Lavendra Kumar Shukla

Lavendra Shukla is an architect turned Transportation Designer with a bachelor's degree in architecture. He began his career as a site architect at LIPL, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, where he contributed to projects like a mall, a Fortune hotel, and residential apartments. After gaining three years of experience in the real estate industry, Lavendra pursued further studies in mobility and vehicle design at IDC, IIT Bombay. 

During his academic journey, Lavendra served as a mentor for a World Design Challenge team comprising students from UPES and a foreign university. Under his guidance, the team achieved an impressive second prize in the WDC conducted by WDO (World Design Organization).

With a strong foundation in the industry, Lavendra Shukla has held roles at TATA ACGL, a sister company of TATA Motors, prior to joining UPES. Additionally, he briefly contributed to a water cleaning device project during a three-month tenure at WUD, SONIPAT HARYANA, a project he is currently engaged in. 

Lavendra has accumulated over a year and five months of teaching experience, including his current position at the university. His work spans a spectrum of design areas, encompassing: 

• Implementing front elevation treatments such as ACP panelling at Raghunath Mall. 
• Crafting spatial plans for residential and commercial spaces. 
• Conducting acoustic treatments for Sun City Multiplex in Haridwar. 
• Overseeing the completion of residential building blocks to possession level. 
• Driving cost and weight optimizations using VAVE (Value Analysis/Value Engineering) for bus structures, interiors, and exteriors. 
• Designing colour themes and side body graphics for both domestic and export buses. 
• Pioneering the development of 3D-printed ABS dashboards for export buses. 
• Demonstrating proficiency in handling various materials, including FRP, glass wool, thermocol, vinyl flooring sheets, ABS, ACP, heatlon insulation sheets, PVC coated sheets, plywood, gypsum board, granite, marble, and tiles. 
• Leading the design of dashboards, podests, and engine hoods using single-skin methodologies. 
• Employing FRP moulding techniques through Silicon Vacuum Bag technology and 3D printing. 

These experiences underline Lavendra's versatile skill set and contributions across a wide spectrum of design and developmental domains.

In his current academic pursuits, Lavendra Shukla's research interests are directed towards refining teaching methodologies that enhance educational outcomes for aspiring designers, particularly within the context of real-life scenarios. This focus underscores his dedication to advancing the effectiveness of design education and ensuring its practical applicability in the professional world.

Lavendra Shukla believes that effective teaching stems from being a skilled practitioner. His comprehensive industry background equips him with both theoretical and practical insights, enabling him to guide students adeptly. He envisions education as a platform for prolonged research and projects, and he aims to acquire pedagogical expertise while pursuing a future PhD. Collaborating with experienced faculty, Lavendra seeks to reshape teaching methods, aligning with the institution's vision for growth, all while embracing the adage, "If you want to go far, go together."

In his role as an educator, he has proficiently instructed a range of courses that align with his industrial expertise. These include 3D Printing, Vehicle Styling Projects, Vehicle Interior and CMF, Vehicle Graphics, Automobile Ergonomics and Styling, and Final Year Design Projects. His adept delivery of these courses underscores his commitment to shaping well-rounded and skilled designers.

Lavendra Shukla, an emerging academic professional in the design field, displayed remarkable dedication and mentorship as he led a team of students from UPES and a foreign university to an impressive second-place win in the WDC organized by WDO (World Design Organization).

Engaging in scholarly pursuits, Lavendra Shukla is delving into the intriguing history of transportation and its evolution, closely examining ethnographic trends embraced by users. To contribute to the field, he is in the process of preparing a paper on this noteworthy subject.

lovendrak.shukla@ddn.upes.ac.in