2024
UDL Thesis Seminar
Curating the best graduate thesis projects globally!
About the Publication
The Urban Design Lab thesis publication provides a unique platform for post-graduate and under-graduate students to showcase their innovative design and research-based thesis projects related to urban design, landscape, architecture, and planning. The publication aims to promote global design and research trends, offering valuable insights for academic and professional communities while fostering innovation and creativity in the field.
Scope of the Publication
The scope of the publication encompasses a selection of outstanding under-graduate and post-graduate student thesis completed in the last five years, in conjunction with the urban domain. These exemplary thesis entries will be compiled into a dedicated book that serves as the official record of the seminar proceedings. The publication will be assigned an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to facilitate easy reference and recognition globally.
Publication Themes and Participants
Urban renewal
This theme encompasses the conservation, revitalization, and heritage revival of urban areas.
Urban Landscapes
This theme focuses on the management of the natural and built environment in urban areas.
Urban Management
This theme emphasizes the physical, social, economic and infrastructure management of urban areas.
Urban Networks
This theme focuses on connectivity, linkages, transit and mobility within and between urban areas.
In recognition of the outstanding quality of many entries, select honorable mentions will also be featured in the UDL Thesis Publication.
Honourable Mentions
Maisie F. Suyat
Manila, Phillipines
Far Eastern University
Dharam Saravanan B
Bangalore, India
CMR University School of Architecture
Nishmitha Koteshwar
Tyne, England
Newcastle University
Gomati Goswami
Varanasi, India
Indian Institute of Technology - BHU
Prithvi Desai
Pune, India
Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College Of Architecture
Margita Vasileva
Sofia, Bulgaria
University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy
Emma Mangels
New York, USA
New York Institute of Technology
Kelly Zheng
New York, USA
New York Institute of Technology
Theme: Urban renewal
Theme: Urban Landscapes
Theme: Urban Management
Theme: Urban Network
Important dates and Schedule
Closing Date for Registration
20th July, 2024
Announcement of the Results
31st August, 2024
Online 2-Day Thesis Seminar
14-15th September, 2024
Publication (ISBN attributed Book)
December, 2024
Register Now | UDL Thesis Seminar
14th & 15th September
Urban landscape
9:30 am- 12:30 pm | Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Urban Management
1:30 pm- 4:30 pm | Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Urban Networks
9:30 am- 12:30 pm | Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Urban Renewal
1:30 pm- 4:30 pm | Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Seminar Panel Members
Rajiv Bhakat
Delhi, India
Master of Architecture - Graduate School of Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania, 2002
Founding Partner - Studio CoDe
Ujan Ghosh
Delhi, India
Master of Architecture & Master of City Planning, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Urban Designer, Upalghosh Associates, Delhi, India
Mansi Kataria
Delhi, India
Masters in architecture (Urban Design) , School of Planning & Architecture, Delhi
Creative Head at i. e Design (Integrated Environs Design)
Oormi Kapadia
Mumbai, India
M.Arch, Urban Design, The University of Texas at Austin
Founding partner at PLURAL
Rajiv Bhakat
Delhi, India
Rajiv Bhakat is a seasoned architect and urban designer with over 19 years of experience and is the founding partner of Studio CoDe, an award-winning design firm in New Delhi. His diverse portfolio includes large-scale urban complexes, office and residential towers, institutional projects, and private residences across the US and India. Rajiv has a special interest in the intersection of lifestyle patterns and urban-architecture projects, particularly the public-private divide. He has taught at institutions like the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia University, and Parsons School of Design. Currently, he teaches at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, and serves on the advisory board of the Sushant School of Art and Architecture. Rajiv is also the co-creator of the graphic novel series “Paradiso,” published by Image Comics.
Ujan Ghosh
Delhi, India
Prof. Ujan Ghosh completed his architecture degree at School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi in 1975. After working in Delhi for two years, he pursued Master’s degrees in Architecture and City Planning with a focus on Urban Design at the University of Pennsylvania. He later became a partner at Upalghosh Associates in India, practicing architecture and urban design. He’s been a visiting professor at SPA, New Delhi for 34 years and played roles in SPA, Bhopal’s Senate and various departmental Boards of Studies. He co-founded the Institute of Urban Designers-India and served as its former President.
