Pranita Khedkar on Redefining Critical Facilities: From Data Centers to Space, Designing Regenerative Futures

In conversation with Pranita Khedkar, LFA

In this edition, we sit down with Pranita, a multidisciplinary architect whose work bridges the worlds of space exploration and critical facilities on Earth. With a background in space architecture and a career rooted in designing resilient environments, Pranita brings a rare blend of technical mastery and human-centered insights. Her approach aligns with the ethos of the Living Building Challenge pushing beyond sustainability towards regeneration, transparency, and deep ecological integration. Join us as we explore her journey, her philosophy, and her bold vision for architecture that uplifts both people and built environments, redefining what is possible in the most demanding contexts.

1. Data centers are often seen as energy-intensive and utilitarian. How to reconcile the high-performance demands of these facilities with the regenerative goals of the Living Building Challenge?

Absolutely, it is a balancing act between both. The key is to shift the mindset from minimizing harm to maximizing benefit. I start by designing efficiency at every, level from server density and cooling systems to energy source. Then further, integrating renewable energy systems, restoring the surrounding ecology, and designing the building envelope to support passive strategies. It’s about proving that even the most technologically sound building can be regenerative. By integrating on site renewable energy systems, optimizing power usage through AI-driven controls, and adopting closed-loop water cooling strategies. Material choices, biophilic design, and ecological restoration around the site can further align with LBC’s imperatives. Without thoughtful planning and interdisciplinary collaboration, even the most demanding environments can contribute to a regenerative future.

2. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in sourcing Red List-free materials for data centers, and how have you overcome them?

The Red List is a powerful tool for healthier building practices but applying it in the tech sector, especially within critical facilities environments comes with significant challenges. Components like fireproofing, cabling, and insulation often contain prohibited substances, making compliance difficult. One of the most persistent obstacles is transparency; manufacturers often do not disclose full ingredient lists, which complicates efforts to verify material safety. To navigate these issues, I have to work closely with manufacturers to advocate for disclosure and identify safer alternatives. Early collaboration with contractors is essential to align on material scope and integrate Red List-free options from the outset. Tools like the Declare label database have been invaluable in identifying safer products, but achieving full certification often requires rethinking assemblies or substituting materials entirely. Red List compliance is not just a checkbox, it is a design philosophy that demands foresight, persistence, and innovation. Embedding these principles from the very beginning is key to advancing critical facilities architecture toward a truly regenerative future.

3. Can you share strategies or technologies you have implemented to achieve net positive energy in a data center, and how they differ from traditional approaches?

Achieving net positive energy in mission-critical facilities like data centers demands a paradigm shift from traditional design approaches that emphasize efficiency but remain dependent on grid power and carbon-intensive systems. To move toward regeneration, we must integrate on-site renewable energy sources such as solar panels, geothermal systems, and responsibly sourced natural gas paired with advanced battery storage to manage peak load demands and ensure resilience. Innovative cooling strategies, including single-phase immersion systems using non-toxic fluids, can align with LBC goals by enhancing energy efficiency and minimizing mechanical complexity. By combining modular layouts with passive design principles, these facilities can optimize performance while reducing environmental impact. Unlike conventional models that aim to reduce energy consumption, net positive strategies focus on generating surplus energy redirecting it to nearby buildings, transforming data centers from energy consumers into contributors to a cleaner, more resilient future. 

4. How do you incorporate biophilic principles into environments that are primarily designed for machines and infrastructure?

It is a challenge but also an opportunity. Incorporating biophilic principles into critical facilities requires a thoughtful balance between technical performance and human well-being. Since these spaces prioritize infrastructure, they have limited human interaction for the administrative staff who work in these facilities deserve environments that promote comfort, focus, and psychological well-being. By integrating natural light in administrative spaces or light wells, we can reduce reliance on artificial light. Adding visual connections to nature through green walls and digital biophilic elements helps soften the sterile feel of mechanical spaces. Use of materials such as nontoxic Red List compliant wood creates a more inviting atmosphere. Using nontoxic Red List compliant wood creates more inviting atmosphere. To reduce sensory fatigue in these noisy environments, we incorporate sound absorbing panels and apply spatial zoning strategies. Biophilic design in critical facilities is not about decoration and aesthetics but about creating moments of calm, connection, and restoration in places where performance and precision dominate.

5. What innovations or shifts do you foresee in the next decade that could make Living Building Challenge certification more accessible for hyperscale data centers?

There is a compelling convergence unfolding between technology and sustainability. In the near future, modular data centers will be instrumental in advancing the goals of the Living Building Challenge, making regenerative design more attainable than ever due to AI. As procurement standards evolve and clients begin to expect more than LEED certification alone, regenerative architecture is set to move from a niche ambition to a widespread norm. With carbon accounting becoming a standard part of practice, the industry will be pushed to reassess its environmental footprint in meaningful ways. At the same time, we are seeing a shift toward compact, high-performance server units these emerging ‘supercomputers’ demand less physical space, opening the door to more adaptable, efficient, and environmentally integrated design solutions.