Dharma Patel / Architecture & creative practice

Spaces for
living,
moving &
gathering.

I’m a designer and Master of Architecture student at the University of Cincinnati. I work across architecture, art, and storytelling to make places that feel connected to the people who use them.

Explore selected work

Colorful collage of Lower Price Hill, its viaduct, neighborhood buildings, cyclists, murals, and river — Where Water GathersLower Price Hill, Cincinnati · 2026

Selected work

Thinking at the scale
of everyday life.

From a neighborhood waterfront to a shared courtyard, these projects look for the moments where architecture can bring people together.

01 / 04

Urban design · Landscape · Public space

Where Water
Gathers

Stormwater becomes a public landscape in a proposal for Lower Price Hill. Green roofs, bioswales, ponds, and wetlands guide water toward the Ohio River while paths and places to gather reconnect the neighborhood to its waterfront.

Place: Lower Price Hill, Cincinnati
Year: 2026
Prof.: Andrew Tetrault
Team: With Arati Bhandari

Under the greenbelt, a planted path and skate area weave between mural-covered viaduct columns — Under the greenbelt / a path, planting, murals, and room to play

Wetland Sketch showing a yellow path between water and a mixed-use neighborhood beneath the viaduct — Wetland Sketch / stormwater as part of everyday public life

Site plan of Lower Price Hill showing water, landscape, circulation, housing, and river connections — Site plan / connections from neighborhood to river

More from Where Water Gathers Explore sketches, plans & water details13 images

Concept and context3 images

Three part diagrams showing the development of the urban design strategy — Parti / from infrastructure to gathering

Map locating Lower Price Hill near the Ohio River and surrounding streets — Lower Price Hill context

Circular diagram of community uses and activities around the site — Community diagram

Circulation and ground plan2 images

Final diagram mapping circulation, water, landscape, and neighborhood connections — Circulation and water diagram

Colorful ground floor plan of the neighborhood and riverfront — Ground floor plan

Enlarged plans2 images

Enlarged plan details of streets, public spaces, and planted areas — Enlarged plans / neighborhood spaces

Enlarged plan of the waterfront landscape and paths — Enlarged plan / riverfront

Along the viaduct and river2 images

Perspective along the viaduct with two traffic lanes, bike paths, planting, storefronts, and people — On Viaduct Sketch

Riverfront perspective from a residential terrace with a pool and views across the water — Riverview Sketch

Water as infrastructure4 images

Sectional illustration of a planted bioswale beside a roadway and pedestrian path — Bioswale

Sectional illustration of a shallow constructed wetland with aquatic plants — Constructed wetland

Sectional illustration of a rain garden receiving water from a downspout — Rain garden

Sectional illustration of a retention pond, pedestrian bridge, planting, and water — Retention pond

02 / 04

Museum · Context · Adaptive form

The OTR
Archive

A museum where the building itself becomes part of the collection. Historic parcel outlines and facade rhythms from Over-the-Rhine shape its massing, while a contextual grid and interior figures guide the visitor through the galleries.

Place: Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati
Year: 2025
Prof.: Mara Marcu
Team: With Sam Kazmaier

Axonometric view of the museum within the surrounding Over-the-Rhine blocks — Axon / an architectural artifact within the urban fabric

Section A through the museum showing the street, interior volumes, and stair — Building section A

Section B through the museum showing galleries, circulation, and neighboring buildings — Building section B

Street level view of the museum's arched facade and neighboring buildings — Along the street / the building meets its neighbors

Street corner view of the pink museum facade among Over-the-Rhine buildings — Corner view / an architectural artifact in the neighborhood

Experience

Inside the archive

Arches, overlooks, and shifts in light connect the existing fabric with new gallery spaces.

Interior view through arched windows and across an upper gallery overlooking the space below — Gallery / looking across the old and new spaces

Skylit gallery with transparent partitions, an open floor, and pink stairs — Skylight / bringing daylight into the route

Upper gallery with a yellow sculptural element and views into adjacent spaces — Upper level / spaces in conversation

More from the museum Explore additional views & drawings8 images

Plans4 images

Museum plan drawing one, showing the building footprint and surrounding blocks — Plan 1

Museum plan drawing two with a paired interior rendering — Plan 2

Museum plan drawing three with spatial studies below — Plan 3

Museum plan drawing four with a small axonometric study — Plan 4

Wall sections2 images

Wall section one with callouts through the museum facade and interior — Wall section 1

Wall section two with callouts through the facade and gallery levels — Wall section 2

Additional views2 images

Museum entry with a sequence of arches and a pink stair rising above — Entry / arches and circulation

Alley view toward a planted courtyard and the museum's pink facade — Back alley / a second public approach

03 / 04

Housing · Community · Modular design

Block by
Block

Modular co-housing for students and older residents balances private space with shared life. Accessible single-level homes, varied units, and courtyards respond to the site’s topography and create opportunities for connection across generations. The City of Cincinnati had bought this South Cumminsville block as it explored revitalization, and representatives visited our studio to see our ideas.

