Author: vanamu

Smriti Saraswat

Architect / Interior Designer

Smriti is trained as an Architect  and Interior-Designer. She  specializes in Craft and Technology (with a Letter of Merit) from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. Nowadays is currently an Assistant
Professor at Department ofArchitecture and Planning at IIT Roorkee (Uttarakhand). She has been doing research and documentation on cultural heritage and visual narratives (especially, art-craft-interior-architecture traditions of India) for almost five years now. She has written several papers and monographs based on these topics. Her post-graduate dissertation on “Narratives in Interior-Architecture: Stone Craft, 0 Medium” has been published and showcased at varied platforms.

She played a vital role in developing the framework for Space Making Crafts Workshops at Design Innovation and Craft Resource Centre in Ahmedabad. She was also involved in
developing prototypes, and writing monographs based on these workshops. Further, she worked on the Craft Inventory of Gujarat, and categorically researched on varied aspects like materials
involved, techniques, tools and machines, regional variations, and craftspersons involved.

She is currently working on interior- architecture and crafts of Uttarakhand (funded by IIT Roorkee); a joint pilot research on Iaunsar tribe of village Kalsi in Uttarakhand; and, a ioint project on Model Village Development for the Iuang Tribe of Odisha (funded by HUDCO).

She is also pursuing her Ph.D. at IIT Roorkee, which is an attempt to explore frameworks for interventionsin Space Making Crofts (architectural crafts) of Uttarakhand (India).

She has organized several workshops at IIT Roorkee that focus on materials, craft, technology, interior-architecture and innovations.

Professor R. Shankar

Professor- Architect

Contact no: (91)  9412071371

E-mail:  shardfap@iitr.ernet.in

                 ashtapad01@gmail.com

Present address: 101 Vigyan Kunj, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 Uttarakhand

Shankar is former Professor  & Head  of Department of Architecture and Planning in the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India. His field of interest and work include Architecture and Urban Planning with Special reference to Energy, Environmental  and Ecological Aspects and Sustainable Development. Besides  teaching and research at IIT Roorkee for  37 years, Prof R Shankar has been involved in various govt. , non-govt and academic institutions as visiting professor, member of advisory and academic committees, and technical expert. He has been involved in the production of 17 educational t.v. programs for country wide class room in different capacities from 1990 to 1995.

Prof Shankar has published more than 80 papers in different technical / professional journals and proceedings of different national and international  conferences on various architectural and planning topics. He has guided more than 70 B.Arch thesis projects, 50 MURP/MArch dissertations and six Ph. D theses so far. He has been very active in architectural and planning consultancy which include preparation of Perspective Plan for Greater Noida Phase-II, Building Regulations and Planning Standards for Townships along the proposed Ganga Expressway, Master Plan for Gangotri Dham and Design of Headquarters Building for PTCUL,  at Dehradun. At a personal level, he has been passionately involved in trekking, traveling, photography, traditional knowledge systems  and nature and spiritual studies.

He is now a visiting professor at  IIT Roorkee.

Satprem Maïni

Architect

Satprem Maïni, French national born in Bône, Algeria, is the director, executive and soul of the Auroville Earth Institute. He works as an architect and builder, consultant, researcher, trainer and lecturer. He studied in France and holds a master’s degree in architecture and a postgraduate master’s degree in Earthen Architecture from CRAterre. Since 2000, he has been the representative for Asia of the UNESCO Chair “Earthen Architecture, Constructive Cultures and Sustainable Development”.

Since 1989, Satprem has trained more than 8,000 people from 75 countries. He has been active in 35 countries for consultation, lectures and workshops. He has built more than 30 projects in India, 3 projects abroad and has produced more than 22 publications. Under his leadership, the Earth Institute has won 11 national and 2 international awards, has educated several generations of young architects in India and abroad, and has become one of the global centers for excellence in earthen construction and research.

He is an occasional consultant for the United Nations (UNESCO, UNIDO, UNDP, UNCHS / Habitat); a member of CRATerre/ENSAG (International Centre of Earth Construction, France), an honorary member of ABC Terra (Brazilian Centre for Earth Construction), a member of the German Network of earth builders (Dachverband Lehm e.V.), a member of ISET (the Indian Society of Earthquake Technology), and a member INHAF (India Habitat Forum).

Riyaz Tayyibji

Architect

Riyaz Tayyibji graduated from the school of architecture, Cept, a’bad. Prior to setting up anthill design he worked in Mumbai with Ranjit Sinh and associates and then extensively with Prof. Neelkanth Chhaya on post-earthquake rehabilitation housing in the villages of Saurashtra.

Piyush Manush

Neal Kartik

Photographer

Recipient of the prestigious Sony World Photography Award Cannes, Neal Kartik is a travel and documentary photographer. His work has been showcased at national and international forums. He has also worked with BBC World Wide (India), UNICEF and TV Dutch4.

His work has been showcased at exhibitions like Palais des Festival; Ethnography International festival, Toxics Links Delhi. His educational qualification includes Post Graduate Diploma in Photography from AJKMCRC – Jamia Milia Islamia, India.

Currently he is learning and working in the field of alternate education. He is a founder member of Tinai Collective, an organization which believes that teaching and learning should be open, free and unprejudiced.

Some of the awards he has received for his work are:

Best Cinematography: –Red Deer International Film Festival Canada (Mumbai Half Marathon)

Best Film – 10th Mumbai International Film Festival India 2nd Prize (Mumbai Half Marathon)

Special Jury Mention – Jeevika South Asia livelihood Film Festival Asia(Dawn to Dusk and Further)

Best Animation Film – Misc-En-Scene International Film Festival India (Mumbai Half Marathon)

Kunal

Architect

billionbricks.org

Contact No. (91) 9449552417 

skype: heavenhack

Kunal graduated in 2012 from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and has worked with some notable firms in Bangalore.

Having obtained experience from corporate practices, he found his calling in doing volunteer work for social causes. He has filmed documentaries for the Singapore-based NGO Billionbricks, with which he is currently associated. He also travelled to earthquake affected villages in Nepal as a humanitarian worker with relief materials and shelters.

Presently Kunal is enrolled as a masters candidate in Sustainable Architecture and Planning at HafenCity University Hamburg. When not traveling for assignments, Kunal enjoys the company of his 5 year-old Labrador Smooky.