A READY RECKONER FOR YOUNG ARCHITECTS

Young architects who do not have access to an environmental consultant can start off by using free and universal tools such as:

l Google Earth Imagery from which contour levels of the site can be approximately extracted.

l Toposheets of India can be found online; it may require some searching on websites of Landscape Universities worldwide.

l Rainfall data and history are available online at various sites including The Meteorological Department website to ascertain the precipitation on your site.

l The website of The Irrigation Department of India which gives the specifics about soil in every region.

l Software like Google SketchUp, Revit and Grasshopper which allow you to geo-locate and model the site and surroundings in 3D which will help you visualize

Young architects can also develop these soft skills to study the site better:

l Understand the environmental boundaries for your site, the ridges and valleys around the site to track how the water flows in the region.

l Ask to visit the highest terrace in the neighbourhood or the municipal water tank in the area to do a quick visual survey of tree canopies and vegetation patterns.

l Learn about the native flora and fauna to propose ecologically sensitive landscape ideas which ensure homes of the local birds and animals are preserved.

l Make friends with students studying botany, zoology and other branches related to environment study. They have a depth of knowledge when it comes to ecological systems.

l Speak to different generations of people who have lived around the site to understand how the region changes through the seasons, and over many years.