History

This page archives the complete journey: from selling stationery in 2006 to building SaaS tools today. Everything that shaped this path—the people, projects, and reflections—is documented here.

About

Kushal Dhananjay Samant is an Architect, based in India.

In 2006, he started this journey as a side-hustle by selling stationery. In 2009, he started designing competition entries with other architects based in Seattle, CDMX, Buenos Aires, Maastricht, Torino, Kaapstad, Tampere, Mumbai, Panjim, Bangalore, Manila, and Sydney.

In 2012, he created his first brochure, magazine (Avalanche Annual Fest Magazine), and prospectus for his Alma Mater, KLS GIT, Belgaum. In 2013, he graduated with a distinction in Bachelors of Architecture from Visvesvaraya Technological University.

Since 2014, he has worked with brands like Thomas Albert Music, The Hive, The Black Canvas, SoundCloud, Scootsy, PhiFilms, OpenDesk, Maker's Asylum, Ketto, funKtion design, EDStudio Architects, de.Sign Architecture Urban Design, Cinemamu, Airbnb, Adidas, &c. In 2015, he started the WikiHouse / BOM chapter of The WikiHouse Project in Bombay.

In 2016, Muzej Za Arhitektiro In Oblikovanje and Future Architecture Platform published his work: GRÜHAM. He takes pride in stopping a country from deporting a friend, back in 2017. Later that year, he became an Airbnb Superhost, a top Medium writer, and The Economic Times of India cited his views on Stand-Up Comedy culture.

In 2018, he made SHLVNG, furniture by OpenDesk, and sold these products on Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder. In 2019, he proofread research papers at SVKM's NMIMS, Mumbai (NMIMS School of Branding & Advertising). Later that year, he taught Architectural Design, Graphics & Drawing Representation, and AutoDesk products as a visiting faculty at Dr. D.Y. Patil College of Architecture, Navi Mumbai.

In 2020, one of his repositories was selected for the Arctic Code Vault of the GitHub Archive Program. In 2021, he started Your Mail Project.

Since 2022, he is listed as an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Dr. D. Y. Patil  School of Architecture, Navi Mumbai. He took a sabbatical in 2023.

In 2024, he built a merchandising venture - Geometry. Currently, he is creating the open-source ASK: Daily Research tool - an offline-first AI platform for generating photorealistic Q&A content on research themes including architecture, sustainability, and urban planning.

He has been working in the fields of academic research, app development, architecture, art, banking, blogging, bookmaking, book-writing, clothing, construction, content creation, content writing, curation, design, e-commerce, engineering, film making, food delivery, furniture design, garments, graphic design, hospitality, logistics, lyrics writing, mapping, market research, music, merchandising, manufacturing, open-source architecture, operations, photography, podcasts, product design, sound & production, teaching, telemarketing, venture capital, vlogging, and web design.

People

These people taught me things that I could not have learnt otherwise.

Projects

These are the projects/ventures I've worked on.

