Conferences & Papers
15+
International Conference Presentations
10+
Research
Publications
since 2017
DRS 2026, Edinburgh
Between Worlds: Play Materials As Mediators of the Lived and the Ludic
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan & Prof. Khushboo Jogani
Location : University of Edinburgh, UK (Virtual)
Dates : 8-12 June, 2026
Brief : This paper examines how play materials invite players into, operate within, and emerge from the ludic space, shaping gameplay and learning. Empirically grounded in a live design studio for UG design students.
Themes: Design Education, Game-Based Learning, Play Design
Cumulus Athens 2026: Roots/Routes in Design
THINKING PARTNERS AND SKEPTICAL ASSISTANTS: AI’S MULTIPLE ROLES IN DESIGN PEDAGOGY
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan & Prof. Khushboo Jogani
Location : University of West Attica, Athens, Greece (Virtual)
Dates : 5-9 May, 2026
This paper proposes the TCTS model, a structured model for positioning AI as a pedagogical partner within studio-based design education. It addresses two central questions:
- What modalities and methodologies enable design faculty to work with AI across stages of teaching and learning?
- How can AI be leveraged to create room for the natural intelligence of educators and students, including their creativity, empathy, and judgement, to thrive?
Themes: Design Education, AI in Education, Pedagogical Innovation, Human Agency
Cumulus 2025: Ethical Leadership, A New Frontier For Design
CULTIVATING CARE: ETHICAL PEDAGOGY FOR COLLABORATION IN PUBLIC SPACES
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan, Dr. Daniele Busciantella-Ricci, Prof. Khushboo Jogani, Dr. Malay Dhamelia
Location : Nantes, France
Dates : 3-7 June, 2026
This research proposes a new schema in design education - an ethical design pedagogy infused with an attitude of care. This schema embeds perspectives on collaborative, reciprocal design in Freire's (1970) and Hooks' (1994) critical pedagogies.
Themes: Design Education, Culture of Care
REGENERATE THROUGH PLAY: INCORPORATING HUMAN-NATURE DYNAMICS IN DESIGN EDUCATION
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan, Dr. Daniele Busciantella-Ricci, Prof. Khushboo Jogani, Dr. Malay Dhamelia
Location : Nantes, France
Dates : 3-7 June, 2026
This workshop invited participants to co-design mutliplayer games for use in the design classroom. The games focused on human-nature dynamics that integrated systems-thinking into game design.
Themes: Design Education, Game-Based Learning, Play Design
SMUS Thailand: 4th International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Spatial Methods for Urban Sustainability
Unveiling Participation: Investigating Stakeholder Representation in Participatory Design for Public Spaces
Presented By : Atheeva Rejikumar, Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location : Global Center of Spatial Methods for Urban Sustainability & Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand)
Dates : July, 2024
The paper argues that, to create an inclusive process, mechanisms of exclusion and the interconnected ways in
which they can affect a stakeholder’s access to participation need to be examined. Through field research, it identifies and decodes the impact of these mechanisms, not just in terms of ‘who participates’ but also ‘how they participate’ and ‘the outcomes of participation’. This paper delves into the following questions:
- What are the factors that affect representation ofdiverse stakeholders in participatory processes?
- How does the process of facilitation including facilitator bias, language, power hierarchies etc. affect representation?
- How can these understandings improve inclusivity in participatory design?
Themes: Participatory Design, Design Research, Co-Design, Design Education
ITD24: International Transdisciplinary Conference
Gendered Mobility Studies: A Catalyst For Trans-disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Design
Education
Presented By : Lakshmi Srinivasan, Danica Martins, Dheeksha Rajakumar, Anudi Bhosle,Purvi Prashant Patil
Location : Utrecht University, Netherlands
Dates : November, 2024
This work demonstrates how adopting gendered perspectives acted as a provocation and a catalyst to create interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches within the design research. Based on case studies, it demonstrates this through two directions:
1) How gendered perspectives necessitate and influence the implementation of transdisciplinary contextual understanding of mobility in cities, and
2) How theoretical concepts in sociology, psychology and other domains of study pertaining to gendered exclusions were required in the study. Therefore, they had to be translated and embedded creatively into design processes resulting in multiple interdisciplinary methodologies and actionable tools.
Themes: Transdisciplinarity in Design, Inter-Disciplinary Methods, Design Education, Gender in Design, Inclusive Design
Cumulus Budapest 2024 P/References of Design
Transcending Boundaries - Design Education For Social Innovation"
Presented By : Lakshmi Srinivasan, Ritu Sonalika
Location : MOME Budapest
Dates : May, 2024
This paper proposes a pedagogy that advocates a radical reframing of design pedagogy by integrating systems thinking transdisciplinary, and social consciousness for sustainable social innovations. It positions design education as a bridge between Life-Cycle Assessments (LCA) from environmental sciences and the study of social networks and community well-being, situated in social sciences and sociology.
