Architecture as profession has always confronted its devotees with the inherent risk of others not understanding their ideas. This has led many architects to take leaps of faith and push themselves to achieve the desired results, both personally and professionally. Many architects enter the field of architecture to avoid the risk of denying themselves the luxury of choosing between art and science. They wanted to solve great problems and feel important while emerging in an artistic process. Turns out, the ease with which they convince themselves to do harWhile they thought as amatures it was easy back then, their passion only takes root and uniquely develops in each professional’s life.
Upon entering the field, from college level onward, architects continue to take risks, prioritizing their areas of interest. Some invest more time in crafting their models or meticulously drafting Building Material Construction sheets, almost as if they were given a chance at cursive writing once again. Whether appreciated or not, some choose to explore software technicalities, while others share a fear of technology with their teachers, delving into the intricacies of the design process, studies, and researching, analysing some case studies. All the professionals, whether comforted by the guarantee of validation or not, choose their forte to prove unique prowess, only to be humbled, appreciated, self-appreciated, or self-criticized, perhaps all at once.
It often feels as though they are building and tearing themselves apart in the process of creating themselves and their crafts, as artists or professionals in any other field. The story ahead unravels one such instance.
Third-year students floated in the bustling environment of managing college cultures, while the fifth year was immersed in their theses. Emerging from a rigorous first year, the repetitive criteria of juries in the second year made them feel as though they had command over it all, despite numerous novice mistakes.
Suddenly, an air of responsibility gripped them as they saw a strict senior teacher enter the class, followed by the beloved part-time teacher who showcased his expertise during a combined section site visit. By the looks of it they were happy to have such a combination of fun and expertise together, but they knew the standards were to touch the sky this semester. The third year of college, i.e., the sixth semester, presented the challenge of incorporating plumbing and electrical details into their designs. Previously they had climatology, history like subjects to make faces at and get entertained by all at once in their initial college years. But new responsibilites of third year brought a load of technically sound theory subjects, where they would be expected to tackle tasks such as understanding the conceptual planning of functional buildings like hospital designs.
One student was particularly apprehensive about strict teachers being extra sensitive to critical remarks. The expression on her face suggested that she alone bore the burden of winning the trust of this teacher so that he might impart all the intricate details, which she doubted she could muster the courage to understand. Though she did not stand out much in class, when it came to subjects that interested her, like a classic nerd, she would deliver with such passion that it captivated everyone’s attention, showcasing her deep understanding of the subject. Her passion touched us to the extent that we remembered her words for a long time.
The strict teacher made it very clear that fruitful homework from their end, will only lead him to bless them with the expert knowledge he had in dealing with such functional subjects. He knew his worth and would not let his students settle for anything less than they themselves could offer. The class had to understand everything about hospitals in week two, alongside such demanding schedules of other theory subjects over the week.
This girl scanned a few important pages from the library, devoured two books almost to the point of review day, and hastily sketched some concepts on just two tracings. Her group members were like her: ambitious. Despite their own agitation, they tried to calm her nerves, assuring her that if the teacher was only rewarding a mere 2-4 marks out of 10, nothing would impress him. Theirs was almost the last group. As the kind teacher glanced at her, she felt as though she was rushing too much at the back of the class while everyone else gathered around the tables. Clumsily pinning her tracings when her turn came, possessiveness and nervousness overwhelmed her. She began explaining, and the class was stunned. Some chose to pay no heed, realizing she had nailed it. But the teacher demanded silence and attention, testing her concepts and interviewing her. Stuttering, she explained what she knew and admitted what she didn’t. The teacher remarked, “I received what I wanted in these inexpensive two tracings. Concisely, rather than with expensive sheets, you have displayed a blanket off.” The entire group received marks on her behalf. But behind the truth of the situation was that she had asked her group members to help her complete the research analysis together, but upon hearing what she had structured, they all became disoriented. However, she had expected this outcome since she didn’t believe in herself to complete or convey her ideas entirely. While her group gave her the responsibility for only what she could handle best, she still had to contribute her part to the group. Her group handled the presentation graphics and collected and organized data on the sheet to avoid going empty-handed;something crucially important. One of the most basic struggles college students face is that it takes a lot of time to fully understand, give focused attention to a single task, and deliver it to achieve good marks. Some may not present at all or under-present, while others might simply put in a lot of tedious effort, only to yield no fruitful results.
However, back to the story, her classmates shy away from acknowledging her work, while others come to her later, asking for her work and research. She was content though after receiving the recognition of the teacher, but unease is clearly reflected on her face. Once you do so much work, and people are afraid to compliment you, it hurts because it doesn’t often matches with the things you would were afraid of initially to achieve things you achieved. Though she gained academic recognition, she knew all along the risk of being overlooked by her professor due to her last-minute hand-drawn presentations, while the anxious energy of the room was enough to make one hold their breath for what comes next. Only a few could sense the pressure she was trying to brush off for her future design process, after the recognition from the teacher. Some of her group members looked at her with pity, that she was the one who would excel at group projects but struggled to maintain such confidence in her individual design progressed.
Many people carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, only to feel unseen in the end due to jealousy or competition. This story serves as a reminder that expecting recognition and validation from others is futile, especially in fields like creative ones, or perhaps in any realm where individual perspectives may differ.
As for our protagonist, she believed she was not able to grasp technical concepts well. So when COVID hit, she found her focus drifting during online classes, missing what she had worked so hard for when the professor delivered exhaustive lectures. However she was able to maintain her attention and dedication, with supportive figures around her. Her designs were apt, and to her credit, she worked under a cool, smart teacher who admired her design ideas, even undertook her for the internship period. However, her lack of belief in herself led her designs to remain incomplete since she struggled with presentation skills. This became an inside joke with her supportive teacher and her, despite the challenges she faced during the tenure of college and internship. Thereon she explored her interest in research-oriented and graphical fields, slowly working her way up to improve her technical skills. The point is, we all lack something or another. But it’s important to recognize our strengths and gradually improve where we struggle. It’s not worth internalizing acknowledgments or lack thereof.
