Designing Tomorrow
A 4 Week Online Cohort for Sustainable Design
Oct 22nd to Nov 14th 2025
Every Wednesday & Friday 2.00 – 4.00pm UK time (9.00 – 11.00am US time)
Design shapes the world we live in, and with sustainability at the forefront, architects, designers, and real estate professionals hold the power to transform the built environment.
The Sustainable Design Academy’s inaugural Online Cohort took place in March 2025 and invited rising professionals to a 4-week intensive program that transcends checklists and equips participants to tackle today’s pressing environmental challenges.
Watch and learn...
Participant Feedback
Journey to Sustainable Design Mastery
Learning Outcomes
Fees
Students (enrolled in full time education)
£240.00 (£200 + 20% VAT)
Professionals
£450.00 (£375.00 + 20% VAT – for UK only)
£375.00 (no VAT – non-UK)
Group Registration
Email us for special price
Agenda
The agenda for our next Cohort, taking place between October 22nd and November 14th is as follows:
Week 1 – Session 1 (Wed, Oct 22nd): Sustainable Design Process – Best Practices & Practice Models
Week 1 -Session 2 (Fri, Oct 24th): Sustainable Certifications
Week 2 – Session 1 (Wed, Oct 29th): Demystifying Net-Zero Energy & Low Carbon Design
Week 2 – Session 2 (Fri, Oct 31st): Circular Economy & Design
Week 3 – Session 1 (Wed, Nov 5th): Advancing Human Sustainability in Design
Week 3 – Session 2 (Fri, Nov 7th): Nature-Based Solutions and Biomimicry in Design (Regenerative Design)
Week 4 – Session 2 (Fri, Nov 14th): Cohort Presentation & Close Out
*Presenters TBC.
2025 Cohort Presenters
Komal Kotwal
Founder & Principal Consultant at EquiSustain, Content Director at Sustainable Design Academy
Komal Kotwal is a Global Sustainable Strategy and Management Leader, Architect, and Educator. As the Founder and Principal Consultant at EquiSustain, she specializes in sustainability consulting, education, and mentoring, focusing on climate change, health, and equity in design. Previously, she served as HOK’s firmwide Sustainable Design Leader for Health, Well-Being, and Equity. Komal has served as an Adjunct Lecturer at VCUarts Qatar Continuing Education Program and is the Content Director for the Sustainable Design Academy. With 19+ years of experience, she has led sustainability initiatives for projects spanning over 10 million sq. ft., including net-zero energy strategies, ESG frameworks, and WELL and LEED Platinum certifications. An award-winning Architect, WELL Faculty, and recognized Thought Leader, Komal has been featured in Disrupt Magazine and Madame Architect and honored by the International WELL Building Institute. She serves on IWBI’s Community Advisory and has contributed to leadership boards such as AIA Houston and the Texas USGBC Regional Council. Komal holds a Master’s in Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s from the University of Mumbai.
Ana Rita Martins
Sustainability Lead at MCM
Ana Rita Martins is an ESG design and construction practices expert renowned for her visionary approach and transformative impact on businesses. With a proven track record, Ana Rita has successfully built a strong ESG reputation and positively impacted the design of numerous projects.
Asif Din
Sustainability Director at Perkins&Will
Asif is Sustainability Director at Perkins&Will. He has raised the profile of carbon proficiency in the practice which includes a costed Zero Carbon Report at the end of concept design for all projects. He has also been involved in expanding the sustainability remit within designs as part of the ‘Living Design’ initiative. He has over 20 years’ experience in delivering Zero Carbon design projects: Notably BedZED and Jubilee Wharf in Penryn, Cornwall. He has worked in the UK and abroad in China and the Middle East. He has a PhD in Life Cycle design of buildings from Cass School of Art and Design at LMU.
Jill Kurtz
Principal / Director of Building Science at Page
Jill has spent her 20-year career advancing sustainability best practices in the built environment. As a registered architect and environmental building design specialist, Jill has excelled in growing a team and approach to integrating sustainability Page’s extensive architecture and engineering portfolio. With a background in consulting, building performance, and qualitative research, she has brought a robust interdisciplinary approach to Page’s 1,500 person architecture and engineering firm and has significantly grown environmental and social impact of Page’s work. As Director of Building Science, Jill leverages her systems thinking and leadership skills to drive Page’s ESG initiatives, developing effective frameworks like “Design for Impact” and leading annual reporting to enhance the firm’s commitment to sustainable and socially responsible design. Her client-centric approach and proven ability to integrate sustainability into project delivery methods underscore her dedication to creating and elevating all design solutions that positively impact communities and the environment.
