Sandeep Paul, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Anant National University, has been researching urban challenges, particularly streets and public spaces. He is interested in bridging urban design with transportation solutions. In his guided studios, Sandeep pursues iterative and exploratory approaches to design,  promoting bold exploration to unlock new possibilities within Architecture and Urbanism.

His research paper titled ‘Social Transformations in Built Environment Through Community Ecosystems: An Urban Design Pedagogical Approach’ received a ‘Best Research Paper’ award at the 2nd International Conference on Social Work and Law, Gujarat National Law University in July 2022. His crucial thesis mentorship projects include studies on space making, street markets,  analysing continuity and change, reinterpreting urban pods in post-pandemic scenarios and interpreting sea-level rise through architectural narratives.

Sandeep has been instrumental in inculcating research and design thinking amongst Anant students by mentoring urban insert design studios and researching and designing thesis projects for the last eight years. He jointly  conducted Advance Architecture Studio I, collaborating with Anant and Boston Architectural College in Spring 2024. He was also a member of a global jury panel for Inspireli Awards, the world’s largest student competition, hosted online by Czech Technical University (CTU), Prague, 2022. His proposal on ‘Enhancing the Experience of Walking in Indian Cities’ was shortlisted amongst the top five and presented in a national competition at the ‘Young Urban Leader Forum’ organised by The Urban Vision Group in Mumbai in 2010. He has been an integral part of research and practice.

Sandeep holds an undergraduate degree in Architecture from  Sarvajanik College of
Engineering and Technology  (SCET), Surat and a post-graduate degree in Urban Design from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. His undergraduate thesis project was nominated and presented amongst twenty thesis projects across India at The Kurla Varkey Design Forum 2006, CEPT University. He participated in a team of six student members and won The Annual NASA (National Architecture Students’ Association) design trophy in 2003. During his post-graduate studies, he was part of a student team to study and work on tsunami-affected sites in Sri Lanka. He also received 85 percentile and received a GATE scholarship.

Sandeep has jointly conducted a break-out session at Placemaking Week 2017, Amsterdam, and has been participating in and conducting capacity-building  sessions. He is a recipient of the Shiksha Bharati Award 2022, which recognises outstanding professional achievement and contribution towards nation-building through academic pursuits by the Indian Achievers’ Forum. As a continued learning experience, he has been selected as a planetary cohort for ‘Affirmations’, an online training programme conducted by Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), 2023-24.

During his association with the Center of Excellence in Urban Transport (CoE-UT), CEPT, he was nominated to participate in a week-long international workshop on ‘Sustainable Urban Mobility’ at the International Urban Training Centre (IUTC) – under the support of UN-Habitat, in Gangwon province, South Korea. The visit to Seoul included experiencing one of the landmark urban transformation projects and interacting with the design and implementing agencies of the ‘Revival and  redevelopment of Cheonggyecheon Creek’ project.

Sandeep has been a practising urban designer for the past 16 years, working on street design, place-making, local area plans, transit-oriented development and multi-modal integration with multiple cities in India. He has held senior positions in the Centre of Excellence in Urban Transport (CoE-UT), CEPT, where he planned and designed BRT systems, public transport infrastructure and public spaces in Ahmedabad and Surat. He also worked on the District Beautification Plan for Dadra Nagar Haveli and BRTS project infrastructure design during his  association with Arya Architects.

As a co-founder at The Urban Lab, he designs streets, public spaces,  interchanges and capacity-building initiatives. Sandeep is a team leader for rejuvenating projects at two lakefronts in Chennai. He has contributed to the component and co-conducted two
capacity-building workshops on physical interchange under the multi-modal integration training manual for Bengaluru metro, city officials and the DULT team.
Sandeep also jointly conducted a design charrette on the ‘Cycle to School’ initiative of Surat Smart City Ltd., with Bycs India, at a national workshop on Streets and Public Spaces in Srinagar organised by Smart Cities Mission, Government of India. He conducted online expert lectures for the Council of Architecture – Teachers Training Workshops and a national symposium on Urban Design Practice in India hosted by NIT, Patna. He also delivered an expert lecture on ‘Transit Oriented Urban Planning’ and ‘Landuse Planning and Air Quality’ on March 23, organised by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iForest) and GIZ.

Beyond academia, Sandeep loves cycling and walking to stay fit. He also loves going on wildlife sanctuary excursions with peer groups and enthusiasts and enjoys travelling and encountering new experiences of cultures, places and people.