GREEN IN THE GRID by Swathi Vandkar
This is the part where I tell you
About
who I am, and why I care so much about what I build.
"I believe how we grow matters as much as how fast we grow."
I grew up in Bangalore, India.
A city that was constantly becoming something new.
​
I watched it stretch outward and upward new roads, new buildings, new ambitions. What fascinated me wasn’t just the speed of change, but its consequences. Some changes brought opportunity and energy. Others quietly erased trees, neighborhoods, and a sense of balance. Long before I had the language for it, I was already paying attention.
Architecture felt like a natural starting point.
It gave me tools to shape space, to imagine futures, to participate in growth rather than observe it from the sidelines. I learned how to design buildings that respond to context, function, and form. But alongside the skills came questions, about resources, longevity, and the invisible costs of fast decisions.
As my education deepened, so did my curiosity.
I loved designing, and still do. But I also began to ask what my designs were contributing to, beyond form and function. What did more really mean? More density, more efficiency, more economic value—but also more pressure on ecosystems, more energy use, more responsibility. I started to see growth not as something to resist, but as a force that needed clarity, intention, and care.
That realization led me deliberately toward sustainability.
From architecture studios in Bangalore to sustainability-focused learning in Berlin, my focus shifted from individual buildings to systems, how cities function, how decisions scale, and how design choices ripple far beyond their immediate footprint.
Sustainability, to me, is not about restraint for the sake of restraint.
It’s about intention. About asking better questions before committing to bigger answers. About designing growth that is conscious of its impact on people, resources, and time.
Beyond architecture and sustainability, a few passions keep my creativity alive.
I love swimming and dancing - where rhythm, movement, and emotion collide in real time.
I sketch, paint, and create graphic designs - exploring ideas visually before they take shape in the world. Many of these works will be part of this portfolio, offering a glimpse of how I see, think, and create beyond buildings and systems.
Created on Adobe illustrator
Careful… moving your mouse may cause sudden bursts of color.
I work at the intersection of design, ethics, and long-term thinking - guided by curiosity, quiet persistence, and the belief that responsibility doesn’t have to come at the cost of ambition.
This portfolio reflects that journey: not a finished philosophy, but an evolving one, shaped by observation, learning, and a commitment to cities and systems that grow with care, adapt with intelligence, and leave behind more than they take.