Dr. Upali Nanda is Executive Vice President and Global Sector Director for Innovation at global architecture firm HKS where she oversees a range of innovation practices that work within, through and beyond the built environment for meaningful impact. Also Professor of Practice at the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan, Nanda believes that the bridge between practice and academia is essential to craft meaningful change.
In this presentation, Nanda will share how research and strategy are integrated into the design process in pursuit of better outcomes for human and planetary health. She will also share why (and how) design firms invest in R&D, key areas of focus, and a path to innovation that can be crafted within, through and beyond the built environment. In an era of many disruptors (and opportunities) from AI and big data to advanced manufacturing and robotics, Dr. Nanda will argue that innovation is about an effective path to meaningful impact that starts from being anchored on the art (and science) of being human.
From 2013-2023 Nanda led research at HKS to bring evidence-based and culturally responsive approaches to building environments that support innovation, creative thinking, and brain health on an international scale. Her recent work has investigated the contributions of enriched environments to promoting creativity and brain health in an aging population, the power of bringing art into healthcare spaces, and creating “cocoon” spaces for individuals with sensory processing needs.
Prior to her current role she served as the global research director for the firm and as the Executive Director for the non-profit Center for Advanced Design Research and Education. Currently, she serves on the board of the Academy for Neuroscience for Architecture.
Dr. Nanda’s research has been awarded the AIA Upjohn Grant, European Healthcare Design Research Award, and Journal of Interior Design Scholarship Excellence award. Recently, Dr. Nanda was recognized with Architectural Record’s 2018 Women in Architecture Innovator Award and in a 2021 book of “The Women Who Changed Architecture” for her research on designing spaces that promote healthy behaviors.
She received her bachelor’s degree in architecture from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, master’s from National University of Singapore, and doctorate in Architecture from Texas A&M University.