An “Institution of National Importance” Under an Act of Parliament (Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India)
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (SPA Delhi) is a higher educational institute located in New Delhi, India, specializing in education and research in the field of Planning and Architecture. It was started in 1941 as the department of Architecture of Delhi Polytechnic (now the Delhi Technological University). In 1959, it was merged with the School of Town and Country Planning (established in 1955), renamed to its current name and affiliated to the University of Delhi in 1979. Later the institute was granted the ‘Deemed University’ status. Presently it is an “Institute of National Importance’ under an Act of Parliament (Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India)
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
“The School of Planning and Archit ecture, New Delhi ( SPA - D) is an apex premier educational institution imparting education at the undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral levels in architecture, planning and all ied fields. It is an “ Institution of National Importance” under an Act of Parliament, Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The School has 12 Departments of studies and has been in existence for over 75 years now. In addition to teaching, the School also undertakes research and consultancy assignments and has MoUs with several national and international organisations.
Students who graduate from this institution acquire a deep, wide and varied understanding of issues related to architecture and planning and are equipped with state of the art ski lls to serve the real world industry as wel l as government organisations. SPA alumni are today placed well not only in India but also in various countries and are performing extremely well.
I wish to assure the prospective employers that students from SPA-D will be able to perform and excel in the tasks assigned to them.”
Prof. Dr. P.S.N. Rao
Director, SPA Delhi
B.E.(Civil), M.Plan(Housing) Ph.D., FITP
“The Urban Design Program in SPA-Delhi prepares students to specifically address complex issues that characterize our cities through a rigorous, reality driven, outcome-oriented curriculum over two years. Urban designers from this department have been involved in leadership positions in both the private and public sector, international organizations, academia and research. Equipped with observational, analytical, creative, representation and management tool.
SPA Urban Designers are ideal for offering design solutions at any scale of application-from neighborhood and precinct levels to township and city level. Our graduates are trained to apply their design skills both individua lly and as team members with equal versatility for inner city development involving multiple stakeholder aspirations as also for greenfield development strategies.
Of late, they have been much sought after candidates to provide creative design inputs for Central Government Missions like Smart City, AMRUT, HRIDAY, Housing for All etc. Wherever they are, SPA Urban Designers will prove to be environmentally sensitive, socially conscious and professionally committed to any engagement that comes their way.”
Prof. Dr. Arunava DasguptaHead of the Department, M.UD, SPA Delhi B.Arch, M. Arch (Urban Design, Ph.D, FIUDI
SPA New Delhi is an institute which has always strived for excellence in teaching. The systematic exposure of our students to the strong fundamentals of various subjects enables them to align themselves in accordance with the ever-changing demands of the profession. The rigorous coursework, and participation of our students in competition projects, research programmes and extra-curricular activities, develops their analytical as well as leadership abilities. The institution gives immense exposure to students to gain best technical knowledge from experienced and specialized faculty, and also by facilitating learning through various guest lectures, seminars and workshops. The students from 10 Post-graduate programmes (Master of Urban Planning, Master of Transportation Planning, Master of Housing, Master of Regional Planning, Master of Environment Planning, Master of Architectural Conservation, Master of Urban Design, Master of Industrial Design, Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Building Engineering and Management) and 2 Under-graduate programs in Bachelors of Architecture and Bachelors of Planning, are fully equipped to enter the profession with talent radiating from each individual. I take this platform to introduce Recruiters Guide to our prestigious recruiters, which gives the brief introduction about the various departments of studies at SPA, Delhi. The institution shall extend full cooperation and infrastructure to conduct placement sessions, video conferencing etc. for campus placement activities. It is my pleasure to invite the companies for recruitment for the year 2022-2023. I also invite the companies to take our under-graduate students for summer training/ internship.
SPA New Delhi takes pride in working closely with the recruiters and constantly strives for making this interaction mutually rewarding. On behalf of SPA New Delhi, I extend a very warm welcome to all the recruiters for the placements 2023 and look forward for a profound, and robust relationship.
Prof. Dr. Jatinder KaurProf-in-charge Placements, SPA Delhi
Contemporary urban design emerged in response to changes to the city through the modern movement in architecture and planning. Urban design takes the responsibility of achieving wholeness of the built environment. This degree program exposes the student to various theories and experiments that architects, planners, social and behavioural scientists apply within the broad historical, social and political context. The program imparts knowledge and skills of design and intervention in the built environment at varying scales through a broad range of subjects, which form the basis to tackle urban design issues.
