Delivering on Decarbonization: Meet Pooja Sannamani
In this Decarbonization and Climate Resilience blog series, we highlight our portfolio decarbonization and sustainability experts and showcase how they support our clients to solve the most complex challenges to achieve their sustainability and net zero goals.
Pooja Sannamani is a sustainability expert with extensive experience in the buildings and infrastructure sector. With over 10 years of experience at AECOM, Pooja has demonstrated expertise in a wide range of skills including project and client management, sustainability strategies, and certification and code compliance, and is involved in several high-profile projects in the United Kingdom and U.S. such as New Covent Garden Market, Thames Tideway Tunnel, San Francisco International Airport and Intuit Dome. Pooja’s commitment to excellence and leadership in managing complex projects has significantly contributed to AECOM’s success and the sustainable development of communities.
Tell us a bit about yourself — your role and career journey.
I have always sought meaning in everything I do. After learning about the concept of sustainability in my second year of architectural school, I was immediately drawn to it as a career. I saw this as a real opportunity to design buildings that are not only esthetically pleasing but also conserve resources and make our world a better place.
My journey with AECOM started 10 years ago as a graduate sustainability consultant in London. Five years later, I transitioned to our Orange County office in California and have recently relocated to San Francisco. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with talented colleagues across various business lines and geographies and broaden my technical and interpersonal skills.
In my current role, I collaborate with clients and project teams all over the world, developing sustainability goals and strategies, and then implementing them throughout the design, construction, and operational phases. I enjoy bringing positive impacts to the communities we serve and dream of a future where sustainability is not just seen as an add-on or a luxury but an essential and integral part of buildings and infrastructure.
I enjoy bringing positive impacts to the clients, projects and communities we serve and dream of a future where sustainability is not just seen as an add-on or a luxury but an essential and integral part of buildings and infrastructure.
Talk to us about a sustainable design or high-performance building project that has impacted or been a major highlight of your career. How did it solve the challenges and issues our client was facing?
A standout career highlight was leading efforts to support Intuit Dome, the new home of the LA Clippers, in achieving its LEED Platinum Certification, earning 92 points for the project.
The project’s complexity was multi-layered, including our client’s bold sustainability vision going beyond business as usual, the building’s substantial size of approximately one million square feet, navigating the dynamics of a large and diverse project team with numerous subcontractors, and adhering to a rapid project schedule with phased construction across the site, arena, and plaza buildings.
To ensure that the client was able to meet their goals through such a layered and complex project, we provided support through the LEED submissions process. This included regular engagement with the client, design, and construction teams to identify deliverables, support their sustainability goals, and ensure compliance with regional building codes. Additionally, we managed submission efforts by ensuring that all documentation was complete and met the requirements for each LEED credit.
The Intuit Dome project serves as a beacon for positive change in the industry, demonstrating how ambitious sustainability goals can be realized through collaborative effort.
How do you approach sustainability integration in building design and construction processes, and what factors do you consider when evaluating the environmental impact of building projects?
Early involvement is critical when incorporating sustainability into design. Key decisions are made early in the design phase, offering a cost-effective opportunity to integrate sustainable practices. Increasingly, we work with our clients to establish a sustainability vision, embedding it as a core component in all projects. Once this vision is set, we collaborate with design teams from the programming stage and throughout the early design phases, ensuring that sustainability strategies are included in every technical aspect — architecture, MEP, civil, landscape, and more. We engage in brainstorming sessions to balance technical and sustainability goals, addressing challenges as they arise. Regular participation in design meetings and drawing reviews keeps sustainability at the forefront. During construction, we continue this collaborative approach, working directly with contractors to implement sustainability strategies.
Industry is increasingly considering the environmental impact of buildings beyond capital costs, focusing on whole life-cycle costs and impacts. The triple bottom line analysis, which evaluates environmental, social and financial impacts is gaining traction. This holistic approach is essential for the future of our planet, supported by codes, regulations, and federal grants. Additionally, there’s a growing focus on the impact of buildings on occupants and operators, prioritizing their needs, well-being, and experiences. This leads to environments that are not only functional and efficient but also enhance the quality of living for communities.
Industry is increasingly considering the environmental impact of buildings beyond capital costs, focusing on whole life-cycle costs and impacts.
What are some of the emerging trends and technologies in sustainable building design and construction that you find particularly exciting or promising?
The sustainability landscape is evolving rapidly. Collectively we are moving towards:
- Resiliency: Climate change and extreme weather have caused a five-fold rise in natural disasters over the past 50 years, making resiliency crucial for buildings, infrastructure and communities. Investors and insurers now see the long-term value in sustainable design, motivating businesses to implement these measures.
- Circularity: This involves proactively eliminating waste from the pre-design stage, exploring reuse opportunities before opting for demolition and reconstruction, recognizing that one person’s waste can be another’s resource, and ultimately creating a zero-waste loop.
- Holistic thinking: Holistic thinking in building sustainability involves considering all aspects of a building’s lifecycle and its broader impact on the environment, society and economy. This approach goes beyond addressing individual elements in isolation and instead integrates them into a comprehensive strategy that ensures long-term sustainability.
- Focus on human health: Ultimately, the built environment is designed to meet human needs. There is growing awareness of the importance of designing spaces that enhance human health physically, mentally and socially, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
Overall, I have seen a shift in how sustainability is perceived over the past decade and that gives me hope for a brighter future.