Meet LPA: Apoorva Pradhan, Building Performance Specialist
As early as possible on LPA projects, Apoorva Pradhan starts working the data. As a member of LPA’s Sustainability + Applied Research team, her job is to analyze design options, evaluating the potential impact on energy efficiency, daylight quality or operational costs. Part researcher, part detective, she works with designers to poke and prod the design, looking for options that can produce better results.
“Not every project is going to be net zero, but helping clients and designers understand what it would take to get there is still useful,” she says. “Sometimes, the path is more straightforward than they think.”
Apoorva studied as an architect in India and has spent her career focused on analyzing data to enhance building performance. Her work helps establish quantitative standards to compare options for everything from building orientation and envelope strategies to alternative lighting and HVAC systems. “Trying to decide between two different types of glazing? That’s where I come in,” Apoorva says. “We can analyze different performance properties and understand the broader impact across other systems.”
Eventually the goal is always the same – a high-performing building.
The investigation often goes into unexpected territories. A focus on thermal comfort, daylighting or the potential to reduce embodied carbon can dramatically change the course of design discussions. “There’s never a dull moment,” she says.
Apoorva’s models often illustrate that a more sustainable building can save money in the long term. “When we put a number on the energy-efficiency measures, especially a cost or savings number, it’s easier for our clients to make an informed decision,” she says. Once a building is completed, she helps develop submissions for certifications such as LEED or WELL, an important step in benchmarking the effectiveness of the work.
“Eventually, the goal is always the same — a high-performing building,” Apoorva says. “It is very exciting to help teams realize how performance considerations can lead to unique design solutions that they might not have otherwise considered.”
