Students creativity at its best in SEDA exhibition at Navrachana university in Vadodara

School of Enironmental Design and Architecture (SEDA) has put together the exhibition of students work of the last Spring semester that showcases some very innovative and cutting-edge approach in architecture and design. The spring semester was totally conducted online hence it was a challenge for - students to accomplish all the designing work at home.

SEDA presently has three undergraduate programs: Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Design (Interior) and Bachelor of Design (Landscape).

Typically, in creative fields students have to make models, large drawings and also use the workshop to accomplish their work. So, the biggest challenge that the faculty members faced was to get exemplary work done by students without meeting them in person and in their own space. Hence most of the exercises were modified and transformed keeping these constraints in mind.

The constrains of pandemic and online education actually has led to a new kind of innovation in teaching and assignments. A student who did not have access to model making material for her studio started using Broccolis that was in her refrigerator to make trees as her studio site was in a forest. In another case a furniture design workshop  was re-formatted as an exercise to modify, retrofit and reuse old object and furniture lying in the house. Students were encouraged to look around their surroundings and find things that can be used to make new designs.

Similarly, in history assignments, students were encouraged to go around in their neighbourhood or city and discover old heritage structure and document the same. This also leads to more local level awareness of heritage and helps document old buildings.

The student mentorship program was actively run, keeping the possibility of mental health and stress related issues that students might face during lockdown in mind. The faculty mentors would typically meet every week with students to discuss non-academic issues. It could be related to handling stresses, hobbies, music or even tips of managing multiple assignments. The mentorship program allowed students to also see a different side of faculty members and in the process has led to creation of new hobby clubs where teachers and students do something together not for grades or credit but just for fun.

SEDA is already running pottery, sketching and travelling clubs where students and faculty members pursue their hobbies together. A music and an aeromodelling club is in the pipelines!

During the opening of the exhibition students and teachers met each other after nearly 1.5 years. For some students, it was the very first time they actually saw the campus.