Prof. Akhtar Chauhan is an architect,planner and educator. Presently, he is the Director, Rizvi College of Architecture. He was the Founding-Principal of the college during 1992-2001. He teaches Architectural Theory,Architectural Design, Urban Design, Urban Planning and guides students for their architectural design theses. Recently he has been appointed as Chairman of the ad-hoc Board of Studies in Architecture at the University of Mumbai.
He graduated from Dept. of Architecture, Bandra School of Arts, Mumbai in 1970 and did his post graduate studies at the School of Planning, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahemedabad in 1975 under Prof. Balkrishna Doshi and Prof.Christopher Benninger.
He was active in fighting for housing rights of slum communities in Ahmedabad and lived with them for a year in order to develop their own organisation in 1975-76.
He has developed special programmes for housing and slum upgradation studies in architecture.
He was scientific director for a research project on Sustainable Humane Habitat under Asia Link Programme involving students from Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai; School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad; Ecole d'Architecture de Paris La Villette, France and Cambridge University, UK.
He is in practice since then as a consulting architect,planner and designer. He is the Chairman, Comprehensive Development Consultancy Services (CDCS) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai since 1982. His wife Pradnya Chauhan and younger brother Anvar Chauhan are other directors of the firm. They have designed townships, housing, offices, multiplexes, resorts, residential apartments and houses, educational and social institutions, interior and landscape projects in India and Iraq. They have planned the Nav Surat new town for 250,000 people, which is awaiting final sanction from the authorities.
Prof. Chauhan was active in the Indian Institute of Architects during 1984-92. He was the Hon.Editor of the Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects and Chairman of IIA Publication Board, he was the Hon.Jt.Secretary of the IIA in 1990-92. He was convenor of CAA programme on Urbanisation and Housing. He was Secretary of UIA Work Group on Architectural Heritage for Region IV
(Asia+Australia). He was technical co-ordinator for 4th Arcasia Asian Congress of Architects and IIA International conferences. He was the Secretary, IIA International Affairs Board. He has written several technical papers and presented them at national & international conferences. His articles have been published in Indian and international journals.
He has lectured at several universities in India and abroad. He was elected member of the Council of Architecture for 1989-93.
He has founded several organisations such as Architects-in-Making (AIM), National Organisation of Students of Planning (NOSPLAN), Indian Association of Schools of Architecture (IASA) & Abhivikas Niketan Trust. He was the Vice President of World Society of Ekistics (WSE)in 2000-02.
He was planning consultant and project co-ordinator to Architect Planner Charles Correa for his Ulwe Node project in 1990-92. The project tasks included urban planning, urban design, urban transportation and services, urban landscape design and housing, for a target population of 350,000 people.
He participated actively in providing relief to earthquake affected people of Latur & Osmanabad districts in Maharashtra (1993) and Kutchh and Surendranagar in Gujarat (2001) and participated in their rehabilitation programmes.
In 1998 he founded the International Association for Humane Habitat (IAHH) along with a group of friends. He is the founder-president of the IAHH. He has convened 9 International Conferences on Humane Habitat (ICHH) which were hosted by Rizvi College of Architecture in association with the Forum of Colleges of Architecture, Brihan Mumbai Centre of the Indian Institute of Architects and the Commonwealth Association of Architects.
He is a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Architects and registered with the Council of Architecture. He is a member of UIA Architectural Education Validation Committee for Region IV. He is an active-member of ArchNet community.
He launched Humane Habitat Forum, Mumbai on World Habitat Day, Oct 1, 2007 to act as a forum to discuss and deliberate on sustainable development of Mumbai region. |
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