Doubletree Hotels – 4 Acres, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

ASHWANI DATTA

ASSOCIATE

Ashwani did his undergraduate studies in Architecture from the Centre of Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad in 1986. He went on to pursue his masters in Architectural Design from the University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. He has been the recipient of University of Arizona Foundation award for outstanding teaching student and was awarded the prestigious scholarship for the Architectural design summer program at the Boston Architecture Centre conducted by the internationally acclaimed Kevin Rosch. Before returning to India, Ashwani has worked at internationally renowned offices of Raffial Vinolli and VSP Associates, New York. His competition entry for the West Coast Gateway Project was exhibited at the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art in 1988.

He teaches at the School of Planning and architecture as a visiting professor at the Department of Architecture and leads design studios as a key member. His vast experience with design management, construction processes, materials, technology and resourcefulness are his key competence and responsibility as a part of Oracles.

ANUJ KATHURIA

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL | PARTNER

Anuj graduated as an architect from Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon in 2008, following which his interest in the natural environment and site planning took him to explore the realm of landscape. He holds masters in Landscape Architecture from the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad.

His research work titled ‘Role of anthropogenic processes in evolving Landscape’ was aimed at understanding the relationship between cultural and the natural resources through time. A sensitive designer, his academic work was exhibited at the Hobart International Waterfront Design Competition at Australia in 2006.

As a partner at Oracles, he brings in sensitive and creative design skills coupled with a keen understanding of urban landscape, environmental issues, ecological reclamation and landscape construction practices. As a key design leader, he contributes towards conceptual ideation and documentation for projects. He controls design quality as well as adherence of the design intent through meticulous construction documentation, coordination and periodic site assessment.

HARBIR SINGH

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Harbir, a 1993 graduate from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi completed his graduate studies in Landscape Architecture from the same institute. He served as a research fellow at CEEST, University of Massachusetts, USA, looking at environmental geo-technology issues with a globally sustainable development perspective. Harbir’s key competence lies in Landscape design coordination, site engineering and project management.

He takes up visiting faculty assignments at School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi at the Department of Landscape Architecture. His lectures deal with ‘Professional Practice’ and ‘Advanced Landscape Engineering’, followed up with engineering and design studios.

PRINCIPAL | PARTNER

Sandip holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture New Delhi, graduating in 1992. At post graduate level, he received the prestigious India Scholarship from the University of Oxford, UK for the Masters in Science program in Sustainable Urban Development. He is also a post graduate associate at the ‘Future of Cities’ program of the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, University of Oxford and a member of the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN).

At Oxford, Sandip’s key research interests were exploring the theory and idea of urban sustainability, and its intersections with the politics and architecture of urban production. These concerns were also central to his dissertation on understanding ‘densification’ as a strategy of urban sustainability and its influence on design and planning interventions in Delhi. At his under graduate studies, Sandip excelled academically with the best dissertation in class and his studio design project being exhibited at the Venice Biennale, Italy 1990. Sandip received a ‘special mention’ in the ‘Young Architects Award’ by the ‘Indian Architect and Builder’, in the year 2000. He, along with Suneet Mohindru were invited to present their work and thoughts at the prestigious DesignXDesign expose’ talks, organized by the Alliance Francais de Delhi, New Delhi in 2014. A design project led by him was also nominated for the NDTV Design and Architecture Award, 2015.

He is a visiting Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, his alma mater, where he has now been teaching for the last several years. Apart from his role as a tutor and a mentor in the design studio, he has guided several student dissertations and seminars. .

With his leadership quality, vast array of experience, applied knowledge and professional expertise, Sandip has led prestigious residential, hospitality, institutional, commercial and industrial projects. His key competence lies in context assessment, urban design, master plans and architecture design.