Speakers

Pournamasi is an Associate Principal and Regional Sustainable Design Lead at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), where she leads carbon-neutral and high-performance design strategy across the firm’s New York and Washington, DC offices, and globally. She is responsible for advancing SOM’s decarbonization roadmap, embedding measurable performance targets into projects from concept through delivery.

With more than 18 years of experience in building science and sustainable design, she is a recognized leader in Passive House and large-scale decarbonization. Her work spans over 20 million square feet of development, including high-rise mixed-use, multifamily, institutional, and civic projects. She has led award-winning carbon-neutral ready buildings recognized by NYSERDA and has guided teams in delivering projects that meet rigorous performance standards under real-world construction constraints. 

Pournamasi collaborates closely with developers, public agencies, and design teams to demonstrate that ambitious energy targets are achievable at scale, even within the regulatory complexity of New York City’s evolving climate mandates. She focuses on accelerating the industry’s transition toward measurable, data-driven, zero-carbon buildings that redefine resilience, value, and long-term impact in our cities.