Prof. Hitesh Changela graduated in architecture from SCET, South Gujarat University, Surat in 2000. Since then he is into practice and teaching. After the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, he was associated with Hunnarshala and Shelter Innovation and Support Centre at Kutch as a Consultant Architect. He had actively worked in the team for Kutch NavNirvanAbhiyan and Paraplegic Shelter. His major area of research and teaching is in building materials and construction, and structures in architecture. His hobbies are traveling, mountaineering and photography have brought to him a strong knowledge of vernacular practices across the country.
Prof. Hakimuddin M. Bharmal is Head at H. D. Centre of Planning (PG Dept. of IPSA, imparting Masters program in Urban & Regional Planning) and Associate Professor at IPSA since 2016. He is an Architect and Urban & Regional Planner and is associated with IPSA since its inception in 2000. He did his B.Arch. from SCET, South Gujarat University, Surat in 2000 and M.Tech. (URP -Urban and Regional Planning) from SOP, CEPT University, Ahmedabad in 2006. He has also done an Advanced PGDBA (Finance) from SCDL (Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning), Symbiosis, Pune in 2012 and pursuing a Ph.D. from Dept. of Management, Saurashtra University, Rajkot. Along with active association with academics, he is equally engaged with professional practice and practicing as an Architect, Interior Designer and Urban & Regional Planner’ across the States. He is a pioneer in conceptualizing and incepting ‘Research Cell’ and various new programs at both, UG& PG levels. He is erstwhile Coordinator of Exam Section & RSP programmed of IPSA. He has attended several national & international workshops, seminars and training programmers on Architecture, Planning & Research. On behalf of both Institutes, he is helping local Authorities as an Advisor for the Urban Planning & Development segment, including Parking Policy, advisory for RUDADP-2031, Sculpture & Island project, review of CGDCR, etc. He is the Lead-Planner in the Institute’s proposal for ‘Area Based Development of Green-Field under Smart City Mission for Rajkot’. Apart from all, he is a Poet & Writer and expressing his ideas, observations and emotions through various writing mediums.
Brinda Shah is an architect based in Rajkot. She did her Bachelors in Architecture from School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad in 1998 and Masters of Architecture in International Studies in Vernacular Architecture under Dr. Paul Oliver, from Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England in 2004. She started her architectural practice with Parth shah in 2000. She has been a practicing architect since then. Along with practice she also is a teacher and a researcher. She has taught at various architecture schools including the Centre for Environment Planning and Technology – CEPT, Ahmedabad and Indubhai School of architecture – IPSA, Rajkot since 2005. Her professional works as well as research papers on architecture have been published in various magazines and journals. She has participated and presented her work at international conferences. The professional works accomplished by her with her partner have received national and international design awards. She has extensively traveled across the country and abroad. Her areas of interest apart from architecture are music and art. She is passionate about learning about the vernacular architecture of the Saurashtra region. Her constant engagement to study village dwellings leads her to receive INTACH Scholarship 2017 to research “Constancy and Change in village Dwellings of Saurashtra – Gujarat”.
Ashok Mistry is an engineer from M.S. University, Baroda (1977 batch). He has experience of more than 40 years in architecture and structural design. He is associated with IPSA since its inception and has played a major role in guiding and teaching courses like building materials and construction, structure and working drawing studio. He strongly believes that design is an integration of various aspects and its teaching should not be limited to certain courses. His practice and teaching are a translation of his belief.
JayeshShukla is an artist from Ahmedabad. Settled in Rajkot for the last 8 years, he is a graduate from C. N. College of Fine Arts at Ahmedabad. He completed his Diploma in Drawing and Painting from there in 1987 and a Post Diploma in Print Making from the same institute in 1989. Since then he is a painter and has been associated with many institutes in teaching art and design. He has received fellowships for higher studies from Gujarat State (1988-89) and Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy (2000-2001). His work has been exhibited in various national as well as international exhibitions since 1987. He is the recipient of awards from various Art Societies which includes Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy in Graphics (1991, 1995), Sculpture (1994, 1997), and Painting (1996), and many more.
Gaurav Vadher is an architect based in Rajkot, Gujarat, India. He did his Bachelors in Architecture from Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture (IPSA), Rajkot, Gujarat, India in 2005 and Masters in Science in Construction Management & Economics from The University of Greenwich, London, the UK in 2009. He is teaching at IPSA since 2011 and is associated with courses like Building Material and Construction, Professional Practice, and Design Studio. His keen interest is in the documentation of architectural heritage and as a part of academic as well as professional purposes has documented houses of Dwarka, Darbar Gopaldas Haveli at Vaso, and Chorwad Palace. He admires wood as a building material and is proficient in dealing with the technologies associated with wood. He strongly believes in hands-on practice and experience and hence conducts courses that engage students by doing things. He has attended several national workshops, seminars and training programs in architecture. He is the Convener in the Material Museum at IPSA and works in various areas for the up-gradation of the material museum. He has also curated and coordinated various art exhibitions in Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Baroda, Gujarat, India. His extracurricular pursuits include printmaking, photography and sports. He has extensively traveled in India and in and around the UK.
Rupesh Patel is an Assistant Professor at IPSA since 2013. He has done his Bachelors in Architecture from Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture in 2008 and Masters in Architectural and Settlement Conservation from CEPT University in 2013. He has been teaching Building Materials and Construction, Structures and Design Studio since then. He is a Research Assistant in IPSA Research and Development Cell and the Project Head from IPSA in Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission. He is also the Proprietor and leading architect of SPARSH, an architecture and interior design firm since 2008. In his teachings as well as in practice he focuses on the making of the building and is sensitive to human interaction with the built spaces.