Bulk of the instruction in this urban design programme is offered through interactive design studios where the dynamics of growth and change in Indian cities are documented and design solutions are prepared. In this programme, inner city renewal as well as growth areas of contemporary cities receive equal attention in these studios.
Urban Designers make significant contributions as members of multidisciplinary teams dealing with the formulation and implementation of urban development programs and policies. A large number of employment opportunities exist for the students passing out with the urban design degree.
Semester 01 Semester 02
DESIGN STUDIO - I
Introduction to the realm of urban design. Creating an understanding of the role of various physical, social, economic and infrastructural components and decision making processes; the contribution of related disciplines associated with the production of the city.
URBAN HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT THEORY - I
Understanding of development theories and the historical circumstances in which they evolved.
Structured understanding of the forces that shape and develop cities, and develop a common vocabulary and set of concepts with which to map, analyze, understand and explain the form, structure and development of the city.
Introduction to relevant computer application such as GIS and other software systems including 3D computation tools for documentation, mapping, analysis and presentation for urban design tasks, site planning etc.
Introduction to the rigour of basic research in the critical analysis and interpretation of urban phenomena and data.
Development of the skills that enable an urban designer to deal with large sites in a comprehensive manner from ecological considerations to the design of services and related infrastructure.
URBAN FORM LAB - I
Experimentation and in-depth inquiry into the patterns and processes of urbanism as well as connected production of urban form and space.
DESIGN STUDIO - II
Hone the theoretical knowledge form the first semester in resolving a design problem on a Green Field site.
PLANNING THE CITY - I
Exposure to the principles of planning and critically evaluate different planning processes prevalent in India and abroad.
URBAN HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT THEORY - II
Tracing the historical path of urbanization as a process and examine the spatial correspondence between urban patterns through space and time and connected development paradigms.
From top down to bottom up, understanding the methodologies and approaches adopted in contemporary India and examples from abroad to unravel the participatory process.
URBAN POLICY AND MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Understanding urban issues revolving around two important sectors of urban development - Environment and Heritage.
DEPARTMENTAL ELECTIVE
I: Imagining Cities
Explore the representation of city narratives through diverse literary forms - prose, poetry, script, etc. from selected writings across the world, including Indian/Asian works.
II: Urban Infrastructure and Housing
Understand urban issues that signify everyday urban conditions with particular emphasis on Indian urban centres and connected policy-management frameworks.
URBAN FORM LAB-II
Experimentation and in-depth inquiry into the patterns and processes of urbanism as well as connected production of urban form and space.
Inner city regeneration by examining issues related to critical programme development, urban conservation, economic and environmental considerations, and infrastructure development, social and political forces. Participatory methods i.e. involvement of stakeholders is key.
Understanding urban governance structures as well as legislative and administrative frameworks with specific reference to different classes of cities in India.
Learning methodological and management tools to undertake an individual, self-driven design/research exploration on a thesis as assimilation of the learning process in the urban design program.
Understanding the role playing, nature and phenomenon of urbanism in indian cities.
Understanding the notions of a city, urban society and culture, politics of globalisation & liberalisation in a post colonial city through selected readings. The subject also explored contemporary trends, conflicts and contestation in 5 Indian cities.
Introduction to the project planning and finance, its importance and its role in management and execution.
URBAN
Experimentation and in-depth inquiry into the patterns and processes of urbanism as well as connected production of urban form and space.
An independent design on a topic defined by the student, leading to the development of a clear design proposal to be supervised by a faculty team & evaluated by an external jury.
The objective of the course is to examine contemporary concerns and merging theories in the construct of the city, recent urban initiatives, sustainable development, smart growth, ecosystem approach, urban regeneration etc. It critically reviews philosophies, visions and projections made in contemporary literature, film, digital media, etc. through urban design, architecture and planning projects and the views of social and political scientists, economists etc. for the future of urbanism and city dynamics.
People - space - phenomenon. Study of human beings in particular setting namely, cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archeological anthropology. understanding society and culture, characteristics, attributes, social identity.
URBAN FORM LAB - IV
Experimentation and in-depth inquiry into the patterns and processes of urbanism with the future as a catalyst and as connected production of urban form and space.
