Priya Panse
Nagpur-born architect and designer Priya Panse has emerged as a rising force in international architecture, earning acclaim for her innovative, sustainability-driven, and emotionally resonant projects. Currently based in New York City, Panse serves as a key designer at the globally recognized firm MARKZEFF, where her work continues to receive international recognition.
A graduate with a Master of Architecture degree specializing in Inclusive Design, Panse has distinguished herself through a body of work that champions adaptive reuse, ecological responsibility, and future-oriented design narratives. Her contributions have earned her multiple accolades from the prestigious MUSE Design Awards, one of the architecture and design industry's most respected international competitions.
Among Panse's most celebrated achievements is The Nexus Tower, located at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in New York State, which earned the Platinum MUSE Design Award in the category of Conceptual Architectural Design - Office Building. Conceived as a business incubator and community catalyst, the tower features a distinctive diagrid structure, energy-efficient systems, and open public zones designed to foster collaboration among entrepreneurs and researchers. "The goal was to design a building that doesn't just house innovation, but actively catalyzes it," Panse explains.
Equally notable is her project Silo Nord, honored in the Conceptual Design - Travel/Recreation category. This visionary proposal transforms disused grain silos along the historic Erie Canal into a sustainable hospitality and research complex. Featuring an indoor forest museum, an algae-powered bio-lab, and an eco-conscious hotel, Silo Nord exemplifies Panse's commitment to regenerative tourism and environmental innovation. "It's about bridging industrial heritage with an ecological future," she shares.
Panse contributed significantly to the acclaimed design of Virgin Hotels New York, a project that has drawn widespread international praise. Known for its bold interiors, the hotel combines the urban energy of New York with moments of intimacy and tactile warmth. The design has been lauded for striking a delicate balance between poetic storytelling and pragmatic functionality.
Despite her success on the global stage, Panse remains deeply connected to her roots. "Growing up in Nagpur, I developed an appreciation for layered histories and diverse material cultures," she reflects. "That early exposure still influences how I think about space, memory, and identity."
From central India to the skyline of New York, Priya Panse continues to prove that architecture can transcend borders and disciplines, delivering designs that are both visionary and grounded in cultural and ecological sensitivity.
