Collaborations and Networks
SEA thrives on a rich network of collaborations with universities (particularly in South Asia), organisations and important architectural practices.These afford the students opportunities to engage in cross-disciplinary projects, international and local exchanges, and new research. This also allows the curriculum to remain up to date and relevant.
SEA's collaborations with these institutions allows the school to be a nexus for students, bridging the perceived gap between academic spaces and various kinds of professions, and also offers them exposure to various kinds of thinking and modes of study.
The school is committed to fostering a dynamic and interconnected learning environment that prepares students to engage with their chosen fields in active and agile ways.
Tongji University
Shanghai, China
The Invisible Patterns workshop was a three-week program conducted between Tongji university, Shanghai and School of Environment & Architecture, Mumbai. The workshop was attended by students and faculty from the above colleges, and invited critics. The exchange programme aimed to look at the self-built neighbourhood geographically bracketed between Daqiao and Dinghaiqiao in Shanghai which remains under the pressure of urban development. Through a mapping and documentation exercise, the workshop aimed at deciphering “invisible patterns” that shape the ideas of “public”, “community”, “housing”, “
dentity” or “place”.
Shanghai, China
The Invisible Patterns workshop was a three-week program conducted between Tongji university, Shanghai and School of Environment & Architecture, Mumbai. The workshop was attended by students and faculty from the above colleges, and invited critics. The exchange programme aimed to look at the self-built neighbourhood geographically bracketed between Daqiao and Dinghaiqiao in Shanghai which remains under the pressure of urban development. Through a mapping and documentation exercise, the workshop aimed at deciphering “invisible patterns” that shape the ideas of “public”, “community”, “housing”, “
dentity” or “place”.
Connected Collaborations
Calicut, Trichy, Mysore, Mumbai
2019 - ongoing
Four new colleges of architecture, all run by architects, have came together with a mandate of rearticulating the language, methods, knowledge and tools for architectural teaching and towards creating an academic space for students and teachers. This collaboration became a catalyst for generating a cultural ecosystem for the discipline and for engaging with the society at large. Each school hosted two students from participating institutions within their Sem IV Design Studios and asked the following questions:
1. What does it mean to settle? Avani Institute of design, Calicut
2. What is a learning environment?C.A.R.E School of Architecture, Trichy
3. What is home? Wadiyar Centre For Architecture, Mysore
4. What is a clinic? School of Environment and Architecture, Mumbai
Calicut, Trichy, Mysore, Mumbai
2019 - ongoing
Four new colleges of architecture, all run by architects, have came together with a mandate of rearticulating the language, methods, knowledge and tools for architectural teaching and towards creating an academic space for students and teachers. This collaboration became a catalyst for generating a cultural ecosystem for the discipline and for engaging with the society at large. Each school hosted two students from participating institutions within their Sem IV Design Studios and asked the following questions:
1. What does it mean to settle? Avani Institute of design, Calicut
2. What is a learning environment?C.A.R.E School of Architecture, Trichy
3. What is home? Wadiyar Centre For Architecture, Mysore
4. What is a clinic? School of Environment and Architecture, Mumbai
YUVA and Pani Hakk Samiti
Mumbai, India
2018
Students of SEA worked with the Youth For Unity and Voluntary Action Group, (YUVA), to engage more closely with the communities in the neighborhoods of Mumbai, observe and represent various aspects of the neighborhood carefully, how to understand what people prioritize and to put it together through a coherent narrative. The field-based studio was paired with a class on understanding difference through literature conducted by Mitra Mukherjee Parikh, who recently retired as the head of the English department at the SNDT university.
Mumbai, India
2018
Students of SEA worked with the Youth For Unity and Voluntary Action Group, (YUVA), to engage more closely with the communities in the neighborhoods of Mumbai, observe and represent various aspects of the neighborhood carefully, how to understand what people prioritize and to put it together through a coherent narrative. The field-based studio was paired with a class on understanding difference through literature conducted by Mitra Mukherjee Parikh, who recently retired as the head of the English department at the SNDT university.
