Jurors & Advisors

Yatin Pandya, is an author, academician, researcher as well as the practising architect, with his firm FOOTPRINTS E.A.R.T.H. (Environment Architecture Research Technology Housing). Graduate of CEPT university, Ahmedabad he has availed Master of Architecture degree from McGill University, Montreal. Yatin has been involved with city plannin

Yatin Pandya, is an author, academician, researcher as well as the practising architect, with his firm FOOTPRINTS E.A.R.T.H. (Environment Architecture Research Technology Housing). Graduate of CEPT university, Ahmedabad he has availed Master of Architecture degree from McGill University, Montreal. Yatin has been involved with city planning, urban design, mass housing, architecture, interior design, product design as well as conservation projects. Yatin has won over thirty eight National and International awards for architectural design, research as well as dissemination. The most recent ones have been the United nation’s habitat award special mention and United State’s Curry Stone Foundation Design Prize for sustainable practice. He has written over three hundred articles in National and International Journals. Several books authored by him on architecture, especially “Concepts of space in traditional Indian architecture”, and “Elements of space making” have been published internationally. He has also been involved in preparing over 30 video documentaries on Architecture. He has been visiting faculty at National Institute of design and CEPT University and guest lecturer/ critic to various universities in India and abroad. He has served as thesis guide to nearly 300 Graduate, Masters and PhD students. He has lectured in over fifteen countries in over hundred fora. Environmental sustainability, Socio-cultural appropriateness, Timeless aesthetics and Economic affordability are key principles of his work.

Bharath Ramamrutham is a specialist architecture, interiors, landscape and industrial photographer. With a background in architecture and design and an abiding interest in the arts, crafts and design in India, his work celebrates people, places, culture and industry all over India. His client profile consists of eminent architects and des

Bharath Ramamrutham is a specialist architecture, interiors, landscape and industrial photographer. With a background in architecture and design and an abiding interest in the arts, crafts and design in India, his work celebrates people, places, culture and industry all over India. His client profile consists of eminent architects and designers, along with multi-national corporations and large industrial houses. The main focus of his work has always been the formal documentation of architecture and design to spread awareness regarding this throughout a rapidly changing India.

During his long and prolific career, Bharath Ramamrutham has created a body of work which has come to exemplify not only the classic and purist approach to the medium, but to many people, the definitive pictorial statement on Indian architecture, design and landscape.

Travelling extensively, he has contributed substantially to marketing initiatives in the hospitality sector, working closely with Indian and international hotel chains and independent boutique hotels all over the country creating outstanding images off their properties. His landscape images form part of the very first Incredible India campaign of the Dept. of Tourism, Government of India and marketing campaigns of the Tourism Authority of Seychelles and Mauritius.

His passion for beautiful large format illustrated books has also been a major focus of his 30 year career. His photographs have been the outstanding feature in more than 20 seminal volumes including 'Indian Design', 'Inside India', 'Temple Towns of Tamil Nadu', ‘Chidamabaram', ‘Elephanta', 'Marwar Paintings’ and 'Bombay Gothic' to name just a small selection. 

His recent books under Graf, his visual communication and publishing company, are, ‘Falaknuma’ (on Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad), followed by ‘Rambagh’ (on Rambagh Palace Jaipur), the ‘Mansions of Chettinad’ and ‘Hampi - of Gods and Kings’. Planned for the near future are books on Design and style in Goa, Kerala and Pondicherry amongst others.

His new passion (with the intention to share his knowledge and experiences) is to give talks and conduct workshops on the relationship between photography and architecture where photography is far more than just 'taking pictures' and architecture is more than just ‘building’. This forms the main thrust of this initiative. His goal is to motivate and inspire people, young and old, to change their perception of the world around them and thereby inculcate in them, a profound respect for the environment. He is available for talks and workshops all over India. 

