Why Jindal School of Art and Architecture is banking on architecture as a subject

Architecture has mostly been associated with arts and aesthetics, but have you ever imagined designing it for a societal cause? Jindal School of Art and Architecture (JSAA) has claimed to redefine the concept of architecture by creating a built environment from socio-political, economic and cultural perspectives. Based on various real life problems, the institution has rolled out multi-utility course structures at undergraduate level.  “As of now, architecture and design has been perceived in aesthetic ways. But the basic aspects of design or architecture comprises two things, first articulation of problems and second is solving those problems. That is where design has the biggest contribution,” Jaideep Chatterjee, professor, executive dean, director, undergraduate programs, JSAA, told FinancialExpress Online. 

With this, JSAA aims to create designs and architecture courses which would further contribute to solving problems of developing communities or systems on ground. The architectural institute was started in 2018 by O P Jindal Global University with 20 students, the school now has 170 students altogether. In the academic year of 2021-22, JSAA has enrolled 65 new students. 

At present, the institute offers three undergraduate courses which includes Bachelor of Architecture (B Arch), Built Environmental Studies (BA Hons), and Bachelors of Design (B Des). The architecture programs are designed for non-STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths)  students. According to Chatterjee , students do not need a STEM background to pursue architecture courses. It is skill, logistics, and knowledge that stimulates a student to practice it. 

The institution claimed to have restructured the perspective of architectural studies with provision of multidisciplinary subjects such as gender and design, architecture and public policy, including minor subjects such as government and political studies, environment and sustainability studies amongst others. “Design is very much influenced by gender. At one level it states how different genders experience space and their environment differently, secondly how design has always kept man at its centre and never talked about other gender. We are changing the patriarchal spectacle of design,” Chatterjee said. 

According to the institute, students from any academic background with 50% marks, can pursue the degree courses by clearing a Jindal Creative Aptitude Test (JCAT) and interview sessions. Though the UGC guideline urges to conduct Common University Entrance Test (CUET) in higher education institutions, JSAA stated that it looked at JCAT as the only mode of entrance for the academic year of 2022-23. 

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