Research and Consultancy:

1) SPAV retained its 9th rank in NIRF like last year, it consistently obtained 9th rank for 2019 as well as 2020. Nevertheless, the marks obtained in 2020 were on the higher side.
2) SPAV was asked to participate in the designing and planning of Sub centres and Primary Health centres, taking care of the site, materials availability and climatic considerations. We were asked to consider Vastu principles also for placing the different units. The various meetings took place with the Minister of finance and other chief Bureaucrats of the State of Andhra Pradesh. The work produced by SPAV was highly appreciated.
3) The state Govt. also approached us for the Polavaram Project, wherein we were being asked to landscape the area and construct various Physical units including administrative complex. The spade work on the project is in progress.
4) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development approached SPAV for the spatial Planning of two villages. We selected two villages from the Krishna district and sent the preliminary demographic data. We have frequent online meetings with MoPR from Delhi and AP.The work is in progress.
5) SPAV has adopted five villages(Savarigudem, Jakkulanekkalam, Kesarapalle, Ajjampudi and Buddavaram) under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and DTCP approached us for the preparation of GIS based Master Plan for two big towns/Villages Bhimavaram and Elluru. The work is in progress.
6) We are continuously collaborating with the other Institutes of repute within India which includes NIT, IIIT and IIT of the state. The latest inked MoU is with NID Andhra Pradesh.
7) At the personal front, I guided three B.Arch theses, three M.Arch Landscape theses and undertook online summer classes. For Ph.D, I am giving the guidance to six Ph.D Scholars. For all these students, periodic Juries evaluation and Viva took place. Towards the effort to improvise the research parameter, I have completed another book as an author on "Vernacular Architecture of Valleys of Himachal Pradesh" and contributed 3-4 papers and targeted their publication in Scopus Indexed and SCI Journals.
8) Five Ph.D open online Seminars were undertaken by Ar. Banu Chitra, Sh. Prasanth Vardhan, Ar. Srinivas D, Ar. Karteek G, Ar. Kranti Kumar and Ar. Nagaraju in 2020. The candidates submitted the Ph.D reports for evaluation and subsequently for final defense.

7. Hindi Diwas

The month long Hindi Pakhwada marking the Hindi Diwas, culminating in the Hindi Diwas Celebrations on the National Hindi Diwas (14th September 2019) was flagged off on 16th August 2019, (Friday). There were several events planned for every week till the 14th of September 2019. The first day’s competitions (16th august 2019) included an essay writing competition for which topics were given on the spot. It elicited a fairly large response from UG, PG and even Faculty of SPA Vijayawada. In the second week on 23rd August 2019, a Hindi Handwriting Competition was held, and on 6th September 2019, the extempore elocution competition was held. Finally on 13th September 2019, on the actual designated day of the Hindi Diwas, the poster making competition was held based on the theme of the importance of the Hindi Diwas.

8. 73rd Independence Day Celebration

SPAV celebrated 73 Independence Day with unprecedented patriotic fervour. The event commenced by inviting all the students, faculty and administration members to assemble at the open stage auditorium. The Director SPAV hoisted the national flag, followed by national anthem sung by the students of SPAV. The event was followed by speech by the director SPAV and later followed by different cultural activities like group songs, planting saplings, etc.

9. Research Project - Building Resilient Urban Communities (BReUCom)

Building Resilient Urban Communities (BReUCom) is a project funded under EU Erasmus+ Program in the field of Capacity Building in Higher Education focusing on how to confront and be resilient to upcoming challenges related to imapcts of climate change on human settlements. In BReUCom project, there are 4 Indian partners (SPA Vijayawada, SPA Bhopal, NIT Hamirpur, and KRVIA, Mumbai) and 2 European (Danube University, Austria; and ITC, Netherlands) where the partners are together undertaking 10 research projects to add to the overall body of knowledge being generated in this theme. In this context, SPAV is undertaking 3 case studies aligning with BReUCom project. The project started in Feb 2019 and is of two-year duration. The Case Studies are in final stages, subsequent to which each partner shall develop Professional Development Programmes for working professionals.

10. Plantation Drive by NSS Unit At SPA, Vijayawada

The National Service Scheme Unit (NSS) of School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada organized a Plantation Drive in the college premises on September 04, 2019 from 5:00pm to 07:00p.m. The event was attended by the Director, SPAV, NSS Programme Officer, NSS Programme Coordinator and 80 student volunteers. The event was flagged off by the Director, Prof. (Dr.) Minakshi Jain who planted a sapling in the presence of NSS volunteers. Plant Saplings were procured from Forest department, Vijayawada who generously donated around 700 saplings comprising of indigenous plants of the region such as Neem, Gulmohar Peepal, Kanuga, Copperpod ,Banyan, Bougainvillea, Hibiscus , Tecoma Capensisi ,Heena.

