One of the best in the world and biggest in India, Lovely Professional University’s campus located in Punjab spreads across 700 acres and houses students from all the states of India and over 40 countries around the globe. Indeed, A stroll through the LPU’s magnificent campus itself is a great learning experience for architects and interior designers. The university also has School of Architecture and Design, which one of the top colleges in the country. “LPU School of Architecture and Design focusses on imparting authentic learning based on various kinds of projects and practical experiences that facilitate Research. We aim to provide our students with constant opportunities to explore, experiment and design as per the needs of the market,” says Ar. Atul Kumar Singla, Chief Architect and Dean, Lovely School of Architecture and Design.
The School offers Bachelors and Masters Courses in Interior and Furniture Design. For Bachelors courses, then institute enrols students on the basis of LPU-NEST or UCEED exam. Whereas for Masters, the school offers admission on the basis of BachelorsDegree in Design or allied programs. Ar. Atul Kumar Singla states, “Our design curriculum is in contrast with latest market trends and needs, which makes it one of the finest curricula with a multidisciplinary approach.”Every year, LPU incorporates changes in its curriculum with best ideas both from industry and field. It can be considered parallel to the best national and international design schools with additional practical exposure.
“We have designed the courses to enhance software skills, management/marketing skills, and most importantly, soft skills that run as part of the design curricula and help students to achieve confidence, better communication skills and stand out in the crowd,” explains Ar. Atul Kumar Singla. The School also invites various industry experts including architects and interior designers to help them gain the real industry perspective of design and groom themselves. At LPU, workshops related to carpentry, metals, ceramics, paint and many more are an integral part of the design courses. They constantly encourage and motivate students to create actual design-oriented solutions to a problem. The wide range of sports activities offered by the university along with mega-events like ‘One India’ and ‘One World’ helps students to stay united as well as grow individually.
Learning from the Experience
LPU School of Architecture and Design offers several opportunities for its students to visit actual work sites, where they can gain their knowledge on latest design techniques and implement those into their projects later when they are back on the campus. Recently, LPU’s B.Plan students of Urban Planning Domain visited Bhaktapur Nepal for experiential learning for the development plan. The student had a meeting with Indian Embassy, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, District Coordination Committee Bhaktapur, Mayor Bhaktapur, SSP Bhaktapur and many more to conduct Surveys, collect data and documented the city. “It is really important for our students to explore and experience outdoor learning. We incorporate outdoor learning in the curricula right from term 1,” shares Ar. Atul Kumar Singla.
The students of LPU School of Architecture and Designare methodically exposed to market surveys, site visits, guest lectures and hands-on workshops inside and outside of the university. For them, study tours are a major source of learning where they interact with different cultures, thus evoking the sense of versatility within the learners.“Experiential learning activities expose the students to market needs and prepare them for challenges faced on the field. Our faculty members also ensure that teaching in the design studios is facilitated with Research and thus fosters quality understanding,” says Ar. Atul Kumar Singla. The faculty members of the School actively participate in innovative live projects/consultancy projects that enable hands-on practise in workshops.
On the other hand, the LPU has numerous collaborations with international universities across the globe. Wayne State University, the University of California Riverside in the USA; La Trobe University and Curtin University in Australia, Heriot-Watt University and Birmingham City University in the UK are few to mention among them.“We have also collaborated with Network “n+i”, a group of many French institutions. These collaborations help the students gain international exposure while pursuing their respective courses,” explains Ar. Atul Kumar Singla.
Today, LPU School of Architecture and Design to achieve the best in the field. The short-term goals of the school are to create an even better state of the art facilities for students to connect with the industry for their needs, which encouraged them to work on live projects. Whereas in the long term, the school wants to grow vigorously to become a Design and Research Centre, one of its own kind in India.
Meet the Dean:
Ar. Atul Kumar Singla is the Chief Architect of Lovely Professional University and Dean at Lovely School of Architecture and Design. An alumnus of an eminent institution in London, he holds membership in The Member Council of Architecture, India and The Indian Institution of Valuers. Possessing a valuable experience of 16 years, Ar. Atul has prestigious expertise in the fields of Architecture, Planning, Interior Design, Civil Engineering, Furniture Design, Web Design, Graphic Design, and a lot many. He has an impeccable record of undertaking projects like Mackays Stores Limited, Roseate Hotel, Hendon UK, and more such.