School of Building and Environment

Computer Laboratory

The Computer Laboratory is fully equipped with 80+ workstations that have the tools to handle varied tasks such as 2D and 3D visualizations, image and video editing, walkthroughs, energy analysis and project management. A large format plottter is also available for printing drawings at the required scale.

Material Lab

The material laboratory is constantly updated with the latest architectural and interior materials for the students to keep abreast with developments in material technology.

Urban Climate and Built Environment Laboratory

The Urban Climate and Built Environment Laboratory is an exclusive facility for students pursuing their post graduation to perform energy and climate based analysis.

Modelmaking Lab

The Modelmaking lab helps the students learn the nuances of working with different materials, scales and proportions.

Services Lab

The Services Lab is well equipped for students to get hands on expercience with various architectural and interior services including plumbing & drainage, electrical and HVAC.

Construction Yard

The vast construction yard helps in providing students with hands-on exposure to real-life simulations.

The Department of Architecture held a one-day workshop on laser cutting, focusing on digital fabrication techniques. Participants learned machine operations, material selection, and design preparation, enhancing their understanding of scale and detailing.

B.Arch students conducted a case study on the Vellore International School, designed by renowned architect Sanjay Mohe. The study analyzed architectural planning, material choices, and passive design strategies to create an environmentally friendly educational environment, enhancing their understanding of contemporary architectural approaches and thoughtful design principles.

The Department of Architecture hosted an alumni talk by Kiruba Shankari, an architect, for final-year students. The talk emphasized selecting, researching, and developing Campus Design, guiding students through practical tips and challenges, and expressing gratitude for her expertise.

The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) 9.0, is conceived as a part of World Urban Campaign (A UN-HABITAT Initiative) as an open forum for critical exchange between urban researchers, professionals, and decision-makers who believe that urbanization is an opportunity and can lead to positive urban transformations. It is meant to contribute to the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The theme for this year’s UTC 9.0 is #housingmatters.

Click here to know more >> 

An extensive site visit to  Signify Innovations India limited was organized to examine and understand various lighting solutions available for a given space.  The Final Year, III and II Year B.Des students visited the office and the experiential center in Nungambakkam on 6th March 2024. 30 students along with 3 staff members visited the Centre and the purpose of this visit was to explore and understand types of lighting and various lighting fixtures available for interior and exterior spaces. The expert and other technicians gave detailed information about various products they deal with and also explained their application as well. This site visit was a fascinating and enlightening experience for the students.

Ar Hariesh a product designer had fruitful conversations with students of interior design first year on their product design process. The discussions yielded fine tuned designs and prototypes.

Ar. Kumaresan from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay conducted a Design Thinking Workshop for the first-year students at the Sathyabama - School of Building and Environment. The sessions included hands-on exercises that pushed students to think of alternative design solutions while working on models and sketches. The session was a successful venture where students came out with multiple iterations and had useful dialogues with each other, the design team, and Ar. Kumaresan.

 Renowned architect Ar. Kalaivanan Amudhan delivered an inspiring guest lecture on bio-materials, computational design, and robotics fabrication for third-year B.Arch students. Through a captivating presentation, he showcased his innovative works, providing valuable insights into the intersection of architecture and cutting-edge technologies. His expertise and pioneering approach left a lasting impression on the students, serving as a catalyst for their exploration of new possibilities in architectural design and construction.

First year architecture students visited Senganthal poonga on 7 th February 2024 and Semmozhi poonga
on 10 February Poonga as part of Design studio II. The students need to understand the context, activities and spatial layout to identify a site to design either an information kiosk and a gazebo or a snack bar and a gazebo. The students visited the Semmozhi poonga during the flower show and were
excited to see how the park transformed during special occasions.

The Department of Architecture proudly launched its newsletter, "Archive," with a ceremony graced by the Vice President of Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. The Vice President commended the initiative and appreciated the dedication of both students and staff members who voluntarily contributed to the publication. "Archive" is envisioned as a platform to showcase the department's achievements, research endeavors, and creative outputs, fostering a sense of community and collaboration within the academic environment

During a week-long rural documentation program in the village of Chenniyur near Pollachi, second-year architecture students engage in hands-on exploration, surveys, sketches, and interviews. This initiative aims to deepen their understanding of local architectural and cultural aspects, encouraging a socially conscious approach to design that considers the unique context of the People Living there.

