Ravi Maniktala

PE, LEED AP BD+C, CxA, HBDP

Principal

Education: Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

What inspires you?

Every day I get up, I want to make a difference. Work is not work to me. Work is more of a joyful feeling for me on how I can help. From the moment I wake up, I don’t see any way I’m going to slow down from not being able to contribute wherever I can contribute. My dad always used to tell me if you don’t grow, you decay. That’s something that stuck to me when I was a little kid. When I would make a mistake he would tell me, my mind, if I don’t use it, will decay. So work hard to make it grow. Same thing with our bodies, every muscle, every joint – if you don’t use it, you lose it.

What, to you, is a 'Better Built Environment'?

It goes back to my upbringing as a teenager in 60s. Growing up in India, everything that came home was recycled – paper, plastic, bottles. Then I came to the United States, and it was a concern to me because everything was wasted, and people had a “just throw it out” attitude. That bothered me quite a bit. So from then on, I’ve been concerned about the occupants of buildings and how they consume, and if I could effect that. My passion of minimizing waste, over time, translated into better building system designs and ways to minimize waste in that capacity. That is what a Better Build Environment is to me.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about being better than yesterday. I’m especially proud of our second generation principals. They’re taking the reins and taking BranchPattern to the next level. I’ve always encouraged my team to learn… and get better, and better and better. It’s ingrained in our culture and is still encouraged by all of our leadership to this day.