KIRTHANA SUDHAKAR

Urban & Regional Planning / Architectural Design

EDUCATION WORK EXPERIENCE

Columbia University New America, Washington DC.

(2018 - 2020) Research Associate, Future of Institutions (Mar 2023 - Present)
1. Master of Science in Urban Planning ◌ “Regenerating Land and Lives: The Timbaktu Collective in Anantapur, India”
Concentrations: The project studies community-level institutions rooted in Indigenous traditions that
◌ Community & Economic Development focus on governing for the long term and preserving the interests of future
◌ Built Environment generations. The work is designed to inform the United Nation’s Declaration on
Academic achievements: Future Generations. The case investigates regenerative organic farming techniques
applied by communities at Anantapur, India at the Dharani Fam. Coop. & The
◌ Urban Magazine, Senior content editor. Timbaktu Collective.
Role: Curation, layouts, research,
https://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/reports/lessons-from-the-past-
editing, writing, coordination of
to-govern-for-the-future/
meetings & events, planning publication.
Role: Research, writing, qualitative interviews, data collection & synthesis, map-based
◌ Selected for the Integrated Land research, contextual studies, historical research, illustration.
Management Workshop with Cornell
University.
◌ Awarded research grant towards Kamalam Design Inc.
research paper “Food and Farming in Founding Planner & Architect (May 2020 - Present)
Hawaii”. ◌ Interior design and renovations at the Rao residence
Interior design and renovations at a residence for a couple, Jayanagar, Bangalore
2. Master of Science in Historic Role: Conceptual design, architectural detailing, project management & execution.
Preservation
◌ Farmhouse design, Denkanikottai
Focus areas: Role: Site and contextual studies, climatic studies, detailed area program, conceptual
◌ Preservation Planning design, questionnaires.
◌ Preservation Design ◌ Farmhouse renovation and expansion, Bevanatham
Academic achievements: Role: Site and contextual studies, climatic studies, design proposal & conceptual design.
◌ Selected for the “Sustainable Building ◌ Interior design and concept for C-Camp
Renovation in the Tropics” summer Re-envisioning an experiential museum and prototype display system. Integrating
workshop in Havana, Cuba. design with organizational identity.
Role: Site, historical and contextual studies, company research, program development,
conceptual design and detailing, costing, execution.
◌ Residential and farm community development with Re-wild farms
Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Role: Design consultation, literature studies, case studies.
School of Architecture
(2008 - 2013) ◌ Kamalam Dyes
Textile design based on circular economies, using natural dye and ancient tying
Bachelors in Architecture (B. Arch.)
techniques such as Shibori, Bandhini & Leheriya.
Focus: Urban Planning Product Catalogue: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:AP:16bedd30-
Academic Achievements: a96d-46b5-bcac-7e5a44366f10
Role: Concept, production, branding.
Scholarships: ⨀ Flea Partner at Echoes of the Earth festival, Goa (Feb 2024)
◌ Ranked #7 in the National aptitude test The festival is a celebration of sustainable lifestyle, through music, food, sustainable
in Architecture (NATA), Karnataka , brands and installations. Kamalam Dyes was selected as a brand partner for the
2008. Awarded partial tuition festival. Apparel displays included both refurbished pieces as well as signature pieces
scholarship at RVSA. from the line.
Best Performer Award: Role: Conceptual design for the stall, space planning, dispay design, lighting design,
◌ Proactis Award for Best Performance in branding, graphic design of accompanying materials such as the product catalogue,
Architectural Design, 2009-2010. posters, business cards, display signs etc.
◌ Mosaic art at the Kulasekaran residence, Ohio & other mosaic commissions.
Role: Conceptual design, material creation & sourcing, execution.
◌ Fleming farmhouse, Ohio.
Role: Conceptual design, master plan, estimation and costing.
◌ Apartments at Jakkur, Bengaluru.
Role: Conceptual design, massing, program creation, estimation & costing.

