A Nostalgic Journey Back to Our Alma Mater

During our interaction, Ar. Ram Niwas Sharma shared some notable observations on how the field has evolved. He pointed out that the number of students has grown significantly, making it challenging for faculty to remember each name, a contrast to the close-knit environment we experienced. He mentioned that today’s students often avoid core architectural practice, lack patience to fully grasp on-site situations, and come already well-informed through digital channels—yet without hands-on understanding. He encouraged us to mentor young trainee architects in our offices, emphasizing the importance of practical experience.

Responding to this, Naveen shared how he approaches training recent graduates, emphasizing that his firm retains them for at least a year. While they’re given limited access to drawings initially, they’re frequently sent to sites to build a grounded understanding of real-world architecture. This exchange highlighted the challenges and responsibilities of fostering a new generation of architects in a rapidly changing industry.