Ajay K. Jacob
Ajay K. Jacob is an architect, educator and farmer based in Calicut, Kerala. He graduated from the College of Engineering Trivandrum and completed his Master’s in Theory and Design at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, where he received the Academic Excellence Award and Best Thesis Award. His master’s thesis on Padmanabhapuram Palace received a Commendation at the Indian Institute of Architects National Awards in 2015.
Prior to establishing Thinking Dwelling Studio in 2017, he worked with Ar. N. M. Salim on a range of institutional and master planning projects, as well as hospitality, residential and commercial developments.
Alongside practice, he has been engaged in architectural education as a studio teacher, design critic and mentor. His work engages questions of landscape, settlement, memory and cultural practices, with a particular interest in how places evolve and acquire meaning over time.
He has contributed to Learning Architecture (2019), edited by Prof. Kulbhushan Jain. His interests in farming, literature and sculpting continue to inform his understanding of architecture and dwelling.
Recognition
Shortlisted, Indian Institute of Architects National Awards for Excellence in Architecture, Unbuilt Category, 2018 — Competition Entry for Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad
Commendation, Indian Institute of Architects National Awards for Excellence in Architecture, Research Studies Category, 2015 — Study of Padmanabhapuram Palace
Academic Excellence Award and Best Thesis Award, M. Arch. (Theory & Design), CEPT University, 2014
Publications
Article on Planning the IIT Palakkad Campus, in Unbuilt 2.0: Architecture of Future Collectives, Architecture Live, 2021
Interpreting Architecture: A Case of Padmanabhapuram Palace, in Learning Architecture, edited by Prof. Kulbhushan Jain, Aadi Centre, 2019