Community Design Agency
Mumbai, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Allied and Specialization Studios, SEA students are involved in challenging the hegemonic gaze through which stories of neglected and marginalised neighbourhoods are told and perceived. Students collaborate with the community of an R&R colony in Govandi to create interventions, learning to be collaborators and facilitators of the process, bringing out the spirit and culture of resilience.
Mumbai, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Allied and Specialization Studios, SEA students are involved in challenging the hegemonic gaze through which stories of neglected and marginalised neighbourhoods are told and perceived. Students collaborate with the community of an R&R colony in Govandi to create interventions, learning to be collaborators and facilitators of the process, bringing out the spirit and culture of resilience.
Studio Matter
Goa, India
2022 - ongoing
Studio Matter, a practice that has self-initiated and professional curatorial projects to create engaging platforms for a mature professional discourse on architecture in India and the subcontinent conduct a series of specialisation and allied courses in SEA. The two kinds of courses that they offer at SEA are site based design of tactical public infrastrucutres in Goa to courses on critical thinking and writing in Mumbai where they craft spatial provocation through drawings, image and text.
Goa, India
2022 - ongoing
Studio Matter, a practice that has self-initiated and professional curatorial projects to create engaging platforms for a mature professional discourse on architecture in India and the subcontinent conduct a series of specialisation and allied courses in SEA. The two kinds of courses that they offer at SEA are site based design of tactical public infrastrucutres in Goa to courses on critical thinking and writing in Mumbai where they craft spatial provocation through drawings, image and text.
Hunnarshala Foun
dation
Bhuj, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Specialization Studios, SEA students are involved in understanding the policies of vendors and commercial activities in Anjar, Gujarat. Guided by the Hunnarshala Foundation and expert mentor Sandeep Virmani, they are crafting thoughtful design strategies for the local vendors. Students actively document, analyse, and propose strategies to the city council and all stakeholders. The project’s outcomes aim to facilitate actual implementation and enhance various areas of Anjar.
Bhuj, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Specialization Studios, SEA students are involved in understanding the policies of vendors and commercial activities in Anjar, Gujarat. Guided by the Hunnarshala Foundation and expert mentor Sandeep Virmani, they are crafting thoughtful design strategies for the local vendors. Students actively document, analyse, and propose strategies to the city council and all stakeholders. The project’s outcomes aim to facilitate actual implementation and enhance various areas of Anjar.
Abari
Khatmandu, Nepal
2023-24
As part of the Specialization Studios, SEA students have embarked on an enriching journey to Nepal, where they are engaged in documenting, designing, and constructing using local materials. Collaborating with ABARI, students are utilising techniques such as rammed earth and bamboo to contribute to an ongoing live project. Under the mentorship of Principal Architect Nripal Adhikary, this initiative offers students hands-on experience and insight into innovative building practices.
Khatmandu, Nepal
2023-24
As part of the Specialization Studios, SEA students have embarked on an enriching journey to Nepal, where they are engaged in documenting, designing, and constructing using local materials. Collaborating with ABARI, students are utilising techniques such as rammed earth and bamboo to contribute to an ongoing live project. Under the mentorship of Principal Architect Nripal Adhikary, this initiative offers students hands-on experience and insight into innovative building practices.
Urban Centre Mumbai
Mumbai, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Specialization Studios, SEA students are engaged in understanding the design process of city infrastructures. This is the second year of this particular project, where experts from the networks of UCM have taken special lectures to orient them to the structure of operations and design for the Municipal Corporation of the City of Mumbai. They are developing sensitive design strategies for the ease of life in Borivali, Mumbai for the current Project.
Mumbai, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Specialization Studios, SEA students are engaged in understanding the design process of city infrastructures. This is the second year of this particular project, where experts from the networks of UCM have taken special lectures to orient them to the structure of operations and design for the Municipal Corporation of the City of Mumbai. They are developing sensitive design strategies for the ease of life in Borivali, Mumbai for the current Project.
Design Cell
Mumbai, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Specialization Studios, students at SEA are introduced to the field of landscape architecture, an essential component of spatial design that integrates environmental sustainability with urban and rural development. They are guided by expert mentor Ravindra Punde of Design Cell and subject experts in uncovering history, design principles, tools, site analysis, and project design specific to landscape architecture.
