An alumnus of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, he is known for utilizing locally available materials and traditional construction techniques in harmony with its ecosystem.

During his 3rd year at SPA, da Cunha took a one-year break from the school and travelled to Kerala to work closely with the world- renowned architect Laurie Baker, whom he greatly admired.

These include Nrityagram of Bangalore, Hampi's Kannada University's main building and its library, Bangalore's Taj Kutiram Tourist Resort, the Central Library in Panjim, JVSL Township in Torangallu, a house for Mr. Sajjan Jindal at Torangallu, a tourist village in Kerala, and Jimi Gazhdhar's lavish mansion on the banks of the Goan river, to name a few.

[1] One of the most impressive and unusual works of da Cunha's has been the township which he has built for the JSW Steel Plant, about 30 km from Hampi called Vidyanagar.

[1] Another project that gave da Cunha wide recognition is Nrityagram dance village at Bengaluru, designed for famous Odissi dancer Protima Bedi.

This center for the study of dance was built using traditional building forms and techniques, with stone and thatch being the primary materials.

Set in a lush green valley with a steep slope, the architect has created different levels of spatial experiences connected vertically by a chute for children and stairs.

[14] Just next to the school, da Cunha built a triangular ship-like building made of laterite stones, which is an architectural oddity in itself.

Da Cunha won the prestigious Prime Minister's National Award for Excellence in Urban Planning and Design in 1998–99 for the project Jindal Vijaynagar Steel Limited (JVSL - Now JSW Township as "Vidhya Nagar"), Toranagallu, Bellary (Karnataka, India).