Max Driscoll
Vice President, Sustainability at AECOM Construction Management
Max is a seasoned practitioner of sustainability with 20+ years of experience. He is currently the Vice President of Sustainability for AECOM Construction Management, where he leads decarbonization efforts for AECOM Tishman, AECOM Hunt, and Leeding Builders Group. Project examples include JP Morgan Chase HQ supertall in Manhattan, Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Tennessee Titans Stadium, One Madison Avenue, JFK Terminal 1 and JFK Terminal 6.
He came to AECOM from HOK where he was a Sustainable Design Leader for the Northeast. There he led both project engagements and internal initiatives, highlighted by a 1.8M sf net zero corporate campus, LaGuardia Airport Terminal B and the firmwide Interiors sustainability strategy.
Prior to HOK, Max was the sustainability lead for Purdue University and developed the sustainability strategic plan for the university. He also served as the subject matter expert for all university new construction and renovations as well as campus-wide sustainability initiatives. Max came to Purdue from Croxton Collaborative Architect in New York where he managed the implementation of the sustainable design guidelines at the World Trade Center for the Port Authority or New York and New Jersey. While at Croxton he also helped develop the Sustainable Infrastructure Guidelines for the Port Authority, a pre-curser to Envision, and delivered many firsts including the highest rated LEED Platinum interiors certified by USGBC at the time.
Max is adept at using sustainability as a tool for innovation and uncovering new value for clients. He is a thought leader and passionate about sharing successes along with lessons learned in order to accelerate progress on sustainability.
Alejandra Menchaca
Founding Principal at AIRLIT Studio
Alejandra is a Founding Principal at Airlit Studio, an environmental design consulting practice with a design-minded approach rooted in technical excellence.
Alejandra combines expertise in mechanical engineering and building science to give clients a clear understanding of the impact design strategies and innovative solutions have on long-term building performance. Alejandra leverages research and simulations to provide project teams with sustainable design knowledge and energy expertise. With a Ph.D. in natural ventilation, she is experienced in designing passive buildings. In addition to her interest in passive solutions, Alejandra also has extensive experience with energy-intensive buildings such as laboratories and healthcare facilities having worked as an in-house building scientist at Payette for four years. Her experience also includes a focus on the power of early design analytics, gained during her tenure as a consultant at Thornton Tomasetti, where she built their Boston-based sustainability group. Lastly, Alejandra’s expertise also includes thermal comfort, energy modeling, daylighting, and computational fluid dynamics.
Ale is passionate about early design building science: assisting design teams with analytics and reports that impact design outcomes. She is a co-founder of Project StaSIO, a community of building performance simulators (consultants, architects, in-house building scientists) that strives to teach others how to ask the right building analytics questions and convey the results in ways that are beautiful and impactful.
Highly committed to growing the next generation of sustainability-focused designers and engineers, Ale loves teaching. She has lectured at MIT and the Harvard GSD, where she’s had the good fortune to mentor several brilliant students who have become inspiring disruptors in the building simulation industry.
Sean Quinn
Sean Quinn leads HOK’s global regenerative design practice, leveraging natural systems and building technology to enhance development as a steward of the environment. Over the past two decades, he has demonstrated his commitment to performance-based sustainable design and progressive approaches to biomimicry in planning and design projects all over the world. Sean is committed to ensuring that the built environment of tomorrow goes beyond net-zero strategies, yielding mutualistic, net-positive benefits for nature, buildings and communities.
Ren DeCherney
Ren is a licensed interior designer who uses her first-hand experience of the complexities of the building industry to help designers and manufacturers translate their sustainability pledges into reality.
Prior to joining the Institute as Built Environment Lead, she worked in Portland as a designer, where she took her firm PVC-free, making them the first firm in Portland to make such a commitment. She was then the Director of Industry Transparency at Source, a digital materials platform, where she synthesized design team needs and industry trends to integrate sustainability seamlessly into the design process. This included building various user tools, growing strategic partnerships, and developing all of the sustainability filters on the platform.
She then worked at the International Living Future Institute, overseeing the Declare and Living Product Challenge programs. There she worked with both designers and manufacturers to understand the current market incentives for sustainable practices and how to implement sustainability strategy into everyday practices.
Ren has an undergraduate degree in Art History and French from Smith College in Massachusetts and holds a Masters in Interior Architecture from the University of Oregon.
Vijaya Bhargav
Vijaya Bhargav co-founded OSTRACA, a niche architecture and interior design firm in Bangalore, along with Arnab Ghosh. With a career spanning over 27 years, Vijaya has worked with a diverse portfolio of local and multinational clients across India.
She began her professional journey designing Institutional, Industrial, Commercial, and Hospitality projects, eventually specializing in corporate office spaces. Over the years, she has successfully designed and delivered over 32 million square feet for leading IT majors and emerging startups.
