Anant National University, India’s first design university conducted the first-ever virtual workshop on Disaster Management and Design thinking for its students of Architecture. The series included 4 lectures delivered by subject experts and domain specialists on architecture and disaster management. Learning Commons, the central library of Anant National University arranged the workshop, to address the changes in the education system due to the pandemic.

Dr Sandip Trivedi, Geotechnical Consultant spoke on Learning from failures: a geotechnical perspective, Dr Repaul Kanji, Research Scientist & Programme Manager, Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM), Gandhinagar spoke on the Basics of Disaster Management and Disaster Preparedness Plan, Dr Abhiyant Tiwari, Assistant Professor & Programme Manager, GIDM spoke on Disaster management during COVID-19: design thinking, idea and implementation of ICT application for surveillance, and we also had Ms. Prashansa Dixit, Research officer & Program Manager at SAARC Disaster Management Centre, Gandhinagar spoke on Hazard resilient design and construction practices.

Recent times have been an awakening for us to deal with disasters that have led to mass destruction and loss of life. The seminar focused on the importance of earthquake resistance structures, the role of architects in disaster mitigation and recovery after hazardous events, both man-made and natural. The workshop specifically highlighted the successful implementation of ICT application for Covid-19 surveillance across 9 districts in Gujarat, an ideal example of Design thinking in the disaster management period. The concepts were explained through live case studies, interfacing architectural education and disaster management.

More than 135 participants attended the lecture series. Speaking on the workshop, Chintan Pandya, Head Librarian said, “The role of an architect is multi-faceted, and is more than just building a building. You cannot build or design a good building without understanding its current or future relationship with nature and the surrounding environment. Such practical workshops, proves to be a bridge to that thought, and makes it beneficial for the students in the long run”

Very recently, Anant National University also organized its Heritage Matters 13 Webinar on Writing Architecture along with a virtual Workshop with Vivek Gilani, on the issue of climate-chaos and ways of mitigating it.