Vaishali is a partner at SJK Architects, a Mumbai-based architecture, interior design and masterplanning practice founded in 1990 by Shimul Javeri Kadri. Across diverse typologies, her efforts are guided by a continuous commitment to advancing the sustainability of architecture and integrating ideals of holistic sustainability into mainstream values. Synergetic relationships in nature deeply inspire her collaborative and non-hierarchical approach to practice. Since 2000, she has led the design of multiple award-winning projects that exemplify the firm’s ethos of designing spaces attuned to climate, culture, history, technology, and above all, communities. Vaishali believes that much beyond its fundamental role as shelter, architecture is a powerful form of expression that can encourage us to connect with ourselves and find meaning in our existence. The nurturing environment at SJK Architects proved to be a fertile ground for her explorations in creating evocative, introspective, and meaningful spaces. She has always been passionate about sustainability. Whether in architecture or in her personal life, her decisions are consciously geared toward reducing the environmental impact of each action. Forging multidisciplinary collaborations with project stakeholders, subject matter experts, and team members, she has led several nationally and internationally acclaimed projects at SJK Architects over the years. These include the culturally sensitive adaptive reuse of old industrial sheds into a cutting-edge Automobile Design Studio for Mahindra and Mahindra (2015) in Mumbai; the Hotel at Bodhgaya (2020) that is steeped in Buddhist tenets of serenity and compassion; the Textile Factory at Karur (2004), which innovatively employs local materials and techniques to optimise users’ thermal comfort; and two educational institutes in the hot and dry region of Warangal, Sparkrill International School and S. R. University, that rely almost completely on natural light and ventilation to create comfortable environments for learning and social interactions. She is currently working on a multi-use commercial building in Nagpur that utilises energy-efficient radiant cooling systems along with passive design features and aims to achieve a Gold LEED rating. In each of these projects, the quest for creating value beyond functionality has delivered a highly contextual design response that mutually benefits the environment and the involved communities. In her personal life too, Vaishali ardently pursues self-improvement across all facets, firmly believing in the perpetual quest for knowledge. Introspection is an integral aspect of this process. When not designing, she can be found taking quiet walks in nature and indulging in literature that encourages deep reflection. Sustainability has always been central to SJK Architects’ work, and in the coming years, Vaishali seeks to explore ways that can enable architecture to leave an even lighter footprint on our planet.