Page 1 of 2

Smita Rawoot

19 Winchester Street

Brookline, MA-02446

617.899.9924

srawoot@mit.edu

OVERVIEW

Business leader and principal at a leading US design firm. Helped set up and grow a new international design studio and achieve strategic growth goals . Managed 20+ staff and exceeded revenue targets.

15+ years of experience developing diverse project types including residential, education, hospitality and special needs housing developments in the US, India and the Middle East.

Extensive project management experience including capacity to lead teams, ability to manage multiple projects with attention to technical details and an eye for innovative design solutions.

Focus areas in public policy and urban planning include: public housing policy, resiliency planning, public space planning and transportation & land use planning and zoning law.

RECOGNITION

Selected as “40 under 40 design leaders of 2013” , by BD+C, USA, 2013. Selected as “50 of the Top Gen-Next Architects & Designers”, Architect & Interiors India, 2013.

EXPERIENCE

MIT, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Cambridge, MA

2013-2015

Public space, Urban Ecosystems & Resiliency Planning

Implemented Ramboll Foundation funded research on coastal resiliency policies in Boston and

Mumbai focusing on the development of productive blue-green infrastructure strategies in cities.

Evaluated the Charles River Basin Master Plan as a planning document and proposed an integrated

approach to urban land use and public space planning.

Developed an analysis of several urban development projects proposed in the Kendall Innovation

District and projected possible linkage to public space innovation at the MIT waterfront .

Examined the interaction of transportation & open space planning in Portland to analyze & identify

key factors that led to the tear down of the Harbor Drive freeway to build the Tom McCall Park.

Developed a digital waste tracking project sponsored by P&G, to increase at source sanitary waste

segregation by linking the waste tracking data through a points system to a women’s health app.

Public housing Policy and Governance

Published research on housing case studies for the Resilient Cities Housing Initiative. Designed and

launched the RCHI website. http://rchi.mit.edu/.

Collaborated with a UN-Habitat team in Banha, Egypt to develop a strategy for incremental reform

in land and property regulations to transition informal housing to formal property markets.

Evaluated and recommended governance building strategies for effective public housing policy

administration to achieve consistency and success in policy implementation in Pune, India.

Partnered with Center for Policy Research and Housing & Land Rights Network to develop a

advocacy document that mapped the impacts of displacement on the urban poor, Delhi, India

Summer Intern, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Boston, MA 2014-2014

Developed scope of work documents for 3- urban revitalization projects at the Charles River Dam.

Proposed design solutions for Leverette Circle pedestrian overpass and grade level sidewalk

improvements.

Developed a Master Plan for the MIT waterfront.

Principal, Perkins Eastman Architects, New York, NY 2001-2013

Principal, In charge of Mumbai office, India (2008-2013)

o Provided strategic leadership to setup a new regional office .

o Developed market research, structured business plan, formed company and hired core team (3

senior professionals), 12 junior professional staff and 4 administrative staff.

o Led business development and project management on a variety of projects.

Page 2 of 2

o Mentored and built the core group, did staff reviews and managed the teams.

Led design, planning and management of projects in Higher Education, Housing, Mix-use

development, Hospitality and Senior Living design. Key projects include:

o Three campus master plans: Kalyani International University, Universal Business School &

Bhutan Education City.

o Five residential master plans: for Mahindra in Pune, Godrej development in Kolkatta, Arohan in

Bhubaneshwar, Yash Group in Ahmedabad and Essar house in Mumbai.

o Hospitality design project: Juhu Hospitality design in Mumbai.

o Two senior living master plans: Kamshet Senior Living & Tata Senior Living, Vasindh.

o Three mix use master plans: Bhendi Bazar Redevelopment in Mumbai, Bandra East Mix-use

development in Mumbai and International Financial Center in Turkey.

Senior Associate, New York, NY (2001-2008)

As a senior project architect designed, planned, coordinated and managed projects in Hospitality,

Primary & Secondary Education, Senior living and Housing design. Key projects include:

o 4 public school renovation projects at Mamaroneck school district, NY.

o Additions and renovation at the Princeton Day School, NJ.

o Residential new construction at 220 West 19 th Street, NY.

o Residential new construction at 1050 Washington Boulevard, Stamford, CT.

o Residential feasibility study at Berkley Street, Norwalk, CT.

o Residential redevelopment at 230 Riverside Drive, NY.

o Master plan & architectural design for mix-use development at Megastar Dubiotech, Dubai.

o Residential and Hospitality high-rise development at 839 Sixth Avenue, NY.

o Retail, hotel and residential mix-use master plan at Harbor Point, Stamford, CT.

Christopher Charles Benninger & Associates, Project Architect , Pune, India 1997-1998

As a project architect worked on planning, designing and construction administration for the

Nagaloka Campus, Nagpur, India

EDUCATION

MIT, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Cambridge, MA June 2015

Masters in City Planning, specializ ing in City Design and Development

Pratt Institute, New York, NY 1999-2001

Masters in Architecture (advanced architectural design)

Sushant School of Arts and Architecture, New Delhi, India 1991-1996

Bachelors in Architecture (five year professional degree)

SKILLS

Strong relationship building and management skills combined with an ability to convene diverse stakeholders and agencies for consultation and co-ordination on projects.

Excellent grasp of building design and planning requirements, technical knowledge of construction

methods and systems. Advanced skills in freehand sketching, technical drawing and design thinking.

Working knowledge of building codes, zoning and land use regulations in the NY and Mumbai.

Strong knowledge of the follow ing software’s: Microsoft Office, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, ACAD, Sketch-up and PowerPoint.

Good knowledge of ArcGIS for mapping and Stata as a statistical analysis tool. Experience in web -design and intermediate skills in HTML& CSS.

Samples of work in policy analysis, urban planning and architectural design: PORTFOLIO