Nidhi John AIA, LEED AP (she/her/hers)

What inspires Nidhi the most are the challenges involved in meeting the needs and desires of diverse communities. She likes to solve spatial problems using schematic/conceptual sketching. At PCA, Nidhi values the creativity, diversity and variety of colleagues in the studio. She is among PCA’s most ardent volunteers, working at soup kitchens and involved with her local church group to address charitable needs in India.

• I’m from  Mumbai, India.

• My education  B.Arch; M.Arch (Architecture and Urban Design)

• Notable accomplishments/awards  I left India 18 years ago not knowing where I would go or even if I would make it by myself in a new country. Where I am today at PCA and in my career feel personally notable.

• Why design?  The emotions that people express when they express true joy — the smile on a little girl's face when she walks into her new apartment, the smile on a elderly woman's face with tears in her eyes when she sees the finished product in an affordable housing project.

• A place that has affected me is  Yosemite National Park — standing in the valley surrounded by the majestic creation in its natural splendor, I closed my eyes for one minute and promised to always remember the beauty I saw.

• On Saturday mornings, you can usually find me  in a two-hour Tae Kwon Do session with the family followed by gardening or weeding in our yard. I love being outdoors.

• Coffee or tea?  Coffee. I once painted a sign that says, "First I drink the coffee, then I do the things."

• On my playlist  I generally like folk and country music. I listen to a variety — new and a lot of oldies that remind me of my childhood: Guster, Nora Jones, Simon and Garfunkel, Boney M, Abba and Old Hindi classics.

• A secret talent that no one knows about  I can switch between an American and Indian English accent in the same conversation.

• If I were a Pantone swatch, my color would be  18-1248 — Rust. I love this earthy tone. It was the color of my wedding Indian sari :)

• If I could snap my fingers and become an expert in something, I would be a  life coach — it'd be awesome to help people build resiliency and grit.

• The craziest thing I’ve ever done is  sit in the front seat of the Rip Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios (167 ft coming down almost vertically) with my very excited 9-year-old. I hate roller coasters, but had to be brave for my son. I didn't speak because of shock for 15 minutes after the ride!

• One thing most people don’t know about me  I used to sing in a professional ecumenical choir in India.

• The best piece of advice I've ever been given is  "Work hard, never give up, stay humble and grateful, never forget your roots, and above all, believe in yourself." ~ my mom