vaishnavi chandra kumar

Vaishnavi Chandra Kumar is an Indian architectural designer and researcher with expertise in spatial design, visual archiving, construction documentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her work spans continents, integrating advanced computational tools, rigorous research methodologies, and hands-on construction experience.

Her recent work explores the theme of memories in architecture through the lens of boundary negotiations. This exploration acknowledges that multiple realities coexist within any given context, shaped by various actors. At GSAPP, her research delves into understanding and designing spaces not as singular entities but as repositories of multiple personalities, which she terms ‘Spatial Alter Egos.’

Previously, Vaishnavi worked as a Project Architect at CollectiveProject in Bangalore, India, where she managed high-end residential and institutional projects. Beyond practice, Vaishnavi is an educator and mentor, currently co-teaching design studios that examine social and political spaces of agonism with Markus Miessen. She has also contributed to architectural discourse as the Communications Lead for GSAPP rAADio, curating conversations that push the boundaries of spatial thinking.

Her undergraduate thesis, Set in Stone, was exhibited at the Kurula Varkey Design Forum 2021, hosted by the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from R V College of Architecture in Bangalore, India, and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia GSAPP.

Currently, she continues to explore the intersections of architecture, public space, and cultural memory, with a core focus on addressing the carbon crisis through material innovation and frame-working sustainable practices.

@vaishnaviccc

vaishnavic

www.linkedin.com/in/vaishnavi-chandra-kumar

EDUCATION

Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning & Preservation, New York, US Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design | May 2023 - May 2024

R.V. College of Architecture, Bangalore, IndiaBachelor of Architecture | August 2015 - August 2020

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Studio A+M Architects, New Jersey, USArchitectural Designer | October 2024 - Present

Columbia GSAPP, New York, USAdjunct Assistant Professor | Jan 2025 - May 2025

Columbia GSAPP, New York, USAssociate Faculty II | June 2024 - August 2024

CollectiveProject, Bangalore, IndiaProject Architect | March 2021 - April 2023

LA, Bangalore, IndiaGraphic Designer | September 2020 - February 2021

Mindspace Architects, Bangalore, IndiaArchitectural Intern | July 2019 - December 2019

ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS

GSAPP Merit Based Scholarship, August 2023Highest level of academic achievement in summer semester

PUBLICATIONS
EXHIBITIONS

finding spatial alter egos