A Paradigm Shift In Design Education
Architect Sourabh Gupta and Designer Mridu Sahai, Founders, The Design Village, talk about their vision and quest to redefine design pedagogy
Architect Sourabh Gupta and Designer Mridu Sahai
From the outside, it’s nondescript, almost to the point of walking past it. Inside, it’s a world where the future of design is being nurtured. From an erstwhile ‘ kattha’ factory, to now a college of design, The Design Village shatters all norms and seeks to reinvent the way design education is perceived and disseminated. Founders, Sourabh Gupta and Mridu Sahai take us through the story of its
inception and their vision for the future.
THE IDEA AND THE INCEPTION
A+ D: An architectural firm venturing into design education. That’s a first, isn’t it?
SOURABH GUPTA: The Design Village happened to us ten years ago. All we had was an idea of how the design education of the future could be. As my architecture studio - Archohm grew, charting its own path and pace, one saw that inspiring students to be a part of the design fraternity was a logical direction. TDV thus, is an attempt to bring the international world of design closer home, and use design to contribute in the strengthening of the society and its values.
Slowly and steadily the journey unfolded, and we started making the institute, in sense and space. First three years went in researching, evaluating and designing the vision of the college. Next was to bring in like- minded people. Friends and social entrepreneurs Navneet Garg and Rishi Aggarwal came on board as co- founders and by further sharpening the mission of the project, ensured that we made the village a reality.
Thereafter, we worked towards the pedagogical model of this new school of thought. And finally, we went on to building an aligned space as the physical manifestation for the institution.
MRIDU SAHAI: While pursuing my Masters in UK, I came to realize the stark difference between the way design education is imparted in India and the west. This led me to understand that despite being from a premier institute in the country, there was still so much more to absorb and understand about design than what prevailed in our current context.
With this thought in mind, I returned to India to join Archohm - a young architecture firm at the time, clueless about what role I would play in the organization. I met Sourabh, an inspiring architect and an inspired entrepreneur, who resonated the same concerns, except that he came with a deeper conviction and provided the means to do so.
At the time, Isha Talsania and Siddharth Bathla were two other young like- minded designers who were a part of the core team to undertake a worldwide research to study the design education landscape and the future of the profession.
In 2012, we met Professor Paul Hekkert, Prof. Jeroen van Erp and others from TU Delft, Netherlands and Prof. Vishwanath Kashikar from Cept University, Ahmedabad to conceptualize a curriculum team. Over a period of 3 years, encouraged by the Dutch government, we jointly developed a pedagogy for the ideal design school of the future – The Design Village. DESIGN EDUCATION: THE NEED FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT
A+ D: There’s an obvious lacuna in design education in India. With TDV, do you seek to bring about a change in the way design education is perceived and executed in India?
MS: The opportunity for creative students in India at the time, was limited by the embryonic design gamut
The Design Village is an attempt to bring the international world of design closer home, and use design to contribute in the strengthening of the society and its values.”
— AR. SOURABH GUPTA
Founder, The Design Village
The opportunity for creative students in India at the time, was limited by
the embryonic design gamut and the formalised “spoon feeding” methods of
teaching in the country.”
— MRIDU SAHAI
Founder, The Design Village
and the formalized “spoon feeding” methods of teaching in the country.
In our research journey, we attempted to encompass not just the different ways in which design was taught, adapted and accepted across the globe, but the novel, experimental, path breaking insights that could lead to building the ideal school of the future. We studied the design education scenario by visiting all credible design schools across India, Europe, USA, China, HongKong, and Singapore. Inferences were drawn by meeting relevant people in the design eco- system and supporting fraternities of Management and Technology, where design could play an pivotal role.
It was then that we realised that a paradigm shift was the need of the hour.
SG: Back in 2011, the Minister of Communications and Information of India at the THNK festival stated - “There are 150 million students studying in colleges in India. This number is expected to rise to an astonishing 450 million by 2020.” This meant that India would need at least 800 more universities and another 35,000 colleges to cater to this population. The existing colleges had become aspirational just because of the number of students applying for each seat rather than the quality of education imparted.
The same applied to design education too; the number of design schools in India was just a mere two- digit number.
Therefore, with a focus on creating an impact through design in the country we took the opportunity to create an eco- system solely for design through The Design Village.
We seek to inspire people to live life through design. It fundamentally means that every choice needs to be deliberated and educated ; and must lead to a larger whole. It is our way of bringing about a change – to fix India or move the world. We believe in impact through design and that design does not only solve problems of today, but also proposes new ways for the future. THE DESIGN LANGUAGE: THE SCIENCE OF ADAPTIVE REUSE
A+ D: Absolutely. Design impacts us, right from the micro level to the macro. The intent there is perfect. That brings to my next thought? Why is it called The Design Village? Does the whole thought stem from democratising design?
MS: ‘ The’ emphasizes the aspiration to be a premier center. ‘ Design’ signifies the focus of this center and the ‘ Village’ brings in the flavour of a mix – that of institutes, associations, studios, industries, students and faculty all coexisting, co- operating and collaborating within a whole.
