The fractured foundation of Indian Architecture is crying for help

Indian architecture has been steadily declining for decades. It faces problems like dwindling enrollment in architectural programs, slump in innovation, and deteriorating public infrastructure, which have been spoken about time and again. Merely scratching the surface reveals that these are merely symptoms of a grave underlying problem: the fractured foundation of Indian architecture.

Architecture education in India started with the introduction of the first formal Architecture program in Sir J.J. School of Architecture, Mumbai, back in 1913. In the absence of an Indian backdrop and an Indian presiding body at that time (COA wasn’t born until 1972), curriculum and pedagogy were “borrowed” from their British counterparts. Indian Architecture design and construction techniques received a fleeting mention under the ‘Architecture history’ subject, reflecting the British attitudes towards Indian Architecture at that time.

Over the years, the lack of Indianness in Architecture education led to a lack of understanding and appreciation for Indian architecture. A new, and extremely polarizing, style of Architecture called Brutalism which had emerged in the 1950s in Western Europe made its way to India with the invitation extended to Le Corbusier to design Chandigarh. The style using unabashed use of concrete (despite making no sense in the Indian context) became the flagbearer of modern Indian Architecture inspiring many “iconic” buildings in the decades that followed. 

European architectural imports made their way to the consciousness (or the lack of it) of the Indian Architects as well. Prior to the founding of COA in 1972, Architects in India would voluntarily register with the Royal Institute of British Architects, London. The unpleasant side-effects of this extended affiliation to the British in the form of a “holier-than-thou” attitude can be seen even today. IIA, the oldest and the most respected architectural association in India, acts like an elitist club operating behind closed doors instead of an open body furthering the welfare of Architects. Similarly, Architects firmly believe that their work is better and more creative than that of other professions, creating a perpetual, self-destructing state of self-absorption.

Let’s now address the elephant in the room: COA. COA was created by the Government of India to develop and protect the Architecture profession and ensure quality of Architecture education. The purpose, although not stated in this way, was the protection of the public interests rather than the promotion of the interests of Architects. 

1. This would have been fine had another entity (viz. IIA) assumed this role, but it hasn’t happened till date.
2. To make matters worse, nobody paid real attention to regulating Architecture practice. Small firms relentlessly undercut their competitors’ prices on a regular basis without attracting COA’s reprimand.
3. This auto-immune disease is the top reason behind the failure of Architecture firms today.

Another big reason behind the crumbling of Architecture firms is lack of business education. To understand this, let’s go back in time again. In the early days of the Architecture profession globally, Architects largely worked on government projects designing public infrastructure for the masses. Architecture was thus considered a noble profession (like medicine and law) as Architects designed for the welfare of the communities. Thinking of an Architecture practice as another form of business was considered heresy. Consequently, architecture education, which seemed to have no mind of its own, didn’t include any business courses and advertisements were banned in practice.

With no communication to the public related to matters of Architecture, it’s no surprise that most Indians today can’t tell an Engineer from an Architect. Uninformed clients don’t see the value of design, and therefore don’t want to pay Architects for non-statutory work. Architecture services have become a commodity where the tender goes to the lowest bidder. As a result of this, Indian Architects today earn 10 cents on the dollar and pay gruesome salaries to their employees, which has resulted in loss of appeal for Architecture education and profession in the past decade.

With such deep cracks in the foundation, is there any hope of a renaissance? It appears so.

The biggest reforms are expected to come from the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 which promotes a multidisciplinary approach to learning that develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills. COA, in compliance with NEP, has already proposed introduction of skill-enhancing courses like BIM and Project Management, and cross-disciplinary electives in management, technology and business. Another big change which NEP brings is centralization of regulation and accreditation, thus limiting the role of COA to a Professional Standards Setting Body. This change is expected to bring much-needed focus on professional standards for COA. With this, there’s hope that COA will double down on regulating professional practice and preventing desecration of the code of conduct.

As already established, there’s a grave need for educating the consumer about Architecture in general and Indian Architecture in specific. NEP's emphasis on opening colleges in underserved regions and promoting local languages in higher education is expected to help spread architectural knowledge among the masses. Launching consumer education campaigns similar to Sunday Ho Ya Monday, Roz Khao Andey (NECC campaign from the 1980s which resulted in widespread adoption of egg consumption in India) can help the country regain the lost appreciation for Indian design and construction techniques, which we need desperately to develop our cities sustainably in the future.

Policies and campaigns are definitely a great starting point, but the real magic will only happen when all of us come together as a community. Let's join hands and restore the foundation, one brick at a time!