OSTRACA has been featured in several reputed design publications. Vijaya is also closely associated with academia, sharing her knowledge as a guest lecturer in design and business management institutions.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Vijaya has actively contributed her architectural expertise to charitable organizations, including the Infosys Foundation, Azim Premji Foundation, Abhyudaya Foundation (College for Women), and Sahasra Deepika Education for underprivileged girl children. During the pandemic, she helped corporates set up Covid isolation centers as part of their CSR initiatives.
A founder member of Sankalp Trust, Vijaya supports educational pursuits by enabling children from underprivileged backgrounds to access professional courses.
Deeply inspired by Indian culture and heritage, she often integrates traditional elements into her designs. Her passion for Indian handlooms has led her to support weaver communities, helping preserve indigenous weaving and textile traditions.
A creative spirit beyond architecture, Vijaya explores jewellery design, has hosted boutique exhibitions, and even modelled for renowned jewellery and handloom brands.
An avid coffee enthusiast, she runs a popular Instagram blog, @watz_brewing, followed by several international coffee houses.
Uma Patwardhan
Uma is a Director leading the North America Sustainable Buildings Team within JLL’s Sustainability Consulting practice. Uma’s expertise lies in developing comprehensive sustainability programs and strategies for occupier and investor clients to align their real estate with the organizational ESG goal, as well as implementing 3rd party green certifications, such as LEED, WELL, WELL HSR, Fitwel, and Living Building Challenge. She expertly manages complex projects, prioritizing client satisfaction through effective team collaboration and relationship building. With her background in architecture, Uma has a unique perspective on building design, operation, and integrating sustainability into clients’ overall project strategies.
With almost 20 years of industry experience, Uma has successfully consulted on and managed certifications for over 75 new construction and renovation projects spanning over approximately 10 million+ square feet.
Ms Patwardhan holds a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from University of Mumbai, India and a Masters in Sustainable Design degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She served as a member of International Living Future Institute (ILFI)’s Organizational Equity Advisory Board (2023-2024) and the Greenbuild Advisory Board (2023).
She is one of 20 people selected for JLL’s 2024 Emerging Leaders Program from the entire North America region.
Chris Moss
Senior Consultant at Greengage Environmental Ltd
Chris has extensive knowledge of Green Infrastructure planning and implementation within urban areas, having worked across public, private, and third sector roles in this area. Chris’ expertise centre around Green Infrastructure planning, policy, and delivery, focusing more recently on corporate strategy production and the development of innovative finance mechanisms and valuation metrics for Nature-based Solutions. Since March 2022, Chris has sat on IEMA’s Policy and Practice Steering Group for Biodiversity and Natural Capital.
Joanna Knight
Co-founder at Sustainable Design Collective
In 2001, Joanna was a founder director of a groundbreaking company offering lifecycle management solutions for workplace environments. She is now an independent consultant; non-executive director at FIRA; advisory member of FISP; and chair of the climate change committee at The Furniture Makers’ Company.
Kay Sargent
Kay Sargent is a licensed and certified Interior Designer with 40 years of experience. She served as the Director of Thought Leadership, Interiors for HOK and leads project teams that solve clients’ challenges related to strategic planning, workplace strategy, change management and designing for inclusion. Kay is a member of both American Society of Interior Designers’ College of Fellows and the International Interior Design Association’s College of Fellows. The American Society of Interior Designers also has honored Kay with its highest award, naming her a “Designer of Distinction” whose body of work represents excellence in interior design. And in 2025, she was named to the top 20 distinguished leaders who are reshaping workplace strategy and office design.
Outside of HOK, Kay serves on the prestigious Delos Advisory Board alongside wellness and sustainability advocates such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Deepak Chopra. She also served on the international board of directors for AVIXA; CoreNet Global; IFI, the International Federation of Interior Designers/Architects; IIDA; ASID; and NCQLP.
She was recently selected from her field of peers to provide Congressional Subject Matter Expert Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives and has since been called to share her expertise multiple times.
Kay has established herself as an innovative thought leader. She has authored numerous reports and conducted extensive research on designing for neuroinclusion. Kay and the team at HOK have been award multiple awards for their work on designing impactful environments and addressing neuro-inclusion in the built environment. Kay has authored a comprehensive book on neurodiversity entitled “Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces.”
Harsha Kotak
Projects Director at K2 Space, Founder at Women In Office Design, Co-founder at Sustainable Design Collective
Harsha, is an international Interior Designer and writer. With a lifelong passion for design, Harsha has worked in the workplace design industry for over 20 years and has practiced in the US, India and the UK. In 2024 she was appointed as a UK Design Council Experts Board Member.
Alex Webb
Sustainability Manager at The Furniture Practice
Alex is TFPs Sustainability Manager. She works with project teams to embed sustainability into every stage of the furniture journey — from developing tailored project charters and KPIs aligned with clients’ ESG goals to leading strategies that support industry certifications. Alex also collaborates with TFP’s supply chain to drive high sustainability standards and deliver measurable impact across projects.
Kim Morgan