Mumbai, India
2022 - ongoing
As part of the Specialization Studios, students at SEA are introduced to the field of landscape architecture, an essential component of spatial design that integrates environmental sustainability with urban and rural development. They are guided by expert mentor Ravindra Punde of Design Cell and subject experts in uncovering history, design principles, tools, site analysis, and project design specific to landscape architecture.
Barnard College (USA) and Technical University of Kenya
Mumbai and Nairobi
2023-24
Students of SEA participated in a specialisation course offered by Barnard College (USA) and Technical University of Kenyato investigate ‘How do indigeneity, caste, religion and gender (and class) as categories that inscribe bodies with difference intersect to shape everyday life in city spaces? How do they produce forms of city spaces and ecologies where such life unfolds? How do spatial practices make life durable (or not) in such city spaces and ecologies? How can such diversely situated spatial practices from diverse cities of the Global South be put into conversation with one another?’ With these questions, they articulated their own thoughts and practices on engaging difference with and beyond the registers of discrimination, segregation, and splintering through which the realities of Southern cities are widely sketched as a chronic present. This course was conducted in two cities namely Mumbai and Nairobi in collaboration with faculty and students from TUK (Lydia Muthuma) and BC (Anooradha Siddiqui). They were hosted in Nairobi by the GoDown Arts Center (Joy Mboya), a distinguished arts and cultural center, where lectures, workshops and presentation sessions took place.
Mumbai and Nairobi
2023-24
Students of SEA participated in a specialisation course offered by Barnard College (USA) and Technical University of Kenyato investigate ‘How do indigeneity, caste, religion and gender (and class) as categories that inscribe bodies with difference intersect to shape everyday life in city spaces? How do they produce forms of city spaces and ecologies where such life unfolds? How do spatial practices make life durable (or not) in such city spaces and ecologies? How can such diversely situated spatial practices from diverse cities of the Global South be put into conversation with one another?’ With these questions, they articulated their own thoughts and practices on engaging difference with and beyond the registers of discrimination, segregation, and splintering through which the realities of Southern cities are widely sketched as a chronic present. This course was conducted in two cities namely Mumbai and Nairobi in collaboration with faculty and students from TUK (Lydia Muthuma) and BC (Anooradha Siddiqui). They were hosted in Nairobi by the GoDown Arts Center (Joy Mboya), a distinguished arts and cultural center, where lectures, workshops and presentation sessions took place.
We Will Help
Mumbai, India
2023-24
SEA has been collaborating with the NGO We will help (WWH) to build sustainable community infrastructures in the Aarey Colony in Mumbai. WWH has also conducted workshops for the students of SEA in urban farming and ceramics.
Mumbai, India
2023-24
SEA has been collaborating with the NGO We will help (WWH) to build sustainable community infrastructures in the Aarey Colony in Mumbai. WWH has also conducted workshops for the students of SEA in urban farming and ceramics.
Kishan Garodia Vishwavrutti Foundation (KGVF)
Mumbai, India
2024-Present
The students of SEA over the last two years are collaborating with Thakkarbappa colony in Kurla to study along with an NGO called the the Kishan Garodia Vishwavrutti Foundation (KGVF). KGVF played an important role in assembling community members and creating an awareness of ‘healthy homes’.
After the student projects were completed, SEA Clinic took up the initiative of designing houses for the community. The design team presented a stall at a local community hall for house designs, along with other stalls for local produce that the community had set up. Two houses have been designed so far, and many others have approached SEA Clinic in consonance with KGVF to improve their homes.
Mumbai, India
2024-Present
The students of SEA over the last two years are collaborating with Thakkarbappa colony in Kurla to study along with an NGO called the the Kishan Garodia Vishwavrutti Foundation (KGVF). KGVF played an important role in assembling community members and creating an awareness of ‘healthy homes’.
After the student projects were completed, SEA Clinic took up the initiative of designing houses for the community. The design team presented a stall at a local community hall for house designs, along with other stalls for local produce that the community had set up. Two houses have been designed so far, and many others have approached SEA Clinic in consonance with KGVF to improve their homes.