Mansi Kataria
Delhi, India
Mansi Kataria started her career in brand showrooms and corporate identity design with M/s Imagene, working on projects for Honda, Maruti Suzuki, National Panasonic, and Liberty, where she handled site coordination, layout, and signage design. After completing her Master’s, she gained valuable experience at Morphogenesis Architecture Studio in Delhi, contributing to mixed-use, housing, hotel, and cinema projects, including the Maker Township in Mumbai. She also worked at Kanvinde Rai & Chowdhury before co-founding her own firm. Mansi’s early training with Architect Ram Sharma on projects like Rashtriya Manav Sanghralaya in Bhopal shaped her approach to architecture. With 13 years of experience, she continues to balance her passion for design with a strong commitment to academics.
Oormi Kapadia
Mumbai, India
Oormi Kapadia is an Architect, Urban Designer and founding partner at PLURAL – a collaborative urban research and planning studio based in Mumbai and Goa. She heads the Project Research and Policy Planning division and shares her expertise in ideas of sustainability at various scales. She is a LEED AP and a qualified TERI Griha trainer. She conducts global research on urban planning models and policies, aiming to influence Mumbai’s future planning. She’s actively engaged in community design and place-making with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and has been a speaker at the UN Habitat conference in Brussels. She writes on urban issues on various platforms and has co-authored 6 Metros : Urban Planning & Implementation Compared. Oormi also serves as a visiting faculty member at various architectural colleges in Mumbai and Goa.
Publication Jury Members
Peter Hasdell
Hong Kong, China
Architect & Urban Designer University of Sydney & Architectural Association, London
Associate Dean, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Daniel Feldman
Bogota, Colombia
Urban Designer, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Architect Founder and CEO at ZITA, Bogota, Colombia
Stefan Lengen
London, United Kingdom
DipArch UCL ARB RIBA, Architecture, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Associate Professor in Architecture, The Bartlett School of Architecture
Fabiano Lemes
Milan, Italy
PhD, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya- UPC, Barcelona
Associate Professor in Urbanism at Politecnico di Milano
Peter Hasdell
Hong Kong, China
Peter Hasdell is an accomplished Associate Dean, Professor, architect, and urbanist with a distinguished academic and professional background. A graduate of the University of Sydney and the Architectural Association in London, Hasdell has held academic positions at notable institutions such as the School of Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Bartlett School of Architecture, the University of Manitoba, the Berlage Institute, among others. He has also served as a researcher at the Chora Institute of Architecture and Urbanism in London and the Centre for Architecture Structures and Technology (C.A.S.T.) in Canada. As the founder of the Architecture and Urban Research Lab (A+URL) in Stockholm, Hasdell has demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing architectural and urban studies. Currently, he directs the In-situ Project, focusing on sustainable community development.
Daniel Feldman
Bogota, Colombia
Daniel Feldman Founder and Chief Executive of ZITA (Zona Industrial Taller de Arquitectura), a mission-based architecture and urban design development firm whose processes are rooted in community participatory design, environmental innovation, and historic preservation centered urban development. He designed and developed multiple kindergartens in underserved rural communities as the Lead Architect in the office of the First Lady of Colombia, and was Head of Architecture at the Colombian office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) where he led the infrastructure investments that support the extreme poverty reduction programme in war-stricken areas. Feldman holds an MA in Urban Design from Harvard University as a Fulbright Scholar, and a BA in Architecture from Universidad de Los Andes.
Stefan Lengen
London, United Kingdom
Stefan Lengen is a respected Associate Professor in Architecture at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, and the Director of FELT architecture, design + research. Registered as an Architect in both the UK and Switzerland and a member of several prestigious architectural institutions, his expertise spans across residential, commercial, and institutional projects, including key roles in the development of Wood Lane Station in London and the New Law Faculty in Vienna. Since founding FELT in 2012, the firm has earned national and international recognition. Stefan, a graduate of the University of Applied Sciences in Berne and the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, under Professor Peter Cook, combines practice with academia, significantly contributing to the architectural community through his leadership, mentorship, and numerous awards from his academic and professional endeavors.
