Jay Thakkar
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Jay Rajesh Thakkar

Professor
Programs
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About Jay Rajesh Thakkar

Jay Thakkar is a curator, researcher, designer and professor at the Faculty of Design, CEPT University, whose work connects craft, vernacular knowledge systems, design research, and contemporary cultural practice across India and international contexts. He curates public cultural platforms, leads collaborative research initiatives, and develops pedagogic frameworks that bring together fieldwork, storytelling, exhibitions, and design education. Through his work with artisans, students, institutions, and cultural practitioners, he advances new ways of understanding material culture, heritage, and experiential learning.
Jay Thakkar is a Professor at the Faculty of Design, CEPT University, and Head of CEPT Exhibitions, with over two decades of academic and professional experience across India, Europe, and Australia. His work engages the intersections of craft, design, vernacular architecture, visual communication, storytelling, play, and contemporary cultural practice, bringing together research, pedagogy, curation, and public cultural engagement.Educated in Visual Communication at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design and Interior Design at CEPT University, he has built an interdisciplinary practice rooted in field-based inquiry, collaborative learning, and the contemporary interpretation of traditional knowledge systems. His teaching, research, exhibitions, and publications have consistently advanced new ways of understanding material culture, vernacular practices, and experiential design education.He serves as Curator of the Abhivyakti City Arts Festival and as Coordinator of Threads of Innovation, an international academic collaboration between CEPT University and NTNU, Norway. As Principal Investigator, he has led significant research initiatives including Vernacular Furniture of India, Celebrating Gundiyali, Building Crafts of Himachal Pradesh, and Crafts of Gujarat, each contributing extensively to documentation, exhibitions, archives, and scholarship on vernacular and craft traditions.He is also the co-founder and former Director of the Design Innovation and Craft Resource Centre (DICRC), CRDF, India, an institution dedicated to research and innovation in traditional building crafts and material culture. His authored and co-authored publications include Naqsh, Matra, Prathaa, Sahaj and Smarya, alongside the Craft Experiential Tourism Toolkit and ongoing research toward Craft Design Collaborative Pedagogy Toolkit.His contributions have been recognised through fellowships from the Charles Wallace India Trust and the Simon Digby Charitable Trust, gold medals from CEPT University and the Gujarat Institute for Civil Engineers and Architects, and the UTFORSK 2020 award from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. As an educator, he has developed multidisciplinary studios and workshops that use storytelling, systems thinking, and game-based approaches to connect heritage, community knowledge, and contemporary design practice.
  • Traditional and Vernacular Architecture
  • Craft and Cultural Heritage
  • Game Design and Storytelling
  • Visual Communication
  • Vernacular Furniture
  • Cinematic Realities — S‑2026
  • Studio 2 — S‑2026
  • Game Design: Translating Social Systems into Play — M‑2026
  • Tales of Denmark: Exploring Danish Craft-Design Cultures — S‑2025
  • Reimagining the Vernacular — M‑2025
  • Fictional Spaces — S‑2024
  • Experiencing Craft-Design-Culture in Netherlands — S‑2024
  • Celebrating Crafts — TOI — M‑2024
  1. Architectural and Cultural Aspects of the Sacred: Wood-and-stone temples of the Western Himalaya Bharat Dave, Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage)
  2. POLEMICS — ​‘Indianness’: a discussion column with key designers in India Jay Thakkar [IN]SIDE Journal (Matter / H&R Johnson India)
  3. Craft Design Collaborations in Interior Architecture Practices: A model of collaboration Jay Thakkar, Meghana Deshpande Insite (Vol 9, Issue 10)
  4. Craft Design Collaborative Pedagogy Toolkit Jay Thakkar, Rishav Jain DICRC, CEPT University
  5. The Himalayan vernacular: Kath-khuni architecture Mansi Shah, Jay Thakkar Saha​pe​dia​.org

