Aathira Peedikaparambil Somasundaran

(she/her)

Research

Aathira Peedikaparambil Somasundaran’s research examines the transposition of modernist architectural principles to the Middle East, with a particular focus on interwar Beirut. This period represents a pivotal moment in the history of modernism, when European avant-garde movements and architectural ideals intersected with the city’s socio-political and cultural landscape, shaping the trajectory of architecture and urbanism in the region.

Her work investigates how modernist architectural ideas were adapted, reinterpreted, and localized within Beirut, a city situated at the crossroads of Western and Eastern cultural exchange. By tracing collaborations between architects and artists of diverse backgrounds, she highlights the emergence of hybrid practices that fused local traditions with international design languages. This approach extends beyond formal architectural analysis to consider the broader cultural and artistic dialogues that linked European artists with Lebanese architects during the interwar years.

The project is grounded in extensive archival research conducted in Paris and Beirut. Primary sources such as architectural drawings, correspondence, and artistic works provide critical evidence of intellectual exchange and cultural negotiation. Parisian archives offer insight into the global modernist discourse, while Beirut’s repositories reveal how imported ideas were transformed and integrated into local contexts.

Through this research, Aathira seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the transnational dynamics of modernism, emphasizing how architectural and artistic modernities were hybridized across cultural and geographical boundaries. Her findings aim to illuminate the mechanisms of architectural globalization and the enduring role of cultural exchange, social movements, and historical conditions in shaping the built environment.

Teaching

Graduate/ Associate Tutor in Architecture – Cardiff University (October 2022- 2025)
Modules undertaken:
·        Building Through Time (2022–Present) -Year 1 Undergraduates – History and Theory module
·        Issues in Contemporary Architecture (2022–24) – Year 3 Undergraduates - History and Theory module
·        Architecture in Context (2025) – Year 2 Undergraduates - History and Theory module
·        Art 502, MSc Sustainable Building Conservation (Jan–Feb 2022)
·        Architectural Design I – Undergraduate Studio Tutor ( Photoshop)  and Design Crit (2023)

Biography

Aathira Peedikaparambil Somasundaran began her academic training in design with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai. She subsequently gained seven years of professional experience in interior design and landscape architecture in the United Arab Emirates, contributing to a wide range of projects that enriched her practical understanding of the built environment. Building on this professional foundation, she pursued a specialization in Space Architecture at TU Wien, Vienna, which opened interdisciplinary avenues at the intersection of technology, design, and speculative futures.

Aathira is currently undertaking a PhD in Architecture at Cardiff University, where her research investigates the intersections of architectural history, modernism, and cultural memory. Her work examines how historical and theoretical perspectives can inform and reframe the possibilities of future architectural practice, with a particular interest in the humanities-oriented dimensions of architecture.

Alongside her doctoral research, Aathira has contributed to teaching and research within the Welsh School of Architecture. From 2023 to August 2025, she served as a Graduate Tutor, supporting undergraduate teaching through leading seminars, critiquing student projects, and mentoring students in both academic and design development. She now holds the position of Research Assistant on an EPSRC-IAA funded project led by Dr. Satish BK, which investigates the relationship between user behaviours and damp- and mould-related ventilation issues, and their implications for household health and well-being. This project engages collaboratively with Cardiff Council, household representatives, policy makers, and industry partners to develop a co-designed framework that integrates cultural practices with environmental performance.

Her areas of expertise lie in the historical and theoretical foundations of modern architecture, the dialogue between architecture and the humanities, and the interdisciplinary links between art, urbanism, and cultural practices. She is particularly interested in how critical engagement with the past can illuminate pathways for addressing contemporary challenges and shaping the architecture of the future.

Honours and awards

Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Academic positions

 Research Assistant - EPSRC-IAA funded project led by Dr. Satish BK- Cardiff University (September 2022- February 2026) 

Graduate/ Associate Tutor in Architecture – Cardiff University (October 2022- August 2025)

Modules undertaken:

  i.     Issues In Contemporary Architecture | Oct 2022 – Oct 2024

 ii.     Building Through Time | Since Oct 2022 

iii.     Art 502|Msc Sustainable Building Conservation Jan 2022 – Feb 2022 - Summative Assessment Of 12x 4000-Word Reports

iv.     Architectural Design 1- Bsc1 Semester 2 Crits | 24 March 2023

 v.     Architectural Design 1- Indesign/Photoshop | 26 January 2023 

Speaking engagements

  I.     Uses of Modernism conference, Ghent, 20-22 September ‘23

II.     11th Annual International Conference on Humanities & Arts in a Global World, Athens,3-6 January ‘24

III.   75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC-2024), Milan, 14-18 October ‘24

IV.   Artificial Intelligence Research (AIR), Dubai, 10-11 December '24

 V.   The Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX- 2025), Delhi, India (May 2025)

VI.  International Conference on Environmental Systems ( ICES 2025), Prague ( July 2025)