Exploring Women Presence in Architecture Industry

By: Saroop K P

The story of Indian Women in Architecture can be traced back to 1930s just after the Modern Movement of architecture emerged in Europe. During the post-Independence period in India, the movement got fuelled along with modernization over the once colonized societies.

Women architects in India have offered notable contributions over the years to a range of modern architecture influenced by myriad of styles, forms and cultural references. Though there are numerous eminent females in architecture who have achieved international accolades, here I have profiled a few of the top celebrated and notable women architects in India whose talents have seen no limits.

Perin Jamshedji Mistri

A discussion on Women and Architecture cannot be commenced without paying a tribute to the first qualified woman in this field. At the behest of her father who was a renowned architect, Perin Jamshedji Mistri joined for diploma in architecture at Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy School of Art, Mumbai causing a flutter in the male bastion. After her graduation, she joined her family run business designing everything from churches to factories for over half a century. One of Mistri’s first works was Sir Behramji Karanjia’s bungalow at Carmichael Road. In the course of her career as an architect, numerous residential, industrial and public edifices have developed lines and designs flowed out of her hand.

Brinda Somaya

Brinda Somaya, with her philosophy: ‘The architect’s role is that of a guardian - his is the conscience of the built and un-built environment’, heads Somaya and Kalappa Consultants. She holds firm to the belief that progress and development must be took forward without hampering the cultural and historic environment. Brinda’s opus spans corporate buildings, industrial and educational campuses, and even public places. Some of her notable works in India include Rajabai Clock Tower and library Building in Mumbai and Goa Institute of Management in Goa. Brinda currently serves as a Member of Editorial Board for MARG Architectural Books and was a Member of Urban Heritage Conservation Committee and an initiative for the Protection & Improvement of Streets and Public Spaces. Being a woman architect, she has delivered analytical and critical talks on architectural studies and has also presented papers on India and abroad.

Chitra Vishwanath

Encouraged by her father, Chitra started her own practice in 1990 after graduating from School of Architecture CEPT Ahmedabad. She owns Biome Environmental Solutions, a Bangalore based design firm which is focused on ecology, architecture and water. One of the primary facts that make her different in the arena is her approach to designs that are made of mud forms. Since it is easily available and labour intensive, she also foresaw other benefits with regard to the ease of construction, water incorporation, energy and land use processes. The initial years of her career came fortuitous with the LPG policies in India that boosted the economy of India, along with the opportunities to novel design of homes in the rising middle class. For Chitra, employing local resources in an optimized way would lead to rendering positive social impact of construction that advances the lifestyle quality.

Anupama Kundoo

After receiving her degree in architecture studies in 1989, Kundoo established herself as an architect in Auroville. She has zeroed in on material research and experimentation towards preserving the environment and which comes in aligns with the socio-economic context. She has designed and built that secures an energy and water efficient infrastructure, with prime focus towards urban design and planning projects. Kundoo was awarded the Vastu Shilpa Foundation Fellowship in 1996 on her thesis titled ‘Urban Eco-Community: Design and Analysis for Sustainability’. Having a meticulously defined a design approach that cares for the use of water materials, unskilled labour and local communities, Kundoo build designs that minimizes environmental effects.

While looking at the ratio of male and female architects in India, 60 percent is male while 40 percent is female out of fifty thousand. Karen Burns, an architectural historian, says “I have experienced different treatment to male colleagues in terms of retention, promotion, earning, and leadership opportunities”. But now it seems there is a sea-change in the paradigm. The spirit has echoed in design works for other women in the field. The above mentioned successful women architects blur boundaries between independent and mainstream architecture, making their dream come true as an entrepreneur too.