A house in (dis)order

Geetu Vaid

Each profession has its idiosyncrasies, peculiarities, pitfalls, high and low notes and all because of the people or practitioners that follow it. Castles in the Air picks up architecture and architects in this sense. The fact that it has been penned by an architect is what makes it quite authentic. 

The book gives a taste of different facets of the profession right from the disillusionment of the teachers and the taught in the college, where the students’ reasons for joining the course are vague and even incredulous, where the teachers are not interested in dialogue, nurturing creativity and how the reality of the profession is leagues apart from what the students are prepared for. No wonder then that to succeed in this career is not a child’s play. The journey of a building with concrete, bricks and mortar begins by building castles in the air and it is the misadventures of this profession that help one raise an edifice of professional success and acclaim.

The four sections of the book covering life in an architecture college, getting training and teachers, getting work and dealing with the challenges posed by clients, contractors, officials etc. — present a kaleidoscopic view of the profession. It also endeavours to create an in depth understanding of the life of an architect. It is in this that the author succeeds as his first-hand experience enriches his narrative. 

Beginning from a college in Jaipur where a rustic Jaswinder gets admission, the scene moves to one in Lucknow. His powerful observation and wit-laced expression are the strong points of the book. There are umpteen instances where his wry humour and even sarcasm make one chuckle. While writing about the dealings with clients he writes, “Architects either become psychologists or become insane whichever comes first while designing a house for a typical Indian client”. A budding architect’s desire to emulate the hero of Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead,  Howard Roark, or the struggles of freshers with the T-square are funny, while description of Archana madam and her teaching ‘methodologies’ as well as the examination marking system form a sarcastic and a sad comment on the level of training that students get in some professional colleges. He succeeds in striking a rapport with the readers with his simplicity and honesty. Even the ‘disclaimer’ in the prologue is not used to cloak truth. Calling the book “purely a work of fiction”, he is quick to add “but, the incidents in it are not. Stories that unfold in the book may have many parallels in reality”. 

On the flip side though, loose editing and spelling misadventures rankle. The initial portions describing first day at college, ragging, hostel life, canteen etc. are unexciting and stale, bringing the book to an average level.