There are many diverse factors that determine the form of an object – ranging from function, material and technology to social and cultural values. Learning to be an architect involves understanding these many layers. On the right are examples of student work-documentations of indigenous habitat.

From such analysis, the young architect gets an understanding of the generic processes that underlie form – which in turn leads to the synthesis we call design. The images on the opposite page (a gamela for carrying building materials, a bamboo fruit dryer, a mosquito-net for campers) are further examples.