Theorizing Architectural Production

Despite the wealth of significant Indian buildings constructed in the twentieth century, comparatively few are closely examined. In this studio students worked to redress the balance, bringing detailed analysis of lesser known buildings into critical and historic consideration. This semester we studied the Jodhpur buildings of Uttam Jain. The studio methodology reflects a resurgent approach to architectural history, in which detailed knowledge of buildings is central to the formation and critique of narrative. This focus on buildings is not a purely formalist activity, but can critically inform our understanding of the ways in which our profession is culturally embedded. Drawing can be seen as a critical tool in constructing building focussed histories. Through the act of drawing we can analyse and communicate the key attributes of built works. We began by documenting selected buildings, then making critical exploratory drawings related to 17 architectural parameters. These included order of construction, patterns of use, formal and functional order and material transformations. In the second part of the semester students identified the arguments of key texts of Indian modern architectural history to provide contextual frameworks. Finally, students wrote and delivered simple lectures summarising their knowledge of both building and text.