 Ar. Hasti Valipour an Iranian-French architect from the University of Copenhagen was invited by the School of Building and Environment to collaborate with  Ar.Esther Kiruba J C and Ar. Ramkumar from the Department of Architecture. She spent two days working closely on eggshell waste being used as a building material. The scope of the material to be used in 3D printing was discussed and various other applications and alternatives were brainstormed with the researchers and interested students who joined the team. An interesting point to note is that all the eggshell waste used has been collected from the main kitchen over the past few months by Ramkumar and Esther and dried, powdered and stored all sustainably with available resources writhing the department itself.

As another social cause 12 students and 2 faculties from the department of Architecture have done few social awareness painting on the walls of Padur Panchayat, as requested by the president of Padur panchayat and the coordinator of iVolunteer. 4 of our students visited the place where wall painting was requested a week earlier and took measurements and collected requirements from Padur Panchayat. Later a group of students volunteered to design social-awareness concepts to be painted on those walls, for a week at the studios. Finally on the 3rd March 2024, 12 students and 2 faculties went to complete the activity
The officials of the panchayat were thrilled to see the final outcome on their walls. Students participated with enthusiasm and there was cross-batch learning were seniors helped newcomers on how to plan and start such wall painting activities. Overall it was a nice learning experience for few students who were doing any sort of painting activity for the very first time
 

The students of B.Arch. IV year went on an educational tour to Sri Lanka along with three faculty members. The eight-day educational trip was a transformative experience for the students. Immersed in the rich cultural heritage, they explored cities like Colombo, Galle, Sigiria, Bentota and Kandy. They explored the works of eminent architect Geoforry Bawa visiting the New Parliament House, Seema Malaka temple, Lunu Ganga Estate, a number of resorts designed by him. The students were in profound appreciation for Bawa’s meticulous creation etched in every detail. Visits to iconic landmarks such as Sigiriya's ancient rock fortress , Dambulla Cave Temple,  Temple of the Tooth in Kandy provided invaluable insights into the region's architectural evolution and cultural significance. Engaging with local architects and artisans offered students a hands-on understanding of traditional building techniques and materials, enriching their academic knowledge with practical, real-world applications.  

Resin workshop was conducted by Ar. Divya Murugesan on the 20th and 21st of November 2023, for the first year B.Arch and B.Des students of Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. As part of this workshop, the students got to experiment on large panels where they showcased their creativity with resin and expressed it through art. Beautiful seascapes and statement art pieces were
made using mix of various colours and techniques. 

Ar. Akshaya J and Ar. Prarthana Murali conducted a "Terracotta mural workshop" on the 16th and 17th of November 2023, for the first-year B.Arch and B.Des students of Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. The students were able to explore the clay material and got familiarized on how to use it. The students also had the opportunity to explore different tools and techniques for creating different patterns of mural tiles. 

Our fourth year student Pramodhnie lead an Art Workshop at the  Department of Architecture for the First Years of B.Arch and B.Des students. 

First year students of B.Arch and B.Des, Interior Design, visited Dakshina Chitra an exciting cross cultural living museum of art, architecture, lifestyles, crafts and performing arts. This helped students to understand the broader, more inclusive cultures of the states and to introduce arts and crafts to these young minds. 

In a wholehearted volunteering initiative, our 1st year B.Arch and B.Des students created lots of innovative and creative self-help learning aids for special children, residing at Vasantham Special School and Home at Mogappair. About 100 children reside and learn at this school. These learning material created would help these children learn concepts with deeper understanding through  visualisation and continuous play-way interaction. We appreciate the social sensitivity of our students, and thank each of them who volunteered today for making a wonderful difference in the way children learn.  

Following the 35th foundation day celebrations held on 5th October 2023, SEED Fund Award Ceremony was conducted today , the 6th of October 2023 at Tmt. Soundarabai Auditorium .Honorable Chancellor Dr.Mariazeena Johnson handed over SEED grant order copies to the Staff and Student Investigators. 49 proposals leading to innovative products, processes and technologies in various domains received the grants worth 55 Lakhs. The Chancellor congratulated each and every one of the Investigators personally and addressed the awardees indicating time management,financial management and commercialization strategies as the key parameters to be kept in mind to meet the objectives of the proposal for which the grant was given. Researchers from the School of Building and Environment received a grant for their team of 3 professors and 2 students.