P: +91-98450-72403 | E: kirthana.s@columbia.edu | Portfolio: https://archinect.com/Kirthana

 PUBLICATIONS Office of the Bronx Borough President, Bronx, New York.
Topographic Engineer (Dec 2020 - June 2022)
“Regenerating Land and Lives: The
⨀
Timbaktu Collective in Anantapur,
◌ Creation of a tool to organize address application & provision
The tool created has been included on the website, and the intention was to create a
India”. (2023, Oct 18th). Political reform
high level of departmental organization to aid the address application process. The
program, New America.
tool subsequently saved time and streamlined workflow.
https://www.newamerica.org/
Role: Conceptualization, content creation, visual, graphic & website design.
political-reform/reports/lessons-
from-the-past-to-govern-for-the- ◌ Managing Departmental processes
future/ Managing the department of Topography, the address application process, provision
of addresses, street status letters, map based research, database creation,
⨀ Harvard Urban Review
organization of map database, tracking development & planning trends on the Bronx.
1. “Home: Writing About Place”.(2019, Apr
Role: Management, leadership, mentoring, organization and research.
8th)
https://harvardurbanreview.org/
◌ Annual Development Report, 2020
Consolidation, systematization & tracking of borough-wide trends in development.
home-writing-place/
Presentation of data in a clear, concise manner with analyses, map-based & graphical
2. “The Beautiful Chaos”. (2020, Apr 20th) representations.
https://harvardurbanreview.org/ Role: Conceptual design, content creation, editing & publication.
the-beautiful-chaos/
◌ Review of ULURP applications
⨀ Urban Magazine
Role: Provision of supporting maps , research & investigation, recommendations to
1. “Matter & why it matters”.(2020, May, 10th) stakeholders and publishing project specific recommendations.
https://issuu.com/gsapp_hp/docs/
emergence2020 ◌ Recommendations towards transportation, environmental and housing issues.
Role: Collect, analyze and track new development in The Bronx. Conduct research and
2. “The In-Crowd”. (2019, June 4th). Community engagement towards understanding key issues.
https://issuu.com/gsapp_hp/docs/
vita_outlines_issu_ ◌ Bronx Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB)
singlepage_164e12306eace1 Role: Performing in an advisory and organizational capacity on the board, recording
key issues and concerns, formulating solutions, organizing meetings.
⨀ “Food and Farming in Hawaii: A study
◌ Corresponding with Constituents, officials and other stakeholders
of the obstacles to establishing resilient Role: Responding to any requirements of queries relating to the borough as required.
systems of local food production in
Hawaii”. (2020, Aug 13th). Columbia ◌ Preserving, maintaining & cataloging the Department’s map collection.
Academic Commons. Role: Preservation, research, cataloging & archiving.
https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-cny0-
yp18
UN Habitat, New York City
Planning Department, Intern (June 2019 - Aug 2019)
SKILLS ◌ Multi-city mobility & development studies
◌ Design: Conceptualization, Studying relationships between mixed-use development and mobility patterns in
development, detailing, Rio, Johannesburg & Chennai.
visualization & execution. Role: Case studies, research design, site studies, research and writing.
◌ Research: Data analysis, ◌ Collaborative research with Richard Sennett & MIT’s Senseable city lab towards
visualizations & map-making. mitigating climate change
◌ Writing about cities, urban issues. Towards the United Nation’s New Urban Agenda, on the topic of climate resilience.
◌ Historic documentation, measured Role: Research, documentation, facilitating collaborative efforts.
drawings, illustration and research
towards preservation.
◌ Architectural rendering, measured CMR University, School of Architecture, Bengaluru
drawings, sketching, illustration & Associate Professor (Aug 2016 - Dec 2017)
model-making.
◌ Community engagement. ◌ Architectural design studios
◌ Urban film & photography. Teaching faculty for Architectural design studios.
Short film sample: Role: Syllabi creation, scheduling, discussion, meetings, site selection, program creation,
organizing site visits, workshops, class trips and annual exhibitions. Weighing in on
https://youtu.be/osHI47yuTyY
student presentations, weekly desk critiques, documentation, grading and attending
meetings as required.
TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY ◌ Architectural Rendering Techniques
Teaching faculty for Architectural rendering techniques.
◌ Microsoft Office Suite
