The book ‘Myriad Disciplines of Architectural Writing': intertwined to make visions into reality, published by White Falcon Publishing, Chandigarh is authored by architect & journalist Pappal Suneja, Research Scholar, Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau, Germany. This book covers best publications of the architect related to diverse disciplines of Architectural Writings inclusive of Creative writing, Book reviews, newspaper columns, technical papers, interviews, competition entry synopsis, web portal articles & remembering veteran architects.

Veteran Indian architect Jayaraman Subramanian has reviewed this book as follows:

A quick browsing of this Book immediately reveals that the contents are convincingly faithful to its inviting title. An interesting Collage of this kind - presented very impressively - will certainly be a good reference book for the students of architecture who wish to pursue studies in Architectural Journalism. The book starts rather explosively by drawing a distinction between Happiness and Wellbeing and what a Building design is expected to or can do. Such statements are quite thought-provoking and will make any sensitive architect pause and review his own works dispassionately.

The reference to Green architecture and the requirement of balance between the built and the unbuilt environment is quite topical and has been strenuously presented. Soon after the Book gets into a travelogue mode and the author describes the places that He had visited with childlike enthusiasm and even I, -  a seasoned traveller myself - aspire to visit/revisit all those cited areas. The emphasis on the heritage structures, their values and the correct relevance to the modern times show the genuine concerns of the author not only for their responsible conservation but also for drawing the right kind of inspirations.

In the second chapter, the author displays through his articles his versatile approach to Various issues - such as sustainable urban development, the relevance of purposeful travel and Design interpretation through Architectural journalism. When the author presents his reviews on the Various architects' writings, the objectivity shown by Him is remarkable. His review of Ar. Sangeet Sharma's novel is particularly interesting in that Sharma' s truthful presentation of an Architect's professional woes has been brought out by the author very effectively and I am sure many ( like me ) will now be eager to secure a copy of this book.

The fourth chapter in the book suddenly acquires a different direction - if not mood - and deals with a variety of materials both modern and traditional and the author displays an open mind in tacitly pointing out that after all, materials and their applications are only 'means ' and not an ' end ' in themselves. It will make any architect think on the appropriateness of the various materials and technologies at his disposal. The dialogue section of the book is quite candid and sincerely conveys the views expressed by the persons who were interviewed. I, having been one of the persons who was interviewed cannot but admire the ability of the author to extract relevant details tactfully and record them effectively. The next chapter and its contents strikingly reveal the originality and creative abilities of the author and His associates who have presented commendable design solutions in response to demanding design briefs.

In the chapter wherein the author has chosen to salute some of the veteran architects, the selection of such veterans is quite varied and indirectly highlights the different approaches an architect can take if one is serious about his/her pursuits. In the eighth chapter, the author takes a more serious and comprehensive approach to Architectural profession addressing issues such as City planning, Disaster management, Building services etc. 

The concluding chapter quite befittingly addresses a proposal relating to the conduct of a workshop on Architectural Journalism. If at all one can point out any shortcoming in this amazingly interesting book, it is lack of sufficient photographs/illustrations particularly in the chapter relating to Veteran architects. Otherwise, it is a great work and to quote from author's own inspiration I will say this is a true mirror of the Profession - absolutely free of distortions!

The Indian Edition of the Book is available at Amazon, Flipkart and at White Falcon website.

All Images © Pappal Suneja

> via Input from Prof. Jayaraman Subramanian