Themes: Design Education, Social Innovation, Inter-Disciplinary Methods
Radical Inclusive Attitudes: the challenge of doing, undoing, and redoing the world-in-the-making
Presented By : Dr. Daniele Busciantella-Ricci, Dr. Luis Soares, Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan, Dr. Mike De Kreek,
Prof. Anne H. Berry
we are calling for a paradigm shift from the centralisation of power held by design processes to situation-centred approaches (which we define as design-uncentred) that prioritise local communities, strategies, movements, and activism. Responding, we introduce the Radical Inclusive Attitudes (RIA) concept, a cultural design framework to challenge conventional thinking about inclusive design in favour of critical, collaborative, transdisciplinary strategies that can best address complexity.
Themes: Design Education, Social Innovation, Inter-Disciplinary Methods
Spatial Justice in Practice: Benchmarking Spatial Justice in Policymaking, Planning & Design
Bridging the Gap: Pedagogy for Addressing Socio-Spatial Public Transit Exclusions in India
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location : Center For Just City, TU Delft, Netherlands
Dates : November, 2023
This paper presents a pedagogical framework designed to enhance the robustness of analysing and addressing socio-spatial exclusion in the Global South (specifically Bengaluru, India). Focused on the themes of urban mobility and public transit infrastructure, this pedagogy was implemented in a thesis design studio at Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology comprising of twenty-eight students.
Themes: Spatial Justice, Inclusive Design, Design Research, Design Education
Gentrification around Metro Stations in Bengaluru: A Report and Toolkit
Presented By : Deepshika Chaudhuri, Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
This research paper presented as a Thesis Project at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, primarily focuses on understanding gentrification dynamics triggered by Mass Rapid Transit Systems, specifically Metro Stations (‘Namma Metro’) in Bengaluru, India, and their role in perpetuating disparities in urban access. Since, most gentrification toolkits are designed for the Global North, leaving a gap in gentrification studies in
the Global South, this study introduces a unique methodological approach to explore gentrification, particularly in the context of urban mobility and its relation to informal and formal street vending, complexities associated with informal economies and unlawful gratifications between private parties and governmental bodies.
Themes: Spatial Justice, Inclusive Design, Design Research, Design Education
Association of Architectural Educators Conference 2023: "Productive-Disruptive"
"(Re) Framing Spatial Design Studio: Tools For A New Spatial Design Pedagogy
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan & Ar Ninad Koranne
Location : Cardiff, UK
Dates : August, 2023
This paper seeks to demonstrate how introductory pedagogy can be restructured to push the boundaries of conventional architectural or spatial design teaching models. The paper presents a pedagogic approach that began with the thought of addressing the larger questions of “What does a studio that encourages a new mode of spatial design thinking look like? How can such a studio push the students to go beyond the idea of meeting a client brief through a functional built form?”
Themes: Architectural Education, Design Education, Curriculum Design
Include 2022 Conference
People Moving Through Space: Towards a comprehensive framework to decode spatial exclusion
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location : Royal College of Art (RCA), London, UK (Virtual)
Dates : September, 2022
This paper proposes a comprehensive pedagogic framework to decode spatial exclusion by postulating that it occurs as “people move through space”. Therefore, it is impacted by –
The people moving through the space: the types of identities that people possess with respect to the physical bodies they occupy and associated identities (physical abilities, skin colour etc.), their metaphysical experiences (cognition, emotions etc.) and their social identities (how their physical & metaphysical dimensions are received in the society).
The acts of “moving through” expressed as accessibility and mobility, which include safety, speed etc. The material properties of the physical space which includes the materials used, dimensions, distances etc. Additionally, the interaction of people with others in space - as this creates sociopolitical dynamics.
Themes: Inclusive Design, Design Education, Spatial Exclusion
SRBE 2022 : 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Resilient Built Environments
An interdisciplinary pedagogy for environmental design & community resilience during the pandemic
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan & Dr Keya Chakraborthy
Location : Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal (Virtual)
Dates : December, 2022
In this paper, a method of spatial analysis and design has been proposed through the context of a spatial design studio. It addresses the following questions :
-What constitutes a holistic and interdisciplinary spatial design framework for addressing community resilience?
-How can this framework be incorporated in spatial design pedagogy within the constraints posed by the pandemic? i.e. How can the practice of spatial analysis and design be moved from a site-specific approach to a methodology-centric way of understanding and co-designing?
-How can the best practices in different contexts, that address the development of community-level consciousness, be translated into spatial understandings for learners?
This framework developed by the authors employs methods such as cognitive mapping , stakeholder mapping, concept ideation tools etc. borrowed from different disciplines including sociology, urban design and geography, and various interdisciplinary contexts viz. nature based solutions, design thinking etc.
