Design Beyond Drawings: Goa’s Lesson for Architects
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Design Beyond Drawings: Goa’s Lesson for Architects

Mirza Faisal BaigUpdated on 15 Sep 2025, 03:14 PM IST

People tend to think of architecture in drawings on tracing paper, smooth 3D objects, and unending architectural debates. But as the students of Parul University realized from their practice learning excursion to Goa, architecture is not merely a question of what works on paper, but how those works are made effective in the world outside.

This Story also Contains

  1. The Craft of Building
  2. A Fresh Perspective
  3. Learning in Goa’s Open Classroom
  4. Lessons to Carry Forward
  5. Beyond Goa: Learning Through Journeys
Design Beyond Drawings: Goa’s Lesson for Architects
Design Beyond Drawings: Goa’s Lesson for Architects

The Design Workshop was based on a fundamental idea: design is not the product. Real architecture requires practical skills and experience, skills and techniques, and flexibility to meet the demands at work. To draw a perfect arch is one thing, to fully realize how stone, mortar, and tools will actually form it is another.

The Craft of Building

One of the key takeaways from this session was the importance of learning to “build with hands.” For students, this was a turning point. Most of them came to the profession of architecture with the notion that design and creativity are the primary driving forces. But as the session revealed, technical skills and execution methods are equally important.

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The workshop focused on practical exposure, how materials respond to the real world, how methods change with context, and how performance is the gap between imagination and reality. Students were taught that an architect cannot just sit inside, and design; they need to know the tools and skills involved to make design happen.

A Fresh Perspective

The Goa tour provided students with a different perspective of architecture. They started regarding it as a form of art and craft- where creativity intersects craftsmanship. They did not just consider the appearance of a building, they also considered how it is constructed and the difficulties during its realization.

This change of thinking helped them to be more certain about their future as architects. They knew that to win, they not only should design, but also start to master the tricks which enable the construction.

Learning in Goa’s Open Classroom

The Design Workshop became the ideal destination of such learning. The students were surrounded by heritage buildings, old Portuguese designs, and exclusive building styles, so they could observe how culture and tradition influence architecture. It was a lesson on every wall, on every roof, on every balcony. It was a wall-less classroom, where history, design, and execution all met in one room.

Lessons to Carry Forward

One lesson that the Goa tour gave to the students is that design is not all that is needed. Techniques and skills are also paramount to being a complete architect. The visit to Design Workshop helped understand the thought that imagination and execution cannot be separated.

The students came back with better knowledge of their discipline, motivated to look beyond design, and see the craft and methods that can create buildings.

Beyond Goa: Learning Through Journeys

The best thing about these kinds of experiences is that they are not restricted to architecture alone. At Parul University, education tends to go out of the classroom into the real world all over India.

In Mumbai, there is the Writers Tour where students get to meet authors and storytellers. Their visit to Robotics Tour in Chennai where they learn about automation and AI. They meet changemakers in the Leadership Tours in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Biopharma Tour, a tour of healthcare innovations, in Hyderabad. And the Design Tour in Mumbai, the place where technology meets art.

All these tours provide students with a practical exposure to help them relate theory with reality. They are not mere visits, but they are the practical learning tours that define the way learners perceive their subjects and their future.

Disclaimer: This article has been published as a marketing initiative between Careers360 and Parul University.

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Questions related to Parul University, Vadodara

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to Parul University, Vadodara ?

No, the application fee at Parul University is generally non-refundable. While the university may have specific refund policies for other fees, the application fee itself is typically not eligible for a refund unless stated otherwise, according to Parul University's official policy.

Hello,

Parul University in Vadodara offers a well-rounded Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences program. The university boasts experienced faculty, modern infrastructure, and a diverse curriculum that encourages critical thinking and creativity. Students benefit from various extracurricular activities and strong industry connections. However, it's advisable to check recent student reviews and placement records to get a comprehensive understanding of the program's current standing.

Hope this helps you,

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Hi Aspirant!

Parul University , Gujarat offers a various number of programs in different fields such as Science, medicine , architecture, mathematics, engineering, animation and design, commerce, computer application and IT, Law, management, pharmacy and much more.

The admission to any of these courses is done one the merit basis of 12th score and the guidelines set by the college management. The procedure is very simple, fill out the application form and the staff will reach out to you for further process. To know more, visit here:

https://institutes.paruluniversity.ac.in/admission/admission-process/admission-procedure/

Thankyou!

Hi Aspirant!

As you have tagged the Parul University , Vadodara, so counsidering the same, the college offers various programs in Bachelor of Science. It also offers BSc in Forensic science and there is no such entrance exam which is conducted by Parul University to get admission in BSc courses. The admission is basically done on the basis of score achieved in 12th class. Also, the procedure for applying is quite simple, you can visit out the link given below and fill out the application form with the mandatory details. And then, the college management will reach out to you for further admission process.

The link:

https://paruluniversity.ac.in/how-to-apply

Thankyou!