ASK: Daily Research.
Geometry.
Assistant Professor of Architecture at Dr D.Y. Patil School of Architecture, Navi Mumbai.
Your Mail Project.
Web Design + Digital Marketing + Automation for Sandeep Shridhar Dhabale.
Web Design + Digital Marketing + Automation for PhiFilms.
Web Design + Digital Marketing + Automation for Cinemamu.
Creative Content Writing at Devman Technology Solutions.
Visiting Faculty for Architectural Design, Architectural Graphics & Drawing Representation, AutoDesk AutoCAD at Dr D.Y. Patil College of Architecture, Navi Mumbai.
Proofreading Academic Research Papers (CSR) at SVKM's NMIMS, Mumbai (NMIMS School of Branding & Advertising).
Editing Ph.D. Research Papers (Marketing) for Turn-it-in tests at SVKM's NMIMS, Mumbai (NMIMS School of Branding & Advertising).
Anechoic Room, Khopoli. Client: SoundCodes.
Residence, Allahabad. Client: Sadguru.
Residence, Sankeshwar. Client: Vishal Bhopale.
Food Concierge at Scootsy, Mumbai.
Amazon, and Flipkart Sales Manager at Ria Enterprises.
SHLVNG.
Furniture Maker at OpenDesk.
Web Design for Studio Diksuchi.
Web Design for Studio Detail.
Business Development, Live Videographer, Co-Lyricist for Thomas Albert Music, Mumbai.
Web Design for Tashi Films.
Operations Manager for The Black Canvas, Mumbai.
Logistics Manager for The Black Canvas, Mumbai.
Operations Manager for POLKA Clothing Store, Mumbai.
Redevelopment of Revdanda Fort, Kashid. Client: Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Government of Maharashtra.
The Hive Black Box Theatre, Sassoon Dock, Colaba, Mumbai. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
The Hive Black Box Theatre, Brewbot, Andheri, Mumbai. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
Underwear Exhibition with PracticeNext, Mumbai. Client: Saatchi & Saatchi.
Office, Sion, Mumbai. Client: The Black Canvas.
El Tunal Stadium (International).
Fontanar Del Rio Stadium (International).
Housing for Kalejdohill, Kvarnbacken, Jakobsberg, Jarfalla (International).
Coworking Offices, Bandra, Mumbai. Client: Collab Works Pvt Ltd.
The Cuckoo Club, Cafe, Bandra, Mumbai. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
The Cuckoo Club, Theatre, Bandra, Mumbai. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
Hotel Royal Residency, Kurla, Mumbai. Client: Pavan Shetty.
Manufacturing Plant, Lower Parel, Mumbai Client: NRB Bearings.
A room full of books, Savaroli. Client: Mahua Farms.
Ambisonic Lab, Savaroli. Client: SoundCodes.
Airbnb Superhost for Mumbai.
Airbnb, Andheri, Mumbai. Client: Sachin Maheshwari.
GRÜHAM.
WAVE Innovation Space, Nehru Center, Mumbai. Client: BNP Paribas.
Infinity Mirror Installation, Todi Mill Social, Mumbai. Client: Adidas.
WikiHouse / BOM chapter of The WikiHouse Foundation, UK.
Varna Library International Architectural Competition (International).
Makerspace, Andheri, Mumbai. Client: Maker's Asylum.
Makerspace, Lower Parel, Indian School of Design and Innovation, Mumbai. Client: Maker's Asylum.
Velugam School, Dadra & Nagar Haveli. Client: Ar. Shreyank Khemalapure.
Angel Investor for Home for Artists, Jaipur.
Coworking Offices, Khar, Mumbai. Client: Collab Works Pvt Ltd.
Office, Khar, Mumbai. Client: Genius U.
Woollen Watch, Thane. Client: Beyond Your Thoughts.
Workshop Event Space, Khar. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
Product Strategy (India) at SoundCloud.
Xircus Performance Space, Khar. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
The Hive Black Box Theatre, Khar, Mumbai. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
The Hungry Traveller Cafe, Khar, Mumbai. Client: Alt Culture Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
kNOw Smoking A short film about the experiences of the nicotine addicts.
