Exchange Semester in Portugal

Hi, it’s been a while since I wrote on my own page but I am excited to finally be back. It’s been a good break but even more an exciting one. I was trying to balance a lot and spread myself too thin so I had to take a step back which gave me an opportunity to where I was trying to figure out what I want to do with this page and how can I do it better?

The past six months have been too crazy and went by too quickly. I was on an exchange program in Portugal, in freaking Europe. It was like a dream come true. It was one of those things which you don’t even think is a possibility so soon. But yeah!, so I basically had the opportunity to live in a different country for four months, studying completely different stuff and travelling.

As much as it sounds dreamy, it was so refreshing in unexpected ways. This post is going to go a little bit on a reflective side as I share my experiences. This kind of experience just made me so much more confident in myself, more clarity in what I want from my life. It was a much needed reality check because I was living the same life for 7 semesters and I sort of lost the motivation towards my studies. It was like when a bubble burst and you realise the endless possibilities, opportunities that are just waiting for you. It was also an escape from your current life, which honestly has made me realise how much I enjoy being an architecture student? And if you have been reading since I started writing you would know how skeptical I was about me and architecture.

Living In Portugal

In terms of academics, I studied not so much architecture but other design fields like communication, product and interior design. You notice completely different ways in which people think, and I am not talking just about design. You are challenged to see things differently; it’s no longer your default setting, you haven’t experienced any of those spaces that you have to design. The cultural nuances, how they use certain things, their food habits, everything you have learned before you can design their interiors. It also was a reminder of how the daily routine of the user is such an important factor while designing a space. One is familiar with the issues that people face when you share the same context but here you get to learn to observe the obvious. It’s a different lens and process altogether.

Apart from that, I don’t know about you but my dream city as an architecture student was to visit Barcelona. And obviously because of Sagrada Familia. When I was inside the church, the entire time I was looking at the roof, and the only question that was coming to mind, how was anyone able to think all this and then construct it also? My first glance was from the terrace of Casa Mila and it was just so surreal. As we were walking towards it, the facades were just so detailed. Later I got to know that the facade narrates the story of the Holy Family.

The light quality inside the space was so magical, disconnecting people from outside completely. I was only there for some time only, hence I was trying to take in as much as possible. I can’t express how excited I was after seeing the interiors, and how motivated I was to do something like this. And the most surprising information was that the front of the church is not even built yet, the facades that we see in picture are apparently the side. I don’t know if they would ever complete this project, maybe someday then there is still a possibility for me to work on this, call me crazy but I thought about this.

And another memorable visit was to the Venice Biennale, and it was chaotic and crazy. More than that, it was a little bit validating my choice to go towards computational architecture. The innovations and how it was presented, there was so much to learn. I can detail out all my learnings or observations from the biennale 2025 in a separate post for sure but here are some pictures from my visit, to the things I was drawn towards.

Back To Reality

As much as I was waiting to be back in India, everyday was so happening witnessing something new, it was difficult to come back to my old routine. Part of me still can’t believe that I went and came back. I have this sense of belonging to this career now, I can’t exactly pin point when that happened. I have never felt that I was prepared to form my own opinion and then defend it, I have learnt a lot about this field like reading more stuff and visiting a few buildings from that lens and it finally feels that I can contribute to this field.

As much as I like to cry about the workload, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I never thought that this much change would happen over just a year. Most importantly I have learnt to chill, and the exchange has re-instated my belief in me that I can do this. I don’t need to be constantly working to be successful. On a very real note, I am so tired of packing and unpacking, I can’t even look at another suitcase. And I am back to a very opposite kind of semester. I am doing my dissertation this semester and by now you shouldn’t be surprised at the topic I have chosen.

Research, Research and Research

Yes, it’s related to the form-finding process. As much as I am questioning why I am doing such boring work just three weeks into it, it is actually very informative and information regarding a topic I want to know about or work on. I will do a post at length when I have some concrete insights about my dissertation semester. This is also my last semester on campus, so I have a lot to check off my list before I leave CEPT. I can’t believe five freaking years are almost over. But all the emotions aside and in all seriousness I am going to this page even more specific to just Computational architecture because I have so much to share. And I can’t wait to get started.

I am looking forward to hearing all the suggestions for what you want to see on this page, please drop in comments. Thank you for reading this!

About Me

Devanshi Jain

Hi! Welcome to my blog. I’m an architecture student sharing my journey, from personal stories to diving into computational design as a complete beginner. Join me as I explore new techniques, tackle challenges, and discover how technology transforms design. Whether you’re a student, professional, or just curious, you’ll find valuable insights and a fresh perspective on architecture.