Sustainable approaches in building design are not only changing constantly with new technologies, materials, and methods emerging all the time, but also require a multi-faceted approach—blending design, data, policy, and implementation.

Sheen Pandita, our next pathbreaker, Sustainable Design Consultant, focuses on how to reduce carbon emissions from buildings, both in how they’re constructed and how they operate.

Sheen talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about making a deliberate decision to move from design-led thinking to data-driven, performance-based approaches to sustainability.

For students, remember that sustainability is not just an emerging field—it is the future. The world will increasingly need a dedicated green workforce capable of finding solutions to the climate challenges we face!

Sheen, Your background?

I was born in Faridabad, an industrial town on the outskirts of Delhi. As a child, I lived close to a part of the Aravalli forest. I clearly remember walking through the trees and slowly watching the green disappear as roads and buildings came up. At times, animals would wander into the town, clearly losing their natural habitat. Even though I didn’t fully understand it then, it was an unsettling experience, and looking back at it now as an adult has made me deeply aware of how important it is to protect nature. I also saw how lakes and water bodies, like Bhadkal Lake, changed over time as the city grew, and that stayed with me.

My parents came from humble backgrounds and built their lives from scratch in the city after being displaced by regional  conflict, but they always ensured I had the freedom and resources to explore my interests and educate myself. That freedom to explore—through books, curiosity, and conversation—played a big role in shaping how I think.

During my teenage years, my family moved to the Middle East, and I grew up in Qatar. At that time, Qatar was witnessing a massive construction boom—buildings were rising everywhere. This is where I visited the Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I. M. Pei. Seeing such a powerful and beautifully designed building at an impressionable age had a deep impact on me. It was the first time I truly became aware of how buildings can influence people and shape cities, and it naturally led me towards pursuing architecture.

Later, when I joined the five-year architecture program in Chandigarh, my understanding evolved further. I realized that buildings are not just about how they look—they come with real challenges, especially when it comes to sustainability and accessibility. I began to see how the built environment directly affects communities, resources, and the future of cities.

These experiences—from watching forests disappear, to seeing skylines rise in Qatar, to studying in a planned city—quietly shaped the direction of my career.

What did you do for graduation/post graduation?

For my undergraduate studies, I completed a Bachelor of Architecture from Chandigarh College of Architecture, Panjab University. This is where I developed a strong foundation in architectural design, construction systems, and urban planning.

Living and studying in Chandigarh had a lasting influence on me. As a planned and green city designed by Le Corbusier, it constantly made me aware of how thoughtful planning and well-designed public spaces can quietly shape everyday life. Being surrounded by this environment pushed me to look beyond buildings as isolated objects and think more about cities, people, and systems.

My architecture thesis came from questioning how we build in India and how rarely universal accessibility is truly considered. I noticed that most buildings respond only to basic standards, while the real, everyday needs of people—especially persons with disabilities, the elderly, children, and those with different physical abilities—are often ignored.

Through my thesis project, I explored how awareness and sensitivity can be built within the design process itself. Rather than focusing only on codes and checklists, I looked at the importance of mindset—of designing by genuinely thinking about people, their lived experiences, and how spaces are used. This work made me more conscious of the social responsibility architects carry and strengthened my interest in inclusive and people-centric design.

For my post-graduate studies, I pursued a Master of Science in Building Performance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore (NUS). This phase marked a shift from conceptual thinking to data-driven and performance-based approaches. My focus moved towards sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate-responsive design grounded in real-world application.

The program emphasised practical steps and rigorous analysis—understanding how sustainable buildings are designed, built, and operated, and how these processes can be streamlined for a net-zero future. I learned to measure performance, analyse data, and make informed design decisions that reduce energy use, improve comfort, and lower environmental impact.

Living in Singapore itself was a learning experience. The city’s transition from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden” showed me how sustainability can be implemented at a city scale through policy, design, and execution. This experience helped me clearly connect architecture, sustainability, and measurable real-world impact.

What made you choose a career in Sustainable Building Design?

My career choices and pursuits evolved through experience rather than just fixed intentions.

After completing my undergraduate studies, I began working as a practicing architect with firms in Delhi. While working on live projects, I made a conscious effort to bring sustainability into my designs wherever possible. However, being closely involved in construction and execution made me realize that even well-designed buildings often rely on systems and practices that are fundamentally unsustainable. This realization became a key turning point for me.

I understood that designing a good building was not enough—the larger impact I wished to create lay in how buildings are constructed, operated, and scaled itself. I became increasingly interested in the environmental cost of construction itself and started questioning the materials, energy systems, and decision-making processes that define mainstream practice. At that stage, I realized that my architectural training alone was not sufficient to address these challenges at scale, and that I needed deeper technical and analytical tools.

