PRAKASH NAIR, AIA
Prakash Nair, is a globally acclaimed architect and educator who specializes in the design of innovative schools. He is the recipient of many international awards, including the A4LE MacConnell Award, the highest honor worldwide for school design.
His international experience is vast, having worked with schools in 58 countries on six continents over the past 23 years, bringing a rich diversity of global insights to his work. This extensive international exposure has greatly influenced his student-centered approach to educational architecture and design.
Today, he serves as the Founding President & CEO of Education Design International (EDI) a company with multiple studios around the world. His expertise in architecture, education, neuroscience, psychology, and child development has driven EDI to the forefront of integrating research-driven innovations in school architecture. Prakash champions enhancing children’s health and wellbeing in school environments, embodying the principle of “Wellbeing for Learning.”
Prakash’s career began with a significant role as Director of Operations for New York City’s multibillion-dollar school construction program, where he honed his skills for a decade before establishing his own private practice.
As a renowned author, Prakash has penned many influential works including A New Language of School Design, Learning by Design: Live | Play | Engage | Create, The Language of School Design, and Blueprint for Tomorrow: Redesigning Schools for Student-Centered Learning published by Harvard Education Press. His scholarly contributions also extend to several published articles in reputed journals and white papers on neuroscience, biophilic design, and outdoor learning.
An esteemed educator, Prakash’s contributions to the Harvard edX “Leaders of Learning” course have impacted over 280,000 global participants. His frequent keynote presentations at international education conferences and his TEDx talk further establish him as a preeminent figure in Innovative School Design.
Under Prakash’s stewardship, EDI has developed a unique suite of apps for enhancing learning environments, an innovation that garnered him the prestigious Kelly Tanner Award by A4LE in 2023.
Contact Prakash Nair at [email protected]
M: 917.406.3120