Jagannath Temple – Puri, Odisha

FOUNDER PRINCIPAL

Suneet Mohindru, an architect by education and an educator by passion, founded ‘Oracles’ and has been managing this multidisciplinary design practice with a view to amalgamate intense theoretical background and passionate rigour. Its foundations lay in its vision as an organisation that would not only serve its patrons to deliver highest standards of professional work but also provide a fertile ground to foster aspiring individuals to develop and contribute collectively to the profession.

Having graduated in architecture from ‘School of Planning and Architecture’, New Delhi, Suneet completed his Masters in Landscape Architecture from the same institute, bagging proficiency awards and gold medals for academic excellence for both the courses. A fellowship from the Charles Wallace Trust took him to ‘De Montfort University’ in the UK for furthering his theoretical backing and hands-on experience in conservation of historical landscape precincts.

He has pursued this as an academic interest and developed a detailed framework for documenting heritage sites and their settings. This research was published after a paper presentation at the XIII ICOMOS General Assembly in Madrid, Spain.

His work and interests have seen him travel though the globe and acquire extensive exposure while also establishing strong collaborative bonds with leading international practices. He has constantly endeavoured to use his consultancy practice to polish his own skills and engage in innovating responsive and responsible design ideas towards creating stimulating living and working environments. His key competence lies in site planning and urbanism, conceptualising master-plans with landscape as a structuring tool, architecture and landscape design, context assessment, construction methods and technology.

Academics and writing are Suneet’s strong parallel pursuits. He has been associated with several institutes as a visiting professor, advisor and juror. Architectural theory, history, design thinking, cultural landscape, open spaces associated with learning environments and hill architecture have been his areas of interest. Apart from being an active member in the studio design teams, he delivered lecture series for the graduate students in the Department of Landscape Architecture on ‘Theory of Landscape Architecture’. He also leads the studios and lectures for ‘Site planning’ at the Department of Urban Design.

HEAD | DESIGN MANAGEMENT
AND
PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

Neha completed her Diploma in Design in 2007 from South Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi and has a hands-on experience in landscape architecture.

With a keen insight on design development, in-depth knowledge of construction processes and an adept hand at coordination with allied fields, her key competency lies in project administration, design management, site review and coordination.
One of her key assets lies in her experience that has seen both sides of the table, as a senior team member with design consultants and as a coordinating landscape design manager from the developers’ side, responsible for steering meetings, documentation control, site supervision and project coordination.

Oracles relies on Neha’s leadership skills and training capabilities to ensure smooth functioning of projects and processes, cost control and management, site assessment and adherence to timelines.

HARBIR SINGH CHOPRA

PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATE

Harbir is a 1993 graduate from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi and he completed his graduate studies in Landscape Architecture from the same institute in 1997. In 2000, 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. His eye for meticulous detail enables him to ensure a high quality in development of design towards execution.

He takes up visiting faculty assignments at School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi at the Department of Landscape Architecture. His lectures on ‘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.

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.

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.