Thomas Oommen
Ph.D. Student - Architecture
- Research Interests/Specializations
Modern South Asia, Labor and Expertise, History and Philosophy of Science, Post colonial theory, Subaltern Studies
- Degrees
- B.Arch (Professional), National Institute of Technology Calicut, India
- M.Arch (Professional), Texas A&M University
- Master of Urban Planning (Professional), Texas A&M University
- Biography
I am an architect and urbanist from Trivandrum, Kerala broadly interested in understanding the politics of architectural and urban form through labor and material histories of the city. Historiography of Indian Modern architecture, Developmental Politics, Urban Infrastructure, postcolonial theory, subaltern studies, and architectural theory are other interests and dimensions of my work.
- Courses Taught
Architectural Theory (2012-2014, 2015-2017) for B.Arch program at Sushant School of Art and Architecture (SSAA), Gurgaon as Associate Professor of Architecture,
Research Methods/Studio - Reading the City (2015-2016) for M.Arch program at Department of Urban Design, School of Planning and Architecture Delhi as Visiting Faculty in Urban Design,
Contemporary Theories of Architecture and Urbanism (2014) for M.Arch (Urban Design) at R.V. College of Architecture (RVCA), Bangalore, as Assistant Professor of Architecture,
Architecture Design Studio (3rd, 4th year) & Urban Design Studio (5th year) from (2012-2017) for B.Arch at SSAA and RVCA - as Asst. and Assoc. Professor .
ARCH 230 Advanced Architectural Theory (Spring 2018) for M.Arch program, CED, UC Berkeley - as Graduate Student Instructor (GSI),
ARCH 270 History of Modern Architecture (Fall 2018) for M.Arch program, - as GSI
ARCH 170A A Historical Survey of Architectural and Urbanism (Fall 2019) for BA, UC Berkeley - as GSI,
- Awards + Recognition
- International Dissertation Research Fellowship 2020-2021, Social Science Research Council
- Stevens Scholars Program, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, UC Berkeley
- UC Berkeley Graduate Division Fellowship, 2020-2021
- Selected Publications
Thomas Oommen, “Rethinking Indian Modernity From the Margins: Architectural Politics in Thiruvananthapuram in the 1970s,” Architectural Theory Review, March 19, 2019, 1–24, https://doi.org/10.1080/13264826.2018.1516684
Oommen, Thomas. Modern Urban Heritage and public engagement: The case of Thiruvananthapuram in The Future of Historic Cities: Urban Heritage in South Asia, Special edition: Context: Built, Living and Natural, Volume XII, 2016. Aryan International Books, Delhi.
Oommen, Thomas and Pal, Shreyasi. The Politics of Architecture, Economics and Political Weekly, Vol - L No. 14, April 04, 2015. Mumbai, India.
https://www.epw.in/journal/2015/14/commentary/politics-architecture.html
Oommen, Thomas and Singh, Radhika. From the ground up: Re-Appropriating Urban Infrastructure in Delhi in Critical Planning, 20th anniversary edition, December 2013. University of California at Los Angeles. Los Angeles https://criticalplanning.squarespace.com/volume-20-1