The built environment is known to be the physical manifestation of human thought. Human consciousness is the factor that has been governing the built environment evolved till date. The term architecture traces back to Vitruvius, whose De Architectura was the first ever written architectural record. In the 1st century BC, the idea of architecture was building with the attributes of strength, unity and beauty. But transformations throughout the time has led us to building architecture that has lost its identity in the current intangible environment. Beginning from the prehistoric times, to ancient Egypt, from the Romans and the Greeks to the scholars of Modernism and Post - Modernism, architecture has always been about the celebration of time and space, about the society and its people.
India has always been the sanctum of various architectural developments that not only led the east but also the west and has always given the world a different way of thinking and developing. But, one may say that today's architects have lost the authorship and exclusivity that one had two decades ago, an observation that may be visible not only in India, but throughout the globe. Today's design and architecture is majorly dependent on the builders, firms and the clients. Architects can be rightly called as a marionette of these outsiders.
The constant interference of the corporate world has shifted architecture from being a creative and artistic field to being a monotonous money minding field. Despite receiving attention, many of India's biggest cities face basic problems related to planning, sanitation, development and infrastructure which only leads to poverty degradation of resources which directly affects the surrounding, people and the climate.
Many architects in the nation have come to the realization that working in isolation will only disrupt the bond that connects us to mother earth. Many people are starting to look at their cities' bigger picture instead of just specific projects and development, and are realizing how important it is for architecture to interact with cities and bond with the context and the surrounding.
Buildings do not stand alone. They are a component of a wider social fabric that was designed to motivate, facilitate, or house a variety of human endeavors. They provide opportunities for development in response to the sociocultural, economic, and political requirements of the society. Therefore, context in architecture simply refers to the outside factors that have an impact on the building and location. These components can be divided into two categories: physical and non-physical. The physical components of context include things like nearby structures, road networks, the shape of the terrain, and water table systems, whereas the non-physical components include things like politics, economics, social dynamics, and culture. Before we intend to add a new element to it, context assessment offers us an understanding of what is already present. Buildings are merely one component of the collage and a single piece of the bigger picture. The architectural style, material choice, and site layout can all be greatly influenced by a thorough study and understanding of the setting. A building should be introduced in a way that encourages growth and optimism while causing the least amount of damage to the ecology possible. Architecture has the power to influence, alter, and ultimately change a variety of issues, including economic and even racial stratification. Contrarily, concept is indeed the idea which gives the structure its unique identity. One of few things that persists from the beginning of design to the end of construction is the idea that gives the structure a purpose. It can also be referred to as the design's primary source of inspiration, intention, or philosophy. It might be created from an outlandish new idea or from the environment and the design brief; either way, it must be a programmatic notion that respects the surroundings and is smoothly woven into the site's existing structure. Analyzing and interpreting concepts and settings can help to achieve uniqueness, which is essential for any structure. These two elements guarantee that we create the appropriate design solution for a given location, promoting a favorable change for communal living.
The future is bright for Indian architecture, yet there are some restrictions. When recent occurrences are considered collectively, a complex picture emerges where opportunities and challenges overlap.India offers a wealth of lucrative prospects, but the promise is mired in ambiguity. How society and architects deal with these issues will have a big impact on how Indian architecture develops in the future.