School of Building and Environment at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai organized an activity at the Urban Design Collective where the students of M.Arch., Sustainable Architecture played an interactive game with the theme of Sustainable Development Goal 13. The experience included adversities and resistances that are faced while working towards the goal. The activity created feelings of change and reform in the students minds while also urging them to work towards achieving the SDG 13 within the year 2030. 

Esther Clifford an Assistant Professor and Fiona Evangeline a former educator from the Department of Architecture presented a poster on, “The burden of research in architecture: why do researchers not have an equitable share in the glory of being called architects?”, at the International Research Culture Conference online hosted by the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.

The III Year students of B.Des (Interior Design) as a part of their curriculum were taken to different spaces portraying various products and design solutions from 7th – 10th Feb 2023. The students explored different spaces and documented the same for their design studio and services studio reference. Detailed demonstration along with exposure to various materials, lighting, and their application in interiors gave them an insight into the theoretical knowledge they have gained. Working principles, Installation, and maintenance procedures were demonstrated to the students through technicians. The large display of different artworks in the Kochi biennale and the buildings in which they were displayed helped them to gain more experience with different lighting systems, accessories, and fixtures.

For the Batch 2019 - 2024 of Department of Architecture regarding case studies for Architectural Design VII, they visited the Codissia Trade Fair Complex, PSG Convention Centre, and Kongu Convention centre in Coimbatore from 19.02.23 to 22.02.23. The management team of the infrastructure facility provided valuable information about the design and operations of the facility to the students .Apart from the above projects, we visited Tex Valley – A textile Commercial Mall at Erode and ISHA spiritual Yoga Centre at Coimbatore. Altogether 91 students and 3 faculties of the department participated in this study trip.

As a part of academic curriculum the III year students (Batch 2020-2025) of the Department of Architecture were taken to Bangalore from 13.2.2023 to 17.2.2023 along with 3 staff. The objective of the trip was to understand the various typologies of public spaces in relation to architecture.
The students visited Shanthinagar & Majestic bus terminus, IIM-B campus, Sai Baba temple, Freedom Park, Bangalore international center (BIC), National gallery of modern art (NGMA), Orion Mall Public Plaza as well as the public walkway on M.G. Road 

As a part of academic curriculum the II year students (Batch 2021-2026) of the Department of Architecture were taken to the village of Paganeri near Kaaraikudi from 13.2.2023 to 20.2.2023 along with 4 faculties. The objective of the trip was to understand the Physical, Social, Economic and Visual aspects of the rural settlement holistically. The students also documented 6 houses each in both tha Old Valavu and the New Valavu of Paganeri. They were also taken to Athangudi tile factory to understand the process of making the tiles.

B.Arch faculty and students of 2^nd & 3^rd year from S.B. Patil College of Architecture & Design, Pune visited the Department of Architecture, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology on 28.01.23. They interacted with our faculty and students and got to see various works as well as the extensive infrastructure facilities within the department.

A session by one of the leading aluminium window fabricators from Thoraipakkam was delivered on 22nd August 2022 for Architecture students pursuing 5^th semester as part of the material and construction studio. Besides, an insight into to UPVC window manufacturing was given.

Site visit - Red-oxide flooring and wall finish @ Chennai

III Sem B.Arch students were taken on a site visit to one of the office spaces opposite to MIOT hospital, where the clients were executing red-oxide flooring and wall finish. Having an experience to see red-oxide works is very rare these days. Students were very much interested in learning a dying skill, directly from the craftsmen. Since they were trying our sample mixes at the site on the day of the visit, students were given a chance to trail mixes and there were lots of enjoyment in learning a dying skill. 

Third year architecture students visited Anji Reddy memorial at Hyderabad. Every aspect of the memorial was very meticulously observed and discussed onsite. Students got a great deal of ideas about designing a memorial complex, which is evident from their design studio works. Also along with the memorial students were taken to various architectural spaces around Hyderabad, including Shilparamam, Ramoji Film city, car museum, Chowmahalla palace, Organo rurban Community, Birla Mandir, Charminar complex, Golconda fort, Brighton Horizon school, IKEA from 23^rd to 28^th August 2022. The visit to both the contemporary buildings as well as the heritage complexes facilitated the students to construct rich knowledge about the tangible and intangible channels to creativity. Besides, the students were able to experience the role of geometry, materials, paradox, history and historicism, symbolism, metaphors in evolving unique ideas in architectural design. The students also learnt the importance of coordination, time management, and cooperation etc during the visit.   

