ABOUT
Specialized in Experience Design | Spatial Design | Design Strategy
Disha Dharesh is an Interdisciplinary Designer with 5+ years of experience bridging architectural systems, material innovation, and planet-centered design.
She specialize in creating contextual, creative, and sensitive design solutions. Her work also prioritizes understanding nature- culture relations with western and nonwestern worldviews. In Design research, she tend to look at the intersection of Anthropology, Ecology and Climate Change. She is committed to advancing interdisciplinary strategies, ensuring each project meets its unique needs. She also sees collaboration as the key to identifying and solving problems.
EDUCATION
-Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), 2024-2026 | Providence, RI
Masters in Industrial Design (STEAM program)
Electives: Generative systems, Immersive space in Digital Media, Biomaterials, Computational
thinking, Design for interaction.
-Brown University, 2025 | Providence, RI
Electives: The Entrepreneurial Process, Engineering Management and Decision-Making course.
-R.V College of Architecture (RVCA), 2015-2020 | Bengaluru city, India
Bachelor of Architecture
Design Research Thesis: Jenu Goodu- reimagining ‘dwellings’ for Indigenous communities.
GRADUATE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE @RISD
-Graduate Assistant for Exhibition Design @RISD Museum | July 2025- present.
-Summer Graduate Research Assistant (Material Circularity), at the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab | July 2025- August 2025
-Graduate Research Assistant @RISD:
Emerging Disruptive Technologies, under Prof. Tom Wies | Sept 2025- present.
The Green book for Providence, under Prof. Jessica Brown | Sept 2024- May 2025.
-Graduate Teaching Assistant @RISD:
Design Histories, for Prof. Iilona Gaynor | Feb 2026- present.
NASA Rover, for Prof. Micheal Lye | Sept 2025- Dec 2026.
Intro to Grad Industrial Design, for Prof. Nicholas Khipra | Jan 2025- Feb 2025.
Design Histories, for Prof. Paolo Cardini | Sept 2024- Dec 2024.
-Student advisor, for RISD Intercultural Student Engagement |Feb 2025-Sept 2025.
-Co Curator, M. Industrial Design bi-annual exhibition | Jan 2025-March 2025
-LiaIson, Woodshop | Feb 2025- Dec 2025
-Monitor, Laser cutting machine | Sept 2025- present
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
-Project Architect, mayaPraxis Studio, Bengaluru (India) | June 2022-2024.
-Architect, Praxis. Inc, Bengaluru (India) | Nov 2021- June 2022.
-Site Supervisor, Loha Fabricators | 2021- 2021
-Design consultant, Uravu Ecolinks (NGO) | 2021- 2021
-Founder, Aralu | 2020- 2021
-Design Intern, Hunnarshaala Foundation (Community empowerment Unit) | 2019- 2020
DESIGN COMPETITIONS and EXHIBITIONS
-Asian Contest for Architectural Rookie Awards 2018: (Taipei) Participated and represented India + India Domestic Gold Winner.
-AIA Dallas Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition 2020: Finalist (Student Hand Category).
-DSGN Archive Best UG Architectural Design Thesis 2020: Nominated by RVCA.
-Design United ‘Small Measures, Great Impact’ Conference 2020: Student presenter.
-A Call for Nonurban Ideas 2021: Top 10 Honorable Mentions.
-What’s the smell? RISD 2024: Showcased Mycelium based prototypes.
VOLUNTEERING and WORKSHOPS
-The Bio design Challenge 2025, New York, USA
-Building material, structure and finishes: Rammed Earth, CSEB (Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks, Cob wall, Wattle and Daub, Mud Plaster, Kodi Marble Lime Plaster, Shallow Dome Construction.
