Research methods

Electives sem-6

Q) Where do you come from? Tell us about your childhood.

I was born in Pallakad Kerala and spent most of my early childhood in Agra and
Avantipura, Srinagar Kashmir. My dad used to get transferred every 3-5 years which i felt
happy about unlike others. Children love exploring new places and my childhood was full
of exploring new places and people. I started observing different people in different places
at such early stages of life. All the shifting and moving to new places and meeting people
mademe outgoing and extrovert from a very young age.

Q) Wasn’t it difficult for you to leave your friends and neighbours?

indeed it was difficult. But the curiousity of explorinig a new place was more and
somewhere deep inside we all knew and we accepted that we won’t and can’t stay at a
place even if we liked to. Also as i mentioned before a child loves exploring new places
and he/she is less emotionally mature to feel connected to a place. That’s my perspective.

Q) What were your intrests during your childhood?

As a child I wanted to do a lot of things.I wanted to be a football player, air marshall,
scientist, musician achitect and also I loved observing and experiencing different culture.

Q) What exactly did you love about culture? What do you think is that one element
that has a huge impact on culture?
I believe language is the most essential part of a region and it’s culture. Without language
you won’t get full experience of a culture. Learning about different languages helps us
approach cultures with new insights. It allowes us to delve deeper into the purpose and
intentions of the beliefs of that particular region and it makes us feel more connected to the
region. You can’t deny that language is a huge part of culture, so much that it actually
affects culture in the same way that a culture affects the language. Language allows us to
express our thoughts and feelings, it allows us to communicate and share knowledge with
one another. The differences between two cultures are reflected perfectly in their
languages. Those contrasting values and beliefs can manifest in a variety of ways. Taking
a look at common expressions and idioms gives you a glimpse into what a society deems
important. Language affects the way we perceive the world.

Q) Is this the reason you chose architecture over other intrests?

Yes, I found out that architecture and culture go hand in hand. Somewhere near 10th class
i realised that architecture is what I want to do for a living. Obviously being a defence bratt
joining Airforce was always there in back of my mind. My parents weren’t so keen on
sneding me to defence. So yeah this decision of pursuing architecture was well thought of
in advance.

Q) What is the importance of architecture in culture or vise -versa?

Architecture is a manifestation and expression of culture. Consequently, a selected set of
cultural aspects will be defined which have been found most likely to influence architectural
form. Elaborating the expression of culture on the built form is usually the unconscious
effort of every designer. In fact, culture plays a dominant role at the very out set of any
design process. This is because, any design when conceptualized to perform a desired
function, is directly or indirectly derived from or synchronized with the cultural identity of the
user. It is what frames our thought processes. It defines individual identity and helps to
recollect past memories.
There has been several examples of culture expressed extensively in design and
architecture. Dating back to the era of the egyptian civilization, the culture back then
demanded its followers to believe in life after death. Over the years cultural influences
have moulded the way spaces have been designed in india. Not only in areas of ritualistic
and religious importance such as temples and mosques, but also the design of residences
have been a direct result of the cultural practises prevalent during the time. One such
example is the blue city of jodhpur in rajasthan. I read it in a book which said “there is no
architecture without culture, and culture always establishes itself in design, regardless of
time and space.”

Q) Did this subject match your idealogy? What do you want to do in the future after
graduating with an architectural license?
Yes indeed it met my expectations.
Also the subject taught me a lot about culture which I had no idea about. I started looking
at the world roads and streets with different perspective. I am very thankful to everyone
and every place which inspired me to take up this field and I aim to make the world a better
place to live with this knowledge.

Anuroop Babu
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