This led me to pursue further education. Through independent research I came across the Building Performance and Sustainability program at the National University of Singapore. Choosing to pursue my master’s degree was a deliberate decision that helped me move from design-led thinking to data-driven, performance-based approaches to sustainability.

After completing my master’s degree, I was clear that I wanted to work in India, where the scale of construction is massive and the need for sustainable transition is urgent. I began exploring organisations working at the intersection of green buildings, policy, and implementation, and applied to institutions such as GRIHA and IGBC.

Eventually, I joined the Sustainable Buildings Division at TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), India’s leading applied research organization in sustainability. Working at TERI exposed me to a multidisciplinary way of addressing sustainability, combining research, industry implementation, and policy engagement.

I worked on projects related to energy-efficient buildings, green building rating systems, and national sustainability initiatives, collaborating closely with government bodies and industry stakeholders. Over time, I took on greater responsibility as a Research Associate and Area Convener, contributing to strategic thinking, publications, and project leadership. This experience helped me understand how sustainable solutions can be implemented on a scale, which shaped the direction of my work going forward.

Continuously questioning my own work and pushing myself to learn and evolve has been a constant thread throughout my professional journey.

How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path

I approached my career as a process of building clarity step by step rather than choosing a destination upfront. At each stage, I asked myself what I was learning, what I was missing, and what the next step should add.

My employment journey began with my first internship in Zurich, Switzerland, during my architecture studies. It was a fully funded opportunity, where I got to contribute to find architecture design solutions and details for a large orthopedic hospital facility, and that sensitized me to a lot of accessibility issues in architecture. In addition, I got to experience an international work environment as a student introducing me to a professional culture where accessibility, sustainability, and public infrastructure were treated as basic design considerations rather than special add-ons. This experience helped me see what was possible beyond the systems I was familiar with.

After graduating, I worked for Enso Design, an architecture and interior design firm, as a project architect. There I led the end-to-end development and delivery of architecture projects, i.e., solving design challenges, making drawings, and coordinating and ensuring execution on-site with contractors and clients. This phase helped me understand execution—how drawings turn into buildings, how decisions are influenced by budgets and timelines, and where sustainability tends to get compromised. Understanding execution, and being a registered architect with council of architecture, I started practicing as an independent architect and began taking up small independent projects, which gave me direct responsibility over design, coordination, and decision-making.

While working on projects, I was constantly questioning whether I was equipped to make the kind of impact I wanted—to transition to architectural decision-making through a sustainability lens. I realized that architecture education trained me to design buildings, but not to measure performance, energy use, or long-term environmental impact. That gap became my turning point.

I began researching sustainability-focused careers on my own—mostly through the internet—looking at universities, job roles, and organizations working at the intersection of buildings and climate change. This led me to pursue a Master of science degree in Building Performance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore, where I learned how data, simulation, and real-world performance can guide better design and policy decisions.

After completing my master’s degree, I intentionally chose to return to India, where the scale of construction makes sustainable transition both challenging and urgent. I reached out to people working in green buildings and sustainability through professional networking platforms, not just to apply for jobs but to understand how the industry functions.

This approach helped me secure a role at TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). My time there was a period of deep learning. I worked across research, industry implementation, and policy, eventually becoming a Research Associate and Area Convener in the Sustainable Buildings Division. I contributed to strategy development, authored parts of green building rating systems, and wrote publications aimed at influencing industry and national conversations.

What has kept me moving forward is curiosity—the drive to keep learning, questioning, and improving. Today, that curiosity has guided me to work as an independent consultant, focusing on decarbonization and net-zero transitions in buildings. My current work involves adapting building taxonomies for India as part of the Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition project, funded by the International Climate Initiative of the German government.

Rather than a linear plan, my career evolved through intentional transitions—each step chosen to close a gap and move closer to the kind of work I wanted to do.

How did you get your first break?

My career didn’t start with a single breakthrough—it unfolded through experiences that gradually showed me the direction I wanted to take. One of the most defining phases was joining TERI, where I was exposed to work that truly mattered.

At TERI, I was constantly challenged—technically, professionally, and intellectually. I worked across disciplines, contributed to projects with real-world impact, and engaged in research that influenced national-level initiatives. More than that, it taught me to keep questioning my own work, exploring new ideas, and expanding my skills instead of staying confined to a fixed role.

Being honest with myself about what I wanted to learn, and investing in both professional and personal growth, helped me build the expertise I bring to my work today.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

The work I do comes with a few key challenges:

Challenge 1: Rapidly evolving field

Sustainability in buildings changes constantly and new technologies, materials, and methods emerge all the time. To stay effective, I’ve had to remain curious, read continuously, and question existing practices. Without this, it’s easy to fall behind or implement solutions that aren’t truly effective.

Challenge 2: Learning on the job

Much of my learning happens while working on real projects, which can be challenging because there isn’t always time to explore every topic in depth. This is where multidisciplinary teams and stakeholder interactions become essential—they bring diverse perspectives that help shape well-rounded and practical solutions.