Madhavi Desai is an architect, researcher, writer and a teacher. She was

an adjunct faculty at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India (1986-2018). She has

had Research Fellowships from ICSSR, Delhi, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic

Architecture, MIT, USA, Sarai, Delhi and the Getty Foundation, USA. She is a

founder member of Women Architects Forum

Madhavi Desai is an architect, researcher, writer and a teacher. She was

an adjunct faculty at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India (1986-2018). She has

had Research Fellowships from ICSSR, Delhi, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic

Architecture, MIT, USA, Sarai, Delhi and the Getty Foundation, USA. She is a

founder member of Women Architects Forum. She is the co-author of

Architecture and Independence: The Search for Identity, India 1880 to 1980,

Oxford University Press (1997), Architectural Heritage of Gujarat:

Interpretation, Appreciation, Values, Gujarat Government (2012) and The

Bungalow in Twentieth Century India: The Cultural Expression of Changing

Ways of Life and Aspirations in the Domestic Architecture of Colonial and

Post-colonial Society, Ashgate (2012). She the editor of Gender and the Built

Environment in India, Zubaan (2007) and the author of Traditional

Architecture: House Form of the Islamic Community of the Bohras in Gujarat,

Council of Architecture (2007). Her recent book is Women Architects and

Modernism in India: Narratives and Contemporary Practices, Routledge

(2017). She is at present working on an edited book titled, Gender and the

Indian City: Re-visioning Design and Planning to be published by South Asia

Press. She is a member of the nominating committee of the Berkeley-Rupp Professorship and Prize at the University of California at Berkeley, USA since

2012.

A graduate from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Gita Balakrishnan completed practical training at the Centre for Building Performance and Diagnostics at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. She underwent a training programme on Stabilized Mud Blocks and other alternative methods of construction at Indian Instit

A graduate from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Gita Balakrishnan completed practical training at the Centre for Building Performance and Diagnostics at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. She underwent a training programme on Stabilized Mud Blocks and other alternative methods of construction at Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. She worked with an NGO, AVAS – as a shelter coordinator in the slums of Bangalore. She is now a trustee of AVAS. She moved to Kolkata in 2001 and started Ethos with the intention of making the architectural and civil engineering community alive to the changes happening globally and in our country in the field of architecture and construction. Ethos reaches out to over 45000 students of architecture and civil engineering from around 600 colleges across India through interesting events. Gita Balakrishnan has also authored a book – Archumen: Questioning Architecture. Archumen, the quiz she conceived, was conducted in Sri Lanka in 2006 and an episode was hosted at Lahore in 2010. Ethos launched ACEDGE on August 15th 2018 – to offer online EDucation modules that give the EDGE in the field of Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Design. Since then ACEDGE has hosted over 150 LIVE sessions, self-paced courses and lectures. ACEDGE brings attention to the South Asian Context through their courses and has mentors from across the globe sharing their insights on Theory, Practice, Technology and the Arts.

Gita is currently the Chairperson of the West Bengal Chapter of Indian Institute of Architects. She was in the Shortlist of the top 25 People in Kolkata in the Lead India Campaign by The Times of India.

She is enthusiastic about her running and recently has completed two full marathons and multiple half marathons. Her two sons Pranav and Gaurav are Akshar Alumni

Ar. Apurva Bose Dutta (www.apurvabose.com)  is an author, award-winning architectural journalist, curator, and editor, based in Bangalore, India. Her professional journey of fifteen years has seen global collaborations with multimedia publication houses, firms, organisations, and educational institutions affiliated with architecture, desi

Ar. Apurva Bose Dutta (www.apurvabose.com)  is an author, award-winning architectural journalist, curator, and editor, based in Bangalore, India. Her professional journey of fifteen years has seen global collaborations with multimedia publication houses, firms, organisations, and educational institutions affiliated with architecture, design, and building in India, the UK, the US, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, Singapore, Karachi, and Canada. She is well-travelled and explores her academic background of architecture and writing in diverse roles— that of professional speaking, conducting and curating architecture and design content and discourses for the print and digital media, holding training workshops, and consulting for academic and professional industry initiatives.

