graduate students work in an atmosphere of celebration.

Bamboo one of the most versatile materials which finds use in multiple areas of built form. The workshop was organised especially for the second semester students to educate and experience the material. The workshop was held from 03-06 May 2022 at MG Block’s Construction yard. The initial sessions were about understanding the material and its properties. The students made multiple scaled models using bamboo skewers. These models explore various possible built forms in bamboo and two options were selected which would be built in the construction yard. The design and built exercise gave students an opportunity to explore different tools such as power drill, bamboo splitter, sawing to name a few. The workshop was an important learning experience to the students wherein the lessons learnt in classrooms were implemented.

Expert Faculty (THESIS)

VSPARC 3rd semester students were at Thannal’s Natural Building Campus, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai as part of their Awareness Building and Hands on Workshop on Natural Building Techniques. The insightful workshop under the guidance of Ar. Biju Bhaskar, who collaborates with traditional masons and artisans to bring back to life the vernacular techniques practiced in different parts of India, delivered them a brief idea about construction techniques without the use of cement, concrete, steel, and paints that are environmentally detrimental and poison to humans too.

• • • Ar.Sanjay Mohe Partner, MINDSPACE Architects, Bengaluru.
    • Ar.Murali Murugan Principal Architect, Murali Architects, Chennai.
    • Mr.Raja Singh Director, Kingsway Consultants, Chennai.
    • Ar.Vijaykumar Sengottuvelan Director, C.A.R.E. School of Architecture, Trichy.
    • Ar.N.RamalingamProfessor, C.A.R.E. School of Architecture, Trichy.

• • • • Dr. Prabhjot Kaur, Professor, Panjab Technical University
      • Dr. Arun Menon, Professor, IIT Madras
      • Dr. Rama Subramaniam, Professor, DSCA, VTU
      • Dr. Ranee Vedamuthu, Professor & Dean, Anna University
      • Dr. Benny Kuriakose, Practicing Architect
      • Ar. L Venkatesh, Practicing Architect, CRN, Chennai
      • Prof. Vydianathan R, Professor, V-SIGN, VIT
      • Ar. Aditi Ajay, Alumnus, V- SPARC
      • Ar. Piyush Piramal, Alumnus, V- SPARC

The fully flexible credit system (FFCS) followed in the school is a pioneering attempt in the field of undergraduate architectural education in India and offers students the choice of selecting courses, flexible over the period of their education to suit their specific inclinations thus providing them an opportunity to use their time efficiently within the broad framework of the Council of Architecture, the statutory body governing architectural education in India.

VIT offers opportunities for students to engage in educational exchange programmes with foreign institutions.

V-SPARC conducts value-added programs frequently as a module for extensive training of faculty. The professors are continuously exposed to value additions through training sessions, workshops and expert lectures. In Nov 2016, V-SPARC organised a faculty development programme conducted by TRC-COA and it attracted faculty from colleges across South India. The faculty were trained under varied modules – new trends in the foundation design studio, research methodologies and technical writing.

The faculty team of V-SPARC aggressively focuses on continuous refinement of design understanding and technical comprehension by conducting outdoor visits. The students are made to understand subjects through on-site lectures, visual analysis of buildings and monuments, practical demonstration of building construction techniques etc. Study tours to national and international locations are a compulsory part of the curriculum and these are conducted during vacation periods.

VSPARC installations are regular features across the campus. Apart from conceptualisation and development of design on paper, ideas are put into a physical form for different occasions such as festivals, part of design jury, symposiums and cultural events. The manifestation of these art forms provides a delightful break from the monotony of an unchanging landscape through their exciting forms and material richness.

The design studio which forms the main core of the programme gets continuously refined for its effectiveness through interactive sessions between faculty and students. The deep involvement of Design Chair in the design studios, pragmatic inputs from practising architects, deep research by the faculty and constant outdoor visits for case studies gives a strong platform to students for effective design learning.

Most of the core and elective courses are embedded with project components and the briefs for the projects are formulated innovatively in terms of their context and intent to ensure sound learning outcomes. Students are motivated to engage in challenging experiments under the guidance of a mentor who actively engages students in continuous knowledge acquisition through a process of enquiry.

Professionals and researchers from architecture and allied fields are in regular association with the students and faculty of V-SPARC. The faculty organises guest lectures from eminent speakers in the field of architecture and allied fields every week during extramural hours and as a part of a teaching module in every theory subject. The students are encouraged to interact with them and this creates a forum which discusses new trends and ideas, different zones of architecture, technical information and other contemporary parameters associated with the profession.

Professionals and researchers from architecture and allied fields are in regular association with the students and faculty of V-SPARC. The faculty organises guest lectures from eminent speakers in the field of architecture and allied fields every week during extramural hours and as a part of a teaching module in every theory subject. The students are encouraged to interact with them and this creates a forum which discusses new trends and ideas, different zones of architecture, technical information and other contemporary parameters associated with the profession.

The city of Vellore is well known for its cultural richness and historical significance and provides a fertile ground for the portrayal of our heritage. Towards creating greater awareness of this inherent value, we at the V-SPARC School of Architecture, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), conducted an outreach programme involving eminent architectural historians and civic public officials and engagement with the public on the subject of awareness of the Heritage of Vellore and its environs. This programme was scheduled for 5th October 2018 to 7th October 2018.