This studio was our introduction to the realm of urban design. The objective is to expose us to the complexities of the design process.
To create an understanding of the role of various physical, social, economic and infrastructural components and decision making processes; the contribution of related disciplines associated with the production of the city. The studio also familiarized us with urban design terminologies, methods of surveys and site analysis.
As the studio was conducted in the on-line medium, we chose individual sites of study in our respective cities of residence. This allowed us to engage in peer-learning as we were exposed to various sites, each possessing its own unique urban form and character.
The focus of the studio was to look at different parameters in our individual cities and propose design interventions based on analysis of issues. Parameters include physical characteristics, function, ecology, movement and society.
ECOLOGY & URBAN FORM: KARGIL
STREET CHARACTER: PUNE BUILDING TYPOLOGY: PUNE
MORPHOLOGY: HYDERABAD CONNECTIVITY & MOVEMENT: NEW DELHI
We were further divided into groups focusing on four selected sites, for which we proposed masterplans at a neighbourhood level. In this process, we proposed structure plans, design ideas and interventions to achieve a neighbourhood vision. Each site consisted of ecological characteristics unique to the geography of the area and the design focused on looking at a sustainable proposal, with the consideration of peoples’ aspirations.
In this studio, we focused on ‘Understanding the City’ through thematic studies of selected dimensions of contemporary urban scenarios and their adjoining areas, concentrating primarily on recent development and future proposals for the region. Two cities of Rajasthan - Udaipur and Kota were chosen for the study. The studio also focused on primary and secondary documentation, on-site interviews and discussions. We were also exposed to understanding Urban Missions that focus on the development of public infrastructure, services, environment and social causes. Based on the issues identified, four sites were selected for the design intervention. Through the design process, we formulated a structure plan and detailed masterplan for the site as a future vision. The designs brought out the five themes which allowed us to produce a holistic development plan of the neighbourhood.
We are a batch of 24 professionals, expanding our knowledge into the realm of urban design. We hail from 19 different cities which proved to be advantageous for us in engaging in peer-learning and appreciating diversity of culture and language. Every individual dealt with the complexities of online and off-line learning, which also allowed us to explore new platforms for work and engagement. As a batch we are trained to be quick thinkers, adapt to various environments and overcome challenges by understanding the various dynamics of architecture and urban design. We believe that designers should possess a social responsibility to bring about change in urban life.
Muzaffarnagar, UP
Exp - Fresher
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2021
Faculty of Architecture & Planning AKTU, Lucknow
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Exp - 16 Months
B.Arch | 2019
The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Exp - 12 Months
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2020
McGAN’S Ooty School of Architecture, Ooty
Howrah, West Bengal
Exp - 10 Months
B.Arch | 2019
Om Dayal Group of Institutions, Howrah
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Exp - 26 Months
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2018
School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal
Cuttack, Odisha
Exp - 26 Months
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2019
GITAM University, Visakhapatnam
New Delhi
Exp - 24 Months
B.Arch | 2019
MBS School Of Planning and Architecture, Delhi
Bardoli, Gujarat
Exp - 12 Months
B.Arch | 2020
CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Exp - 10 Months
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2020
Apeejay School of Architecture and Planning, Lucknow
Nagpur, Maharashtra
Exp - Fresher
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2020
Amity School of Architecture and Planning, Raipur
Hyderabad, Telangana
Exp - 49 Months
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2017
Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad
JANANI LK Chennai,Tamil Nadu
Exp - Fresher
GATE Scholar
B.Arch | 2021
School of Architecture, CIET, Coimbatore
NAVAMI CG Kollam, Kerala
Exp - 8 Months
B.Arch | 2020
College of Engineering, Trivandrum
Belgavi, Karnataka
Exp - 48+ Months
B.Arch | 2017
KLS Gogte Institute of Technology, Belgavi
PAVAN KM
Bangalore, Karnataka
Exp - 12 Months
B.Arch | 2020
KS School of Architecture, Banaglore
Nagaon, Assam
Exp - Fresher
GATE Scholar
B.Arch | 2021
School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada
Etawah, Uttar Pradesh
Exp - Fresher
GATE Scholar
B.Arch | 2021
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
Kargil, Ladakh
Exp - 5 Months
B.Arch | 2021
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Katra, J&K
Chennai,Tamil Nadu
Exp - 48 Months
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2017
National Institute of Technology, Trichy
New Delhi
Exp - 72 Months
B.Arch | 2015
Buddha College Of Architecture, RTU, Udaipur
Pune, Maharashtra
Exp - 23 Months
GATE Scholar B.Arch | 2019
Sinhgad College of architecture, Pune
Hyderabad, Telangana
Exp - Fresher
GATE Scholar
B.Arch | 2021
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
SAGAR JADHAV
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Exp - 12 Months
B.Arch | 2019
Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai
TANMAY
Howrah, West Bengal
Exp - 48 Months
B.Arch | 2017
Jadavpur University, Kolkata
“The strength of the curriculum lies in understanding contemporary processes of change in cities and, at the same time, equips students with the required technical skills for formulation and implementation of urban projects in an evolving economic, social, and cultural context in India and the Global South. Students are exposed to inter-disciplinary methods of engaging and working with ‘Places and People,’ thus providing them with avenues to explore diverse interests and career trajectories spanning from practice to research.”
