About
Dharatal is a Sanskrit word which means the surface of the Earth.
We are an Indo - European design collective with a focus on local communities, their heritage and landscapes. The atelier was established in 2016 and embarked upon a diverse range of work, from design to policy making to speculative research projects.
As a design and development agency we provide innovative case specific solutions while trying to harness the constraints of the projects. The atelier engages a distinctive group of experts based on the need of each project. Dharatal has an extended network in form of international collaborations and ongoing projects in and around India.
We follow a strict no-discrimination policy and respect and engage with individuals belonging to all social or religious backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.
Vision
We strive to conserve and interpret local cultural and traditional wisdom while catering to the contemporary need for development. This vision is reflected in our design of landscapes and buildings.
Team members
Nishant Upadhyay is a conservation architect from Lucknow, trained at KU Leuven, Belgium as a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus EXPERT scholarship. He is a TEDx Speaker & a member of ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and Cultural Tourism and has been a consultant to UNESCO New Delhi, Dhaka and Jakarta offices on cultural heritage matters.
He is the founder of DHARATAL, an Indo European design & research atelier with focus on local communities, their heritage, cultural landscapes and climate action.
Viorel Acsinte
DESIGN LEAD
DHARATAL BELGIUM
Anjaneya Sharma is presently working as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Planning, AKTU, Lucknow, India.
He is a landscape architect and a doctorate from IIT Roorkee, India. His research interests are landscape and conservation. He is Hon. Research Advisor for the academic collaborations and research projects.
Martin L.
ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGNER
Viorel is the proprietor of Dharatal Belgium. He is trained as an architect at the Faculty of Architecture and Art in Hasselt University, Belgium. He is a V-Ray user officially certified by CGworld with strong ray tracing and 3D modeling knowledge combined with a good understanding of parametric design.
As a Romanian - Belgian architectural designer, sculptor and painter, he has an expertise in visual language and a skilful eye for proportions and a sensitive use of material for designs.
Martin has been working as an architectural designer since 2001 following a decade as a carpenter and other site trades. He is holder of a master in environmental design and has been/ is working and associated with various offices in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Montréal.
His disciplinary interests lie at the junction between spatial and system design in the context of the built environment projects. System implies the pursuit of the appropriate energy (embodied and maintenance), water, social and cultural approach for a sustainable outcome.
Dr. Harsh Pathak
LEGISLATION ADVISOR
Dr. Harsh Pathak is a legal counsel by profession with keen interest in natural, cultural and historical heritages.
With his exposure and experience of two decades in profession, he has been associated with various educational institutions in India and abroad as legal counsel or visiting faculty and also engaged in various conservation projects of natural, built, tangible and intangible heritages, underwater sea heritages, Indian Himalayan Region for conservation of glaciers and culture
Dr. Pathak is an associate member of ICOMOS India.
INTERN