Through her various initiatives, Apurva has persistently been working towards increasing the visibility of architectural writing in India. She is credited with the conceptualisation of the first magazine issue solely dedicated to architectural journalism in India in 2013. More recently, she has been the curator for a national level essay writing competition for architectural students in India. She is also involved in conceptualising, conducting, and mentoring an online certified course on architecture writing.

Apurva has been invited by the Australian and Finland Governments to represent the Indian delegation in International Media Visits of Architectural Writers in Melbourne (2016) and Helsinki (2018) respectively. Her book, ARCHITECTURAL VOICES OF INDIA: A Blend of Contemporary and Traditional Ethos (2017), a discourse on architecture-design by 19 of India’s acclaimed architects has received acclaim and wide coverage in the media.

 Ar,Mitul Desai, after finishing his M.Arch from Washington university in St.Louis in 2008, Mitul joined Studio Mumbai for a short internship. This engagement continues even after a decade as a collaborator for publications, exhibitions and installations in India and abroad. Through these years Mitul continued to teach as a visiting facul

 Ar,Mitul Desai, after finishing his M.Arch from Washington university in St.Louis in 2008, Mitul joined Studio Mumbai for a short internship. This engagement continues even after a decade as a collaborator for publications, exhibitions and installations in India and abroad. Through these years Mitul continued to teach as a visiting faculty in various design institutions and maintained a small architectural practice in his hometown, Surat. After collaborating on a house, Mitul established Studio ii with Priyank Parmar in 2017. Their young practice is involved in a variety of projects with singular intent of producing works that are rooted, engaging and lasting.

Mrinalini Ghadiok is an architect by training, visualizer by heart and writer by passion. Having worked in architecture, lighting design, historical research and writing for more than a decade, she shifted focus to the narrative of design experiences and joined STIR as the founding editor of mondo*arc india journal. With 20 issues under h

Mrinalini Ghadiok is an architect by training, visualizer by heart and writer by passion. Having worked in architecture, lighting design, historical research and writing for more than a decade, she shifted focus to the narrative of design experiences and joined STIR as the founding editor of mondo*arc india journal. With 20 issues under her belt, she helmed its transition from a print magazine to a digital portal, establishing www.stirworld.com. In addition to her editorial responsibilities, Mrinalini was also involved in curating and executing various design centric initiatives such as workshops, conferences, presentations, exhibitions and other explorative media. Her pedagogical experience of taking architectural design studio at the undergraduate level continues through workshops, lectures and juries at various design and architecture universities. Her expertise in architecture and design writing have been sought across national and international forums for presentations, talks and jury empanelment for awards and competitions, as well as through collaborations with international media and curatorial organisations. She is currently an independent consultant, and extends her passion for architecture, design and art through research, curation and critical writing, and co-curates Unplugged Talks, a series of conversations with creative minds from across world that aim to tell an honest account of their personal and professional journeys. 

 Veeram Shah grew up in Navsari, a small Parsi town in south Gujarat, which acts as a weekend office for the studio. His father being an avid collector and restorer of antiques, he grew up exposed of Indian antique furniture. He finished his bachelor's in architecture from M.M.C.A. (Marathwada Mitramandal College of Architecture)Pune. His

 Veeram Shah grew up in Navsari, a small Parsi town in south Gujarat, which acts as a weekend office for the studio. His father being an avid collector and restorer of antiques, he grew up exposed of Indian antique furniture. He finished his bachelor's in architecture from M.M.C.A. (Marathwada Mitramandal College of Architecture)Pune. His sensitivity to design comes from his various travels to quaint old Indian Towns, where architecture is not born out of rational Thought, rather out of social context and cultural needs. During college, he was introduced to the nuances of art, architecture, work ethics and philosophy by Ar. Girish Doshi. In the current context, where architecture offices are being run as corporate houses, Veeram believes in a concise and intimate office. Where discussions and interactions become more meaningful and stimulating, regardless of the scale of the project.

