The fast- changing precepts in today's world demand a knowledge of the dynamics at work in which the industry of architecture and planning operates. The Research Cell of IES COA has at its disposal, a team of academicians, who are also involved in the industry as professionals, who can create and deliver Research and Design services for our clients. Our fields of expertise extend into environmental studies, urban design, urban and regional planning, architectural documentation and conservation.

Our processes take advantage of architecture's traditional concerns for site specificity, spatial experience, construction logics, economics of organization, morphology and physical form, while also engaging realms of knowledge associated with disciplines such as environment and urban ecology, urban geography and landscape design.

Our services intend to determine the concept of Architecture and Design with due emphasis on Research, Concept Design, Design methodologies and Processes, which employ a multi-scalar approach to the site (local, neighborhood, metropolitan, regional and global scales), and view it as an inter-disciplinary practice that negotiates between actors in the urban dynamic.

Our intellectual support is further strengthened by our Department of Post Graduate Studies, which offers Masters programmes in General Architecture, Environmental Architecture, Construction Management and Urban & Regional Planning, which is constantly involved in their academic projects of varied scope and scale.

Our facilities include :

1) A space of about 2600 sq. ft. dedicated for the Research Cell
2) A well equipped library with about 5000 books, journals and periodicals, which is constantly being upgraded
3) Research theses and projects from under- graduate as well as post- graduate students of architecture
4) Computer lab with more than 80 computers, out of which 10 are dedicated to the Research Cell, with state-of- art printing facilities licensed software, such as Autodesk, Revit, MS Office, Sketch up, MS Project and GIS.

Our academic work has included :

1) Analyzing the town of Pandharpur, Maharashtra to derive a comprehensive Development Plan
2) Analysis of Housing Typologies in Mumbai
3) Comparative study of Urban Patterns
4) Comparative studies of Inter State Bus Terminals (ISBTs) of various metropolitan cities in India
5) Study of the Village Medha, Maharashtra in order to study regional building typologies and the inter- relationship between site planning and built- form

The IES Research Cell is headed by Ar. Vinit Mirkar, Ar. Snehal Karlekar, Ar.Shilpa Sharma and Ar. Mugdha Deshpande. They are assisted by a team of ten apprentices.

Ar. Vinit Mirkar
Research Cell Head
(Cell : 98677 21535)