In a career that spans continents, sectors, and diverse contexts and scales of design, Sukirti’s work is driven and united by his passion for urban life, “people places,” and research-informed design. Trained as an architect in his native India, Sukirti has since devoted his career to planning and urban design, as both a public sector planner and private sector consultant. His work is grounded in his belief that learning is a lifelong endeavor, and that a successful planning and design process must begin with understanding—and learning from—the people and particular context of each place. He has managed diverse and award-winning projects, ranging from citywide comprehensive plans, downtown and corridor plans, and transit-oriented development strategies, to design guidelines, streetscape master plans, site redevelopment, and architectural design. In particular, much of his work has explored the intersection between physical design interventions and economic development strategies for rejuvenating cities, towns and urban districts.
With an educational background in both architecture and planning, Sukirti excels at making connections between micro-level design details and broader, multidisciplinary considerations at the neighborhood, city and regional scales. He is also noted for his creativity and ability to express ideas through graphics. Whether he is preparing sketches and 3D visualizations to communicate urban design visions, or producing oil paintings, watercolor renderings and graphic designs in his spare time, his graphics are infused with a visual artist’s perspective. A regular participant in design competitions, Sukirti has received a number of honors in such competitions in recent years.
A good weekend involves lots of paint-splatter.