ALIGNING ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: REFLECTIONS FROM GUJARAT, INDIA

Abstract [English]

Architects have always encountered challenges when designing structures for the built environment. However, over the past decade, there has been a realization that the focus needs to shift from basic design, construction, and structural issues to sustainability problems. These problems require an integrated, adaptive, and participatory approach. Architectural practice and education need to continually evolve to address technical and methodological innovations and to respond to the challenges and demands of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Different approaches have been adopted worldwide to integrate various SDGs. Effective design pedagogies, methods, models, and initiatives have raised students' awareness of the sustainability implications of design and have been incorporated into architecture and planning curricula across the globe. This paper is based on the author's years of engagement in practice, research, teaching, and assessment of various subjects in the discipline of architecture and planning across India. Primary data was collected by knowing the perspective of students and teachers, the types of design assignments, and the professional experience of architects. Subsequently, the approaches to the implementation of SDGs in architecture and planning courses were mapped, analyzed, and compared. This paper provides an overview of the level of emphasis on SDGs in selected architecture institutes in India. It further analyzes the challenges and opportunities for architects, students, and teachers in the case of Gujarat state. Finally, it outlines some actions institutes can take to move forward with the implementation of the SDGs, contributing to the current state of knowledge.