14. Composting Facility in SPAV Campus under “Green Up SPAV Campaign” (Oct. 2019)

Recently in the month of October 2019, SPAV has purchased and installed a composting machine of 250Kg/day capacity near the STD in the 2.66 acre campus. This compositing machine will convert the organic waste of the campus into manure which can be used for horticulture activities. The machine is placed in the M.S Shed. An alternative gas bank was constructed at the kitchen area which is also placed in a M.S Shed. The materials used for the fabrication of the shed like roofing material, MS pipes are reused materials which are dismantled and brought from the previous rented campus.

15. Swachh Bharat @ SPAV on 152th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi - Fit India Run

The NSS Unit of School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada organized the Fit India Plog Run, a dual initiative of creating a clean and fit India, in a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. About 40 NSS volunteers, NSS Programme Officer and Coordinator and few faculty members joined in the 2 kilometer run and picked up plastic and other waste from the road, putting them into bags and later dumping in large garbage bins. The route covered is shown below. Each volunteer felt obliged to do their bit towards a healthier India. The visit was educational for volunteers and fostered the goodwill of the community. After the plog run event, the NSS volunteers undertook Cleanliness Drive within the institute to make our institute clean and hygienic. The volunteers through their efforts made a significant difference in the condition of the corridors and grounds. The Unit and volunteers, both committed to the regular upkeep of the campus. NSS Programme Officer and Coordinator appreciated the volunteers for taking part in this event and encouraged to undertake and participate many more such activities. The photographs of the event are placed in the succeeding pages.

16. Vertical Design Studio

Vertical Design Studio Workshop was an initiative in enhancing the learning culture in design studios. The main objective of the Vertical Design Studio is to integrate the culture of working together with students of different batches which fosters cross learning scenario; to inculcate team effort competitively and to mutually share ideas across the studios; to work within a stipulated time frame; to enhance the students thinking process constructively; to improve teaching methodologies and practices and allow the students to engage and participate effectively at the studio and to streamline their productivity. The Vertical Design Studio workshop was conducted for 5 days from 15th – 19th October 2019, involving students from 2nd year to final year undergraduate and postgraduate students of architecture. The broader theme identified for the workshop was “Urban Arena – Relooking Vijayawada”. The students were divided into nine groups working on nine subthemes mentored by experts from industry and academia along with the internal faculty members.

18. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas - Run For Unity

NSS unit of School of Planning & Architecture, Vijayawada observed Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, National Unity on 31.10.2019 in collaboration with the NCC unit & Administration, Staff & Students of SPAV. The event had participation in large numbers of Staff Students & teachers took an oath to preserve the unity, integrity and security of the nation in the spirit of unification of the county. This was followed by Run for Unity headed by the NSS Cell in which around 300 members constituting NSS Volunteers, Faculties, Staffs & Students of SPAV had walked from SPAV Campus via ITI Road covering 2.5 kms. Thereafter students also engaged themselves in reading, writing and discussing about the life history and contribution of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel towards making of India.

19. Mogalrajpuram Heritage Walk with Vijayawada Municipal Corporation

The Moghalrajpuram caves are located in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. They are home to three temples. It is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance Moghalrajapuram is a major neighborhood in Vijayawada which encompasses majority of residential and commercial buildings, it is located in the heart of the city along the Moghalrajapuram hills. These Caves are said to have been discovered in the 5th century AD during an evacuation. It is one of its kind in the whole of South India. The caves have five rock-cut sanctuaries. The caves are in ruins presently. The caves house the idols of Lord Nataraja and Lord Vinayaka and hence, draw a lot of devotees due to their religious importance. The proposed heritage walk is envisioned to create the green network, within neighborhood it facilitates the recreational opportunities for community and tourist facilities. The planning is principles are to promote pedestrian responsive circulation, rerouting of vehicular circulation framework for available open spaces around the proximity and create opportunities to exhibit local art and craft. The project is conceptualized together with the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC).

22. Special lecture on "Climate Change and Vulnerability of Coastline and Coastal Infrastructure"

A special lecture on “Climate Change and Vulnerability of Coastline and Coastal Infrastructure”, by Dr. Komali Kantamaneni, Research Fellow, Maritime, Technology and Environment, Solent University, United Kingdom, followed by interaction session will be arranged at the Exhibition Hall, School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada on Saturday, November 30, 2019.

23. The students of planning participated in the Annual NOSPLAN Convention 2019 held at UPES Dehradun and secured the “Second Runners Up” amongst all the educational institutions in planning across the country. In terms of formal events, SPAV students secured First Prize in the competitions of ‘Current Practices’, Second Prize in ‘Showcase Pin-up’ and ‘Wall Painting’. The NOSPLAN Annual Convention had over 1500 planning students delegates participating this year in over 15 competitive events.

24. B.Planning student Mr. Leelavamsi Chadarajupalli (2015-2019 Batch) was recipient of the Best UG Planning thesis award for the academic year 2018-19 by the Institute of Town Planners, India (ITPI). The award is a prestigious achievement where each of best planning theses of all planning institutes in the country is examined by a national level jury to identify the best thesis of the year 2019.

