ABOUT

Neeta Das is a graduate in Architecture (1987) from CEPT, Ahmedabad, M.S. (Arch.) in Architectural History, Criticism, & Pedagogy (1995) from the University of Cincinnati, USA, a Ph.D. from SPA Delhi/ Lucknow University (2004), and specialist in conservation from Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, London (2004) and Scottish Lime Center, Charlestown (2013 & 2015). In 2012, she was awarded the Post Doctoral Fellowship by the Indian Council for Historic research, New Delhi.

A prolific writer, Das has authored and co-authored several books on architecture and conservation. Most of her writings and practise is based on primary research. She has received grants from many national and international forums like Indian Nation Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, New Delhi and Gerta Henkel Foundation, Germany. Das has lectured widely in national and International forums. She is a visiting faculty at CEPT, Ahmedabad, India where she teaches post graduate and doctoral students. Her areas of research include 18th-19th history of architecture, material sciences for restoration, and issues related to historic urban regeneration.

Das practices as a conservation architect under Neeta Shubhrajit Das Associates in Kolkata. Some of her major restoration works are Constantia, Lucknow; Krsna Temple, Patan Darbar Square (a World Heritage Monument), Nepal; & Loudon Mansion, Kolkata, and the Muligandha Kuti Vihar, Sarnath, to name a few.  Her work emphasises the holistic and sustainable conservation of old buildings and urban areas by re-aligning them with the mainstream systems and developments. Her urban conservation projects include the Revitalisation of the Botanical Garden in Kolkata in partnership with University of Edinburgh, Scotland and the Asia Scotland Trust, UK and the Conservation of the Scottish Cemetery, Kolkata, funded by KSHT, Scotland.

The Krsna Temple restoration project report has being published as a book, authored by Das herself. The Scottish Cemetery project has received accolades from ICOMOS and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh. It has also been selected for display in the London Design Biennale (India Pavilion) June 2021, for working on sustainability, ecology, and inclusive design. As an outcome of her material research a lab was set up at CEPT, Ahmedabad, a premier architecture university of India. Her material lab, Kolkata Lime Center, has been included by ICCROM, Heritage Samples Archives Initiative (HSAI) 2021.