Budding architects and planners urged to follow sustainable building practices

Budding architects and planners should work with a focus on sustainable building practices, land-use management and water policy, Chairman of National Anti-Ragging Monitoring Committee and former member of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Air Marshal (retired) Ajit Shankarrao Bhonsle has said.

Addressing the students during the seventh convocation of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in Vijayawada, Mr. Bhonsle said that there was a need to redesign urban spaces in a way to enhance women and child safety.

“The architect-planners of today are the future drivers of India’s progress towards the goal of Viksit Bharat-2047. Their role in this era of urbanisation and increasing energy utilisation is crucial to move towards sustainable and resilient societies, keeping in mind the ideals of Rio Declaration-2012 and Sustainable Development Goals of UN,” he said.

He said that traditional wisdom and modern technologies should go hand in hand and urged the architects and planners to make technology work better for mankind.

Jubilant students at the convocation of School of Planning and Architecture in Vijayawada on Wednesday. (Source: K.V.S. GIRI)

As many as 243 students were awarded degrees. Ten graduates received gold medals for the 2022-23 academic year while the ‘10 Best Thesis Awards’ were conferred on students of planning and architecture.

SPA Director Ramesh Srikonda presented a detailed report of the achievements of the institute and congratulated the graduands. Stating that the campus infrastructure of SPA, Vijayawada was one of the best in the country, he said in terms of outreach, it has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with many reputed national and international institutions and organisations.

Chairman of the Board of Governors of SPA, Vijayawada, Amogh Kumar Gupta said that architects and planners had a pivotal role to play in society, especially in the wake of growing problems of pollution and flooding of cities.

Citing studies that warn of potential dangers ahead in the absence of sustainable development, he urged the students to understand the relationship between nature and mankind while practising the profession.