Meet Your Hosts

Emily Khalid Zand

Emily is originally from the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Architecture at Temple University in Philadelphia, and her Masters of Architecture at Georgia Tech.

Before her Masters, she worked in a range of industries including transportation, commercial/retail, and multi-family developments. In school she gained interest in both healthcare and urban design through research and studio experiences.

She is a licensed architect who enjoys hanging out with her dog, exploring new cities, and trying to outrun people on the Schuylkill River Trail (just kidding, sorta). She currently resides in Philadelphia, PA with her husband who is not an architect but pretends to be one.

Maria Pastorelli

Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Maria moved to Atlanta in 2014 to pursue her architecture studies. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 2018, and her Masters of Architecture in 2020, both at Georgia Tech!

During her education, she completed multiple internships working on healthcare and multi-family developments. She was also very active in school, getting involved in student organizations and other leadership roles.

Some of her hobbies include dancing, moving around the furniture in her home, hanging out with friends around Atlanta and spending time with her fiancé, who’s also an architect! All we talk about is how much gray furniture/decor we can buy before it is too much.