People | Mysite 1

Maneesh Kumar

Founder and Principal architect

Maneesh Kumar is the founder, principal architect and designer at Studio Praxis since 2012. He has been a visiting professor of Architecture and Furniture Design at various schools in and around Ahmedabad, including Navrachna University (SEDA), Kalol Institute of Architecture and Design (KIAD),

Indus University (IU) and Nirma University(NU).

Trained as a craftsman during his school study, he developed an aptitude for carving and wood-working, and since then he has spent most of his life around wood, and making wood-sculptures. Formal studies took him to Mumbai, in the Rizvi College of Architecture. His design practice is more experiential and emphasis on clean geometrical lines that balances forms inherent in his materials with the symbolic allusions of local context.

Maneesh has sought inspiration in raw form of material as a source of aesthetic. However, other influences in his approach emerge from his work with Studio Mumbai under Alvar Aalto prize laureate Bijoy Jain, and with Vastu Shilpa Foundation under Pritzker Architecture prize laureate B.V. Doshi, which is traceable through quality of detail inspired by traditional arts, local building techniques and local materials.

Praxis to him is not a way of life. It is life itself - integrating mind, body, and being.

Arthur Duff

Mentor and Partner

Prof. Duff joined Studio Praxis as the partner in 2017,he is responsible for program development, preparing and reviewing the quality of the projects, and mentoring new members in the studio. He also interfaces with internal and external collaborators to design and develop the projects synergistically.

He has over 35 years’ experience in the practice of architecture, interior design, and design and manufacturing of furniture and other products. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture (formerly School of Architecture), CEPT University. After completing his studies, he worked for Anant Raje and Kiran Pandya, spending 9 years in India. Returning to Ireland he co-founded the Duff-Tisdall Design Studio where Architecture, Interiors and Furniture design are

practiced in an integrated manner.

Prof. Duff’s commitment to design education is reflected in his years of work as lecturer, advisor and examiner with a number of the main Irish Design institutions. He is past President of the Institute of Designers in Ireland (MIDI) and a member of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (MRIAI). Having returned to India over 5 years ago. Until recently he was Head of Library Services at the Lilavati Lalbhai Library in CEPT University, where he was responsible for the development of the Knowledge Hub on the campus.

Harsh Bhavsar

Design Researcher and Photographer

Harsh Bhavsar is one of the many architects in this Observable Universe. He has forged an extensive approach to design thinking and seeing, by involving in the development of his own ‘body’ language. His research is aimed at being a carefully constructed narrative of exploring forms, phenomena, order and pedagogy with practice. His major research approaches are driven by the transformation and activation of spaces, which are supported by visual narratives that position his expeditions, of time and place. He has been the principal photographer and curator of transmedia acts carried out as performance based cinematic explorations grounded in ambient architectural and scenographic utilities.

Kalpesh Siddhpura

Mayank Panchal

Satish Jangid

Designer and Project Manager

Architect

Interior Designer and Design Consultant

Belonging to a traditional carpenter family based in Ahmedabad, Kalpesh Siddhpura has an amazing talent and love for carpentry and related works of furniture. To pursue his interest and talent in the same, he now holds an experience of more than six years in the architectural practices running in Ahmedabad and has worked in almost every single variety of projects including residential, commercial, institutional, interior & furniture design.

Belongs to a technical family background based out in Ahmedabad. Mayank Panchal has an amazing talent and loves to do handworks such as model making, sketching and other creative work. He has completed his Bachelors of Architecture from Kalol Institute of Architecture (KIAD, under the affiliation of Gujarat University), and holds a first-class with a distinction grade.

He pursues his interest in architectural practice with skills and ideas are put together to experiment, learn and develop processes that can be helpful in the making of a good design.

During his two year journey at Studio Praxis, he has worked almost in all kinds of projects covering architecture, interior, urban inserts and product design. He plans to explore and pursue graphic design and furniture design in the near future.

Satish Jangid is an interior designer, who completed his Interior Design studies from St.Francis Institute of Art & Design (2009-2012), Mumbai.

Over the past eight years, he has worked with various architects and designers. He started his career with Talati & Panthaky-Associated Pvt. Ltd.(May-2012), in Mumbai.He worked at PBB (Prabhakar B Bhagwat) under architect Aniket Bhagwat for 18 Months (2014 & 2015),in Ahmedabad. He also worked for 30 Months with Architect Anu Mridul at Jodhpur. Satish also has experience in architecture and landscape design by working with the above firms on various projects.

Sujal Parikh

Bharat Singh

Civil and Structural Engineer

MEP Engineer

Sujal Parikh has done his B Tech(Civil) from CEPT (1986 batch) and has experience of more than 30 years in construction planning, designing and monitoring work.

Sujal Parikh and associates were established in 1997. For the last 30 years, he has been involved in many projects such as schools, hospitals, residential bungalows and industrial structures.

Bharat Singh B.K. the Director of Nandni MEP Design Services P. Ltd. (NDS), is an experienced engineer. He has vast experience of more than 750MEP projects successfully completed. He was associated with a reputed design consultancy for over 11 Years .He has overall management and operational responsibility for NDS projects. Bharat is also an individual member of the Fire and Security Association of India (FSAI) and a corporate member of the Indian Plumbing Association, of Gujarat Chapter.