Journal Article

  1. Details of Resistance: Indigenous Construction Systems of Himachal Pradesh Bharat Dave, Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah Context: Built, Living and Natural (DRONAH), Vol IX(1)
  2. Indigenous Building Traditions of Himachal Pradesh Bharat Dave, Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah ABACUS (BIT Mesra), 6(2)
  3. SEIN UND ZU-HAUSE-SEIN IN DER BERGEN Bharat Dave, Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah archithese
  4. Wood and Stone: The vernacular architecture of Himachal Pradesh Jay Thakkar GEO Magazine
  5. Traditional Crafts Collaborate with Contemporary Design Techniques Jay Thakkar and DICRC Team Indian Architect and Builder
  6. Relevance and Continuity of Wood in the Kath-khuni Architecture in the Mountainous Region of Himachal Pradesh, India Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah International Journal of Wood Culture
  7. Continuing traditions through frameworks of craft design innovation education and training M. Sathyanarayan, Rishav Jain, Jay Thakkar Journal of Heritage Management
  8. Continuing traditions through frameworks of craft design innovation education and training Mansi Sathyanarayan, Rishav Jain, Jay Thakkar Journal of Heritage Management, Sage Publishing

Report

  1. Field Report — Indigenous Architecture and Building Practices in Himachal Pradesh, India Bharat Dave, Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah DICRC CEPT University and The University of Melbourne
  2. Indigenous Building Practices of Kumaon, Uttarakhand Jay Thakkar DICRC, CEPT University
  3. Integrating regional knowledge through Board Game Design — a pedagogical pursuit Jay Thakkar Green Guide Series by Asia Europe Foundation and banglanatak​.com
  4. Kharadi Kaam: Wood Turning and Lacquer Craft in Dholka, Gujarat Jay Thakkar, B. Shome, S. Saraswat DICRC, CEPT University
  5. Field Report — Indigenous Architecture and Building Practices in Himachal Pradesh Jay Thakkar, Bharat Dave, Mansi Shah DICRC, CEPT University & University of Melbourne
  6. HEART:BEAT The Warli Project (Monograph) Jay Thakkar, Rishav Jain DICRC, CEPT University
  7. IDE2AS Craft Innovation Training Toolkit Jay Thakkar, Rishav Jain, D. Gharge DICRC, CEPT University
  8. Craft Innovation Training Programme with Terracotta Craftspeople of Gundiyali M. Sathyanarayan, Rishav Jain, Jay Thakkar DICRC, CEPT University
  9. Tatva: Community Driven Innovation Project Mansi Sathyanarayan, Rishav Jain, Jay Thakkar DICRC, CEPT University

Conference Proceedings

  1. Crafting Resilience: Wood in Kath-Khuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh Jay Thakkar The Seventh IUFRO Forest Products Culture Colloquium / International Symposium on Wood Science and Technology 2025
  2. Documenting Indian Vernacular Heritage (Paper ID ICOA1882) Jay Thakkar, G. Hegde, S. Jain, B. Rudolff 19th ICOMOS General Assembly & Scientific Symposium, New Delhi
  3. Crafting Resilience: Wood in Kath-Khuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh (Poster) Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah The Seventh IUFRO Forest Products Culture Colloquium (JWRS & Kumamoto University), Sendai, Japan
  4. Re-engaging Vernacular Building Practices — Facilitating the revitalisation through a systematic approach Jay Thakkar, Routh R. South Asian Vernacular Architecture Conference Proceeding
  5. Experiencing Craft and Culture: an emerging cultural sustainable tourism model in India Rishav Jain, Jay Thakkar Cultural Sustainable Tourism
  6. Experiencing Craft and Culture: an emerging cultural sustainable tourism model in India Rishav Jain, Jay Thakkar International Conference — Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST 2017), IEREK, Thessaloniki, Greece
  7. Experiencing Craft and Culture: an emerging cultural sustainable tourism model in India Rishav Jain, Jay Thakkar International Conference on Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST 2017)