A+ D: The façade is unpretentious, or rather nondescript. Was it deliberate? But once inside, it’s a different world altogether. Take us through the design language.
SG: The Kattha factory used as the canvas for the TDV project had all the right mix of things in all the wrong physical conditions. Light and layout were the two key design elements to unlock the potential of the material that used to be manufactured here - catechu.
Lighting was vital as natural light had to be brought into this dark dilapidated dungeon. As one enters, one can see the use of tectonics of acrylic tubes as exploded and scaled fiber cables to drag torches of natural light. Courtyards of light and air are created to bring in the required natural elements but not the neighborhood noise – visual and auditory. Shafts of light, tubular openings, skylights and slits in the roof ensured a vibrant internal space with a fort like exterior.
The layout was important because the institute in its essence is essentially a school of design with multiple interactive intimate institutional spaces. It is attempting to break away from the traditional model of fixed classrooms to an idea of mixed and versatile ones. It is constantly trying
We seek to inspire people to live life through design.
We believe in impact through design and that design not only solves problems of today, but also proposes new ways
for the future.”
— AR. SOURABH GUPTA,
Founder, The Design Village
The space is a teacher. Emphasis is laid on
internalising the processes; questioning the program, playing on internal narrative more than playing on the external aesthetics.”
— MRIDU SAHAI
Founder, The Design Village
The challenge of adaptive reuse of this derelict industrial space into a dynamic educational landscape has been a daunting one. The concept of creating permanence out
of makeshift spaces without losing the essence has been an architectural inquiry.”
— MRIDU SAHAI, Founder, The Design Village
to give neutral spaces of varying scales and sizes so as to be adaptive and adoptive. Students are expected to own them, belong to them and live them in this journey of self discovery, as per their will.
Sets of steps are symbolic and the fundamental archetype used here. Whether it is the cafeteria with stepped levels to play out as a multipurpose space for lectures and concerts, or stepped classrooms to make your own spaces; or just actual steps to climb but also make one pause in that act and thereby bring in opportunities of synergy among people across the campus.
MS: The space is a teacher. Emphasis is laid on internalizing the processes; questioning the program, playing on the internal narrative more than playing on the external aesthetics. And in that sense, the space is inside out – much like the philosophy of the institute, which focuses on the inside, so that the outside becomes an honest extension of the internal.
The challenge of the adaptive reuse of this derelict industrial space into a dynamic educational landscape has been a daunting one. The concept of creating permanence out of makeshift spaces without losing the essence has been an architectural inquiry.
It is interesting to see how these grotesque machines like the compressors, the boilers are now sculptures and markers in space; they have new meanings far away from their erstwhile functions- they have become companions to the students.
THE PEDAGOGY: CREATING A NEW DEFINITION
A+ D: The programmes you offer are varied. Interestingly, no specialisation in architecture, why’s that? What is it that you look to achieve with the curriculum?
SG: It was a very deliberate choice to not offer the architecture course at the onset. We wanted to go through the journey of understanding design to bring in convincing methodology and rationalized narratives which the practice of architecture could benefit from.
In India, architecture academia and practice are often placed sequentially and conducted independent of each other in time and physicality. Institutes encompass two approaches – the practical and the conceptual. In doing so, the conditioning of the practice remains largely incomplete because in essence, practice needs both.
This year, in order to mark Archohm’s 20th anniversary, we have initiated an Executive Masters in Design Programme called International Practice In Habitat Design under the able leadership of Prof. Lena Ragade Gupta.
The program offers simultaneous experiences in academia and practice, while the pedagogy does not nestle in either domain. Learning therefore is echoed and mirrored through real world projects and their academic reflections.
MS: The programme also attempts to give an intense international experience of the practice of architecture, through an international internship at one of our partner practices such as Benthem Crouwel ( Netherlands), Topotek1 ( Germany), Coop Himmelb( l) au( Austria) and
David Chipperfield Architects ( UK).
The physical proximity of the learning environments – Studio Archohm and The Design Village institute, is leveraged and emphasized.
A+ D: What sets TDV apart? Take us through your pedagogical methods?
MS: I think we have taken the road less travelled and treated the initiation of TDV with tremendous love and care. We have taken time to arrive at a pedagogy that is simple enough to be transferable yet profound enough to be timeless. Our naivety fuelled us with energy to explore and experiment. There was synergy and
clarity of single mindedness in understanding that the project needs to be dreamt and delivered.
In essence, it is a design institute conceived and run by design professionals in the field, so that education is more embedded into the reality of the future.
We are fortunate to have an ecosystem where the i nstitute co- exists with various design organizations i n and around i ts campus. These i nclude – an architecture studio, an experience design firm, a concrete l ab, a furniture workshop and a social entrepreneurship venture among others. Therefore, i nnovation through chance encounters and surprise i nteractions are a part and parcel of TDV.
SG: I think the curriculum and pedagogy is very special. The curriculum explicitly includes – Villaging as a part of its credits. Villaging helps to engrain in a student, the TDV DNA – the qualities of awareness, compassion, courage and perseverance. We believe that these values form the core of a good designer.
