Sandhya Parekh

Before joining the Public Practice Associate Programme, Sandhya was a project architect at ADP Architecture, a practice that focuses on sustainability, belonging, and engagement across healthcare and schools. There, she led one of the biggest A&E reconfigurations in the UK. 

Previously, Sandhya worked in private architectural practice, gaining experience in residential, commercial and community schemes. She led workshops with local schools for Newham Heritage Month, encouraging young people to think about their community infrastructure. 

In 2018, she was selected by the British Council to participate in the Venice Biennale Fellowship Programme. Her research was later exhibited at RIBA North. Sandhya is dedicated to making changes within the profession. She volunteers as a Women in Architecture (WiA) mentor, a scheme to support women and people of marginalised genders. She is interested in applying her technical acumen and communication skills, alongside her lived experiences, to assist local communities better.

London Borough of Croydon

As Regeneration Manager during her placement, Sandhya worked on both the governance and program management of Growth Zone projects (based in the town centre), and she project managed the delivery of Connecting Kenley (a district centre regeneration programme). This included creating the conditions for a place-based programme of activities that took a holistic approach to regeneration. She was also involved in seeking and managing funding. Sandhya's work included maintaining close links with the community, elected members, and officers working in the relevant areas to ensure the Council’s ambitions were delivered.