25. A team of four students from the Department of Planning have been recognized as the top winner of Wipro Earthian 2019 Challenge, which was themed this year on intelligent and sustainable management of “Water, Food and Waste”. This national level competition had participants from various universities representing different disciplines across the nation who submitted entries on innovating on aspects of management of water, food, or waste.

26. Under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) project funded by the Government of India, SPA Vijayawada has adopted five villages for which development plan has been prepared with involvement of the local people. The project is under implementation stage.

27. At the Design and Innovation Centre (DIC) of SPA Vijayawada, two innovative social responsive products are being developed, which are ‘Temporary Housing Units’, and ‘Self- inking Kalamkari Printing Blocks’. Design registration for both the products in progress. Design ideas of these products were presented in All India DIC meet in SPA Delhi, April 2019.

28. SPA Vijayawada is providing advisory and technical support to the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Government of Andhra Pradesh for the revision of the Town and Country Planning Act 2020.

29. SPA Vijayawada is in the process of preparing the GIS based Master Plans for Bheemavaram region (consiting of three settlements of Bheemavaram, Tanuku and Narasapuram) and for Eluru region (consiting of three settlements of Eluru, Palakollu and Jangareddygudem). These Master Plan projects are funded under the AMRUT scheme of Government of India and are prepared for the Directorate of Town and Country Planning.

30. The School is undertaking a research project funded by the European Union titled ‘Building Resilient Urban Communities (BReUCom)’ which is being executed together with Danube University Austria, ITC Netherlands, SPA Bhopal and NIT Hamirpur.

31. The School is in the process of suggesting and developing a heritage walk project in the city of Vijayawada, which connects its historic caves. This is getting developed together with Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.

32. In Feb 2019, the School conducted a ‘3 day National Conference on Building Inclusive Urban Communities’ attended by over 15 foreign delegates from Europe and over 50 national delegates discussing innovative ways to design informal settlements.

33. SPAV conducted a 3 day Lecture series on “Experiential Learning On Architectural Journalism” for the students of planning and architecture, organized as an initiative of the Centre for Institute Industry Interactions (CIII) and School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada during 22-24th February 2019 by Ms. A Dutta.

34. SPAV conducted a One-Day awareness program on Energy Conservation and Building Code (ECBC) followed by Four days workshop on Energy Conservation and Building Code (ECBC) in March, 2019.

35. We conducted a 6 day Faculty Development Programme on ‘Communicating Research and Online Publications (CROP 2019)’ in June 2019 attended by over 70 participants.

36. Prof. Dr. Abdul Razak of Dept of Planning presented a paper at the round table discussion during the “World New Cities Summit” held at Sangdo, South Korea organized by the New Cities Foundation Canada during June 7 to 10, 2019.

37. Dept of Planning and Architecture organised various special lectures by eminent academicians from India and abroad. Some noteworthy talks held in SPAV campus were –
a. Special Lecture by Prof. Dr. Michael Tomlan, Cornell University USA on ‘Planning and Preservation of Heritage Zones’, held in Jan 2020.
b. Special Lecture by Dr. Komali K., Solvent University, UK on Climate Change and Vulnerability in Coastal Regions’ in Nov, 2019.
c. Special Lecture by Dr. Eric Leclerc, University of Lille, France on Sustainable healthy Communities’ in Nov, 2019.
d. Special Lecture in Aug 2019, by Prof. U. S. Brandes of Washington University on ‘Public Space Management in Washinton DC’.
e. Special Lecture by Dr. Raaj Ramsankaran, IIT Mumbai on ‘Urban Green Spaces and Use of Geospatial Techniques’ in Aug, 2019.
f. Special Lecture by Prof. Dr. Ebba Brink from Lunds University Sweden on ‘Vulnerability Studies and Planning’ held in Feb 2019.
g. Lecture by academicians and practising experts from NIUA Delhi, IIT Roorkee, SPA Delhi, SAP Chennai, AP-CRDA, DTCP Chandigarh, etc.
h. In September 2018, Special Lectures were conducted by Ar. Sathya Prakash Varanashi and Prof. Manoj Mathur, SPA Delhi.
i. A Special Lecture on Urban Design by Architect Prasanna Desai from Pune was organised in October, 2018.
j. Special Lectures by Dr. Garima Sipani, Mr. J.B.P Sudhir, Ar. Sriganesh Rajendran were held in 2019 on topics of Ergonomics, HVAC planning, Landscape architecture respectively. Series of guest lectures on Building Construction and Structures were held by Mr. Amodh Luman, Structural and Project Management Consultant, Mumbai in 2019.
k. Various other special Lecture by eminent architects like Prof. Dr. Nalini Thakur, Ar. Prasanna Desai, Ar. J Subramanian, Ar. Apoorva Dutta, Ar. Jit K Gupta, Ar. Balbir Verma, Dr. Kalai Selvi etc on various topics of advanced research domains were held.