Manu Mahajan
M.Sc in Development & Planning (Urban Economic Development-UCL, UK) M.Arch. in Urban Design, B.Arch
“The Urban Design Masters program essentially exposes students to a rigorous methodology for developing appropriate attitudes to ‘greenfield’ and ‘brownfield’ development projects in Indian cities today. It also equips the students to have a ‘hands on’ experience with actual stakeholders, in order to understand the specific needs of a community and to translate them from merely a design solution to actual realization. Our earlier batches on the whole, have excelled in their chosen professional field and compared to their peer group of architects and planners, bring a very important edge, namely that of the third dimension.”
Sanjay Kanvinde M.Arch. in Urban Design (Rice University)
“I have been teaching this course as a visiting faculty for close to four decades now. In all these years I have seen the curriculum constantly evolving to suit the changing development scenario, at the same time keeping the stress on the core design aspects intact. The graduates of this course are strong in their design and presentation abilities and are sensitive towards environment and community aspirations. They are aware of various implementation techniques and strategies for complex urban development projects including various funding sources like Govt. Missions etc and are trained to participate in them.”
Ujan GhoshM.Arch. & Masters in City Planning (University of Pennsylvania)
“The urban design program at SPA provides a unique and comprehensive platform to learn about complex urban conditions and issues. Critical theory is combined with in-depth real-world understanding. Best practices in analysis and design thinking are taught to allow the students to become responsible, creative and pragmatic professionals.”
M. Arch. (University of Pennsylvania)
“Masters in Urban Design at SPA provides students a unique opportunity to understand the complexity of Indian cities, layering concerns of social issues, built and natural heritage as well as contemporary needs helping them in honing relevant skills for application in the real world.”
M.Sc European Urban Conservation (University of Dundee, Scotland)
“The Urban Design Programme at SPA equips students to understand, appreciate and address complex urban realities of our cities with technical rigour, passion, and a belief in the ability of design to enable positive urban transformation.”
Master in City Design and Social Science (London School of Economics)
“The Urban Design Program at SPA New Delhi exposes the student to multidimensional aspects of urbanization and strives to inculcate lateral thinking in the design of the built environment.”
Ranjit Mitra PG Diploma Urban Design (SPA Delhi)
“The program offers an exposure to interdisciplinary faculty group along with close understanding of emerging urban design issues including climate change, design resilience, social issues and urban development, representation of stakeholders to the design process.”
M.Arch. (University of California)
“The UD programme prepares its students to confront the reality of our evolving urbanscape with a wide set of dynamic tools. The department provides an immersive environment in the form of theory lectures and studio projects. The latter range from live community projects to large scale interventions with multiple stakeholders all the while encouraging graduates to be imaginative as well as socially responsible, to be thinkers and doers.”
Kanu Kartik Agrawal
Master of Environment Design (Yale University) M.S.Arch (University of Cincinnati, Ohio)
“By imparting a holistic interdisciplinary perspective on contemporary concerns as well as historical exigencies, the Urban Design program at SPA Delhi, fosters students to be relevant, critical, reflective and innovative in their design skills.”