Book

  1. Naqsh: The Art of Wood Carving of Traditional Houses of Gujarat Jay Thakkar Naqsh: The Art of Wood Carving of Traditional Houses of Gujarat
  2. Naqsh: The Art of Wood Carving of Traditional Houses of Gujarat — Focus on Ornamentation Jay Thakkar SID Research Cell, CEPT University
  3. Naqsh: The Art of Wood Carving of Traditional Houses of Gujarat: Focus on Ornamentation Jay Thakkar SID Research Cell
  4. Prathaa: Kath-Khuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh Jay Thakkar, Bharat Dave, Mansi Shah Prathaa: Kath-Khuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh
  5. Prathaa: Kath-Khuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh Jay Thakkar, Bharat Dave, Mansi Shah SID Research Cell, CEPT University
  6. Smarya: Vernacular Furniture of Punjab and Haryana Jay Thakkar, Mansi Sathyanarayan Rao, Ben Cartwright, Abhishek Ruikar CEPT University Press
  7. Matra: Ways of Measuring Vernacular Built Forms of Himachal Pradesh Jay Thakkar, Skye Morrison Matra: Ways of Measuring Vernacular Built Forms of Himachal Pradesh
  8. Matra: Ways of Measuring Vernacular Built Forms of Himachal Pradesh Jay Thakkar, Skye Morrison SID Research Cell, CEPT University

Book Chapter

  1. Crafts in India — Representations and Reflexivity through the lens of applied research Jay Thakkar, Mansi Rao Routledge Handbook of Craft and Sustainability in India
  2. Kath-khuni architecture of Himachal Pradesh: Decline, Continuity and Change Jay Thakkar, Mansi Shah Building Craft Traditions in Tibetan and Himalayan Architecture
  3. Experiencing Craft and Culture: an emerging cultural sustainable tourism model in India Jay Thakkar, Rishav Jain Cultural Sustainable Tourism (Springer, Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation)

Seminar

  1. A (UN)Certain Future: A Strategy for Re-building the Craft Sector Thakkar J. India Craft Week & British Council (Global Crafting Futures Programme)
  2. Conscious Induction of Skills in Architectural Pedagogy (COA-TRC Online Training) Thakkar J. Symbiosis Skills & Professional University, Pune
  3. Craft and Innovation: Tradition in Transition Thakkar J. Daksha — Crafting Voices 2026, Kolkata (banglanatak)
  4. Craft Innovation — A Systematic Approach Thakkar J. Pearl Academy & Association of Designers of India (ADI) — Design Lounge Series
  5. Craft Innovation in Rural India Thakkar J. Design: An Asian Perspective, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  6. Design ki Sambhavnayien (Prospects in Design) Thakkar J. School of Planning and Design, Manipal University Jaipur
  7. Future of Craft Thakkar J. National Craft Seminar 2015 — ​‘Karigari: Crafting the Future’, Govt of Gujarat
  8. Integration of Art, Craft and Design (India/​UK Together — A Season of Culture) Thakkar J. Charles Wallace India Trust & British Council, Delhi
  9. International Seminar for Promotion of Exports of Indian Handicrafts Thakkar J. EPCH, DC (Handicrafts) & NCDPD
  10. Jivan Chakra: Exploring Narratives in Vernacular Furniture Thakkar J. Bhartiya Shilp and Architecture seminar, IGNCA & GREHA, New Delhi
  11. Making of Matra: Built and Unbuilt Spaces Thakkar J. Seminar: Interior Design Traditions in India, CEPT University
  12. Role and Future of Design Thakkar J. Career Guidance Seminar, Gujarat Institute of Civil Engineers and Architects (GICEA), Ahmedabad
  13. Role of DICRC in Promotion of Craft Thakkar J. National Craft Seminar 2014 — ​‘Paramparaa: Future Craft Traditions’, Govt of Gujarat
  14. Role of Traditional Crafts in Modern Interiors and Architecture Thakkar J. India Craft Week & Pearl Academy, Delhi
  15. Understanding & Safeguarding the Building Crafts of India: A Holistic Approach Thakkar J. Webinar on DRR for Traditional Arts & Crafts of India, NIDM (Ministry of Home Affairs) & Rooftop

