To foster design, empower and encourage students, and to provide them both curricular education, the excitement of exploration and intellectual stimulation, through creative exercises

Founded in 2015, Wadiyar Center for Architecture (WCFA) is a College of Architecture located in the heart of Mysuru, the city long renowned as a center of education. With a vision to create atmosphere for learning through an interactive process, the institute encourages and empowers its students to learn and to gather knowledge. WCFA offers a five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) degree course and is recognized by the ‘Council of Architecture’ New Delhi and is affiliated to ‘Visveswaraya Technological University’, Belgaum, Karnataka State.

Wadiyar Center for Architecture is guided by an ideology that allows the student to emerge with a complete education in Architecture along with a deep-rooted knowledge of one’s own surroundings, social awareness and grounding in cultural heritage, resulting in professionals who would be responsible leaders with ethical practice.

About the College’s Prime Location and its Innovative Campus

Mysuru is a city with stimulating experiences of both urban and rural milieu. The cultural and historical backdrop lends an opportunity for the student to explore and delve into architecture in varied contexts. Geographically, Mysuru city is of the size that spares long commutes and offers the students to dedicate quality time to fully engage in education with enough time to spare for extracurricular activities ensuring all-round development.

The lush green campus includes heritage structures integrated harmoniously with newly built facilities. While the heritage buildings contain the library and administrative areas, the academic spaces are housed in the newly built structures, set in a manner that the natural environment is preserved and the space is seamlessly integrating with the landscape forming the heart of the place. The College is well equipped with facilities like Lecture Halls, naturally lit flexible floor plan quality learning Design Studios, Library, 40-seater Computer Centre, Wood and Clay Workshop, Exhibition Hall and Material Museum.

Architecture and WCFA’s Contribution to the Industry

Architecture, being a highly creative field, demands specialized educators trained to educate students in a creative teaching method without affecting the artistic vision. The experts of the industry say that the task of architecture is the creation of human environment. The prime reason behind WCFA’s milestones in the architectural education industry is that it adopts a pluralistic approach to teaching architecture that includes both theoretical and empirical approaches. At this institute, students have opportunities to become instinctively conscious in their understanding of the built environment through the realization of values, culture, technology and social behavior.

The future of work practice is tending towards a rich scenario of diverse viewpoints and of collaboration. The student consciously is at times an individual and many a times, a collaborator in a group. The environs at WCFA allow the nurturing of the student to find their unique expression of thought leading to knowledge and action. Beyond the university’s curriculum, WCFA offers opportunities through learning and pragmatic exploration of interrelated fields like music, dance, drama, literature, creative arts, political science, philosophy, economics and physical activities.

Wadiyar Center for Architecture strives to expose the students to the many influences and viewpoints that shape architecture. The college is not biased to a school of thought, and endeavors to inculcate original thinking while learning about other values.

The college promotes the students to discover their identity and expression, through sustained inquiry, dialogue and discovery. To enable the process, WCFA organizes value added learning programs like Skill Workshops, Master Class and Expert Lectures, Related Study Programs and Study Tours, where the students get the rare and unique opportunity to see, meet, converse, study and work with renowned masters from related fields.

About the Dean

Prof S G Srinivas, Architect and Academician, is the founder President of the Design Foundation for Study, Education and Research trust that has initiated the college.  He is also the Dean and Design Chair at WCFA.  He has been a teacher and guided many, including some of the college trustees, during their college days. WCFA, he believes, is dedicated to train students in holistic architectural education with an inclusive curriculum that will enable the student a solid creative and intellectual foundation.

WCFA’s Source of Power and Most Valuable Resources

The teaching faculty of the college consists of a group of Architecture educators, Artists, Urbanists, Social Anthropologists, Planners, Conservationists, Structural Engineers, Interior Designers, Writers, Theorists and Photographers, in addition to many practicing Architects who are passionate academicians and research enthusiasts. The multi-disciplinary background of the faculty not only helps the students to perceive design through diverse viewpoints but also enables them to approach design comprehensively. The faculty members are encouraged to engage in architectural practice through the Design Cell of the College and also pursue research, which will bring practical and explorative orientation to teaching. Academic discussions are encouraged between the faculties and between the students across the classes to make learning a way of life on campus.

The student community, though small at present, are a vibrant lot. Though Academics forms the way of life, they find time for Basketball, Football, a movie club, book reading club, a hiking club and a college music band.

 “Words of Trust”

“An institute that is inspiring and drives you to your fullest, it brings out the best in you, not just in the way we learn, but it’s the spaces in which we do so, an environment that allows you to dream, a place we could call home.”

-Varun Michael Pais, 3rd year

“This college became home for us way before we knew it. Motivation is abundant. The school got me lost in ways that I started feeling found.”

-Sayema Syed, 1st year