In his interview with Republic Business during the Republic Business Leadership Conclave—where the session focused on “Architects of Modern Bharat”—Prof. Abhay Purohit, President of the Council of Architecture, outlines challenges from unauthorised practitioners to the potential of AI and smart buildings. He paints a vivid picture of both hurdles and hopes for architects tasked with shaping a modern yet culturally rooted India.
Below is the edited version of the interview.
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On Global Competitiveness and Tradition
Republic Business: Professor Purohit, how can Indian architectural education become more globally competitive?
Abhay Purohit: Presently, we have about 400 schools of architecture in India. The Council of Architecture controls their education in terms of the syllabus and other things. We continuously update the entire system through workshops and seminars. We are also very keenly observing foreign education systems. Our standard is fairly good, but there are challenges in terms of the upcoming technological inputs and how the modern world will look at sustainability in a different fashion. We are absolutely gearing up for it. The institutions are trying to cope with the changes and the aspirations which the nation has, so we are trying to club all these things together.
RB: While being globally competitive, how can one balance modern technology with traditional, and ensure designs are climate-friendly?
AP: We have seen changes happening, from the computer revolution to the IT revolution, and now artificial intelligence. This is going to naturally change the entire system. One, technology is a part that needs to be seen. On the other hand, we have to become much more responsible in addressing concerns related to climate change and sustainability. Third, we have to look at India’s very rich architectural heritage.
We are one of the oldest civilisations with its own well-developed architectural style. When we are talking about our progress, it cannot be devoid of our past. These are the three major issues that need to be integrated with the modern learning system. Interestingly, architecture is a mirror of civilisation.
Our progress cannot be devoid of our past. We have to integrate tradition with modern learning and technology.
On Regulatory Challenges and Sustainable Practices
RB: How challenging can it be to bring in new changes? What could be the biggest regulatory or policy challenges for an architect?
AP: There are two areas to look at. Presently, architectural services are not restricted to architects, which is a challenging situation for professionals. When the Architects Act came into existence, there were only a few architects. But today, we have geared up. We have about 1,90,000 architects registered with the Council; we produce about 20,000 to 25,000 architects every year. This means we are now capable of reaching the last person in the population, so there is a need to re-examine the services and their protection.
We produce about 20,000 to 25,000 architects every year. This means we are now capable of reaching the last person in the population, so there is a need to re-look at the services and their protection.
Another part is that we have to gear up everyone—practising architects and students—to integrate technology with practice. We have digital manufacturing, AI models, and virtual reality. Architecture is not only confined to architecture; creative minds are expanding into other activities, leading to successful multidisciplinary practices.
We also need to provide services on par with the best in the world and compete with multinational companies, which requires changing rules and regulations. The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Education are looking at this keenly, and I believe things would change in the coming days—Amendment to the Architects Act and the configuration of the National Education Policy with the architecture education.
RB: In India, which sustainable design practice do you think makes the maximum impact?
AP: We have good natural resources. We are capable of producing bamboo as a material in a very good quantity; it is a quite sustainable material. We have mud available, which can be converted into building material with technologies like mud-compressed blocks.
We have ample sunlight, so the integration of solar systems is possible. A major concern is retaining water, so every house, township, and neighbourhood should be capable of harvesting its own rainwater. We also have to focus on recycling our water and converting sludge into usable cakes. The idea is to become self-sustaining. Plastic is another area; we can minimise its use or integrate it as a reinforcement material in certain cases to increase strength and reduce the burden of plastic waste.
On the Evolving Role of the Architect
RB: The role of architects is very important in housing, school infrastructure, and more. How is this role evolving, and how can more value be added?
AP: Architecture is an important service which needs to be looked at as inevitable. The majority of the public believes that it is about aesthetic quality, but it is not only that; it’s combined with structural stability and the optimisation of spaces. Architects are capable of integrating services in a better fashion, especially in public buildings like hospitals, schools, and commercial complexes.
