Rudabeh Pakravan

Rudabeh Pakravan serves as a Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also a registered architect and principal at Sidell Pakravan Architects, a Berkeley-based practice focused on creating meaningful connections between architecture, culture, and human experience.

Her educational background includes a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Pakravan approaches architecture as a physical exploration of space, form, scale, and volume that directly translates to how architecture creates civic and social engagement. Her research focuses on how architectural form affects individual and collective experience, the rules and processes that influence building, and architecture's influence on culture and the city. In her housing studios, she works with students to explore specific relationships between architectural elements and the public realm. Her research on architecture and public space has been published by the Annenberg School of Communication and Places Journal.

Her architectural practice has been recognized with Architectural Record's Design Vanguard award for 2021, highlighting her firm's innovative approach to residential, commercial, and civic projects that transform how people see and understand the spaces around them.

• Architectural Record's Design Vanguard award for 2021

As a practicing architect and educator, Pakravan bridges theory and practice, bringing real-world design challenges into her teaching while maintaining an active architectural practice that directly informs her academic work. Her studio projects often address pressing urban issues including housing shortages, public space activation, and sustainable community development.

Through Sidell Pakravan Architects, she leads projects ranging from residential renovations to urban planning initiatives, including notable work on the Ohlone Greenway Extension in Berkeley and Speculations on Urban Housing at the Transit Edge in El Cerrito, demonstrating her commitment to creating architecture that positively impacts communities.