"By designing in India I feel I have come full circle. Having been brought up here during my childhood and then being trained in architecture in the US I think I can stride that cultural gap through my designs. Architecture has given me the medium through which I can express Indian philosophy of being in a modern idiom." - Architect Suman Sorg
Born in New Delhi, India, Suman Sorg, FAIA emigrated to the United States in 1968 and settled in Washington, DC. After completing her architectural studies and serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa, she started her practice in 1986 which has grown to be one of the largest solely woman owned architecture firms in the United States. With a portfolio rooted in the design of complex and public buildings in the US and abroad, Suman Sorg guides Sorg Architects as Principal in-Charge and Chief Designer. In 2010, Suman's journey came full circle with the expansion of her practice in a branch office in New Delhi, geared toward assisting the firm's expanding portfolio of significant projects throughout India.
Suman Sorg's work has been recognized with numerous honors, including 28 awards from the American Institute of Architects, among others. She has lectured extensively and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Design Philosophy
Suman's overall philosophy of design is characterized by a strong commitment to thoughtful modern architecture that explores spatial, material and visual experience. Rather than imposing a style irrespective of context, she carefully examines the unique characteristics of each place (site, climate, culture, community), along with programmatic requirements, and looks to this intersection as the catalyst for an architectural concept. A long-standing practice in historic preservation and interest in vernacular architecture complement her modernist leanings. By combining contemporary techniques and design strategies with the innovative handling of traditional architectural language and indigenous buildings materials, she endeavors to create architectural compositions that relate to their extended contexts in a meaningful way.Suman emphasizes a philosophy of "light touch," striving for simplicity and clarity of design. She advocates an integrated approach to preserving and protecting the environment which is focused on an examination of project specific relationships to our core sustainability concepts. She believes that when a building serves its function and the people who inhabit it, the project is successful in providing a transparent solution that reflects its human purpose.
