Context BD• Architecture, AIUB takes thesis jury public for the first time

Rubayat Tasnim | CONTEXT

Final year students of Architecture, AIUB have taken the thesis jury online, as the university moved to new ways of remote learning for undergraduate programs during the Coronavirus shutdown. A part of the jury event was streamed live from the Department’s official social media page and was able to grab the attention of a wider audience. The architect community has welcomed AIUB’s pioneering initiative as a way forward.

The final year assessment in Architecture is unique in nature from other disciplines. For Architecture students, it is customary to defend their final studio projects in front of a distinguished jury panel comprising in-house faculty members and industry leaders as externals. Due to Coronavirus outbreak, the Architecture department, AIUB took the initiative to host the jury event for Spring 19-20 students online on 16th and 18th July 2020 where a total of nineteen students presented their final year design projects. The presented projects covered a wide range of topics on contemporary urban, architectural and environmental issues. The department took this opportunity to invite a large number of guests in a Zoom meeting as external jurors. The jury panel was graced by the President and other executive members of the Institute of Architect-Bangladesh (IAB), Dean and faculty members from other architecture schools, renowned architects, alumni and expats. Thesis studio guides assistant professor Ajmeri Nusrat Shoma and Md Sariful Islam along with the department Head Arefeen Ibrahim facilitated the virtual sessions. The viewers also participated through encouraging comments and commended this initiative.

The initiative to organize this kind of virtual thesis jury by the Architecture Department of AIUB exhibits the education provider’s willingness and sincere effort to cope with the ongoing pandemic situation. For future graduates, presenting their projects publicly in front of such a large audience was something new but worthwhile experience. The audience took this event as a great design conversation more than the thesis jury. However, it appears that students were exempted from the criteria to show physical models this time and in several cases, the audience struggled to read drawings on the computer screen. Apart from those minor areas for improvement, the design discussion took the critical depth on every thesis topic. This praiseworthy initiative has also set out a new direction for making jury events more engaging by involving a wide range of audiences and critics which was not possible in a ‘business as usual’ case.