There are certain beliefs that drive the pedagogy Intrinsic motivation - when students understand WHY they are learning what they are learning.
Personal Responsibility - which students take for their own learning journey.
Lifetime learning - Villagers are learners for life – both students and teachers alike.
The other beautiful thing we have earned is the people associated with the village.
TDV’s International Board of professors and professionals ensures that the philosophy flows seamlessly in the institute’s activities and focuses on actively elevating the quality of education through multiple activities like Faculty Development Master classes, Teaching Learning Center etc. The TDV faculty forms the core of the village. It is focused on inculcating a learning oriented culture over a teaching oriented one.
A+ D: Design has a much larger role to play in our lives, than it currently is. I believe Design is the solution to everything. Design is not about creating something for the present, but about determining how we will live in future. How does TDV seek to bring about this change in thinking?
SG: In order to design to impact the world, we believe that one must investigate what impact that design will have, to
understand the long- term consquences of what we design.
Therefore, students at TDV learn - how to dream and deliver it, how to understand the future and how to take responsibility for shaping the world.
In essence, they design the reason first.
MS: We also aim to nurture individuals by not limiting them to any particular field of design. Students may choose to not specialise in a particular discipline, but can be independent non- silo designers who can design in any and every medium imaginable, echoing the ethos that a good designer can design anything.
A+ D: LIfe at The Design Village...
MS: Students are encouraged to actively take part in various design forums. TDV has a calendar of workshops on subjects like pottery, photography, theatre etc. Occasionally, there are screenings of design films and creative movies. We have well curated online series called Why Fashion Matters that aims to unravel the works of prolific Indian fashion designers by sharing their stories, and discussing the future of Fashion. There is also a student initiated and faculty mentored talk show called – The Design Baithak, which answers relevant questions for design aspirants by inviting students, mentors, professionals, influencers and enthusiasts on their platform. A Typical Tuesday is another weekly affair, where all villagers ( staff and students) come together to discuss contemporary issues of the society. College Fetes and festivals, student jam sessions are encouraged to promote a lively environment on campus.
SG: We have villaging activities for students that are organized every semester - like ‘ disconnection’ and ‘ pilgrimages’ in remote places for self reflection, ‘ craft immersion programs’ in interiors of India for building empathy through culture, ‘ sustainable living’ for making conscious living choices and others.
We recently built the Indian Pavilion in France through our summer winter school where all students participated and constructed a terracotta agora. The students even conceptualized a café called - the Lighthouse on archohm premises which they run independently for the entire ecosystem. They’re having a lot of fun is all I can say.
A+ D: How did TDV adapt to the pandemic?
SG: We are fortunate to have a strong team and leadership at the institute. All members of the staff are agile and come armed with premier education and exposure. The academic team is led by Associate Dean Mudita Pasari and Mr. Vatsal Agarwal; and the Outreach and Operations team by Dr. Latika Chaudhary. It is because of the nature of the personnel in TDV, that we seamlessly transitioned into a pure online learning environment, followed by a hybrid mode, then an offline one and now back to a hybrid one.
MS: Using Google meet, Zoom, Google classrooms,
Miro, Mural, Slack and other platforms, we conducted synchronous and asynchronous classes. We managed to mirror our entire campus online. From an admissions perspective, we have managed to develop online
examinations that are plagiarism proof and subjective in nature, without compromising on our ethos. In essence, we have learnt how to become resilient and adaptable in the pandemic. A lesson that will go a long way in the way we impart education.
A+ D: How do you seek to create impact through design?
SG:
Since the world is changing rapidly, we have careers that never existed and many have become redundant. Therefore, we encourage students to think macro, develop broad interests and skills, embrace diverse experiences and spread knowledge across multiple domains.
MS: The projects chosen by students at TDV reflect the societial challenges that exist today – from addressing the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN, to considering taboos of gender voilence, menstrual health, inclusivity, community engagement.
The curriculum leans towards understanding design as a verb and not as a noun – something that traditional design education entailed.
A+ D: International Experience and exposure at TDV?
MS: We offer diverse international exposure opportunties to students and staff to give them the best learning experience possible, by curation numerous possibilities.
International faculty members offer dedicated masterclasses to students owing to our strong collaboration with professors of TuDelft in the Netherlands. During the pandemic, we welcomed an array of faculty to share online lectures on a variety of topics like Aesthetics, Social Design, Behavioural Change, Design for Happiness etc— allowing students to absorb diverse opinions and benchmark international standards.
Students get curated design travel opportunities through our inhouse initiative of Dtours India – aimed to spread awareness of architecture, design, art and culture through travel.
SG: TDV also has the privilege of running its SummerWinter school at the incredible learning environment of Domaine de Boisbuchet, an international hub for design, in France. Through the support of the founder Alexander von Vegesack and curator Mathias Schwartz- Clauss, villagers have travelled to France multiple times to build the India Pavillion and permanent installations, exhibitions on their campus. Boisbuchet offers a hands- on experience of making things - an intrinsic part of the TDV DNA.