Place: South Cumminsville, Cincinnati
Year: 2024
Prof.: Peter Ye
Team: With Dylan Holsapple

Block plan of the housing proposal showing homes, courtyards, planting, and surrounding streets — Block plan / homes and shared space across the neighborhood

Shared courtyard with a pink flowering tree, seating, homes, and residents — Courtyard / shared outdoor room

Living room with a stair, pink furnishings, and residents using the space — Living room / a view into daily life

Written by Dharma Patel / Project article

Harmony: A Modular Approach to Cohousing Design

On modular homes, shared space, and intergenerational life in Block by Block – Stacked Commons.

Download PDF

More from Block by Block Explore rooms, plans & drawings13 images

Inside the homes2 images

Kitchen and dining space with a long island, pink pendant lights, and a resident — Kitchen

Bedroom interior with a resident resting near large windows — Bedroom

On the site2 images

Closer site plan showing the arrangement of modular homes around a courtyard — Site plan / the housing cluster and courtyard

Long site section showing the terrain, trees, roadway, and two housing volumes — Site section / building with the topography

Figure ground1 image

Figure-ground drawing showing the housing proposal within the surrounding neighborhood blocks — Figure ground

Floor plans2 images

Ground floor plan of modular housing units and shared areas — Ground floor plan

Upper floor plan of modular housing units and circulation — Upper floor plan

Building sections2 images

Building section one through the housing units and shared spaces — Building section 1

Building section two through the modular housing proposal — Building section 2

Block plan details3 images

First enlarged block plan detail showing modular homes and open space — Block plan detail 1

Second enlarged block plan detail showing housing, paths, and shared space — Block plan detail 2

Third enlarged block plan detail showing the housing layout — Block plan detail 3

Assembly1 image

Exploded axonometric drawing showing how the modular housing parts fit together — Exploded axon

04 / More Work

Across scales
and materials.

Installation · Material research · 2025

Inosculae

Part of the Orproject and University of Cincinnati team that built a large-scale 3D-printed wood installation shown at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Orproject × University of Cincinnati
Faculty lead: Prof. Christoph Klemmt

Explore the project at Orproject

See the complete portfolio

In practice

From studio
to jobsite.

Spring 2026 / Atlanta

Hospitality architecture

Elevate Architecture Studio

On Hilton and IHG hotel projects, I modeled guest rooms in Revit and supported research, drawing production, and design development. I made design presentations and attended coordination meetings, where brand requirements, design decisions, and the work of different team members came together.

Summer 2025 / NYC

Interior design

Clodagh Design

At Clodagh’s New York studio, I worked in interior design within a practice that considers materials, atmosphere, and well-being together. The experience deepened my interest in how the details of a room shape everyday life.

Fall 2023 / Sarasota

Residential architecture

Sweet Sparkman Architects & Interiors

I contributed to residential design development and technical drafting in Revit. Architectural research, project coordination, and client presentations let me follow design decisions from early ideas into more detailed drawings.

Spring 2023 / Chicago

Mixed-use design

Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture

Working primarily on mixed-use residential high-rises, I helped prepare construction drawings, renderings, and presentations. AutoCAD and Revit documentation taught me how housing, shared programs, and urban scale are coordinated in a large project.

Summer 2022 / Cincinnati

Construction management

D.A.G. Construction

On a large project in St. Bernard, I assisted the CEO with day-to-day construction management. I tracked RFIs, prepared punch lists, and contributed ideas about means and methods, learning how design decisions play out during construction.

About

Hi, I’m
Dharma.

I’m a Master of Architecture student at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). Art has always been a way for me to connect with others; architecture gives me a way to shape that connection at the scale of a room, building, or community. I’m interested in community spaces and hospitality, and in how thoughtful design can support everyday life and belonging.

My experience spans hospitality architecture in Atlanta, interior design in New York, residential work in Sarasota, mixed-use design in Chicago, and construction management in Cincinnati. Outside the studio, I’m an AAHOA Ambassador and a maker who believes good ideas get stronger when we build and share them with others.

Education

Master of Architecture, University of Cincinnati 2027
B.S. Architecture, University of Cincinnati 2025

View resume

My purpose

Design for
belonging.

Before I knew I wanted to be an architect, I saw what a small act of making could do.

In high school, I painted ceiling tiles in bathrooms to turn an overlooked space into one of encouragement. The project grew into a volunteer effort, and it showed me how a place can change when people create it together.

That experience still guides me. I want to design spaces that meet practical needs while offering comfort, connection, and a sense of belonging. My family’s background in construction and commitment to service grounds that goal. I bring those values to the shared places where people live, learn, gather, and work.

Six colorful hand-painted inspirational ceiling tiles with lettering and patterns

Beyond the studio

Always
making.

Making keeps my design work connected to people. Since I was sixteen, I’ve led hands-on art workshops, helping people turn their ideas into something they can take home. I also film and edit short-form stories about local events, where the details of a place and the people in it often say the most.

At William Mason High School, I organized a volunteer project to paint 128 ceiling tiles with messages of encouragement across classrooms and bathrooms. It took many hands to make, and the result became part of the school’s everyday environment. Projects like that remind me why I enjoy making things with and for a community.

Read the City Lifestyle feature

Contact

Let’s talk
about what’s next.

dharma@dharmapatel.com

LinkedIn Portfolio

Spaces forliving,moving &gathering.

Thinking at the scaleof everyday life.

Where WaterGathers

The OTRArchive