Catching up with Bhavana Rao (Urban Studies: Sense, Space & Strategy)

By Charlotte Luttik

Bhavana Rao joined us in summer 2019 from Bangalore, India for our programme on urban sensescapes. She owns an architecture practice called Umber, which explores design in the nexus of minimalism and sustainability and runs a creative collaborative space called JAAGA, which pilots programs and residencies to solve urban issues through research embedded in art and design practices. I caught up with Bhavana to talk about her experience in our course Urban Studies: Sense, Space and Strategy[1], the insights she gained and exciting new projects she has started since!

I’m impressed that Bhavana is running her own architecture practice at a young age, but she tells me it hasn’t always been an easy road to be on: ‘A year after graduating from college, I started a small design and built architecture firm with a friend. We did small and sundry projects all around the country, lost a lot of money and gained a lot in experience. It took a good five years to gain a foothold in the business, and to then set up an independent practice of my own.’

"I wanted to explore the idea of getting back into studying, and a short course was the ideal way to test the waters."

Meanwhile, many former classmates were doing Master’s programmes around the world, and while Bhavana loved what she did she also felt that she was missing out on that experience. ‘I wanted to explore the idea of getting back into studying, and a short course was the ideal way to test the waters. I searched online for courses that would suit me in terms of time and budget, and was directed to UvA Summer School from one of those websites. I am glad I did it, it was a very enriching and rewarding experience!’

Our course on sensescapes was a good match for her: ‘I feel strongly about diminishing public space in my city and wanted to better understand the subtleties of what inspires people to feel belonging and take ownership of their cities.’    

I ask Bhavana about her favourite aspects of the programme. ‘For starters, the Academic Director, Thea Dukes. She was warm, enthusiastic and open to conversations. I enjoyed all my interactions with her. I also found the readings, guest lecturers and panel discussions that came with the course very enlightening. They really opened up the city, its history and urban planning for me. I also have fond memories of the campus, the food, long afternoon trips to museums and other parts of Amsterdam.’

In general, it was great to experience being in a classroom again. ‘It was more enjoyable than the first time! Frankly I enjoyed the whole course and all the readings that came with it, which sent me down several tangential rabbit holes.’

‘I also appreciated the opportunity to understand a system of governance and citizen participation so different from my home context. The strong socialist philosophy so evident in the growth of the city aligns closely with my own political ideologies, so my memories of Amsterdam are tinged with an almost nostalgic kinship with its people.’

"I am driven by asking again and again the same questions: What is responsible architecture? What is meaningful? What is beauty? What is sustainability?"

After the programme, Bhavana continued to live and practice architecture in Bangalore. ‘It’s a city that has my heart and exasperation. I find in architecture the perfect means to employ my idealism and empathy. I am driven by asking again and again the same questions: What is responsible architecture? What is meaningful? What is beauty? What is sustainability?’

Since the course Bhavana has increasingly been exploring interdisciplinary collaborations in arts and the urban space. ‘I have recently taken over as director at a coworking community called Jaaga in Bangalore. Jaaga means “space” in my language, and that’s what it is - space for startups that work on sustainability, urban issues and innovation. We also pilot programmes and residencies to bring art into public space with a focus on community engagement. My previous experience of working with them on such projects inspired my interest in urban studies, and in turn the Amsterdam summer programme. I’m very excited to be in this role now, and I hope to leverage this position to do meaningful urban interventions in my city!’

A new project directly inspired by her summer course is Deconstruct the Museum, a travel-based workshop for architecture students. ‘This project has come about as a direct result of my time in Amsterdam, all the museums I visited, and my own explorations of my social and cultural identity. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting museums abroad, especially as an architect. It is still a fledgling institution in India, a format that never quite caught on with the larger viewing public, but is now seeing a revival. The new market for museums are people like me, who have travelled and are conditioned to the rituals of observation and appreciation. Whether it is progress or part of a process of gentrification - who can tell? But museums are powerful generators of culture, national identity, and worldview.’

‘The months after my Summer School saw several such conversations with Akanksha Maglani - a fellow architect turned museum professional, who now works with museums in India on strategy, programming, and visitor experience. We spoke of the limiting design-focused education we received in architecture school, our encounters with museums both at home and abroad, and the value of understanding these institutions holistically in context of their social and political background. We decided that a travel-based workshop is the best way to facilitate these questions for young architecture students, and give back to our community in a tangible way.’

‘Over the last few months while our country was in lockdown, we focused on content development, and I am very happy with the outcome! Since then we have attempted to adapt our content to an online webinar format which is reduced in scope. We have started conversations with architecture colleges, but the process has been slow since the semesters are delayed. Happily there is interest in our larger travel-based proposal and we hope that next year we will be able to implement it!’ 

Would you like to get in touch with Bhavana to ask about her work or her experience with us in Amsterdam? Send us an email at summer-info-gsss@uva.nl.

[1] For summer 2021 this programme will be offered in combination with our course on Placemaking.