Avantika Velho is currently a Biodesigner and Researcher at the BioInteractive Design Lab, Northeastern University. Previously, she was a Lead Biodesigner and Strategist at Terreform ONE, a Brooklyn-based socio-ecological design research group. Her nature-centric, scale-agnostic approach to design encompasses regenerative systems for future cities, living architecture with multi-species habitat facades, food-waste reuse systems, lunar dust mitigation technologies, hydrophobic surface architectures inspired by insect wings, and numerous physical and digital products for clients such as CVS, Google, NASA, and Hyundai Motors.
Avantika graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with a BFA in Industrial Design, concentrating in Nature-Culture-Sustainability Studies. She has been awarded the Rachel Carson Environmental Award by RISD in recognition of her dedication to sustainable design. She is also the recipient of the Maharam STEAM Fellowship, RISD Hyundai Summer Research Fellowship, inaugural Somerson Sustainability Innovation Grant, RISD Creative Visualization Grant, and RISD SPUR Fund, and was the Lead Designer on an RI ESPCoR STAC Grant. Avantika was also one of the winners of the inaugural Google x Biodesign Challenge Sprint. Her work has been featured in various publications, including Dezeen, Designboom, and Fast Company. Her most recent collaborative project with Terreform ONE, “Fab Tree Hab,” has won numerous awards, such as Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Award, the Green GOOD DESIGN Award, Rethinking the Future Award, DNA Paris Design Award, and the Core77 Design Honor Award.
Email: a.velho@northeastern.edu
Linked in: Link