An architect with a specialization in history and theory in architecture and design, Riddhi has a strong inclination towards research in architecture. She is a graduate of IPSA Rajkot and has done her Masters in Architecture and Masters in Philosophy from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. Her study on ‘Semiotics of Architecture’ guided by Dr. Seema Khanwalkar was awarded as the Best Thesis at Masters in Architecture for which she received the Louis Kahn Award and a Gold Medal. Her other researches include: ‘An Inquiry into Historiography as a Tool for Research – Islamic Architecture of India’ and ‘Texts in Architecture – A Rhetorical Analysis’; which she conducted as a part of her Masters in Philosophy.
She is teaching at IPSA since 2011 and conducts courses on Humanities, History of Architecture, Research Methods and Design Studios. Before that, she was a Lecturer at Government Polytechnic for Girls in Ahmedabad in 2010 and had also been a Visiting Faculty at CEPT in Theory and Design in 2009 where she taught and assisted in Working Drawings, Design Studio, Architectural, and Urban Design Theories, Research Methodology.
At IPSA, she is the Convener in the Library Committee and is the Co-ordinator at the Archives. She works in various areas for the up-gradation of the library and fosters reading in students. She curated an exhibition ‘Architectural Heritage of Saurashtra’; the first of its kind from IPSA Archives. She attempts to bring in interdisciplinarity by co-ordinating Electives, Travelogues, and Guest Lecturers.
As an academic, she aims to shift the centers of knowledge from Western to indigenous and her courses are designed with a pedagogy that helps her accomplish the aim. Critical thinking, according to her, is the most important 21 st -century learning skill one must cultivate to be able to respond to different situations in life and career. Cultivating and enhancing the reading and analyzing abilities in students coming from vernacular language backgrounds as well as students coming from an English language background is the biggest challenge for her
She is teaching at IPSA since 2011 and conducts courses on Humanities, History of Architecture, Research Methods and Design Studios. Before that, she was a Lecturer at Government Polytechnic for Girls in Ahmedabad in 2010 and had also been a Visiting Faculty at CEPT in Theory and Design in 2009 where she taught and assisted in Working Drawings, Design Studio, Architectural, and Urban Design Theories, Research Methodology.
At IPSA, she is the Convener in the Library Committee and is the Co-ordinator at the Archives. She works in various areas for the up-gradation of the library and fosters reading in students. She curated an exhibition ‘Architectural Heritage of Saurashtra’; the first of its kind from IPSA Archives. She attempts to bring in interdisciplinarity by co-ordinating Electives, Travelogues, and Guest Lecturers.
As an academic, she aims to shift the centers of knowledge from Western to indigenous and her courses are designed with a pedagogy that helps her accomplish the aim. Critical thinking, according to her, is the most important 21 st -century learning skill one must cultivate to be able to respond to different situations in life and career. Cultivating and enhancing the reading and analyzing abilities in students coming from vernacular language backgrounds as well as students coming from an English language background is the biggest challenge for her
Jill Gajera, is an Architect based in Rajkot. She completed her Bachelors in Architecture from Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture, Rajkot in the year of 2015. During her Internship at Vastushilpa consultants, Sangath, Ahmedabad, she got the opportunity to work on several Institutional projects. Inclining towards Vernacular traditions and Cultural studies, her dissertation focused on first-hand documentation and study of Jatt-fakirani community-Pastoralists of the Lakhpat region. After graduation, she worked as a Junior Architect at Pratik Dadhania Architects, Rajkot and joined academic teaching at Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture, as an Assistant from the year 2015. She is involved in teaching subjects like History of Architecture, Design Studio and Related Study Program. She has also worked as a Research Assistant for IPSA Archives Project. She participated in Hands-on workshops on Heritage conservation by INTACH and various other training Programs and Seminars. She conducts several skills-based, hands-on workshops and has been guest faculty at other schools of Architecture. Working as a designer and Architect in Rajkot, she participated in the Round-about development competition by IIID (Institute of Indian Interior Designers) Saurashtra Chapter, for which she was awarded as the First Runner up for her design proposal. She believes in working in an interdisciplinary environment and has a keen eye for detail. From designing a piece of jewelry to Architecture, the involvement with design is given equal value by her. In her view, working with Mind’s hand along with technology seems as equated to work discipline. She considers Academia and engagement with students as a bridge between Theory and Design practice.
Abhishek Panelia, is an architect based in Rajkot, graduated from Indubhai Parekh School of Architecture - Rajkot in the year 2015. He has been selected to present his academic work at Kurla Varkey Design Forum - 2014, where William Curtis, Osamu Ishiyama, Rafiq Azam, Bijoy Ramchandran and Shirish Beri were on the jury panel. Later he worked with Rathin Goghari Architects in Ahmedabad. After returning from Ahmedabad he started working as a freelancer and started teaching as an assistant at IPSA-Rajkot, under the guidance of Prof. Jayesh Shukla and Prof. Magan Umraniya. In the year 2017 along with the team he has participated in an international competition named The Black Taj, and stood as a second runner-up. Later in the year 2018 he established his architectural practice under the firm name called ARPA Design. He also conducts sketching and hands-on workshops in schools and colleges. He believes art is an integral part of human existence as he tries to understand the many layers of our cities with his interest in music, theater, sketching and craft. Abhishek Panelia is currently associated with the subjects like Workshop, Technical Drawings, Design Studio and Related Study Program.