Themes: Interdisisciplinary Methods, Design Education, Sustainable Design
Gender, Work & Organisation, 2021
NAVIGATING INTERSECTIONAL EXCLUSION IN "PUBLIC SPACES" OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location : E-Conference (hosted by University of Kent, United Kingdom)
Dates : 30th June -2nd July, 2021
Brief :
In this paper, I shall propose the use of intersectionality theory as a mechanism to create more inclusive spatial design practices and to navigate exclusion in public spaces. This shall be done through my reflections on an academic project on a public transit station in Chennai, India. I shall elucidate on the following methods of understanding exclusions through an intersectional lens :
- Construction of cognitive maps to understand individuals’ journeys through space and time in public spaces, as functions of their identities.
- A visual tool to examine dynamic intersectional identities - as complex identities that change with time.
Link to the Full Paper : Coming Soon
Conference Website : https://www.facebook.com/gwo2021/
ICCPP Conference 2020
BORDERING PROCESSES: THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL BORDERS IN THE TIME OF PANDEMIC
Co-Authored By : Dr. Reem Sultan & Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location of Conference : E-Conference (hosted by University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka)
Conference Dates : 15th-18th December, 2020
ISSN : 2448-9247
Published in "Cities, People & Places"
Brief :
In this paper, we propose to examine the emerging consequences of changing social order in India and Bahrain from the lens of border theory. In the contexts of both countries, border theory has been used to offer insights into the following questions:
- How can we analyze pandemic response strategies employed so far and identify the causes for their lack of success?
- Who are the re-bordering and de-bordering processes serving and who are they excluding?
- What needs to change with individual strategies that can make pandemic planning more inclusive?
Link to the Full Talk (Video) : https://youtu.be/f1fwK6Mnf_A
Conference Website : iccpp.lk/
Building Narrative 2019
EXAMINING SHARED SPACES THROUGH AN INTERSECTIONAL LENS
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location : Catholic University of Portugal, Lisbon
Dates : 5th-6th December, 2019
Popular literature in spatial discourse discusses exclusions of larger groups of people with overarching common identities (gendered - women 2 , transmen & transwomen, age - old & young, disabled 3 etc.). When discussing multiple “layers” of exclusion acting on one individual, intersectionality theory has the potential to offer better insights. Intersectionality theory considers that various aspects of an individual’s identity do not exist in isolation but rather as complexly interlinked aspects of an individual’s identity. In this paper, I present my reflections and studies based on two academic projects - one on a public transit station in Chennai, India and the other on shared “common spaces” in Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan. Both studies examine social interactions and cognitive experiences of different individuals in these two shared spaces of seemingly contrasting political and social natures, through the lens of intersectionality.
Conference Website : buildingnarrative.wordpress.com
LeNS Conference 2019
SOCIAL INEQUITY IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE & ITS IMPACT ON A CITY’S SUSTAINABILITY
Presented By : Ar. Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location : Bengaluru (hosted by Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology in Bengaluru)
Dates : 3rd-5th April, 2019
Brief :
This paper proposes an alternative way of understanding social inclusion with respect to sustainability. Rather than treating inclusion as a consequence of sustainable development, it seeks to position inclusive approaches in spatial design as pathways and enablers of more sustainable cities in the global south. This approach also presents social inclusion as an opportunity-provider for sustainability as opposed to popular narratives that present it as an opportunity created by sustainable development. Through the context of the Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) stations in Chennai, the paper shall address this method in two parts-
1) Through existing narratives of social exclusion while navigating through a Chennai MRTS station
2) Establishing connections between the discussed social exclusion and overall usage of public transport in a city.
Link to the Full Paper : https://cutt.ly/ic8vjnQ
Link to the Full Talk (Video) : Coming Soon
Conference Website : lensconference3.org/
Architecture Fringe 2017
WAR ZONE CREATIVES : EXHIBIT
Exhibit By : Beimeng Zhang, Houfai Pang, Hua Li, Lakshmi Srinivasan
Location : St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, UK
Dates : 5th to 23rd July, 2017
Understanding impact of hegemonic and non-hegemonic power interactions in the Za'atri refugee camp, Jordan in 2017.
Special Thanks to Dr. Aya Musmar & Dr. Nishat Awan.
Click on GIF to play in full-screen
Click on GIF to play in full-screen
PhD By Design, 2017
BEYOND BORDERS
Paper & Presentation By : Lakshmi Srinivasan
Based on Project By : Beimeng Zhang, Hua Li, Lakshmi Srinivasan, Pooya Hosseini, Ebru Sen & Xinfei Zhao
Location : St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, UK
Dates : 3rd-4th April, 2017
Presented my group's research project "Beyond Borders"(developed during the course of my MA) along with personal reflections expressed through my poems. The project predominantly focused on the urban and architectural characteristics of Immigration Removal Centers and their role in the political workings of the Border. In the presentation, I explored the importance of subjective narratives and the activist & transformative power of design research, within the context of the project. The abstract of my presentation was published in the instant journal, issue 04.
