Sustainability For All: HOK’s Komal Kotwal on Change in People's Lives and the Power of Gen Z
Portrait by Michael Starghill Photography
By Patrick Dimond
Komal Kotwal is a Principal and Sustainable Design Leader for Health, Well-being, and Equity at HOK. Passionate about the intersection of health, equity, and climate change, Komal bridges the gap between human well-being and building performance, championing inclusivity in projects, while working to advance equity in design thinking and management. Komal has led the sustainable design on diverse projects across five million square feet of space, including net-zero projects and over three million square feet of LEED and WELL Platinum projects.
She currently serves on HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council and Management Board, IWBI’s Health Equity Advisory, and Fast Company’s Impact Council. In her interview with Patrick Dimond, Komal Kotwal talks about the importance of embedding resiliency and equitable design principles into every project, advising those just starting their careers to think of perceived setbacks as career opportunities.
PD: Tell me about your foundational years. Where did you grow up, and what did you like to do as a kid?
KK: I was born and raised in Mumbai until I came to the US at around twenty-four. My father is an architect and has had an architectural practice for the past forty-five years. What I loved most as a child was going to his office, which was close to almost all the wonderful art galleries in Mumbai. My Saturday routine was to spend some time in his office in the morning, and then he would take me to the art galleries. Because he ran his own practice, he also often took us to the cities where his projects were ongoing. Consequently, this regular exposure to art, architecture, and travel greatly impacted me during my foundational years.
I'm always encouraged by hearing how architects are first inspired by the artistry of architecture. It reminds me that the profession is based deep within the arts. What did you learn about yourself while studying architecture? You attended the University of Michigan for graduate school but tell me more.
I began studying architecture at the University of Mumbai and did my graduate work at the University of Michigan. One of the things I remember during high school was sitting through an aptitude test, and my teachers told me that architecture was as much about art as it was a science. Of course, it's what you're groomed to think too, but what I learned about myself in studying architecture is the power it has to influence people and positively impact their daily lives. I began my career in Mumbai, one of the densest cities in the world, and realized that I was most passionate about creating change in people's lives through architecture. The sheer population density and challenges that come with it illustrated the compelling need for elevating human performance and well-being.
650 Main, Salt Lake City, UT. Designed by HOK.
This LEED Gold Certified project incorporates wellness design principles that consciously intertwine the physical activity spaces with social active areas inspiring the user's sense of space and promote both physical and mental health. Several outdoor workplace opportunities are created within an urban setting in downtown Salt Lake City. Photo by Adams Visual Communications.
Shell Woodcreek Campus, Houston, TX. Designed by HOK.
Extending over 1.5 million sf of development, at the heart of a campus is an oasis where employees can regularly choose to venture outdoors to work away from their desks and enjoy nature even within a hot and humid climate. The entire campus is LEED Gold Certified and Wildlife Habitat Council Gold Certified with a goal to protect and preserve the pollinator habitat and migratory patterns it resides in. Photo by Joe Aker, Aker Imaging.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Federal Inspection Services (FIS) Building, Houston, TX. Designed by HOK.
Ample natural light, expansive glazing, and artwork are incorporated to keep one connected to the outdoors within an airport setting. Two flanking portal walls at the security checkpoint showcase the beauty of Houston’s landscape. Exiting passengers pass through the FIS exit featuring images of the welcoming arms of Houston’s live oaks and park settings. Project is currently under construction. Rendering courtesy of HOK.
How did your career begin? What were the steps that followed your time in school?
I've always been attracted to larger firms where the opportunity for impact can be more significant. I began my career in Denver at Stantec — then RNL — as a junior designer, not explicitly concentrating on sustainability. Still, I questioned at that time why sustainable design was not considered "good design."
During that time, my interest in sustainability was piqued, and I became one of the founding members of the firm's green team. I became interested in creating and implementing sustainable systems and processes for the organizations where I worked. This was in 2006 when sustainability was not as mainstream as it is now, which led to creating a model for that office to apply sustainable best practices to every project.
In 2013 I decided to apply to HOK, where I worked as a specialist in their sustainable design practice. I collaborated on several projects, integrating sustainability practices within them. Over the course of the years, the most fulfilling part of my job has been pushing for change on every project, and educating and advancing the team and clients' thinking about sustainability. Within the subject area, I find myself most passionate about designing for human sustainability. When we design for people, we influence those from all walks of life. Everyone reacts to space differently, and the fact that inclusive design embodies that ethos is fascinating.
“Today I find myself in the middle of redefining sustainable design and bridging the gap between human well-being and building performance, connecting people and sustainability, championing inclusivity in projects and practice, and pushing for equity in design thinking and management.”
Was it when you began working at HOK that you felt a level of clarity?
