Associate Planner | Associate AIA, LEED Green Associate

Malika in a nutshell...

Respects 3M for inventing post-its.
Loves making lists, masala chai and miniature origami stars.
Designs in millimeters, inches and pixels.
Is a big fan of active transportation systems, local businesses and the monsoons.
Is the sixth Planeteer (Mali-Ka) and will save the world, one light bulb at a time. "The Power is Yours!"

After interning in Teska's Plainfield office for the summer, Malika joined the Teska team in Evanston in September 2011. With a Dual Master's Degree in Architecture and Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she has a special interest in making communities more sustainable. Her background in architecture and real estate development, including international work experience in India, provides a unique perspective to planning projects through her understanding of buildings and the built environment.

At Teska, Malika has worked on a diverse range of projects from GIS based maps to comprehensive plans to group discussion facilitation. Significant projects she has worked on include a comprehensive plan for the Village of Glenwood, and a park and recreation plan for the Dolton Park District. Other projects currently underway include a transit oriented development in Hanover Park, and a town center plan for Campton Hills.

Malika's prior architecture experience includes working with Pheroze Kudianavala Consultants and Indiabulls Real Estate in Mumbai, India, and an internship with Skidmore Owings & Merrill, LLP in New York. While at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Malika worked as a research assistant with the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center and performed energy audits for buildings in the State of Illinois. This experience contributed to her understanding of energy consumption in buildings, methods of reducing this consumption and its relation to regional planning issues and policies. As a LEED Green Associate, she has a strong foundation in sustainable design principles and its application towards planning. She is currently working towards her LEED ND certification.

She is proficient in a wide range of graphic presentation techniques, including three dimensional modeling, advanced GIS applications and website design. She is constantly exploring new ways of making sure that every-day plans use the full potential of today's technology.

Malika's favorite video (right now):

Urban Planning 101 - Active Transportation