Navya Raju

Cambridge

Navya Raju is an Ecologist at Perkins&Will, working firmwide to integrate ecology as a core design driver across architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design teams. A graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), her work is grounded in systems thinking and an ecological worldview centered on people, place, and planetary health. Growing up in a family of architects and engineers, Navya was immersed early in the world of design not just through drawings and buildings, but through conversations about responsibility, intention, and the long term impact of design on people’s lives. Over time, this shaped a deep belief that design is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape the future, and that with this power comes a profound responsibility to care for both people and the planet. As an ecologist, Navya approaches design as an act of care. She brings empathy, curiosity, and scientific rigor to her work, bridging science and design to develop site specific ecological strategies and performance based frameworks that move projects beyond sustainability toward restoration. She brings a deep passion for protecting the environment, and sees every project as a chance to listen to the land, to speak for non human species that cannot advocate for themselves, and to gently repair relationships between human activity and natural systems. Guided by hope rather than fear, Navya believes design should not only respond to today’s challenges, but also plant seeds for a healthier, more just, and more resilient tomorrow. Her work is driven by the conviction that when we design with care, humility, and respect for living systems, we can create places where both people and nature are able to thrive.