Please join us in welcoming our newest interns – Daniel Durant and Sanchana Viswanathan! Daniel is a rising junior at NC A&T University studying Landscape Architecture while Sanchana will be starting her final year in NC State’s Master of Architecture program.

While they’ve only been here a handful of weeks, they’re already showing their abilities as design professionals. Both Daniel and Sanchana have been busy contributing to important planning and design projects.

Read the Q&A below to learn more about Daniel and Sanchana – from their favorite food to where they see themselves professionally in five years.

q: What’s your name?

Daniel: Daniel-Joshua Durant

Sanchana: Sanchana Viswanathan

q: What’s your nickname?

Daniel: D.J.D.

Sanchana: Sanju

q. Where did you grow up?

Daniel: I was born and raised throughout Hartford County in Connecticut.

Sanchana: I grew up in Chennai [Gateway to South India], Capital of Tamil
Nadu state in South India.
q: Favorite childhood memory?

Daniel: My favorite childhood memory would have to be my first trip to Jamaica when I was 13 years old. For a week I was able to visit family and learn more about my ancestry in the Caribbean. The sight allowed me to experience a different culture and environment that ultimately opened my mind to different ways of understanding and living life.

Sanchana: During my childhood, the fondest memory I had was playing chess with my sibling and having karaoke night with family every day before bedtime.

q: What’s your favorite food?

Daniel: My favorite food at the moment is saltfish with rice. It is a dish my grandma would make often and similar to Jamaica’s national dish of “saltfish and ackee”.

Sanchana: My go-to food would be Upma with Coriander Chutney – a savory
semolina dish made with Indian spices served with green spicy condiment.

q: What university are you attending?

Daniel: I’m attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC.

Sanchana: I’m attending North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.

What are you studying and when will you graduate?

Daniel: I am studying landscape architecture and will be graduating in 2026.

Sanchana: I’m currently pursuing a Master of Architecture and will graduate in Spring 2025.

What do you love most about studying a design profession?

Daniel: I believe design professions are a great way to come up with creative and innovative methods to solve problems within current society which can positively innovate our future. With landscape architecture as my profession specifically, I enjoy learning about how to utilize different methods of stormwater management and in general environmental sustainability using nature throughout a variety of locations ranging from urban cities to rural homes.

Sanchana: The major reason I chose to be in a design profession to
design forgotten spaces and bring back the lost tradition and art of a
space that will eventually help to connect people with a sense of
belongingness. 

q: Why were you interested in being a part of the Charlotte Urban Design Center?

Daniel: I’m interested in finding ways to improve upon sustainable building within a modern city and I felt that working with the Charlotte Urban Design Center would be a great way to experience the process behind community building through urban planning while being directly involved in ongoing projects influencing the future of Charlotte.

Sanchana: The Charlotte Urban Design Center has been implementing ideas and designing spaces to connect people and I wanted to be a part of this
sublime work the firm has been doing for years and learn how to design spaces that people would actually love to use. 

q: What do you hope to learn from the experience?

Daniel: I hope to be able to develop technical skills in design while also being able to learn new ways to make an impact on my community through engagement and urban development.

Sanchana: I hope to learn urban design processes and to have gained a good number to people to talk to.

q: Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years?

Daniel: In five years, I see myself making an impact in my own city of Hartford through urban design with my landscape architecture skill set. I want to learn from larger, growing, and more popular cities like Charlotte and take those elements back to my community to create opportunities for future generations to rise in.

Sanchana: Five years down the lane, I would love to be practicing urban design and be an integral part of a city’s development. 

Welcome Daniel and Sanchana! We look forward to seeing you grow!