Riya Sinha (she/her/hers)

rsinha@pcadesign.com

Riya’s interest in urban design and master planning informs her approach to housing and community-based projects. She brings a clear, confident sense of direction to her work.

01

Riya in a nutshell

  • I’m from  India

  • My education  M.S. in Architecture and Urban Design, Pratt Institute, New York City
    Bachelor's in Architecture, Sinhgad College of Architecture, India

  • Any community service  I actively participated in donation drives for HelpAge India, raising funds to support elderly welfare for a couple of years.

  • Why PCA?  At PCA, I’ve found a rare balance between individual voice and collective effort. From the start, there’s been a strong sense of mutual respect. People are genuinely invested in both, the work and each other’s growth. It’s a place where curiosity is encouraged, collaboration comes naturally and learning is constant. That culture keeps me motivated and makes PCA the right place for me to grow and contribute.

  • My earliest architectural / interior design memory  I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember — starting around age 2 or 3, I would sketch on anything I could find: paper towels, sketch pads, even slices of bread. Before I spoke much, drawing was how I expressed myself. That love for visual storytelling grew naturally, and by the time I was 9, I held my first painting exhibition. I haven’t stopped creating since — though I’ve thankfully retired bread as a medium.

  • I’m drawn to design because  I love imagining myself within a space before I begin designing it. There’s something powerful about how a space can shape different experiences for different people. Design allows me to bring meaning and purpose into something simple — turning it into a place that resonates with individuals and serves the community as a whole.

  • Describe your favorite space.  Winter in the mountains

  • A space/place that has affected me is  Green Village in Bali, Indonesia. Seeing how bamboo was used to create beautiful, functional spaces within nature was inspiring. It showed me how design can be both sustainable and deeply connected to its environment — living with nature, not just in it.

  • When I’m not working you can find me  Sketching, singing, watching horror movies, or just going on a drive.

  • Cats or dogs?  Both : )

  • Coffee or tea?  Coffee and Indian Chai

  • Ball point or felt tip?  Definitely felt-tip — it just feels right, no second thought.

  • SketchUp or Revit?  Revit

  • I’m my best self when  I’m behind the wheel, driving. I love the focus and freedom it gives me — it’s when I feel most in control and connected to the moment.

  • The best piece of advice I've ever been given is  to focus on giving your best effort without worrying about the outcome. When you concentrate on the process, the results often take care of themselves.