Conference

  1. A Synergistic Creative Approach in Warli Craft Practices through Heart:Beat (Keynote) Thakkar J. ​‘Ceramic Values: Can Ceramics Make a Difference?’ Congress, Ulster University, Stoke on Trent, UK
  2. An Analysis of Kath-khuni Architecture as a Sustainable Humane Habitat in Himachal Pradesh Thakkar J. 11th International Conference on Humane Habitat (ICHH 2009), IAHH, Rizvi College of Architecture
  3. Application of Art & Craft (Session Chair & Panellist) Thakkar J. International e‑Conference ​‘Retro Futurism of Skills in Architecture, Design, Planning and Innovation’, SSPU, Pune
  4. Collaborative Innovation for Creative Future Thakkar J. International Conference of Creative Futures (ICCF’22), Manipal University Jaipur
  5. Community Engagement: A Systematic Approach (Accelerating Climate Action in the Built Environment) Thakkar J. 16th GRIHA Summit, New Delhi
  6. Craft-Design Collaboration: An Emerging Hybrid Model of Academic Pedagogy in Design and Architecture Education Thakkar J. ​‘A Focus on Pedagogy’, AMPS & Routledge with Beaconhouse University
  7. Craft-Design Innovation: An Inclusive Approach Thakkar J. 4th International Conference on Creativity and Innovation at Grassroots (ICCIG 4), IIM Ahmedabad
  8. Crafting Contextual Learning: A Cross-Cultural Pedagogical Model for Craft Thakkar J. DESIGN 2030: Developing Efficient and Sustainable Innovations for Global Needs, K.R. Mangalam University, Delhi
  9. Crafting Tomorrow: A Framework for Craft-Design Collaboration from Practice to Classroom Thakkar J. LOOP.ed Conclave on Responsible Consumption and Production in Design, Unitedworld Institute of Design NCR (UIDNCR)
  10. DICRC Overview Thakkar J. Oikos Asia Meet 2012 — Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Lifestyles, Ahmedabad
  11. Documenting Indian Vernacular Heritage (Paper ID ICOA1882) Thakkar J. 19th ICOMOS General Assembly & Scientific Symposium, New Delhi
  12. Engagement with Craft Community in Gujarat Thakkar J. KULA Conclave — Craft-Based Linkages for Regenerative Tourism & Urban Development, Goa
  13. Experiencing Craft and Culture: An Emerging Cultural Sustainable Tourism Model in India Thakkar J. International Conference — Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST 2017), IEREK, Thessaloniki, Greece
  14. Fostering Open Cultures (Session Co-chair, with Saurabh Popli) Thakkar J. ICCIG 4 / Festival of Inclusive Innovations for Social Transformation (FIIST), IIM Ahmedabad
  15. Kath-khuni in Himachal Pradesh: Documenting and Practicing Tradition Thakkar J. IASTE Conference: Interrogating Tradition, UC Berkeley & Oxford Brookes, Oxford, UK
  16. Many Voices, Shared Ground: Co-creative Practice across Art, Craft & Design Thakkar J. Craft, Community & Tourism: An International Confluence — Sarawak Craft Council & Society Atelier Sarawak, Kuching, Malaysia
  17. Redefining the Educational Perspective on Crafts and Heritage in Interior Architecture Thakkar J. International Conference on Heritage Management Education and Practice, Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad
  18. Redefining the Position of Crafts in India (Keynote) Thakkar J. Varna 2017, K.S. School of Architecture, Bangalore
  19. Re-engaging Vernacular Building Practices — Facilitating the Revitalisation through a Systematic Approach Thakkar J. South Asian Vernacular Architecture Conference, Bhopal
  20. Reimagining the Vernacular: A Pedagogical Inquiry into Indigenous Knowledge Through Game Design Thakkar J. Indigenous Consciousness Education Research Methodology Convening (ICERM), Anant University
  21. Revival and Re-engagement of Space Making Crafts within Creative Industries Thakkar J. India Urban Conference 2011 (City in Public Culture), Infosys Campus, Mysore
  22. The Indigenous Kath-Khuni Construction System of the Himalayas: Continuity and Relevance of Local Building Crafts Thakkar J. From Forests to Heritage 2024, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland
  23. Understanding Methodological Framework to Document, Record and Decode the Craftsmanship and Narratives in the Vernacular Furniture of India Thakkar J. Blurred Boundaries 2.0 International Conference, SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture, Pune