A few more things are very important. Nowadays, we are talking about universal accessibility. Buildings should be inclusive so that everybody, even those with special abilities, can move around. We need public buildings which are accessible. Public buildings need ramps, lifts that can accommodate wheelchairs, and features that allow a blind person to move with ease. All of these scenarios have to be taken care of by the architect by integrating these services.
The buildings themselves should become sustainable, meaning materials that cause harm to nature need to be avoided. A whole new vocabulary of material and technology is evolving. When we talk about mass housing, especially for lower-income groups, the house itself is not only a house. It has to be seen as an opportunity for those who are occupying where almost all members are earning members of the family. In such a case, the size of their house is small, but it also has to function as a workplace. The design should be versatile enough to accommodate such scenarios.
RB: You mentioned artificial intelligence. Could you give us some examples of how digital technology, like AI or 3D tools, is evolving architecture in the country?
AP: It’s very interesting. Learning used to be linear; now it is becoming a matrix. Artificial intelligence is providing a lot of aspirations, because of which expectations are very high. Previously, I would draw and try to explain it [the design] to my client. Now, with virtual reality, it is possible for me to actually take my client to that space where they can feel it. Not every client can read drawings, but they can feel the space, and that makes a whole lot of difference.
With AI and its associated tools, I am capable of completely analysing my building prior to its execution, reducing the chance of errors. This gives me a chance to optimise resources, energy consumption, and palette of materials and technology for sustainability. A building can come virtually into existence without spending a single rupee. You can do all sorts of simulations, and the strength and life cycle of the building can be ascertained.
Technology provides perfection, and the human brain provides creativity. This is the amalgamation of two good things. The design cycle is reduced, perfection increases, and we save a lot of resources.
On Modern Bharat’s Architectural Vision
RB: Since our theme is the architects of modern Bharat, how can architects preserve our culture and heritage while keeping modern-day needs in mind?
AP: We are a growing economy. We have the youngest population, who are reasonably educated, aspiring to serve the world. As per our culture, the young serve the elders, so young India will be serving the elder world.
There are two ways to look at it. First, we look at what is going to happen in India. We have a rich tradition and culture. Every nukkad, galli, and small town has a rich heritage, which has become a default part of our lives. This is something we can now showcase to the world. We have so much to celebrate, and our heritage needs celebration. We are not going to compete with our fantastic historical structures, but we are going to draw our clues from them. This means we should design tourist networks and infrastructure capable of inviting others to come and look at our culture.
Another part is that we are saying any culture would not be without architecture. Architecture is a testimony of a civilisation and its progress. To be able to achieve our aspirations, it has to be supported by architecture and infrastructure that is unique and has its own flavours from our traditions and past. We should be capable of emulating and amalgamate that in a beautiful fashion with modern technology, but the values projected have to be essentially Indian in nature.
The challenge is to be a country that is not rejecting modernity but also not leaving its past. That is what we have to achieve as architects.
RB: Finally, what is your vision for architecture in modern Bharat for the next 10 years?
AP: I would like to see every small town served by architects and see development that is very well-coordinated, not leaving things to chance. With climate change happening, we should have systems designed in such a fashion that loss is prevented, especially in regions prone to disasters like earthquakes or flooding. We need to design buildings that are safe for the people in such regions. The technology and material used have to be lifesaving.
We have to gear up to serve the world, which means the technological interface with architecture education is essential. We need to put technology into all our institutions and possibly retrain our architects to adopt new techniques.
Buildings need to be safe for kids. They have to be smart buildings, where elderly and ill people can get help as fast as possible. Smartness should be integrated into the building. We also have to produce our own energy at a building or community level, conserve water, and integrate more greenery, even vertically. The technology is available.
I believe that for India, with our space programs, we as architects also have to start thinking about whether we are capable of doing something on Mars. It requires a very different kind of expertise, boiling down to material and technology. There has to be a multi-disciplinary approach to integrating the human habitat. It’s no longer just a job of going and constructing; you have to assess your buildings prior to execution to see if they satisfy our national needs.
Are we capable of doing something on Mars? It requires a multi-disciplinary approach—it’s no longer just about constructing buildings.