PhD (Delhi School of Economics)
“The Urban Design Programme is a multidisciplinary, collaborative and innovative space for both students and teachers alike. Through the process of knowledge exchange on theoretical thinking and design explorations, students are trained to look at complex urban issues from multiple perspectives. They are encouraged to arrive at unique design solutions which are socially responsive, yet challenge the status quo of our urban environments. Our graduates are equipped to provide transformative solutions for not only the present but also the future of our cities.”
M.Arch. in Urban Design (SPA Delhi)
“‘The Urban Design graduates from SPA New Delhi are well-equipped with distinguishing abilities to deliver innovative design solutions which are responsive to complex Indian urban conditions. The students are dedicated to producing a high quality built environment with a multidisciplinary outlook and a high degree of contextual sensitivity.”
M.Anthropology, M.Arch. in Urban Design, B.Arch
K.T.Ravindran
PG Dip Urban Design (SPA Delhi)
Ranjit Mitra
PG Dip Urban Design (SPA Delhi)
Ujan Ghosh
M.Arch & Masters in City Planning (University of Pennsylvania)
Sanjay Kanvinde M.Arch in Urban Design (Rice University)
Anuraag Chowfla M.Arch in Urban Design (Rice University)
Abhimanyu Dalal M.Arch in Urban Design (Harvard University)
Rajender Singh M.A in Conservation (University of York)
Rinki Sarkar Ph.D (Delhi School of Economics)
Kanu Kartik Agrawal
Master of Environment Design, Yale University M.S.Arch, University of Cincinnati, Ohio
Nishant Lall
M.Arch (University of California)
Suneet Mohindru
M.Arch (SPA Delhi) & Research Fellowship in De Mont Fort University, UK
Vandhini Mehta M.Arch (University of California)
Mriganka Saxena Master in City Design and Social Science (LSE)
Aishwarya Tipnis M.Sc European Urban Conservation (University of Dundee,Scotland)
Marisha Sharma Phd (I.I.T Delhi)
Aparna Ash Kanojia M.Arch (BEM) (SPA Delhi)
Rajiv Bhakat M.Arch (University of Pennsylvania)
Mansi Kataria M.Arch in Urban Design (SPA Delhi)
Rwitee Mandal M.Arch in Urban Design (SPA Delhi)
Divya Chopra M.Arch in Urban Design (SPA Delhi)
Shveta Mathur M.Plan in Urban Planning (SPA Delhi)
Pranav Singh B.Plan in Physical Planning (SPA Delhi)
Former Dean Emiretus, RICS School of Built Environment
Former Chairman, Delhi Urban Arts Commission
Late. Mohammad Shaheer
National renowned Urban Designer and Landscape Architect
Former HOD, Department of Landscape Architecture, SPA Delhi
Ranjit Mitra
Former Director, SPA Delhi
Dr. Vas Dev Dewan
Former Chief Architect, Delhi Development Authority
Dr. Mandeep Singh
Former Dean of Studies, SPA Delhi
Prassana Desai
Nationally renowned Urban Designer specializing in low cost participatory habitat design Director, PVP College of Architecture, Pune
Prashant Khirwakhar
Nationally renowned Urban Designer specializing in environmentally responsive design based in Bhopal
Pushkar Kanvinde
Former Principal In-charge, BKPS College of Architecture, Pune
Aneerudha Paul
Former Director, KRIVA, Mumbai
Ajith Vyas
Chairman, Institute of Urban Designers, India Koehl Chapter
Dr. A. Srlvatsan
Executive Director, CAU Academic Director, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Dr. Tania Sengupta
Associate Professor, The Bartlett School of Architecture, Faculty of the Built Environment
National Vice President, Institute of Urban Designers, India
N. Devi Prasad
Director V SPARC , VIT School of Planning and Architecture, Vellore
Dr. Medha Chandra
Campaign Coordinator, Pesticide Action Network, USA
Avanlsh Pendharkar
Center Executive Director - Center for Urban Planning and Policy, CEPT Research and Development Foundation
Former Associate VP, UD and Architecture, Kalpataru Limited
Narendra Dengle
Addi. Chief Planner (SP & NTI, CIDCO, Navi Mumbai Chairman, Advisory Board, Goa College of Architecture
Nishant H. Manapure
Principal, Pravara Rural Education Society
Partho Das
Leading Urban Designer and architect based in Kolkata
Vinod Dhar
Chief Architect, Deihl Development Authority
School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi
