Director, School of Architecture & Design

Dr Pooja Lalit Kumar, Professor & Director, School of Architecture & Design holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Ekistics (Gold medalist) from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, along with postgraduate diplomas in Environmental Impact Assessment and Urban Planning from CEPT Ahmedabad, topping both diplomas. She did her Bachelor of Architecture at Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon.

With over 25 years of professional experience, Dr Pooja has demonstrated expertise in conceptualizing and delivering diverse architectural projects, with a strong focus on sustainable and green building practices. Her career includes nearly 17 years as an Associate at ANS Designs Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, and over 9 years in academia at Sushant School of Art & Architecture as Professor and Head – Accreditation & Rankings. She is empanelled as an “Access Auditor” for the Built Environment under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.

Dr Pooja has worked with leading architectural firm on large-scale and detail-oriented projects across urban redevelopment, green building frameworks, hospitality, corporate workplaces, and premium residential developments. Her design philosophy emphasizes contextual sensitivity, experiential quality, and human-centered spatial development. In academic leadership, Dr Pooja has contributed significantly to curriculum development, faculty mentoring, pedagogical innovation and institutional growth. Her research portfolio spans sustainable architecture, experiential design, interior environmental strategies, community resilience, and socio-ecological impact assessment. She has extensively published and presented her work at both national and international platforms, contributing meaningfully to contemporary discourses in architecture and urban studies. She has chaired multiple national and international conference sessions, conducted numerous Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs), and delivered invited lectures across various institutions. Her doctoral research on migration dynamics in the urban villages of Gurugram provides critical insights into spatial vulnerability, socio-ecological transformation, and systemic resilience.

In continuation of this work, Dr Pooja collaborated with PRIA (Participatory Research in Asia), where she led a team of faculty members and student studios to map and analyse the water crisis in urban villages across Delhi and Gurugram. This work has informed community-engaged research frameworks and strengthened participatory methodologies for addressing water governance challenges in rapidly urbanizing contexts. She envisioned, launched, and convened the First International Conference on Art, Architecture & Urban Studies (ICAAUS 2025),in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, through which she secured a grant-in-aid to support the event.

Dr Pooja’s career reflects a comprehensive integration of academic leadership, research excellence, quality assurance, strategic planning, and community engagement. Anchored in a clear and forward-looking vision, she firmly believes that skill is the future of architectural education, this conviction shapes her pedagogical approach, where she encourages students to develop unique competencies, critical thinking, and creative mastery that set them apart as future innovators and leaders in the built environment.