Pallavi Dean is the Founder and Creative Director of Roar, an interior design and architecture studio in Dubai that she founded in 2013. With a team of 35 designers, Roar is consistently ranked as one of the leading interior design studios in the Middle East. The portfolio spans commercial, residential, hospitality and education.

A trained architect, wellbeing advocate, and MBA graduate, Pallavi plays at the intersection of design and entrepreneurship.

Born in India and raised in Dubai, with several years spent working in London, Pallavi's career as a designer has been shaped by her multicultural background, lending an eclectic influence to her work. As an active member within the UAE design community, Pallavi writes for industry publications, engages in trade events and mentors students in the region. Pallavi holds a B.Arch from the American University of Sharjah, an MA in Interior Design Theory from Savannah College of Architecture and Design, and an MBA from top-tier Business School INSEAD.

Pallavi places a big focus on mental health – for both the sta at Roar, and for clients. Internally, Roar works with a psychologist who gives talks every two weeks on issues related to mental health. Externally, the same psychologist works with Roar on every oce design project – ensuring that wellbeing concerns are researched, analysed and incorporated into the design.

Pallavi has won numerous accolades including CID’s Interior Designer of the Year Award 2022, Best of Year: Interior Designer at the Interior Design Awards 2021, Architecture Digest MEA’s Designer of the Year Award 2020, CID’s Interior Designer of the Year Award 2020, and Global Emerging Designer of the Year at the FRAME Awards 2019 in Amsterdam. Her work has been profiled in some of the world’s leading international media including the Financial Times, BBC, Monocle, Wallpaper, and Architectural Digest.

Recent projects include the Jaipur Rugs showroom in Dubai, oces for global law firm White & Case and consultancy Oliver Wyman in both the UAE and KSA, the American University of Sharjah’s Research Technology and Innovation Park, SensAsia Spa at The Kempinski Hotel Dubai, Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Dubai oces, Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Authority’s HQ, The Nursery of the Future in Dubai as well as a string of private residences.