Navya Pandey

Hometown: Delhi, India
Education Background: Bachelor of Architecture 24’ from CEPT University, India

How did you get interested in your field?
As an architecture student, I felt the urgency of designing better where the response to environment was as important as the aesthetics and functionality. I explored the same in all my design projects and enjoyed having analytical reasoning behind my design decisions.

What was your background prior to coming to Penn?
I started at Penn just after finishing my B.Arch. During my bachelors, I had the opportunity to spend half a year studying in Switzerland and see all the buildings I adore across Europe. I also had the opportunity to intern at an architectural office in Delhi which was a great learning experience for me.

Why did you choose Penn?
Throughout my bachelor's degree, I always felt passionate about finding ways to make my design climate conscious which led me to a research path. After a semester dedicated to research on thermal comfort during my bachelors, I felt the need to equip myself with a better knowledge base and skill set and MSD-EBD’s curriculum fit my learning interests. In addition to that, Penn being such a diverse university, allows one to connect across disciplines.

What do you like best about Philadelphia?
I like the fact that the nearest greens are just a 15–20-minute walk from wherever I am in the city since Philadelphia has many parks and gardens. Philadelphia is full of history, art and culture so there’s always something to do for design nerds, if not in the city, then definitely on campus.

What kinds of activities and/or organizations are you involved in?
Since I like to keep active, I use the gym at Pottruck Fitness center which is free for full-time students and I am also learning rock climbing.

What are your career ambitions?
I wish to explore the research path and pursue academia.