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Mansi Sahu
Mansi Sahu is a Co-Founder of StudioPOD with over 12 years of experience. She leads its Sustainable Urbanism practice in a diverse range of projects. Mansi’s strength lies in working collaboratively with different cultures, local communities, city governments, public agencies, and stakeholders to create innovative and sustainable planning strategies for complex urban issues.
At StudioPOD, her dynamic leadership has led to the firm’s growth in large-scale urban projects, from retrofitting/redeveloping existing cities, mixed-use urban areas, institutional campuses, eco-sensitive new developments, and implementation of waterfront developments. Mansi was an integral member of the Technical Expert team of the United States Trade and Development Authority (USTDA) to support the development of three smart cities in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, with a focus on Uttar Pradesh. She has successfully started the “Bridge” Initiative at StudioPOD. This program brings crucial planning and urban design ideas to kids at municipal and private schools.
Mansi has traveled extensively and has work experience in countries like USA, Ghana, UAE, and India. She was one of the international leaders selected for Vanguard(Next City), 2018, held in New Orleans, USA. She is an active member of multiple workshops, NGOs, and citizen initiatives. She has been a state-level badminton and carrom player, loves to bake, and is a board game enthusiast, theatre patron, and amateur potter.
Mahesh Waghdhare
Mahesh Waghdhare is a Co-Founder of StudioPOD, with over 16 years of architectural, urban design, and city planning experience in both public and private sectors. Mahesh focuses on creating uniquely innovative, sustainable, and dynamic urban places for people while developing creative collaborations with individuals, local communities, organizations, and governments. His work includes a wide range of urban projects dealing with city center redevelopment, large mixed-use urban districts, transit-oriented developments, universities and institutional campuses, infrastructure, and waterfront developments across the globe.
Mahesh has been instrumental in leading StudioPOD’s international practice in the Middle East in collaboration with CBT Architects. In Abu Dhabi, he has successfully managed and delivered large-scale master planning projects, including the award-winning Masdar City Phase 2 and Phase 4 Detailed Master Plans and the Hudayriyat Island Master Plan. As a Principal at StudioPOD, he has led large-scale master plans in Mumbai, Pune, Gurgaon, and Bangalore Metropolitan regions; a futuristic and sustainable Village Development Vision Plan for the coastal town of Guhagar, Maharashtra; Shree Jagannath Temple Precinct Plan for the Heritage City of Puri, Odhissa, amongst several others.
Mahesh has been an Urban Planning Technical Expert for the United States Trade and Development Authority (USTDA) to support the development of the city of Ajmer, Rajasthan. Mahesh has presented n several workshops and seminars in the USA, UAE, and academic institutions in India. Mahesh loves to sing, travel, and try new cuisines.
Sarfaraz Momin
Sarfaraz Momin is a Mumbai-based Urban Designer who co-founded StudioPOD in 2013. Sarfaraz balances landscape design with detailed land use program development in community master plans. Sarfaraz also specializes in streetscape design and integrating transit projects with the surrounding areas. He has been a member of the Technical Expert team of the United States Trade and Development Authority (USTDA) to support the development of three smart cities in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
As part of StudioPOD, Sarfaraz has led several urban designs and master planning initiatives, including Open Space Master Plan for Gurgaon, Industrial Master Plans, Development plans for Smart Villages in Rajasthan, Public outreach program for the development of Port Lands in Mumbai, and an award-winning master plan of Masdar City Phase 2 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Sarfaraz has extensive experience working on international projects in countries like the USA, Russia, UAE, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, and India. He has also presented worldwide at seminars, summits, and workshops on topics mainly focusing on contextual city planning and urban design in Indian cities. He is also an avid cyclist and a Biryani connoisseur.
Practice Ideology
StudioPOD is an award-winning, international planning and urban design practice with its headquarters in Mumbai, India, and an office in Texas, United States. Our highly collaborative approach allows us to work seamlessly with private- and public- sector clients such as local municipal corporations, development authorities, and other government agencies.
Our projects are of varying scales, including strategic and regional plans, transportation and campus plans, landscape urbanism, placemaking, and streetscapes.
At StudioPOD, we are committed to creating equitable, democratic, and sustainable environments in the places we build. The studio is based upon people-oriented design principles to foster a sense of community and vitality.