Third year B.Arch students pursuing architecture visited the Tholkappia poonga on 13th August 2022. The students unravelled the interactions between the biotic and the abiotic realm through experiential learning. The visit sensitized the students about the essence and the importance of ‘context driven approach’ by retaining the natural elements and other features in architectural design. The visitors got an insight into ‘eco’. Apart from this, the students got diverse ideas about integrating the natural features in site planning in their respective design studios.   

An expert talk was given on the topic “Symbolism Driven Design Thinking in Architecture” on 25^th July 2022, by Ar. Murali Murugan expressing the various facets for the design of the memorial for late ex-chief minister Jayalalitha for the students pursuing third year B.Arch, Department of Architecture.

Pathfinder 2022 - Pathfinder 3.0 was conducted for three consecutive days from 13^th to 15 June 2022 to create awareness among school kids who aspire to take up Architecture as their profession. An overview of how to prepare for the NATA entrance examinations and various topics were elaborated by subject experts online and an overall view about the course and our institution was given by the Dean Dr.Devyani. 

Thesis workshop - A workshop for the final year students was conducted from 13th to 15th June 2022 to give them an opportunity and insight to carry forward their final year Thesis project in a methodical manner. Various sessions were conducted in order to give them a clear understanding about different aspects and approaches to complete a thesis. On the third day students came up with their work which was discussed with individual supervisors to evaluate their inference and interpretation of the ideas 

Brick Construction Workshop - A hands on workshop in Brick construction on 9^th and 10^th May 2022 for the first year students of B.Arch. The hands on practicum revolved around types brick bonding, construction of arches and dancing columns.  

Model Making Workshop – The third year students had a demo in the starting of the semester and were exposed to carpentry and wood work tools and machinery. Taking lead from the demonstration they had and after having theoretical knowledge from the subject Fabrication Design a workshop for design and model making was conducted on 11^th – 13^th April 2022. 

Auroville site visit - The students pursuing architecture were taken for a study trip to Auroville, Pondicherry on 6^th and 7^th April 2022 as a part of the Design studio curriculum. The visited various buildings such as Unity Pavilion: The Hall of Peace, Savitri Bhavan, a centre for spiritual education, Bharat Nivas - Pavilion of India, Pavilion of Tibetan Culture, Auroville Visitors Centre,  Auroville Earth Institute (AVEI), Verite, Auroville, Matrimandir - Soul of the City, Solar Kitchen, La Terrace Cafe and Auroville Sports Resource Centre (AVSRC). 

World Arts Day celebrations on 8th April 2022 - On account of World arts day 2022 celebrations, a workshop on ‘Dancing shades of Mandala’ was conducted and a talk on ‘Fusion art + Design thinking’ was given by Ar.Divya Murugesan.

 ICDIMSE-The First International Conference on Design Innovations and Management for Sustainable Environment 2022 was held from March 15 to16, 2022 with a collaboration between Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology Chennai, India and Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus, that brought together, Sustainability professionals, Researchers from various places around the world to share and present most recent innovations, trends, concerns, practical encounters in building and environmental design and raise awareness concerning state-of-the-art strategies adopted in the fields of Sustainable Design of Built Environment.

The conference invited four key note speakers; Prof Dr. Shaleen Singhal, Prof.Dr.Ayşe Öztürk, Prof. Dr. Ali A. Alraouf and Prof.Dr.Rohinton Emmanuel to enrich the platform by sharing their knowledge and showcasing their works.

This International Conference led to strengthening the relations with our partner university and developing more ideas for a Sustainable Future.

Pathfinder 2.0 Conducted from14th June to 18th June 2021. A five day summer workshop  was organized by the Department of Architecture for school students aspiring to step into the Architecture and Design profession.The Objective of the workshop was to help the students to decode the competitive exams in the field of design. 

Wellness Program - Managing emotions & Relationships conducted from 28th June to 01st July 2021. A four day short course on stress management for teaching professionals was organized by the Department of Architecture. The program was intended to manage emotions and to enhance interpersonal relationships. 

 Madras Day Celebrations conducted from 18th August -23rd August 2021.The founding day of Madras is celebrated every year by the Department of Architecture, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology .The Madras Day celebrates the heritage of the city of Madras-  Its history,culture and built forms and traditions.