Challenge 3: Finding the right opportunities

Sustainability work often requires navigating niche roles that align with a multi-faceted approach—blending design, data, policy, and implementation. Finding opportunities that allow you to work across these dimensions and make meaningful impact can be challenging, but it’s also deeply rewarding when it happens.

Where do you work now?

I currently work as an independent consultant, focusing on the implementation and execution of sustainable building strategies and policies, rather than purely academic research. This role allows me to work across different aspects of the field—policy, design, construction, and industry practices—while giving me the freedom to explore the areas I’m most passionate about.

What problems do you solve?

What I really focus on is how to reduce carbon emissions from buildings, both in how they’re constructed and how they operate. The built environment is like a living system—it’s meant to provide shelter and comfort, but it brings together many stakeholders and interconnected systems, from architecture and engineering to energy, water, materials, and urban infrastructure. That’s what makes it complicated. My aim through my work is to find ways to untangle that complexity, to create solutions that are simple enough to be understood and adopted by everyone involved, yet powerful enough to make a real difference on a scale.

As a researcher and policy consultant for sustainable buildings, I provide expertise on green building policies in accordance with the country’s NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions to climate plans). I also work with real estate agencies, offering consultancy for transitioning to sustainable infrastructure through operational policies and strategic interventions in design, material choices, and implementation strategies. As an architect, I previously focused only on design with traditional knowledge; under this new role, I work on policy writing, research into the latest sustainable technologies and policies in green buildings, and then develop recommendations based on those for all stakeholders in the building ecosystem—beyond architects—including government bodies, real estate developers, contractors, facility managers, and clients.

In doing so, I aim to accelerate the building ecosystem toward truly sustainable and net zero transition.

What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills?

My work brings together a mix of skills I’ve developed over the years—architectural design, building performance analysis, sustainability frameworks, policy understanding, and project management. Each of these grew from different experiences: my formal education laid the foundation, hands-on projects taught me how theory translates into real-world impact, and a constant curiosity pushed me to explore new tools, technologies, and approaches. Over time, weaving these skills together has allowed me to approach complex challenges in the built environment with a broader perspective and practical solutions.

What’s a typical day like?

A typical day varies depending on project needs. I analyze building performance data, coordinate with multiple stakeholders, review research and policy documents, and conduct independent investigations to develop actionable solutions. I also synthesize insights from reports, studies, and industry best practices to guide strategic decisions and design strategies for sustainable built environment solutions.

This work draws on cross-disciplinary knowledge—architectural processes, simulation software for energy and whole-building performance, the latest international and national climate policies, green building rating systems, and strong industry research skills to execute solutions that address real-world and future challenges.

What I find most rewarding is seeing these strategies and solutions implemented—helping organizations and projects achieve measurable, low-carbon, and resilient outcomes in the built environment.

What is it you love about this job?

What I love most about this job is the opportunity to create real impact—seeing ideas, strategies, and solutions translate into tangible changes in how buildings are designed, constructed, and operated. Being given a chance to influence practices that contribute to a sustainable, low-carbon future and to guide projects toward meaningful, measurable outcomes is what makes this work truly rewarding.

How does your work benefit society?

Constructing and running buildings contribute to around 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, both through construction and operations. These emissions drive climate change, which poses one of the biggest threats to humanity in the coming decades—leading to extreme weather events, resource scarcity, and social and environmental disruption. My work focuses on decarbonizing the building sector and guiding the industry toward net-zero solutions. By helping buildings become more sustainable, energy-efficient, and resilient, the work directly addresses these global challenges and contributes to a safer, more resilient future for communities everywhere.

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!

One of the most memorable projects for me was my architecture thesis. It wasn’t just about designing a building—it marked a shift in how I thought about the built environment. I started looking beyond aesthetics, considering inclusivity, accessibility, and how space truly serves people. That project pushed me to expand my perspective and ultimately led to opportunities to present and publish my work in journals and books, which made the experience even more meaningful. It marked a shift in my thinking process to achieve my professional journey thus far.

Your advice to students based on your experience?

My advice to students is to stay true to yourself and keep exploring. We live in an age of information—books, the internet, mentors, and experiences are all tools you can use to discover what truly excites and drives you. The key is to find what feels authentic to you and use that curiosity and passion to keep learning, growing, and achieving your goals. At the same time, remember that sustainability is not just an emerging field—it is the future. The world will increasingly need a dedicated green workforce capable of finding solutions to the climate challenges we face, and your generation has the opportunity to lead that transformation.

Future Plans?

As an independent consultant, I plan to continue working on strategy and policy solutions for green buildings, focusing on practical implementation. My aim is to scale these efforts nationwide, helping the next generation of buildings and cities adopt sustainability and circularity at every level, contributing to a resilient and climate-conscious future for all.