Built Before the Blueprint
Climate Ingenuity Inside India’s Palaces
RSVPs will open on Mon, Nov 9 at 12pm.
Facilitators
Where did the people living in the palaces get water from? What do the thick walls mean? And why are there so many courtyards?
This workshop brings participants and students of architecture together around a table to read drawings of Rajasthan’s forts and palaces. Through writing and sketching, participants will uncover what these iconic buildings know about climate, water, and defence.
Drawings are how architecture speaks to society, a shared language of abstraction that clients, builders, and architects rely on. Yet the great forts rose without them, shaped by craftspeople whose skill lived in practice rather than on paper. Participants learn to read that knowledge back out of walls, courtyards, and water systems, one sketch at a time.
Please Note:
- Participants should bring a notebook, pen, pencil and eraser.
- Limited to 30 spots.
This event is a part of the “Drawing Knowledge” exhibition, exploring the intelligent architecture of imperial India. Find the full schedule here.
In collaboration with:
Venue: Library
Facilitators
Meghal Arya
Meghal Arya is an architect, researcher and educator whose work explores the relationships between architecture, water, landscape, heritage and systems of knowledge embedded in the built environment. Her doctoral research, published as Spatial Ecology of Water, examined the knowledge embedded in the water structures of arid India. She has written and lectured extensively, including at Harvard GSD, the University of Cape Town and ENSA Versailles, and has held visiting professor positions at ETSAM Madrid, Politecnico di Milano and TU Vienna. She is a fulltime Professor in the Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, founding partner of Arya Architects, and Managing Trustee of AADI Centre.
Anitha Suseelan
Dr. Anitha Suseelan heads the School of Architecture at CHRIST University, with over 30 years of experience in architecture and urban design. She received the National Teachers Award 2024, India’s highest educational honour, conferred by the President of India for her exceptional dedication and innovative teaching. With a Ph.D. from CEPT and gold medals from CEPT and Kerala Universities, she has earned global recognition, grants and awards. She pioneered the Rural Studio program and continues innovative teaching and social outreach initiatives in academia as a practice.
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