Pallavi Dean plays at the intersection of design and entrepreneurship. She founded her design firm Roar in 2013. A trained architect and sustainability specialist, she has won multiple awards for work across a range of sectors including commercial, hospitality, and residential. Recent work includes The Accor House of Original in Dubai, Sensasia Spa at Kempinski Dubai, and Mckinsey HQ in Doha.
She was born in India, raised in Dubai, and spent years working in London; her designs reflect these eclectic influences. A former professor of design, she strives to implement the latest theoretical and practical research into the firm’s designs. As a product designer, Pallavi collaborated with Artemide to launch ‘Interweave’ an interactive lighting system for Euro Luce in Milan 2019. Her work has been profiled in some of the world’s leading international media including the Financial Times, the BBC, Monocle, Wallpaper, and the Architectural Digest. She was named Architectural Digest Middle East Designer of the Year in 2020 and Designer of the Year globally by Interior Design Magazine in 2021.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Growing up as a third-culture kid
- How Pallavi’s upbringing shaped her love for design and creation
- On creating spaces that engage and stimulate all five senses
- Finding the balance between designing poetic and functional spaces
- Highlighting the beauty of imperfection in nature
- The need for pain and suffering in order to appreciate the beauty
- Exploring the vulnerability of artistic pursuits
- How Pallavi launched her own sustainable design firm, Roar
- The importance of empathy-driven design and architecture
- Debunking misconceptions of design innovations in Dubai
To learn more about Pallavi’s work, you can find her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roar_design_studio/
Website: https://www.designbyroar.com/about
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallavidean/