Episode Description

Taruna Gupta is a planner at HGA and the co-founder and president of Defining Humanity, a nonprofit advancing equity through design and humanitarian projects. Listen in to hear how her journey across India, the United States, Italy, and France has shaped an approach to architecture grounded in curiosity, cultural exchange, and the belief that design can expand dignity, access, and opportunity.

Taruna’s story begins in India, where she grew up surrounded by a richness of culture and creativity while also witnessing inequalities that affected people’s daily lives. Coming from a family of medical professionals, she developed an early awareness of giving back to communities. She completed a five-year architecture program in India and later worked for Pritzker Prize–winning architect BV Doshi, where she encountered perspectives on architecture rooted in culture, place, and human experience.

“How do you design spaces that can take what’s already there and build upon it?”

Seeking to expand her exposure to architecture, Taruna moved to the United States for her master’s degree before spending time in Italy and Paris. Living amid Italy’s historic buildings and layered urban fabric challenged her to consider how contemporary design can engage with existing places, perspectives, and languages. “How do you design spaces that can take what’s already there and build upon it?” she asks, a question that continues to guide her work. Her time in Paris further deepened her interest in culture, communication, and design across borders. These experiences reinforced a belief that architecture is not only about creating new structures, but also about listening to the histories and communities already present.

After returning to the United States, Taruna took time away from traditional practice to focus on her family life while remaining active in the architecture community. Through Women in Design Milwaukee and the emerging NOMA Wisconsin chapter, she recognized many of the barriers women and underrepresented professionals face in the field and found opportunities to lead, advocate, and build community. These organizations encouraged her when returning to work in the industry and the leadership experience has prompted her to reflect on the kind of legacy she wants to create and the ways she could help make the profession more supportive and equitable.

“Our name reflects our belief that humanity is not defined by what we build for ourselves, but by what we choose to build for others”

That commitment ultimately led Taruna and two friends to establish Defining Humanity. The nonprofit brings humanitarian values into conversation with architecture and design, supporting projects that include 3D-printed classrooms, housing, and cultural and educational spaces. “Our name reflects our belief that humanity is not defined by what we build for ourselves, but by what we choose to build for others,” she explains. Through Defining Humanity, Taruna and her collaborators seek to create spaces that respond to community needs while advancing access, dignity, and opportunity.

Throughout the conversation, Taruna’s story emerges as one of resilience, curiosity, and self-belief. Her career has not followed one prescribed timeline, nor has it been limited to a single geography, role, or definition of practice. “Through my career journey, I realized that we shouldn’t measure our careers against someone else’s timeline because every journey is different,” she reflects. Her path through India, the United States, Italy, France, nonprofit leadership, family life, and professional practice demonstrates that meaningful architectural careers can take many forms.