CADD workshop Initiated by SEED _A Student body Organization conducted from 24 Aug 2021- 27 Aug 2021.A four day CADD workshop was conducted for undergraduate students of Architecture- organized by “SEED”, a student body organization, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. The workshop was a platform for the students to enhance their Software skills. 

Climate Responsive Design Strategies Workshop (CRDE) conducted from 18th August-09th September 2021 A four week online workshop on Climate Responsive Design Strategies was organized by the Department of Architecture, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. The workshop focused on exposing the undergraduate students to the basic parameters of climate and use of softwares and tools to design climate responsive buildings. The workshop imparted a comprehensive understanding of solar analysis, lighting analysis and Wind analysis through simulation software and simple manual calculations. 

 Faculty Development Programme on Architecture + Design Thinking in Association with COA_TRC conducted from 21st September -24th September 2021.A four day Faculty Development Programme was organized by Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, School of Building and Environment in collaboration with the Council of Architecture. Participants included faculty members from various schools of Architecture all over India. The program disseminated the idea of design thinking, problem-solving methods and techniques, and its application in  Architectural  Design.

Project Management and Practice in Architectural Consultancy (PJMW) conducted from 3rd January-12th January 2022. A two-week online workshop on Project Management and Practice in Architectural Consultancy was organized by the Department of Architecture, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. The workshop focused on exposing the undergraduate students to the basic parameters of pre-design, pre-construction, construction, and close-out in the building sector. The workshop imparted a comprehensive understanding of Project Management and consultancy. 

Canvas Painting Workshop  conducted from 24th January-27th January 2022.A 4 day online workshop on Canvas Painting  was organized by the Department of Architecture, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. The workshop was intended to impart painting skills for the I year Undergraduate students. 

Our students and staff members during Madras Day celebrations

VIRTUAL CULTURAL NIGHT

Cultural Night events conducted by our students virtually during quarantine.

WEBINARS - Talks and Events

Web series of talks and lectures conducted by our students during the quarantine.

REUNIX XXV - The silver Jubliee Celebrations and Workshops

Ar. Palinda (Sri Lanka) discussing with our students and staff during REUNIX XXV events.

Faculty Development Programme in Association with Council of Architecture:

URBAN CLIMATE AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Our Dean addressing the staff during the Faculty Development Programme.

METHODOLOGY AND EXPLORATION IN ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH

Valedictory function with Ar. Sathya Prakash Varanashi upon completion of the Faculty Development Programme.

Zonal Level NASA Convention:

GRIGORA 2018

Eminent guests addressing our students during Grigora 2018 Zonal Nasa Convention.

Placement list

Here are few of our students who have been placed in various Architectural offices and companies globally.

Our Entrepreneurs 

Being an architect is the epitome of being an entrepreneur. Here are some of our students who have become budding entrepreneurs in their field.

Basic Design- First Year Studio

Display of models and sheets of students from the first year.

Model- First Year Studio

Pavillion design model by first year students

Paper cup models- First Year Studio

Students making large paper cup structures at the model making workshop.

Documentation and Survey- Second Year Studio

Students with the display of their rural documentation studio sheets.

Terracotta mosaic murals

Students working on a terracotta mosaic mural at our construction yard

Thesis- Final Year

3 dimensional visualization of final year student thesis project

Terracotta Workshop

Master artisan teaching students sculpting techniques with terracotta

Ferrocement Workshop

Structural specialist explaining ferrocement construction techniques

Arch Building Workshop

First year students exploring hands-on traditional arch building techniques.

Bamboo Construction Workshop

Bamboo construction and joinery being taught to students at the construction yard

Rammed Earth Workshop

Our students on site learning about building various rammed earth elements.

The Architecture degree programme have a choice based credit curriculum with syllabi consisting of core theory, studios and Electives. The Program is revised every year to meet the needs and trends of the industry

• General core subjects comprising of Mathematics, Mechanics of Structures, History of Architecture, Theory of Architecture, Building Materials, Urban Housing, Project Management, Specification and Estimation, Contemporary Architecture, Introduction to Human settlements, Professional Practice etc,
• Studio oriented subjects comprising Building Construction, Building Services, Interior Design, Climatic Design, Site Planning, Structures & Construction etc

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