Parul University’s architecture students explored Goa as a living classroom, learning from heritage homes, cultural design, and hands-on sessions that revealed architecture is observation, sustainability, and community impact beyond sketches
To architecture students, learning does not always occur in books, lectures, and design software. It is sometimes found by going out into the streets of Goa, where each old house, each balcony, each tiled roof, has a tale to tell. This is precisely what occurred when the architecture students of Parul University took a practical learning visit to Goa- transforming the state into a classroom.
A Session That Changed Perspectives
In the course of the tour, students got a chance to meet Ar. Melville D’Souza, Founder and Principal Architect of Design Spaces. The session centered on his career in architecture and the numerous projects that he has been involved with. The most striking fact was that he was quite clear on one aspect and that was the significance of knowing what the client is investing in and then turning it into meaningful design. This was not mere advice to the students, but a look into the other side of the architectural world, where creativity blends with responsibility.
What Students Took Back Home
It was not only a talk about buildings but also about thinking. The students understood that there is a significant step to be taken before sketching or drafting, and that is, to look. The most important key is observation, and it assists architects in developing powerful concepts based on reality. This was the biggest lesson of the session, and students called it nothing less than inspiring.
Goa as a Design Studio
Naturally, it was not a one-session trip. Goa itself became the studio. Students visited Portuguese-style houses, heritage sites, and restored buildings and learned how architecture could be a combination of beauty, utility, and cultural identity. It was a practice in relating the past to the present- how design can develop and still preserve its origin.
Learning That Goes Beyond Sketchbooks.
In Goa, students discovered things that you do not normally see in classrooms. The old houses had oyster-shell windows which cooled the rooms and filled them with soft light. Rainwater harvesting systems were constructed in many homes many years ago, demonstrating how individuals thought ahead. Entire districts were planned with common courts, which were both cool and social. These little but clever elements gave learners the idea that architecture is not about buildings but about climate, culture, and people.
Why These Tours Matter
The art of architecture is not only about building structures, but also about solving problems, and being in touch with human experiences. These kinds of learning tours help students forget about technical drawings and see the world as their canvas. They return with new ideas, enhanced observational skills and a clearer picture of how design can impact communities.
The Bigger Picture of Learning Tours
In Parul University, it is not only architecture that is studied outside the classroom. Students of other disciplines also have an opportunity to explore the world using guided tours. It was the Writer Tour in Mumbai, where students got to meet authors and scriptwriters, the Robotics Tour in Chennai, which helped them get deep into the world of futuristic technology, the Leadership Tours in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, where changemakers told their stories, the Biopharma Tour in Hyderabad, where the science behind innovation was unlocked, and the Design Tour in Mumbai, where the intersection of creativity and craft was explored.
These journeys are not travel journeys but learning journeys within the actual world. They give students the confidence to move into professional life with clarity, creativity and the courage to think differently. And this is what makes all tours, including the Goa experience, a milestone in their journey towards becoming future-ready professionals.
