Home / Members
Our Community
Our Community
Vidya Sansthana Trust is sustained by a growing community of practitioners, educators, thinkers, and changemakers who share a commitment to design that is empathetic, collaborative, and ecologically responsible.
Vidya Sansthana Trust is sustained by a growing community of practitioners, educators, thinkers, and changemakers who share a commitment to design that is empathetic, collaborative, and ecologically responsible.
Governance
Founding Members
Founding Members
VST is governed by a small board of trustees drawn from architecture, graphic design, education, craft, and environmental science.
VST is governed by a small board of trustees drawn from architecture, graphic design, education, craft, and environmental science.
Dr. Shaleen Sharma
Dr. Shaleen Sharma the President of the Trust is an eminent architect, academician, and filmmaker with over 25 years of experience in design education, research, and professional practice. His work reflects a deep commitment to cultural heritage, architectural excellence, and the advancement of knowledge through education.
As the Founding Dean of the School of Architecture & Built Environment Studies at the World University of Design, Haryana, he has played a pivotal role in nurturing future professionals in architecture and the built environment.
Dr. Sharma has also made significant contributions to documentary filmmaking, exploring themes of architecture, anthropology, and culture. His acclaimed film Garden of the Heart, based on the life and work of architect Joseph Allen Stein, highlights his dedication to preserving architectural heritage and narratives.
His academic interests centre on Indian Knowledge Systems and their relevance to contemporary architecture and urban design. Through his book, Vedic Cosmogenesis in Architecture, he presents an innovative interpretation of Vedic principles as a meaningful framework for modern design practice.
As President of Vidya Sansthana Trust, Dr. Sharma continues to uphold its vision of promoting education, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering positive social transformation through knowledge and creative engagement.
As the Founding Dean of the School of Architecture & Built Environment Studies at the World University of Design, Haryana, he has played a pivotal role in nurturing future professionals in architecture and the built environment.
Dr. Sharma has also made significant contributions to documentary filmmaking, exploring themes of architecture, anthropology, and culture. His acclaimed film Garden of the Heart, based on the life and work of architect Joseph Allen Stein, highlights his dedication to preserving architectural heritage and narratives.
His academic interests centre on Indian Knowledge Systems and their relevance to contemporary architecture and urban design. Through his book, Vedic Cosmogenesis in Architecture, he presents an innovative interpretation of Vedic principles as a meaningful framework for modern design practice.
As President of Vidya Sansthana Trust, Dr. Sharma continues to uphold its vision of promoting education, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering positive social transformation through knowledge and creative engagement.
Dr. Rajat Verma
Dr. Rajat Verma is the Managing Trustee of the Trust and brings to this role a rare convergence of academic rigour, professional expertise, and institutional vision. As an educator, researcher, administrator, and practicing architect, he has dedicated over a decade to advancing the cause of quality education, built environment research, and institutional excellence.
In his capacity as Managing Trustee, Dr. Verma provides strategic direction and governance oversight to the Trust’s initiatives, ensuring that its mission of fostering educational, cultural, and social development is pursued with integrity and purpose. His leadership is grounded in a deep understanding of higher education frameworks, regulatory compliance, and the transformative power of well-designed learning environments.
Dr. Verma currently serves as Associate Professor and Controller of Examinations at a leading School of Architecture, where he oversees all examination-related processes in strict adherence to the guidelines established by the University Grants Commission (UGC). His administrative role reflects his commitment to academic fairness, institutional accountability, and the highest standards of educational governance.
In his capacity as Managing Trustee, Dr. Verma provides strategic direction and governance oversight to the Trust’s initiatives, ensuring that its mission of fostering educational, cultural, and social development is pursued with integrity and purpose. His leadership is grounded in a deep understanding of higher education frameworks, regulatory compliance, and the transformative power of well-designed learning environments.
Dr. Verma currently serves as Associate Professor and Controller of Examinations at a leading School of Architecture, where he oversees all examination-related processes in strict adherence to the guidelines established by the University Grants Commission (UGC). His administrative role reflects his commitment to academic fairness, institutional accountability, and the highest standards of educational governance.
Heal by Design & Programmes
Mentor Network
Mentor Network
A rotating cohort of senior practitioners who embed with each programme, bringing real-world depth to every residency and workshop.
A rotating cohort of senior practitioners who embed with each programme, bringing real-world depth to every residency and workshop.
Prof. A.G.K. Menon
Prof. A.G.K. Menon is one of India’s foremost architects, urbanists, and conservation experts, known for his significant contributions to architectural education and heritage preservation. He has served as Dean at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, and has advised numerous national and international organisations on urban conservation, cultural heritage, and sustainable development. His work has been instrumental in shaping contemporary discourse on historic cities and the conservation of India’s built environment.
Dr. Ashok B. Lall
Dr. Ashok B. Lall is a distinguished architect, planner, and thinker whose practice integrates environmental responsibility, social equity, and cultural sensitivity. Founder of Ashok B. Lall Architects, he is internationally recognised for pioneering sustainable and energy-efficient architecture in India. A prolific author and educator, Dr. Lall has contributed extensively to debates on urban development, ecological design, and the future of Indian cities.
Prof. Mark Warner
Prof. Mark Warner is an academic and design practitioner associated with the University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom. His work explores the intersections of creative practice, heritage, community engagement, and interdisciplinary research. Through collaborative international projects, he has advanced innovative approaches to cultural preservation and participatory design, fostering meaningful exchanges between academia, communities, and creative industries.
Ar. Dean D’Cruz
Ar. Dean D’Cruz – A graduate in architecture, is actively involved in professional practice as well as in academics. He has conducted numerous workshops and seminars on architecture, planning and the environment across India as well as abroad. His works and articles have been published in leading magazines in India and abroad. Supported the Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Oxford Brookes University UK, and PRATT Institute New York for their architectural and planning programs in Goa.
He is a Partner and Principal Architect at MOZAIC, a leading design firm based in Goa, involved in Urban Intervention, Architecture, Conservation, Product and Graphic Design.
Mozaic strives to provide holistic solutions to its patrons. We explore prospects of symbiotic growth of our clients with nature, encourage sustainable practices in our design.
The architectural wing of Mozaic has designed around India over 250 houses, 50 hotels, 30 housing complexes, and about 30 institutions, offices and factories. While most of our projects today are in the area of hospitality, we are also striving to make social impact in the areas of education, health care and micro / eco living.
He is a Partner and Principal Architect at MOZAIC, a leading design firm based in Goa, involved in Urban Intervention, Architecture, Conservation, Product and Graphic Design.
Mozaic strives to provide holistic solutions to its patrons. We explore prospects of symbiotic growth of our clients with nature, encourage sustainable practices in our design.
The architectural wing of Mozaic has designed around India over 250 houses, 50 hotels, 30 housing complexes, and about 30 institutions, offices and factories. While most of our projects today are in the area of hospitality, we are also striving to make social impact in the areas of education, health care and micro / eco living.
Alexandra-Maria Afrasinei
Alexandra-Maria Afrasinei is an architect, lecturer at Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest, and collaborator at Sapienza University of Rome. Her work brings together architectural theory, research, design practice, and teaching. Her research focuses on reading the city and landscape as layered constructs, where physical and perceptual dimensions intersect. Through the study of urban fragmentation, her work investigates questions of spatial disorientation, memory, and the loss of symbolic coherence in contemporary environments. This inquiry has gradually expanded toward the exploration of the symbolic and cosmological structures embedded in architecture, examining how traditional paradigms can be critically reinterpreted to recover depth, orientation, and meaning in contemporary spatial experience.
×
![]()