Lost

Found &
Lost Again
Abhishek Biradar
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Before I start, I want to take you a few years back, before
I even started pursuing architecture as a degree.

It all started when I completed my PUC and I was

preparing for my NATA exams, the preparation was going
well, but I was still not sure if I should pursue architecture
as my degree since other options felt more complicated
than architecture at the time, I set my mind entirely on
preparing for NATA exams, finally the day arrived when I
was supposed to take the examination, but I arrived late to
the examination center, I arrived at the time when all the
registration servers were closed, I was devastated, the
one thing was preparing for months, the one thing I was
supposed to be on time for, the one thing that would
decide my future was out of the question now, I talked to
as many people I could to make it right but no one could
help me, the only option I had left was to take the
examination in the coming year.

So I waited.
I waited for a second chance.

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It took me an entire year just to reappear for the exam,

in the meantime, I was exploring other options, the only

thing I was interested in other than architecture was
computer science, I was not ready for engineering, but
after thinking long and hard I settled for BCA as my
(temporary) degree. I prepared for NATA again, but I had
a year to prepare for the same thing so I took it a little
easy this time.

After a year the day of my examination arrived, and this

time I was extra cautious about the timing, I went 3 days
before the day of the examination, and I stayed at a
friend's house and revised all that I could.
I was 2 hours early to the examination center, I couldn’t
have been more serious about it, after a few minutes of
my lazy attitude pushing my dreams a year ahead, I
couldn’t take any chances. I took my examination and
cleared it, that’s how I began my architecture journey.

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My entire journey began with a bunch of questions
is it really what you want to do?
Is it worth it?
Will It be a waste of my time and resources?

I was confused more than ever in my entire life, but in all

that confusion I could hear a voice saying “it's not going to
be easy, but you will be fine” while most people think what
their life would be like. If they had done this or had that, I
was living that alternate life, a life without me pursuing my
dreams, a life without architecture. To be honest, It wasn’t
that good, I felt like I was destined for greater things, and it
would be a waste of my talents if I do not become a
designer at least. My confusion started to fade as I started
analyzing my strengths and weaknesses, I joined the
campus GIT with full conciseness and clarity of thought.

Once I joined, I dedicated my entire time to learning all the

skills that would make me a great architect, but that
dedication did not last for long, I got distracted by small
things like movies, and traveling social media. Even
though I knew my ignorance would make me regret it in
the long run and I would have to pay a great price for all

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the time I wasted, I continued to do the same things. As a
result, I did not produce great work, it felt like a waste of
time.

My biggest problem was understanding the feedback

given by the mentors, somehow I felt like the ideas of my
mentor were shadowing my own, things didn’t make sense
to them until it was done according to their (architectural
style) their way. This happened throughout the semester
and made me doubt myself, my ideas, and my ability to
design, I got disinterested more and more as I progressed.

Then there was a disaster,

Not just in my life, but in every person that lived on this
planet,
yes I am talking about covid!!!

It was good for me because it made me realize doing

something is better than sitting idol it was like a break that
I desperately needed, and it gave me enough time to
realize that I was on a wrong track. I took things more
seriously when I came back when the college reopened

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but as usual, things started going sided ways as time
passed, in each semester I felt the same things I used to
before, that I’m not good enough or I don’t have what it
takes to be an architect.

From early on in my life I was put into a lot of different

schools, and it made things hard for me, I used to blame
my parents for that, even though all they ever wanted was
for me to have the best education that they could provide.
Meeting new people, and making new friends was usual to
me since I was away from my parents for a long time
staying in hostels, I was used to staying alone, outside my
home town I would adjust to any new city in a few days,
that made me explore new places and study their, that’s
one of the reasons for me being here.

Every challenge I ever faced in my life taught me

something valuable and prepared me for the worst, right
now I’m in a situation where I’m not entirely interested in
this course but I’m still pursuing it because I have already
invested years of my life into it, turning back now would
only make things worse for me, hopefully, I will complete
this course and go on to explore new things and be good

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at anything I might do in the future because architecture
no longer feels like something that I would pursue long, a
part of the reason has to do with the fact that architects
are paid less just like any other design field.

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Images in this Manifesto were generated using Dream
studio AI & Dall.E AI. Below are the Text Prompts.

1. Page 2: a black and white boy starting his journey to a

new world wearing an orange color bag pack
2. Page 4: a black and white boy wearing an orange bag
pack watching buildings collapse in front of his eyes
3. Page 6: a black and white man sitting on a orange color
chair reading in a library
4. Page 8: a man sitting in the middle of a black and white
street wearing an orange bag
5. Page 10: a black and white man lying on a hospital bed
6. Page 12: a black and white man holding an orange bag
celebrating

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 “Lost, Found & Lost again”
Written by: Abhishek Biradar
2GI19AT003

Studio Elective Course: 18HUM 7.11

Architectural Journalism - Telling Stories about Places
Course Faculty: Surabhi Naik

Department of Architecture
KLS Gogte Institute of Technology, Belagavi

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