The Swedavia Bromma Stockholm Airport Challenge (International).
Residence, Kudal. Client: Jayaram Londhe.
Final Architectural Thesis (Bridging Emotions) - Explored the utility value of space around the Sea Link Bridge, Mumbai and proposed architectural design to treat citywide clinical depression.
Shortlisted for University of Westminster Design Trophy at International Rank No. 4.
Shortlisted for Landscape Design Trophy for 2 consecutive years.
Shortlisted for Annual NASA Design Competition for 5 consecutive years.
Perspicacity.
Android Application for Archiperspecta with Pawan Hegde.
Ouch - An animated film about incidents in the lives of Mumbaikars.
Editorial Team for Annual Architectural Magazine, Oculus 5 of KLS GIT, Belgaum.
Catalytic Corridor - LAjournal Design Competition (Landscape, India).
Urban Insert Design - Proposed a way to cure religious tension and ongoing riots in the Old city and the Fort, Belgaum using socio economic principles of urban design and space making.
Book Store Interior Design - Proposed redesigning an old watch tower into a bookstore inside the military cantonment/camp area of Belgaum.
Processism.
Admission Brochure 2012 of KLS GIT, Belgaum.
Prospectus 2012 of KLS GIT, Belgaum.
Avalanche Annual Fest Magazine 2012 of KLS GIT, Belgaum.
Citation for GSen Redesign Trophy for 4 consecutive years.
Citation for 3 consecutive years for Louis I Kahn Documentation Trophy.
Shortlisted for Annual NASA Journalism Trophy, Zo-NASA Journalism Trophy for 3 consecutive years.
Shortlisted and Published for Cityscape Article Writing Competition at National Level.
Interview, Ar. Deepak Guggari, VDGA, Pune for Annual Architectural Magazine, Oculus 4 of KLS GIT, Belgaum.
IVAVELUX Award Competition (International).
The Red Bag - A film showcasing the quote, "Things go to those who want to keep them, and not use them."
Innu Onde Gadi Kathe - A stop motion film based on a Bollywood love story plot, made of toy cars characters that speak slang lingua.
Chase in Life - A short film about growth and the desire to grow that is common within all things that are within nature and man.
Special Mention for Housing and Urban Development Corporation Design Trophy for 3 consecutive years.
Institute of Design - Studied design principles of Alvaro Siza and used them for a proposed campus design project.
Interview, Ar. Sanjay Mohe, Mindspace Architects, Bangalore for Annual Architectural Magazine, Oculus 3 of KLS GIT, Belgaum.
Internship for 16 weeks at funktion design, Bangalore.
Diagnostic Center - Proposed using elements of calm and peace to cure traumas.
Cultural Center - Evolved the masterplan from the site boundaries, contours and topography.
Community Center - Proposed a circular form with split sections for adding a stadia.
Housing - The master-plan focused on ease of access, child safety, and large pedestrian zones coupled with event spaces.
Motel - Adapted artificial balconies to capture surrounding picturesque views.
Meditation Center - Designed a path around light and glass water tanks to create an ambience for meditation.
Residence, Kudal. Client: Prof. Uday Bhatye.
Residence, Muzaffarpur. Client: Mr. Vibhu Kumar.
Café, New Delhi. Client: Mr. Varun Ashok.
Farmhouse, Savaroli - Client: Mrs. Heera Subhan and Mr. Sharad Yadav.
Restaurant - Proposed a thin concrete slab pierced at various points by structural steel columns and oriented towards the lake while creating natural ventilation.
Web Design for Archiperspecta on Joomla/ Wordpress/ Vanilla with customization, and improved web traffic strategies.
Brno City Square Design Competition (International).
Bungalow. Proposed a lake house with circular form and bridges as corridors.
Articles for Annual Architectural Magazine, Oculus 2 of KLS GIT, Belgaum.