Role: Syllabi creation, scheduling, discussion, meetings, workshops. Timely feedback on
◌ Adobe Creative Cloud
◌ ArcGIS, QGIS student work, documentation, grading and attending meetings as required.
◌ AutoCAD, ArchiCAD
◌ SketchUp
◌ Revit, Rhino
◌ I Movie
LANGUAGES Kamalam Design Inc.
Founding Planner & Architect (May 2013 - Aug 2018)
◌ English : Proficient, CEFR level: C2.
◌ Hindi : Proficient, CEFR level: C1. ◌ Headquarters for Dharani Fam Coop Ltd., with the Timbaktu Collective
◌ Kannada : Intermediate, Native, Role: Site & case studies, conceptual design, Design detailing, architectural drawings,
CEFR level B1. 3D models, estimation & costing.
◌ Tamil : Elementary, Mother Tongue, ◌ Eco-tourism Office & Resort with the Timbuktu Collective
CEFR level A2. Role: Site & case studies, conceptual design, master planning, estimation & costing.
◌ Mosaic Art at the Parvathi Residence.
Role: Design, detailing, execution.
FOCUS AREAS
◌ Bamboo enclosure at the Rao Residence and interior renovations
◌ Residential & Campus Design. Role: Design, detailing, execution.
◌ Research on the topics of food
systems, sustainable agricultural
◌ Microbrewery with the Maratt Group
practices, land-use & policy. Role: Site & case studies, conceptual design, master planning, estimation & costing.
◌ Mobility based, research, planning
and design.
◌ Critical regionalism; writing, CnT Architects, Bengaluru
research, data analysis, map making Architect (Feb 2015 - July 2016)
and visualizations. ◌ Mindtree Kalinga campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
◌ Architectural rendering, illustration Architectural design and site planning for 20-acre feeder campus to the software
& model making as design tools. company Mindtree. Based on circular economies, the design featured an extensive
◌ Teaching in Architecture, Urbanism rainwater harvesting & is fully solar powered. Bricks, the primary building material
and Historic Preservation. were made with soil from the site and fired on-site.
◌ Architectural installations and Role: Campus planning and design details.
instruction-based workshops
◌ Historic Preservation: ◌ Spectra Palmwoods apartments, Bengaluru.
Documentation via illustration, Role: Architectural design, lobby & facade details.
measured drawings, photography & ◌ The Bhagawan house, Bengaluru.
writing. Role: Design for the courtyard with custom wrought iron modular spiral staircase.
◌ The Chandrashekar House, Bengaluru.
Role: Facade details.
WORKSHOPS ◌ Brigade Symphony apartment complex, Bengaluru.
◌ AAVS, Bengaluru: Role: Interior, lighting, flooring & furniture design.
Industrialized Craft ◌ Mantri Housing, Bengaluru.
Local Coordinator Space efficient, modular, customizable row houses.
Summer school (2017) Role: Conceptual design.
AA School, London.
◌ Meenakshi residences, Bengaluru.
Role: Coordination, instruction, syllabi
Space efficient modular customizable duplex apartments. The living spaces were
development, cultural heritage &
designed to be expandable or compactable based on client needs.
historical studies, research and
Role: Conceptual design
documentation of industrial processes,
installation design, project ◌ Mahadan, villa development, Goa.
management. Role: Detailed area statements & cost of material calculations.
https://www.facebook.com/AAVS.
Bengaluru/
◌ Under the Ocean Mosaic Workshop Monsoon Design, Bengaluru
The Bohemian House, Bengaluru Architectural intern (Sept 2011 - Jan 2012)
(2018) ◌ Farmhouse Renovation, Ragihalli, Bengaluru.
Role: Planning, conceptualization, Role: Concept, design details, interior design, working drawings.
instruction, execution.
◌ Sohum, Ragihalli, Bengaluru.
A Wellness center with a focus on treating autism spectrum disorders.
EXTRACURRICULAR WORK Role: Research, site studies, case studies and conceptual design.
◌ Ganjam Renovation, Bengaluru.
◌ Enfold, India | Facilitator Role: Site study, measured drawings & Design development.
Personal Safety (Nov ‘16-Aug ‘17)
Bengaluru, Kolkota & Pune.
For students from grades 1-12 & WRI (formerly EMBARQ), India
University students, the 5-day syllabus, Planning intern (July 2011- Sept 2011)
is aimed at educating & empowering
children & young adults, to create safe ◌ Mobility study, Indiranagar, Bengaluru.
homes, neighborhoods and cities. The project was aimed at creating sustainable transportation & mobility solutions
Role: Community engagement & between metro stations in the city. The Indiranagar station was chosen as the first
empowerment, research, value building site for research and implementation.
& education. Role: Research, contextual & site study, qualitative interviews & surveys design.