Arathi Gowda
Principal, East Coast Performance Team at ZGF Architects
TEACHES:
ISEN 433 Breakthrough Energy Efficiency and Net Zero Buildings (0.5 credit)
Arathi Gowda is an adjunct professor within Northwestern's Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability (MSES) Program.
Gowda leads ZGF Architects East Coast Project Performance Team, which oversees the firm's Sustainability practice in Master Planning, Architecture, and Interiors, and is the founder of Yes Praxes. She has led Sustainable design on projects in 35+ cities spanning global rating systems and climate zones. In her work she strives to empower teams to realize integrated sustainable design solutions through passive design and performance analytics.
As an educator she is committed to training the next generation of practitioners having taught coursework on sustainable architecture and urbanism at multiple universities. She is an advocate for collective climate action and is the current co-chair of US Architects Declare, member of the American Institute of Architect’s Committee on the Environment Leadership Group, Government Advocacy Committee, and the Global Philanthropy Partnership Board.
Gowda was honored with the individual Chapter Mission Award from Illinois Green (2016) and named one of ten recipients of Green Building & Design's Women in Sustainability Leadership Award (2019). Recently she was appointed to Mayor Lightfoot’s Chicago Building Decarbonization task force (2021) and nominated to New City Magazines Design 50, a recognition awarded to those who shape Chicago’s Architecture and Built Environment (2022).