Other Projects

edStudio Architects. Bangalore.

de.Sign Studio LLC. New York . Mumbai.

funktion design. Bangalore.

Anthology

This collection of writings touches upon various aspects of the human experience, from the profound to the mundane. Several entries reflect on personal struggles and emotions, discussing topics like finding love, dealing with loneliness, overcoming anxiety, and accepting imperfection. Other pieces explore societal observations and personal philosophies, such as the perceived hierarchy in modern life, the influence of technology, the importance of conscious choices for happiness, and the power of consistency in achieving goals. Practical advice on topics like decluttering life, managing online presence, and developing productive habits is also shared, alongside more abstract musings on the nature of creativity, understanding others, and the influence of our surroundings.

10k walks
15 design guide
16 years
2000 dates
30
310 to Yuma
7
A butterfly
Abyss
A chat
A collective
A constant medium
A dating pattern
Adios
Alone
Also on a different note
A mind that creates
An artist's abode by Rohit Mohite
A perfect mess
Architects, and presentations
Arguments
A riding song
A rule for dating, and life
A rule of thumb
Ashore
A study in scarlet
Automating your marketing
Background music
Balloons and bubbles
Bathroom door
Being supportive
Being torn
Being you
Break
Breeze
Brida1
Brida2
Bullets
Bumble
Cadbury
Caffeine
Canciones de un incendio
Can you?
Chance
Circles
Clocks
Closer
C'mon
Coffee
Collective
Competition 10000
Components of a trading plan
Condescending
Consistency 1
Consistency 2
Consistency 3
Consistency 4
Content creation for architects
Continuity
Countryside
Courage
Covid19 pandemic
Crashing
Crowd management in exigencies
Crowds
Curb
Curing a hickey
Damage
Death
Delusions
Diet
Dissociation
Distances
Do you see?
Eclectic
Erotica 1
Erotica 10
Erotica 11
Erotica 12
Erotica 13
Erotica 14
Erotica 15
Erotica 2
Erotica 3
Erotica 4
Erotica 5
Erotica 6
Erotica 7
Erotica 8
Erotica 9
Essentialism
Etched
Eternity
Facebook
Fill
Firefly
Free
Fuck
Giving
Google voice
Greeks
Habits
Hanxwriter
Happy x sad
Hard to imagine
Harness
Has Bangalore thought about this?
Heart
Hemingwayapp
Hope
How to apply for a COVID19 travel pass
How to develop a better you
How to keep your creative writing spree alive
How to not reinvent the wheel
How to resolve a conflict
How to trade futures
Ideas
If
I met someone
India
Influence
Inner peace
Inside
Instagram
Instagram strategy
Intelligently
Investment plan
Irish cream recipe
I won't let you walk away with a broken heart
Jaun
Jhuki nazar
Joan's hope
Journeys
Kapwing
Kar
Kashmiri kahwa
Khamoshi
Kvarnbacken
Lancymark
Lessons in running a scam 2020
Let me
Letters to the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai
Life
Listening
Listening to myself
Local economy
Lone tree
Lost1
Lost2
Love1
Love2
Magic
Makerspace quotes
Make the most of this lockdown financially
Meetings
Memoir to the oldman
Messy affair
Migraine
Mind
Modi and the English
Mohave
Money
Monogamy
Morning
Motherland
Multiple sources
Mumbai suburban railway
Muse
Nadi
Next stop passport office
None of this makes sense
Norfolk
Nostalgia
Not everyone of us
Nothing has to happen
November 8, After
November 8, Before
Occupying bathrooms
Of pegboards, and walkways
Once more my love
Only the paranoid survive
Open the skies
Paid
Pass
Passion
Peer pressure
People
Phew!
Photograph
Play
Po
Podcast
Point
Portraits
Problemas
Quotes
Railway line intervention
Reading
Rebounding
Regret
Reh gaya
Relative income
Roads
Running
Schedule for quick dating
Scootsy
Scripting
Seeking clarity
Semantics of a word
Sharing my thoughts
She1
She2
Shift
Shower
Sink
Slept
Slow
Slowly intro
Slowly letters 1
Slowly letters 2
Slowly letters 3
Slowly letters 4
Slowly letters 5
Slowly letters 6
Slowly letters 7
Slowly letters 8
Smaller
Small things matter
Smoking
Smoking easy
Social media differences
Soundboarding
Space aching
Space is an emotion
Spooning
Start up culture
St. Lucifer
Taking chances
Tata
Tattered
TBC Travellers' Journal
The art of letting go
The best part
The best way
The changing point
The daily average
The dark knight fantasy
The highest task
The idea of sharing
The inner voice
The joy of not wearing a seatbelt
The key to money
The last supper
The locus of all focus
The Railroad to Tinkamentown
There
The right to share
The secret to everything
The who not the whats
The writers' manifesto
Things
Think of a white shirt
Third approach
This is us
Time
Timepass
Tipping point
To be me
Tonight
Toxicity
Trainspotting
Tu chal
Twitter x pen
Typefaced
Urban trekking
Variables
Waiting
Wannabe
Want to look away
Water
Whatever this means
What is thinking versus writing
What some women want on dating apps
What's up with wikihouse
When I lost my father
Whistle
Who owns a creative?
Window
Wish
Woman
Writers
Yawn
Yesterday
Ye toh tu jaane na
Zomato in bad weather