Veeram perceives design as fragments of collective experiences and observations from the mundane to the profound. His influences are never constant but unbiased. ranging from Gandhi, Raza, Murakami, Kumar Gandharva to modernists such as Le Corbusier and Scarpa. Veeram has been heading Design ni Dukaan for the past seven years taking projects of various scales from architecture and interiors to furniture. He is also a co-founder and heads of two companies named P.O.D and Dotto-Objects of Curiosity. P.O.D. an abbreviation for Pieces of Desire is an artisan based design studio exploring a seamless transition between art and functional objects with a conscious attempt to promote locally made products with a keen focus on details and craftsmanship, and Dotto as a brand focuses on a seamless transition of such intangible ideas into functional products.

 Anjali is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for design. She kindled her love for design

under the incomparable guidance of Interior Guru Pinakin Patel and the Late Shri

Dashrat Patel. After earning her degree in Industrial Design from RISD she honed her

skills in Providence and New York before returning to Mumbai in 2010.

Over the past 10

 Anjali is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for design. She kindled her love for design

under the incomparable guidance of Interior Guru Pinakin Patel and the Late Shri

Dashrat Patel. After earning her degree in Industrial Design from RISD she honed her

skills in Providence and New York before returning to Mumbai in 2010.

Over the past 10 years Anjali has co-founding the acclaimed creative agency Skarma in

2010 as well as a bespoke design practice- Josmo in Late 2010 where she remains Founder and Creative Director.

Josmo- her current focus has been on growing her 10 year old design practice that

specialises in bringing good design within reach to a larger Indian audience.

Her 6000 sq. ft retail store and 30,000 sq. ft factory are the recent feather in her hat

making her overall dream of “Good design within reach”, a beautiful reality.

After 10 years of professional success including glowing features in Elle Decor,

Architectural Digest and Good Homes; Caravan, as well as humbling accolades and

awards from Forbes, Good Homes, Elle Décor and Acetech Alpha, Anjali expanded her practice to Goa where she now resides.

Throughout her career Anjali has established a philosophy centred on blending

necessity with imagination. Through her efforts, Anjali is transforming the arena of design in India by adopting best practices, environmentally sound manufacturing and

expression through design.

Apart from her day job as furniture fanatic, she is an avid animal activist and provides

support to animal shelters, animal rescue enthusiasts and the world of stray animals as a full time job.

 Akanksha Deo Sharma, born in 1991 in New Delhi, graduated from India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology and started working at IKEA as an in-house Designer in 2017 and has been listed under Forbes India 30 under 30 list for the year 2020. A fashion designer by qualification and a visual artist, she specialises in textiles and cra

 Akanksha Deo Sharma, born in 1991 in New Delhi, graduated from India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology and started working at IKEA as an in-house Designer in 2017 and has been listed under Forbes India 30 under 30 list for the year 2020. A fashion designer by qualification and a visual artist, she specialises in textiles and craft. She has collaborated with several indian fashion brands and has exhibited her art as part of collaborations. Her most recent project with IKEA - Förändring won an Elle Decor EDIDA India 2019 award under tabletop category and her work has been featured in Dezeen, Design Boom, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor and Vogue amongst others.

Form, function, quality, sustainability and affordability are common denominators in her work — because leaving a positive impact on people and the planet is her driving force. Inquisitive by nature, Sharma seeks to understand — and address — the ways in which society is evolving.

 Navya Aggarwal graduated from NIFT Delhi with a design specialisation of Lifestyle Products in 2013. Born into a family of entrepreneurs, she knew her calling was beyond a 9-5 desk job. After a short stint at a design firm, she co-founded Studio Wood, best known for its 'in the moment' aesthetic and ingenious quirks, along with her long-

 Navya Aggarwal graduated from NIFT Delhi with a design specialisation of Lifestyle Products in 2013. Born into a family of entrepreneurs, she knew her calling was beyond a 9-5 desk job. After a short stint at a design firm, she co-founded Studio Wood, best known for its 'in the moment' aesthetic and ingenious quirks, along with her long-time friends and business partners Vrinda Mathur & Sahej Bhatia in early 2014. She juggles her personality between a dreamer & a realist, lover of simple bold ideas & finer things, a maximalist & minimalist.