I was one of a few lucky students who participated in an experimental program in India in 2015-2016. We were living at the heart of slums in Noida, Sector 8, and working with local communities to explore the issues of water supplies and education.
You can download the book with the results of thematic studio projects as a reflection of the work accomplished within the DIA master course. It is a report of an exploration into a design studio sample, that researches an inter- cultural, cross-national and interdisciplinary approach.
Introduction from the book by Martin Rein-Cano
“Bound by architecture, the Dessau International Architecture Graduate School (DIA) and The Design Village (TDV) in Delhi fostered this link through a fifteen week all or nothing collaborative master course, “DIA@ Delhi”. Reminiscent of the Bauhaus teaching philosophy which aimed to synthesize art
and life, work and play, the course veered from the typical academic format to focus on learning through knee deep collaboratively gained experience, through the exchange of diverse practices and insights and from the benefit of a seamless social and educational atmosphere. As such, the course from October through January took place eleven weeks in balmy India and four weeks in frigid Dessau.
Composed of twenty eight students, half
from DIA and half from TDV, the course commenced with a series of one week design workshops held in India where Delhi became the stomping ground for a richly international DIA crowd, accompanied by their Delhi savvy TDV counterparts. Workshop topics explored
a crash course diversity of DIA, Design Village and the University of Ahmedabad’s guest professor expertise including urban analysis, product design, public participation, urban planning, landscape architecture, natural resource consumption, design and build, sustainable design and informal architectural intervention. Confronted with the arresting vibrancy and unique social dynamics of India, DIA students and professors lived together in The Design Village neighbourhood of Noida in the Delhi metropolitan region. In this bustling context DIA participants were pushed to closely consider the course design issues from an Indian perspective. Alternatively, through participant exchange, new TDV students and professors were exposed to perspectives of both design and of India, from East and West Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Throughout the workshops, students and professors ventured out to the Noida/Delhi neighbourhoods and further afar on two one-week excursions – delving deeper into the landscape, architectural and cultural diversity that is India. With each workshop brought new professors, new views, new excursions, more professional exposure and all in all more experiences to stir the pot.”
Enjoy 🧡
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