Sophie Pennetier

Sophie Pennetier is a structural engineer with expertise in façades and sustainability. Her 17 years’ experience spans from consulting (with RFR, GNA, SHoP Construction, Arup) to contracting (with Enclos). Adjunct Faculty with SCI-Arc since ‘21, Sophie Pennetier teaches Structures and Embodied Carbon classes. Those two topics, alongside façades, are the core of her contributions to SCI-Arc Design Development projects.

Sophie’s elective class on embodied carbon responds to her students’ request to accelerate their knowledge in reducing upfront carbon. It supports their research projects on circular architecture, and brings in internationally recognized industry trailblazers, involved in policy, sustainability consulting, manufacturing, contracting and circular economy. Her students’ work on embodied carbon has been applauded and sought after by major architecture and consulting firms and industry associations such as the Carbon Leadership Forum. Through such efforts, each year upward of a hundred SCI-Arc students learn to grow the innovative and creative thinking the industry needs to address the built environment leading contribution to climate change.

Sophie Pennetier has published and presented her research internationally in scientific conferences, trade associations and journals, codes committees, and lectured at universities in Europe and the US. Serving on the Board of Directors of the Façade Tectonics Institute, she has developed the FTI Carbon group research and grown its educational content. In 2023 she was awarded, in the individual category, the US Glass Sustainability Award for her contributions to industry research and education.