It was a moment somewhere in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes you want to take your career down a particular path, and looking back, you can identify a few moments as being critical. That was one for me. The link between the built environment and health had never been clearer. As climate change exacerbates health disparities and disproportionally impacts vulnerable populations, my passion for equitable environments, sustainability, and driving change made me uniquely positioned to take on a newly created leadership role in addressing the intersection of health, climate change, and equity. Designing healthy buildings and equitable environments has moved from being a nice to have to a need to have.
Where are you at in your career today?
Today I find myself in the middle of redefining sustainable design and bridging the gap between human well-being and building performance, connecting people and sustainability, championing inclusivity in projects and practice, and pushing for equity in design thinking and management. One of the most potent aspects of design is the opportunity it offers to impact and improve the health and well-being of people in our communities, buildings, and spaces. When we think about health and well-being, we often consider features like biophilic design, active spaces, access to daylight, views, and healthy foods. In my career today, I am driving our teams and clients to look at those aspects through the lens of equity. I ask them to ask: are we ensuring that everyone has equal access to clean air and water, equal opportunity for active spaces, and access to nature?
I recently released a report called Health, Well-being, Equity: A Call to Action, along with other sustainable design leaders across the practice, to help advance our profession in advancing the conversation. What is the legacy that we are leaving behind in our buildings? Answering such questions is what gets me out of bed each morning.
Komal featured Conversation at Kohler Living 2021 discussing the importance of designing for workplace wellbeing and designing for a neurodiverse workforce. Courtesy of Kohler.
Komal speaking on Design for Equity and Inclusivity at Greenbuild 2022. Courtesy of HOK.
Komal at New York Stock exchange while attending and presenting to Fast Company Impact Council, June 2022. Courtesy of Komal Kotwal.
Looking back at it, what has been the biggest challenge, and how did you manage through a disappointment or a perceived setback?
That's a great question, and that's something I've been doodling over. But, let's face it, I'll be honest, as a female architect, it hasn't been a straight road. Throughout my career, I have had to balance my own hyper-focus on success while being a mother of two young kids in a dual-career household.
I'm thankful for my support system, but I consciously have had to say things like, okay, I'm slowing down a bit at work, so I'm going to finish my licensing and become a licensed architect and vice versa. I had to be strategic about where I put my time and effort. Whenever a perceived challenge came my way, I approached it as an opportunity to do something else.
A few years ago, my husband's job relocated us to Pennsylvania. At this pre-pandemic time, the remote work structure was not as widely embraced, but luckily HOK allowed me to work remotely while living in Pennsylvania. I had to pivot my career path to align with this remote work from a Project Management role to a more individual specialist role. During those two years, I spent a lot of time educating myself and working on projects within HOK that were focused on health and well-being, and it came from those two years that this opportunity and expertise to take on my current firmwide role came about.
Essentially, perceived setbacks are just disguised opportunities, and that's been the golden thread in my career…turning those challenges into opportunities that otherwise wouldn't have been at my disposal.
“Think about architecture as more than an artifact; think about it as change. Consider yourself someone who can be a change maker, impacting both the built environment and impacting lives.”
What are you most excited about right now?
I am most excited about the scale of the movement and adoption we see with regards to sustainability. I've practiced sustainability for fifteen years of my career, and it's never been so mainstream. So this is an excellent opportunity for us to embrace sustainability authentically, drive our clients to strong ESG stories and not just allow this to be a trend that gets paved over by something else that comes into vogue.
I am excited about guiding teams to pursue aggressive sustainability goals such as net-zero targets and embedding resiliency and equitable design principles into every project we touch. I am excited about leveraging a global platform to advise and educate our industry peers on how we can truly make a difference as architects.
Who are you admiring right now?
I admire this new generation: Gen Z and beyond. The fact is that they are pushing all of us to think differently and to make serious changes within our industry. Young people are asking questions and holding decision makers responsible. In a corporate setting, we see grassroots movements forcing us to focus our efforts intentionally. The young people I've interacted with have been eager to provide feedback and be involved in challenging conversations.
Komal traveling with her children, ages 7 and 9. Courtesy of Komal Kotwal.
What impact would you like to have on or in the world, and what does success look like to you?
The mission I am passionate about is that of “sustainability for all.” The bottom line is for all. If success falls into three buckets, the first is that, as architects, we must practice sustainability. We must make buildings healthy, but we are also held to a standard to make those spaces equitable and lastly, we must expand inclusivity within our industry. It must be more attainable so that people from all walks of life can contribute to designing our built environment.
As a minority woman who has immigrated to the United States, I have had mentees who have come and spoken with me about their own backgrounds and the challenges that they have faced. Whenever those moments happen, I share advice from a practice perspective, taking it beyond me to how we can impact change in a more extensive global practice.
What advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?
I have two pieces of advice. Think about architecture as more than an artifact; think about it as change. Consider yourself someone who can be a change maker, impacting both the built environment and impacting lives.
To women, bring your most authentic self to the workplace. Don't try to be someone else, don't try to impress someone. As women architects, we try to do that a lot. It was a turning point when I ignored who was in the room and started to say what I truly believed in, which is when people started to listen.