Academic Council presntation.

It is 11:00. I don’t have any specific work to do. I am a bit sleepy too. Charles is back from Chennai after a week, energetic and bright as he has always been. I enjoyed seeing him working. Last week was very loose, even the weekend except the academic council presentation at school. I had decided not to work on the presentation any more, though I had made it instantly for ICHH presentation. Even after five years of giving juries, an idea of presenting still raised my heart beats. But surprisingly I was quite calm at both the presentations. It started considerably late. Me, Tara and Namtu waited in the corridor when the academic council people discussed something intense in the A.V. room. None of us knew why we were called to present. Finally we were called inside and were told everyone gets 15 minutes to present. The council got surprised when they heard 15 minutes each, they assumed it to be 15 minutes for all. The presentation went alright, other than little bit stammering and not finding right words at times, as usual. I didn’t read my slides like before and tried being as clear as possible. The questions asked were quite unusual. Few of them didn’t sound like questions, because they were not asked liked questions, they sounded like judgments arising out of preconditioned mind. I found it strange when people started making judgments instantly leaving no space for discussion, argument and interaction. They sounded like offences at times.
I respected questions much more than judgments.

Question No.1 : your project is not contextual and can be placed at MAHALAXMI RACECOURSE(??) and it wouldn’t change.
I didn’t understand the question, in what way a civic center for a slum of Pascal Maidan can be placed at Mahalaxmi racecourse. I feel I would have asked clearly what she meant rather than attempting to answer it.

Question No.2 : how is your project addressing the insecurities felt by a slum dweller about his living space?
“The project is addressing the insecurities of a slum dweller by proposing a civic center for a slum.”

Question No.3 : your project is not addressing communal friction and communal integration?
“I don’t want to make dramatic statements about Hindu-Muslim integration, but it has always been an integral part of the perception, the perception of programs as well the spaces and the architecture.” The drawings were choreographed to convey the same.

I have never been very good at framing instant answers. I think one should be given time to think and answer. I got a little agitated towards the end, but couldn’t help it.