Gaurab Das Mahapatra Golok Behari Das Mahapatra is an Architect-Planner presently working as Assistant Professor in Gitam School of Architecture, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam Campus under the esteemed guidance of Prof. Dr K. Mohan. Architect Mahapatra had received the prestigious DIC (Design Innovation Centre) scholarship for Research in Universal Design from Centre for Human Centric Research in SPA, Bhopal under the guidance of Prof. Dr Rachna Khare, who herself is a pioneer in the Indian Universal Design scenario. In Post-Graduation, he is the recipient of Chairman’s Gold Medal, Proficiency Gold Medal and Thesis Topper Award; in Masters in Urban & Regional Planning Department from SPA, Bhopal. In Graduation, he is the recipient of Thesis Topper Award from PMCA, Cuttack. In 2017, Architect Mahapatra was also awarded the Young Achiever Award by A3 foundation.

Besides having several other academic and professional accolades to his name, Architect Mahapatra also has many national and international publications to his name in the domain of Architecture as well as Planning; with particular emphasis on Universal Design. A firm believer in the five Indian principles of Sustainability, i.e. Saman, Sahaj, Sanskritik, Sasta & Sundar, Architect Mahapatra always inspires his students and colleagues to approach their design solution as “Design for All”. During his past tenure as Urban Planner in Andhra Pradesh urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation, he was instrumental in initiating the projects of road signage including Braille inscriptions in Kakinada Smart City. Architect Mahapatra’s latest research work titled “Accessibility in core areas; Case study: Road stretches in Kolkata and Shimla, India”, co-authored with Prof. Dr N. R. Mandal (HOD, Dept. of URP, SPA Bhopal) has been presented in the 2nd International City Regeneration Congress, Tampere, Finland in 2017. He represents the young crowd of Indian contemporary architecture and planning; who always aims towards ingenuity in design and believes in creating a symbiotic relationship between academics and profession. In 2018, Architect Mahapatra got associated with Design for All Institute of India (as a Guest Editor); a publication house in Universal Design Platform which has been dramatically inspiring him to research Universal Design platform since his undergraduate days. In the same year he has co-founded Vastukala Academy in visakhapatnam; an institute which strives for dissipation of architectural guidance. His recent workshop was in Zonal NASA Zone 4, which was aimed at making students aware of Universal Design.