Vrushali Mahatre

Assistant Professor

Role
Assistant Professor
Section
Dubai
Department
Textiles and Design
Email
Vrushali Mahatre

About

At the School of Textile and Design in Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Vrushali Mhatre fulfils her role as an assistant professor and program lead for postgraduate studies in Interior Architecture and Design. With more than a decade of industry experience as an accomplished interior designer and project manager, she has successfully undertaken and delivered numerous multinational design projects in India and the UAE. Since 2006 her career trajectory has moved towards academia while still maintaining an active involvement with the design industry and connecting it with academia. Vrushali has successfully instructed a diverse range of courses, including design research, design studios, and professional practice, lighting and acoustic’s, exhibition design, supervising thesis projects within both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Biography

Academic Leadership and Affiliations:

Vrushali has been appointed as the Associate Director of Learning and Teaching for the school and also chairs as the school disciplinary committee.

Qualifications:

  • 1994-1996: MSc in Interior Design Specialization with 1st Class from VHD College, Bangalore (Equivalency obtained)
  • 1990-1994: BSc with 1st   Class from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore University
  • 1996: Diploma in Interior Design from Jenson & Nicholson
  • 1991: Diploma in Auto Cad R-2008 & 3D Studio 9
  • 2012: Ministry Approved Revit certificate
Research

Areas of research:

She is deeply passionate about cultural heritage and sustainability, exploring ways to integrate traditional design principles and innovative sustainable practices into contemporary contexts.

Human-centered design is a key area of interest, focusing on creating meaningful and user-centric experiences that prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of habitants.

She has a keen interest in design education management, aiming to enhance and optimize the learning experiences of students in the field of design.

She is now in the process of her PHD application at Heriot Watt University converging on the topic of Heritage Design and cultural Identity of Sacred Spaces in Dubai and its influence on Interior Architecture.

Publications

“The Influence of Vernacular Sustainability Contemporary Interior Design”. International Journal of Visual Design ,16(2), pp. 53–68,2022.  

“Impact of heritage on contemporary sustainable interior design        solutions “. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 238, pp. 47–58,”2019.

Enhancing Occupants’ Well-Being Through Qualitative Indoor Environments” In book: Architecture and Urbanism: A Smart Outlook, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Architecture and Urban Planning, Cairo, Egypt Springer 202 DOI: 10.1007/978-3030-52584-2_13

“Integrating Human-Centered Design Approach to Create Mindful Successful Design Solutions”. Conference Proceedings_ICSC2023 (March 1, 2023)