Exploring the evolution of cities and their public places in the himalayan region and establishing the correlation with the landscape conditions.
Pratyush Shankar is author of the book „Himalayan Cities“ (2015) and the Dean of the School of Environmental Design and Architecture at Navrachana University, Vadodara, India. He is presently also a guest professor at the Mundus Urbano Program at the architecture faculty of TU Darmstadt.
Landscape plays a major role in Prof. Pratyush’s research and practice. His fascination for the Himalayas arose during his time as a student on trekking tours in the mountains. Later on, he founded trekking groups with his own students to discover, document and analyze the interplay between landscape and settlements together with them. In the process, freehand drawing became the most important tool for him. These drawings, his investigations and findings then culminated in his book „Himalayan Cities“, published in 2015.
The Tabo thesis class is working together with the Serkong School in Tabo, Himachal Pradesh, India, to build a foundation for a long-term partnership to enhance and possibly extend the school’s campus. Working with pupils, teachers and other actors, the group focuses on the challenges and chances of international collaborations, while also exploring the local landscape, building tradition, buddhist culture and much more.
Moderation: NBL Bachelorthesis Klasse TABO
