Kiran Vaghela

Kiran Vaghela holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and a Master's degree in Archaeology. He is the Founder and current director of Hunnarshala Foundation, as well as the Founder member and advisor of Karigarshala and Sankalan. Following the devastating earthquake in 2001, Kiran Vaghela actively participated in various post-disaster rehabilitation programs worldwide, involving artisans and craftspeople from rural areas of Kutch.

Harnessing the skills of local artisans and builders, Kiran Vaghela, along with the Hunnarshala team, delivers sustainable and disaster-safe housing of high quality. He incorporates traditional wisdom into contemporary architecture, encouraging architects to explore new methods of application while emphasizing the involvement of the traditional community in its development.

An instrumental initiative by Kiran Vaghela is the establishment of Karigarshala, an artisan school under the Hunnarshala Foundation. This education program equips school dropouts with building skills such as carpentry and masonry.

During the first decade of Hunnarshala's existence, Kiran Vaghela worked and led the team on several significant projects. These include post-earthquake rehabilitation in Kutch in 2001, post-earthquake rehabilitation in Bam, Iran in 2003, post-tsunami rehabilitation in Banda Aceh, Indonesia in 2004,  post-earthquake rehabilitation in Kashmir in 2006, and post-Kosi floods rehabilitation in Bihar in 2008. Furthermore, he was involved in the conservation and restoration of Al Jahili Fort, Qasr Al Muwaiji, and Qattara Art & Culture Centre in Abu Dhabi from 2008 to 2011, as well as the restoration of the Old Amiri Palace in Doha in 2013. Kiran Vaghela also served as the principal designer for the Hunnarshala Office and Karigarshala Campus.