Shyam Khandekar, Urban Designer, Planner and Architect, Netherlands and India
With nearly 4 decades of design experience in multi-disciplinary, complex design work in Europe and India, Shyam Khandekar splits his time between the Netherlands and India. He leads several master-planning ventures through multi-disciplinary and international design teams. Over the years the projects designed by him have won several national and international design awards. Shyam Khandekar has lectured extensively at universities and conferences around the world on the topic of making our cities more liveable.
He was the founder and director of the successful Dutch design practice Khandekar Urban Design and Landscape which is presently continued under the name BDP.Khandekar. Shyam Khandekar led this multi- disciplinary practice from its birth in 1988 till 2012. In the period 2008-2012 he was also a Company Director of the major international design practice BDP, with headquarters in London. He also established the studio of BDP in India and was its first Chairman from 2010 till 2012. Under his design leadership the indian studio of BDP won major competitions including the campuses of IIT in Mandi and Jodhpur.
Shyam is passionate about the liveability of cities for all of its citizens, and the relationship of cities to landscape they are built on. The international magazine on cities, MY LIVEABLE CITY was his brainchild, and was co-founded by him. As the Editorial Director of this magazine, he sees his role to inform, inspire and educate interested citizens and all professionals involved in the process of creating cities.
Based in the Netherlands, but commuting frequently to India, Shyam is presently Involved in leading complex, multi-disciplinary design assignments varying from residential and mixed-use projects to campuses and new towns and large master-planning ventures involving urban and rural landscapes, in Europe and India.