Symposium

  1. Celebrating Clay: Revival of Crafts Post-Pandemic Thakkar J. ​‘A (UN)Certain Future: A Strategy for Re-building the Craft Sector’, India Craft Week & British Council
  2. Craft-Design Collaborative Pedagogy: A Model for Sustainability in Design Education Thakkar J. SiDE International Symposium on Sustainability in Design Education, IIT Delhi & TU Delft
  3. Crafting Resilience: Wood in Kath-Khuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh (Poster) / Relevance and Continuity of Wood Thakkar J. ISWST 2025 / World Wood Day Symposium / 7th IUFRO Forest Products Culture Colloquium (JWRS & Kumamoto University), Sendai, Japan
  4. Emerging Craft Practices and Their Role in Making the City Thakkar J. Expanded Practices Symposium, College of Architecture, Art and Planning, Cornell University
  5. Journey of Indian Wood Crafts — Traditional Built Heritage to Contemporary Craft-Design Innovations Thakkar J. 2016 World Wood Day Symposium, Nepal Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal
  6. Kath-Khuni Architecture and its Sacred Relationship with Devta, Land and Community Thakkar J. MIMASA Architectural Symposium, MMCOA, Pune
  7. Learning from the Walled City of Ahmedabad Thakkar J. International Symposium on Heritage Management (Asmita Samvad — A Dialogue on Heritage and Identity), Ahmedabad University
  8. Relevance of Craft in Design Education in the Indian Context Thakkar J. ASIDE — A Symposium on Interior Design Education, IIID Jaipur
  9. Sustainability and Habitat Education Thakkar J. WIPRO Western Region Sustainability Symposium, Ahmedabad
  10. The Sustainability of Indigenous Building Craft Practices: Kath-Kuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh Thakkar J. Building Craft Traditions in Tibet and the Himalayas, Austrian Academy of Sciences (OAW)

Round Table

  1. Celebrating Skills: Mapping Needs and Approaches for Skill Development in Gujarat Thakkar J. DICRC, CEPT University
  2. Death and Rebirth of Furniture and Memories In-Between Thakkar J. Raw Talk Series — ​‘Of Empty Chairs, Frayed Photos and other such Bits and Bobs’, Godrej Archives
  3. Future of Crafts (Impact & Action: How the Pandemic Affected Experiential Events) Thakkar J. Fashion Revolution India & British Council
  4. Future of Professional Education in Architecture, Design & Technology Thakkar J. CEPT University
  5. Heritage, Crafts & Tourism: Promoting Collaborations, Creating New Business Opportunities Thakkar J. Centre for Heritage Management (Ahmedabad University), AMC & Casa de la India, Spain
  6. Management of Heritage: Challenges and Opportunities Thakkar J. Centre for Heritage Management (Ahmedabad University), AMC & Casa de la India, Spain
  7. Space Making Craft in Heritage Conservation Thakkar J. Round Table Conference, Casa de la India & University of Valladolid, Spain
  8. The Experience Economy in Tourism (Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future for All) Thakkar J. World Tourism Day, UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

Other

  1. Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP) Grantee Training Programme (Large Grant) Thakkar J. The British Museum, London
  2. Looking Beyond the Obvious: Learning from the Ordinary Houses (TEDx) Thakkar J. TEDx, Shri Padmapat Singhania University, Udaipur
  3. Monitoring and Evaluation — Crafting Futures Project Thakkar J. British Council & The Social Investment Consultancy

Workshop

  1. Indigenous Sustainable Construction Practices: Kath-Khuni Architecture Thakkar J. First National Workshop on Green Hill Habitat, IIT Roorkee (IGBC & CII)
  2. Model of Policy Framework in the Craft Sector Thakkar J. National Participatory Workshop ​‘Safeguarding and Reviving Cultural Industries in Uttarakhand’ (Dharohar), IIT Roorkee
  3. Model of Policy Framework in the Handicraft Sector Thakkar J. Consultative Workshop on Policy Challenges in the Handicrafts Sector, GIDR, Ahmedabad
  4. Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop (Global Crafting Futures) Thakkar J. British Council
  5. Research Action Model for Craft: An Institutional Framework Thakkar J. Dharohar — A Workshop on Craft and Skill Development for Sustainable Design, CUDD, IIT Roorkee

Convention

  1. Role of Board Games in Education and Design Industry Thakkar J. Unboxed Board Game Club
  2. Think Global, Design Indian Thakkar J. INDESIA — IIID National Convention 2014, Kolhapur

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