Pooja Bhagat
Pooja started PBA in 2021 with over 20 years of experience in designing award winning diverse projects types. She has designed, detailed and managed projects that have demonstrated innovative design, contributed positively to the urban fabric, engaged the community, transformed the lives of those who occupy them and have enjoyed exceptional economic success. With the goal of making design accessible for all and the commitment towards positive transformation she started pooja bhagat architects + planners as an international design collaborative practice based in Los Angeles with many design and engineering consultants who collaborate on bringing projects to fruition.
Pooja believes that sustainability is achieved through implementing environmental strategies and incorporating social, cultural and economic diversity in the built environment. Her focus on building community through design are represented in institutional, multi-family and affordable housing development projects such as the SEED LA Public Charter Boarding High School and the Ocean Avenue South mixed-use master plan in Santa Monica which provides equal affordable and market rate housing. She has designed, detailed and managed multiple building types including the Waverly, Seychelles and Pico housing in the heart of Santa Monica’s business district. In addition, she has coordinated overall master plans involving complex client teams and multiple consultant groups and lead projects in difficult entitlement climates through EIR, development agreements, feasibility analysis, concept design through construction documents and construction administration.
Pooja believes in humanistic design principals and brings strong management and organizational skills to her practice. Prior to starting Pooja Bhagat Architects & Planners, Pooja served as Associate Principal at Abode Communities Architecture; as the City Architect for the City of Santa Monica and as Senior Associate at Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners.
She is founding co-chair of the Women in Architecture Committee of the AIA Los Angeles Chapter and co-led the planning of the 2016 & 2017 Powerful Conference - a platform which attracts over 500 local women architects and designers to empower women to be assertive, lead, and to further the mission of Gender Equity in architecture. She has served on the board of the AIA LA Chapter and continues to collaborate with staff & AIA community to bring more conversations into actionable initiatives, to further the Chapter's goal of equity and diversity, and to create links with other organizations that support similar and complementary initiatives. She currently serves on the board of the City of Los Angeles’s Del-Rey Neighborhood Council as the Land Use Officer and on the board of Architecture for Communities Los Angeles (ACLA).
Pooja received her Bachelor in Architecture degree from Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon, India, and her Master of Architecture degree from SCI-Arc. She is a registered architect in the State of California and a L.E.E.D. accredited professional. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.
SELECTED WORK
SEEDLA Public Charter Boarding School, Los Angeles, California
2802 Pico Affordable Housing, Santa Monica, California
Waverly Housing, Santa Monica, California
Seychelles Housing, Santa Monica, California
Ocean Avenue South “The Village,” Master Plan and Housing Santa Monica, California
Providence Saint John’s Health Center South Campus Master Plan, Santa Monica, California
North Palm Drive Condominiums, Beverly Hills, California
Santa Monica Land Zoning, Land Use and Circulation Element, Santa Monica, California
ChunSenBiAn Master Plan and Housing, Chongqing, China
Amber Bay Resort, Dalian, China
Concordia Resort, Coloane, Macau, China
East District, Favorview Palace, International Competition, GuangZhou
John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center Phase 1, St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas
Wingsing AIT Residential Towers, Taipei, Taiwan
Xinhe, New Town, Tianjin, China
Villa Verde Affordable Housing and Masterplan, City of Coachella, California
EDUCATION
Southern California Institute of Architecture, Master of Architecture,
Metropolitan Research and Design, 2001
Sushant School of Art and Architecture, New Delhi, India,
Bachelor of Architecture, 1999
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/REGISTRATIONS
Registered Architect, California
Board of Director & Member, American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Chapter
LEED Accredited Professional, Building Design and Construction
Founding Co-Chair, Women in Architecture Committee, American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Chapter
SELECTED AWARDS FOR PROJECTS IN WHICH POOJA HAD A SIGNIFICANT ROLE
American Institute of Architects/ California Council Urban Design Award 2015: Ocean Avenue South Master Plan and Housing
American Institute of Architects/ California Council Urban Design Award 2015: Providence Saint John’s Health Center Master Plan
American Institute of Architects/ California Council Affordable Housing 2014: 2802 Pico Affordable Housing
Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Awards 2015: Ocean Avenue South Master Plan and Housing
Westside Urban Forum Westside Prize 2015: Ocean Avenue South Master Plan and Housing
Westside Urban Forum Westside Prize 2014: Ocean Avenue South Master Plan and Housing
Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Awards 2014: 2802 Pico Affordable Housing