Sandhya Sood is an East African-born Indian American architect and designer focused on historic preservation and ecologically conscious design. She is the principal architect of accent architecture+design, based in Berkeley, CA for over two decades. Sandhya meets the Secretary of Interior's Professional Qualification Standards for Historic Architecture & Architectural History.
The capacity of design to nurture people and foster meaningful connections to their lives, built spaces and the natural environment is powerful. Using design approaches embedded in place, functionality and craft, Sandhya incorporates local materials, passive solar with spatial configuration to create appropriate solutions. Projects range in scale, context and type; from multifamily to single family residences and renovations; to cultural and community design; to rehabilitation and planning. Her knowledge of material re-use, building technology and typologies has enabled their adaptation to fresh, affordable and contemporary spaces.
Prior to establishing accent, Sandhya taught architecture and worked with acclaimed architecture firms in San Francisco, North India and the non-profit, Urban Ecology. Indigenous masonry construction in the Himalayas, European modernism in Paris and sustainable design research at UC Berkeley rounded off her global perspective. These diverse settings spurred engagement with culture, climate response and social justice through the built environment. They also deepened her understanding of enduring qualities of vernacular architecture.
Pursuing an advanced degree entailed a multidisciplinary program at the College of Environmental Design (CED), UC Berkeley, in building science, structural design, architectural history & theory, design studio, city planning and landscape. Later, using this integrated approach facilitated successful collaborations with allied professionals, builders and agencies, honing her critical thinking, listening and public engagement skills. Sandhya also served on the board of Northern California chapter of DOCOMOMO, a historic preservation organization, conducting research on 20th century historic buildings.
Sandhya's work has been well recognized with a proclamation by Berkeley's mayor, Preservation Award and invitation to design critiques at CED and University of Washington, Seattle. Her research has been published in academic journals and presented at professional conferences.
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