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  • Merging Design and Craft: The Architectural Journey of Dheer Talreja

    Dheer Talreja represents a new generation of architectural designers who seamlessly integrate creative vision with technical execution. With an international education spanning the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles and Nirma University in India, he has cultivated a distinctive approach that fuses conceptual design, fabrication, and workflow innovation. His practice reflects a belief that architecture is both intellectual and physical, a process of imagining and making.

    Early Foundations and Education

    Talreja’s journey began in Ahmedabad, India, a city known for its concrete modernism and architectural legacy. Immersed in this environment, he developed an early fascination with the way materials, details, and construction bring space to life. That curiosity led him to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture at Nirma University, where he gravitated toward model-making and technical drawing. For him, creativity was not complete without being tested in material form.

    Eager to explore architecture more experimentally, Talreja pursued a Master of Architecture II at SCI-Arc. There, he encountered a culture of radical design thinking, computation, and speculative urbanism. Exposure to algorithmic modeling, digital fabrication, and immersive design reviews broadened his understanding of architecture’s evolving role. “It was an environment where ideas weren’t just discussed, they were tested, challenged, built,” he reflects.

    Beyond the classroom, he expanded his perspective through international workshops. At Madrid’s ETSAM summer studio, he explored urban heritage and revitalization, analyzing the tension between history and modern form. At the Future City Summit in Hong Kong, he engaged with speculative infrastructure and urban resilience. These global experiences deepened his belief in design as both research and craft.

    Career Path: From India to Los Angeles

    Following graduation, Talreja returned to India to work at WARP Architects in Coimbatore. There, he contributed to residential and commercial projects, producing construction drawings, coordinating site execution, and managing vendors. “That experience grounded me,” he says. “Design only matters when it survives contact with reality.”

    This ability to connect concept with construction positioned him well for his transition to Tom Wiscombe Architecture (TWA) in Los Angeles. At TWA, he moved into large-scale competitions and cultural projects, quickly demonstrating fluency in both design vision and technical precision. His values aligned with the studio’s speculative ethos, where imagination must be matched by execution.

    Key Contributions and Achievements

    At TWA, Talreja has worked on over seven international architecture competitions, many of which advanced to finalist or winning stages. His contributions span the development of design concepts, digital visualizations, detailed technical drawings, and physical models. He has led the fabrication of large-scale presentation models that serve not only as representational artifacts but as tools for design exploration.

    A defining milestone was the Qiddiya Performing Arts Centre in Saudi Arabia, honored with the International Architecture Award in 2025. As Computational Designer and Model Supervisor, Talreja directed the fabrication of its intricate physical model: coordinating CNC milling, resin printing, and hand assembly. The project demanded leadership, technical mastery, and attention to every layer of detail. “The beauty of model-making,” he notes, “is that it exposes every decision. You can’t hide behind theory. It either stands or it doesn’t.”

    In addition to his design responsibilities, Talreja has introduced innovative fabrication methods that have enhanced model durability and finish quality. He also mentors junior designers, guiding them through processes ranging from digital modeling to material assembly. His efforts support a studio culture that values precision, experimentation, and care for craft.

    Dual Role: Designer and Technical Leader

    Talreja holds a rare dual role at TWA as both Project Designer and Chief Technical Officer. This position allows him to guide projects from early conceptual stages through to production and delivery while also overseeing the technical backbone of the studio.

    As CTO, he manages digital infrastructure, including IT systems, servers, and a fleet of over 25 3D printers. He ensures that design workflows: spanning software, hardware, and fabrication tools, operate seamlessly. Whether troubleshooting printers mid-production or configuring network systems, Talreja views these tasks not as separate from design but as integral to it. “Technology isn’t separate from design,” he says. “It is design.”

    His fluency across creative and technical domains enables him to anticipate constraints, streamline execution, and support the realization of complex ideas under pressure.

    Challenges and Growth

    Many of Talreja’s defining moments have come under the pressure of international deadlines and high-stakes deliverables. He has led overnight fabrication cycles, resolved last-minute print failures, and delivered presentation models against tight timelines. These experiences have shaped his leadership style, instilling a calm, problem-solving mindset.

    In response to these challenges, Talreja developed efficient fabrication workflows and contingency systems that support speed without compromising quality. His ability to lead under pressure, while maintaining design integrity, has become a hallmark of his professional identity.

    Looking Ahead

    Looking forward, Talreja aims to integrate design authorship with project management. He seeks roles that allow him to balance conceptual thinking with real-world execution, projects that push innovation while addressing how people live, work, and engage with space.

    “I want to contribute to architecture that’s not just speculative, but also socially and ecologically responsive,” he says. “Design should engage: emotionally, socially, and materially.”

    His long-term vision is to establish a practice that fuses experimentation with built reality: a studio where making is a form of inquiry, and where design excellence meets technical execution in service of meaningful, impactful outcomes.

    Talreja’s path illustrates a new paradigm in architectural practice: one that honors both artistry and systems thinking. By merging creative ambition with technical rigor, he continues to shape a design future that is innovative, precise, and deeply rooted in the craft of making.

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