January_1970 — Page 8

The role of professional institutions in developing countries

by J.R. Bhalla, president, CAA

Indian Institute of Architects

THE role of professional institutions in developing countries is assuming significance in view of the fast de- velopment programmes in these coun- tries. There is a growing awareness of the changing demands upon the prac- tice of architecture which makes it desirable to reappraise the role of pro- fessional institutes.

Architects today are called upon to practice their profession in a kind of world that has no parallel in history. It is a world composed of revolutionary advances in technology, of exploding population, of a degree of complexity never dreamed of before now... A world of speed, of great leaps ahead in knowledge and technology. . . A world of expanding social problems and lag- ging social answers. . . A world where a scientist is accepted and esteemed, but the artist has become estranged from his fellow men...

A world in need of order, but seemingly doomed to frag- mentation.

In all the seeming confusion of the world today, there are signs of hope and light. One of the brightest signs is the growing demand of society for someone who can bring order into human environment, who can fill it with beauty, who can cause it to function better, who can create an environment that will contribute to the well being and advancement of the human race.

Society presents the challenge. Someone is needed who will take the responsibility for the design of the human environment. Clients are de- manding broader and more complete

services for their environment and ex- pect the demand to be answered. Such is the great role which architects are called upon to perform at the present time.

Architects are deeply concerned with the problems and challenges of today's practice. The challenge of our time is explosive population. To thoughtful citizens it is the most criti- cal problem facing the developing countries. Its solution will determine the future of these countries. Our res- ponses to this challenge will determine ultimately the role and significance of our profession in our society.

The environment in which humans live at present is characterized by eco- nomic and social changes, rapid urbanization and the evolution of civilization and technology. Improving this environment is one of the most important tasks for all mankind, since mankind's very existence is endanger- ed not only by hunger and war but also by rapid deterioration of the living environment.

Political problems

It is obvious that technical progress has been responsible for many vast upheavals which have taken place during recent years.

Techniques have become available which by their special characteristics not only change the means of com- pletion of works but also accelerate the rhythms of site activity. In due course this changes the very concep- tion of a work or activity itself, and because of the complexity of the

operations involved frequently no one person is any longer capable of detail- ed knowledge or control of all the processes.

Since the great problems to be solved in the design of our environ- ment are political ones, if we are to achieve the national aim of equality and a decent life for all, political solu- tions are likely to have priority over technical solutions. Political pressures and political choices continue to deter- mine what technical solutions are called for. What is needed is a real involvement of the architects and engineers in the political arena.

If the well conceived goals for the nation's physical and social environ- ment are ever to become more than rhetorical, architects, planners and other professionals must engage in a massive effort to divert public atten- tion and funds to the improvement of man's life on earth.

Architects have the capacity to solve the major technical problems of our deteriorating physical environ- ment. They can rid the urban areas of pollution, design improved transport systems and ensure a better environ- ment. This knowledge has yet to make a significant mark upon the land, be- cause the public demand required to force government to focus upon these needs is not yet insistent. It is the responsibility of the professional to work with his fellow citizens towards the definition of environmental goals for which public consciousness should be created.

Improvement in the physical per- formance of building components can advance much faster if the com- munication between architects and engineers and manufacturers is more intensive and their collaboration more effective. The interaction of the vast array of new systems, equipment and materials poses at once a host of new opportunities, but also unresolved problems. It is apparent that a greatly increased exchange of ideas and in- formation is called for. More and better technical data from the manu-

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Far East BUILDER, January 1970