AOTW I Architect of the week
Priyanka Thakur
Architectural Designer
Olson Kundig
M.A. Architecture
Carnegie Mellon University
Priyanka Thakur is an architect and Architectural Designer at Olson Kundig in Seattle, with experience across India and the United States. Her work blends design–build practice with hands-on exploration of bamboo and biogenic materials, creating projects that are sustainable, context-responsive, and material-driven. Recognized as a Finalist for the Materia Award 2021 in Paris, she also contributes to architectural education as a visiting professor, guiding design-build studios and hands-on fabrication workshops that inspire the next generation of architects.
online courses and tools
we personally recommend for architecture students and professionals.
courses and tools
That we recommend
for architecture students &professionals.
Featured Project Showcase
Majuli School: Generating Resilience
Majuli School: Generating Resilience is a design-build initiative developed on the river island of Majuli, Assam - one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in India, frequently affected by floods, soil erosion, and seismic activity. Conceived through a Design + Build Resilience Workshop in 2018, the project responds to both immediate needs and long-term environmental uncertainties.
The project became an exploration of how architecture can move beyond static form to act as an agent of resilience, learning, and community empowerment. The school was envisioned not only as a space for education, but as a shared community anchor capable of adapting to its fragile context.
Floor Plan
Exploded view
Section
Construction Sequence
Featured Project Showcase
Rooted in local knowledge systems, the structure employs a regenerative material palette of bamboo, cane, timber, brick, concrete, and steel, all locally sourced to support principles of circular economy. Through participatory exercises, bamboo emerged as a culturally resonant and structurally efficient material, valued for its renewability and carbon-sequestering potential.
The construction process itself became a pedagogical tool, merging traditional building techniques with contemporary resilience strategies. Designed to be durable, adaptable, and replicable, the project reflects my belief that architecture when grounded in place, people, and process can generate long-term resilience rather than temporary solutions.
become the next
architect of the week!
AOTW I Architect of the week