The first image that usually comes to mind when we think about architecture is tall skyscrapers, glass buildings, or giant monuments. However, on a Practical Learning Tour to Goa, students of the Faculty of Architecture from Parul University discovered that there is a lot more to architecture. It is not just a question of building, but also about the history, culture, climate, and how people occupy their spaces.
This concept was central to a lecture given by Leon Morenas, Principal at Goa College of Architecture, who discussed the relationship between history, context and architecture. In his presentation, he reminded the students that design is not created in a blank space, but instead develops through the people, land, and history of a community.
Goa as a Living Classroom
The streets of Goa became an open textbook. As students explored, they encountered colonial and local influences side by side: laterite stone walls, Portuguese-style balconies, red-tiled pitched roofs designed to withstand the monsoon, and open courtyards that brought light and fresh air into homes.
These were not only aesthetic features. They reflected practical responses to climate and cultural life. By exploring these spaces, the students observed how architecture evolves over time to meet local needs.
Architecture Beyond Monuments
The most powerful message of the session was clear: architecture is not only about the design of buildings or monuments. It is about the background, how a city develops based on its past, how climate influences the development of a city, and the people who inhabit such spaces.
Students started to pose new questions instead of concentrating only on structure or design. Why is this house’s roofing sloped? Why do Goan homes have courtyards? How does history affect what is preserved or changed? These observations helped them see architecture as part of a larger conversation between tradition and modern needs.
Learning From the Past for the Future
The tour indicated that knowing history is not all about looking back, but rather using the past to create a stronger future. Today’s architects can learn from ancient techniques, such as the use of local stone or natural ventilation, and develop sustainable and culturally relevant designs.
This was one of the most important lessons that the students learnt, as they were able to understand the balance between valuing heritage and embracing modernity.
What Students Took Back
For many, the tour was more than an academic activity. It was an encouraging experience that expanded their view of architecture. They began to see design as an art that is responsive to people, climate, and history, and not simply a technical undertaking.
This perspective will remain with them in the future as they develop their careers and think about space and design.
A Larger Learning Journey
It can be the Writers Tour in Mumbai with authors and screenwriters, the Robotics Tour in Chennai exploring automation, the Biopharma Tour in Hyderabad learning about drug innovation, the Leadership Tour in Bangalore with changemakers, the Design Tour in Mumbai mixing art and technology, or any of the other tours. Students have an opportunity to learn in practice.
These are not just tours; they are those moments when you get to know knowledge in the most raw way possible, when theory gets applied, and curiosity faces reality.