Fabiano Lemes
Milan, Italy
Professor Fabiano is an Associate Professor in Urbanism at Politecnico di Milano, based in the DAStU – Department of Architecture and Urban Studies. His research focuses on planning models that integrate urbanization with nature, emphasizing green and blue infrastructure, and sustainable planning. He authored “Green Wedge Urbanism: History, Theory and Contemporary Practice” and edited “Planning Cities with Nature.” In addition to his research, he teaches in the Masters of Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design and the Masters of Architecture and Urbanism programs, and coordinates the PhD program in Urban Planning, Design, and Policy. Before joining Politecnico di Milano, he was a Reader in Urbanism and Architecture at the University of Portsmouth, UK, where he held several leadership roles in research and education.
Mohammed Fekry
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Cairo University, Egypt
Professor at Effat University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Clara Reutter
Melbourne, Australia
Pontifical Master of Architecture - MArch, Catholic University of Chile
Assistant Professor, Landscape Design , RMIT University
Zeina ElZein
Cairo, Egypt
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Helwan University, Cairo
Youth Advisory Board Member, UN-Habitat | Assistant Prof. Helwan University Cairo
Evan Shieh
New York, United States
Master of Architecture in Urban Design, Harvard University GSD
Assistant Professor, New York Institute of Technology, United States
Mohammed Fekry
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Dr. Mohamed is a professor of architecture and design at Effat University. He has taught Architecture at several Departments in Egypt and KSA. His main concern now is to pass on his practical experience of design to younger generations of architects as well as to develop educational courses that reflect these concepts to the architectural students. His research interests include Architecture Theories, Design Process, GIS, and Urban Conservation. He is a member of the International Society for Development & Sustainability, the Board of Directors of the Saudi Umran Society, and Vice-chair of the Saudi Planners Association (SPA). Additionally, Dr. Mohamed actively collaborates with international researchers and institutions to bring global perspectives into his teachings and research, aiming to foster a more interconnected and informed architectural community.
Clara Reutter
Melbourne, Australia
Clara Reutter is an Architect and master in Architecture from PUC, Chile, and has worked in Landscape Architecture at Taylor Cullity Lethlean T.C.L. for the past four years. She is co-founder of Ephemeral Research, a collective dedicated to researching and designing nomad structures that activate public spaces with new technical solutions. Her architectural background and landscape practice give her a unique view of the intersection of both disciplines. In addition to her work with Ephemeral Research, Clara is also the founder of 56CopasdeAgua. This initiative focuses on exploring climate-resilient solutions for existing blue infrastructure. Through her research and design work, Clara is helping to address some of the most pressing challenges facing communities around the world, including climate change and the need for sustainable infrastructure.
Zeina ElZein
Cairo, Egypt
Zeina ElZein, an Assistant Professor of Architecture, excels in interdisciplinary research, focusing on sustainable urban design and water management. With over ten years of experience, she has delved into natural-based solutions for water treatment and water governance, earning her Ph.D. with an Erasmus+ mobility grant in Germany. ElZein has contributed to academia as a visiting researcher at Humboldt University and as part of the Multifunctional Landscapes team at the IRITHESys Institute. She played a key role in establishing the Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design undergraduate program at Helwan University, aimed at addressing global sustainability challenges. Her professional endeavors include consulting on urban greening projects, coordinating sustainability education programs, and developing the Smartponic system for indoor food production, which was recognized as the best integrated sustainable development scheme in Egypt.
Evan Shieh
New York, United States
Evan Shieh is an architect, urbanist, researcher, and educator. He is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) where he teaches as a full-time faculty member, and is also the director of Emergent Studio, a design and research office operating at architecture’s intersection with urbanism, landscape, and infrastructure. His interdisciplinary research investigates the urban and environmental crises that our mono-functional infrastructures and technologies are implicated in, with a particular focus on the spatial impact of mobility infrastructure and new mobility technologies on design, planning, and other key aspects of the built environment. He is the author of Autonomous Urbanism: Towards a New Transitopia (AR+D Publishers, forthcoming Fall 2024), and his work has been curated & exhibited at venues around the world including at the Venice, Seoul, and Shenzhen Biennales of Architecture & Urbanism. Shieh is a graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, from which he holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design.
Collaborations
Previous Media Collaborations
Here is the link for UDL Thesis Publication “Book of Abstracts” that we recommend you go through prior to Registering.
Book of Abstracts :
