Malav Desai

Intern Architect

Professional Registrations

Education

  • Master in Architecture, University of Toronto (2024)
  • Bachelors in Architecture, CEPT University (2021)

Bio

What other specific interests within the field of architecture do you have?

I am drawn toward the use of low-carbon and regional materials, specifically in how we can reintegrate architecture with its local landscape. I am focused on creating buildings that aren't just energy efficient but actually contribute positively to their environment. This involves a deep understanding of the full lifecycle of a material, from its source to its eventual reuse, and how the technical logic of assembly can result in structures that are both expressive and environmentally responsible.

Are there specific books for schools of though in architecture that inspire you?

Being surrounded by great people in both academia and industry has exposed me to a wide range of perspectives, but some ideas that have stayed and resonated with me are:

How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built, Stewart Brand // 1995

Abstracting Craft: The Practiced Digital Hand, Malcolm McCullough // 1998

Extrastatecraft: The Power of Infrastructure Space, Keller Easterling // 2014

Material Reform: Building for a Post Carbon Future, Material Cultures // 2022

The Architecture of Trees, Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi // 2019

99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design, Roman Mars // 2020

Adhocism: The Case for Improvisation, Charles Jencks and Nathan Silver // 2013

The Beauty of Everyday Things, Soetsu Yanagi // 1933 (republished 2019)

Architecture Without Architects, Bernard Rudofsky // 1987

Designing the Forest and Other Mass Timber Futures, Lindsey Wikstrom // 2023

Wood Urbanism: From the Molecular to the Territorial, Daniel Ibanez, Jane Hutton, Kiel Moe // 2019

Ghost: Building and Architectural Vision, Brian MacKay-Lyons // 2008The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs // 1961

Is there an architecturally significant city you would like to visit, and why?

I'm fascinated by the megacities of China, like Shenzhen, and the meticulous urbanism of Japan, particularly Tokyo. I’m also drawn to the progressive, bike-oriented cities of Western Europe, specifically places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen The list is endless.....

Malav Desai's Notable Projects

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