Vaissnavi Shukl is an architect, educator and podcast host based out of Ahmedabad, India. She established her eponymous practice in 2020 with the goal of creating new contours of living that integrate the local culture through architecture. Currently championed by an all-women team, the practice works as a tight knit family that draws upon the strength of its collaborators and approaches architecture through the lens of tradition, comfort and sustainability.

Upon receiving her undergraduate degree in architecture from CEPT University, Vaissnavi went on to obtain her masters degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she was awarded the Peter Rowe scholarship. She has also attended ETH Zurich as part of an international exchange program. Vaissnavi credits working with architect Palinda Kannangara in Sri Lanka and artist Matthew Mazzotta in the United States as two of the most influential experiences that have shaped the way she approaches design.

While at Harvard, Vaissnavi co-chaired ‘Womxn in Design’, an organisation committed to advancing gender equity in and through design, and continues to advocate for equality in the profession and in academia. Her work has been published in Domus, Platform and Dearq Journal of Architecture. She has also presented at the Society of Architectural Historians, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Cumulus, Indian Institute of Architects’ NATCON, Design United and the CEPT Archives.

Furthering her passion for architectural dialogue, Vaissnavi is also the founder and host of the podcast Architecture Off-Centre, which highlights unconventional design practices and research projects that reflect various emerging discourses within the design discipline and beyond.