Sheila Sri Prakash
Encyclopedia
Sheila Sri Prakash is an architect
and planner of India
n origin. She founded Shilpa Architects
in Chennai, India in 1979 and has the distinction of being the first woman in India to have started and operated her own architectural firm. As a world-renowned architect and thought leading expert, she has been invited to serve on the World Economic Forum
's Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation, a 16-member team of international experts in Design
and Innovation
, to formulate ways that improve the state of the world.. As part of her role at the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation, she has developed a "Reciprocal Design Index" that prescribes parameters and metrics surrounding sustainable design to factor the environment, sociology and economics
She studied architecture at the Anna University School of Architecture and Planning and also attended the Harvard Graduate School of Design
's Executive Education Program. As a global leader in sustainable design
that blends sensitivity for our environment with socio-economic progress for the underprivileged, she is also known for introducing vernacular and culturally relevant techniques into contemporary designs. She is regarded as the founding practitioner-researcher that identified and defined the field of Spaciology - the impact of space design and planning on society. Her research findings seed emerging perspectives of study that are globally significant, yet particularly appropriate in high-density rapidly developing economies. Her work probes the powerful reciprocal impact linking the built environment to human behavior, through urban design
, architecture
and sociology
.
She was also a key charter member who was instrumental in establishing the Indian Green Building Council
.
She is known for her contributions as an active member of Zonta International
, which is an organization that aims to enhance the status of women around the world. Her influence as an architect and designer who combined design thinking to address social issues, heightens the significance of multi-faceted socio-economic priorities when designing in the developing world. She served as the area director of Zonta International
for her district and participated in events internationally.
, the Madras Art Museum at the Cholamandal Artists' Village, Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai, Paranur
Railway Station etc., and the World Bank
funded urban housing development program in the year of shelter for the shelterless.
Over the last three decades, Sheila Sri Prakash has been a strong voice for uplifting the socio-economically disadvantaged through urban planning. She is the principal inventor on two patents for low cost building products and materials.
artist, she has the distinction of playing, composing and recording an album with the world-renowned Veena
musician - Chitti Babu
and is also known for her achievements as a dancer of Bharatanatyam
and Kuchipudi
. She has the distinction of having given several performances along side famous artists such as Padma Bhushan
Kamala Lakshman Narayan
.
and she was a key member of the delegation from India to the United States Green Building Council
's Annual Conference in Chicago
in 2007. On February 7, 2011 she spoke at the Goethe Institute about Notions of Space. In 2002 she was a Visiting Scholar and Research Fellow at Ball State University
's School of Architecture. In 2011, she was selected by Leibniz University of Hannover in Germany and the University of Valencia in Spain, to be featured in a traveling exhibition across Europe that showcased notable architects from around the world and their impact on society. She was the only architect from India, among seven architects from around the world who were selected in honor of their professional accomplishments. She was an invited speaker during the Earth Day celebration at the University of Michigan
, Ann Arbor, as an international expert in sustainable design in the developing world. She was an invited expert to the 2011 National Association of Realtors Convention in Hyderabad, India and was a speaker about "Shaping India for tomorrow". She was an invited speaker to the 2011 Confederation of Indian Industry and Indian Green Building Council Conference, to introduce a concept of "Holistic Sustainability" - extending parameters for Sustainable Design beyond environmental footprint, to socio-economic impact.
, a boutique 5-star beach resort near Pondicherry, as well as the state of Tamil Nadu's first platinum rated office complex for Cethar Vessels.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and planner of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n origin. She founded Shilpa Architects
Shilpa Architects
Shilpa Architects is an international architecture, design and planning firm that was founded in 1979 in Chennai, India. It currently operates offices in Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai, in India and in New York and Chicago in the United States and provides urban design and master planning services...
in Chennai, India in 1979 and has the distinction of being the first woman in India to have started and operated her own architectural firm. As a world-renowned architect and thought leading expert, she has been invited to serve on the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
's Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation, a 16-member team of international experts in Design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and Innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
, to formulate ways that improve the state of the world.. As part of her role at the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation, she has developed a "Reciprocal Design Index" that prescribes parameters and metrics surrounding sustainable design to factor the environment, sociology and economics
She studied architecture at the Anna University School of Architecture and Planning and also attended the Harvard Graduate School of Design
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design is a graduate school at Harvard University offering degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design.-History:...
's Executive Education Program. As a global leader in sustainable design
Sustainable design
Sustainable design is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.-Intentions:The intention of sustainable design is to "eliminate negative environmental...
that blends sensitivity for our environment with socio-economic progress for the underprivileged, she is also known for introducing vernacular and culturally relevant techniques into contemporary designs. She is regarded as the founding practitioner-researcher that identified and defined the field of Spaciology - the impact of space design and planning on society. Her research findings seed emerging perspectives of study that are globally significant, yet particularly appropriate in high-density rapidly developing economies. Her work probes the powerful reciprocal impact linking the built environment to human behavior, through urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
, architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
She was also a key charter member who was instrumental in establishing the Indian Green Building Council
Indian Green Building Council
OoThe Indian Green Building Council , was formed in the year 2001 by Confederation of Indian Industry . The vision of the council is to usher in a green building movement in India and facilitate India to become one of the global leaders in green buildings by 2015.A-Vision:ITo usher in a green...
.
She is known for her contributions as an active member of Zonta International
Zonta International
Zonta International is an international service organization founded in Buffalo, New York in 1919 with the mission of advancing the status of women.Currently, Zonta International is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois...
, which is an organization that aims to enhance the status of women around the world. Her influence as an architect and designer who combined design thinking to address social issues, heightens the significance of multi-faceted socio-economic priorities when designing in the developing world. She served as the area director of Zonta International
Zonta International
Zonta International is an international service organization founded in Buffalo, New York in 1919 with the mission of advancing the status of women.Currently, Zonta International is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois...
for her district and participated in events internationally.
Architectural career
Several of her architectural designs can be seen at Mahindra World City, New ChennaiMahindra World City, New Chennai
Mahindra World City, New Chennai is India's first operational Special Economic Zone and India's first Integrated Business City is promoted by the Mahindra Group and TIDCO...
, the Madras Art Museum at the Cholamandal Artists' Village, Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai, Paranur
Paranur
Paranur is a village in India near the national Highway 45. It has a railway stationand few hundred houses, and is 44km from Chennai International Airport.Paranur has been declared a special economic zone since October 2005; companies...
Railway Station etc., and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
funded urban housing development program in the year of shelter for the shelterless.
Over the last three decades, Sheila Sri Prakash has been a strong voice for uplifting the socio-economically disadvantaged through urban planning. She is the principal inventor on two patents for low cost building products and materials.
Artistic accomplishments
A patron of the arts, she is an accomplished artist herself. As a VeenaVeena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
artist, she has the distinction of playing, composing and recording an album with the world-renowned Veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
musician - Chitti Babu
Chitti Babu
Chitti Babu is a Indian comedian, presenter and actor who prominently plays supporting roles in Tamil cinema. He was also one of the judges in the comedy show Asathapovathu Yaaru on Sun TV.Filmography=Television=* Hari Giri Assembly...
and is also known for her achievements as a dancer of Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
and Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the...
. She has the distinction of having given several performances along side famous artists such as Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
Kamala Lakshman Narayan
Kumari Kamala
Kumari Kamala is an Indian dancer and actress. Initially featured as a child dancer, Kamala appeared in almost 100 Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films throughout her career...
.
Public speaking engagements & Recognition
She has been invited to speak at several national and international forums such as the Confederation of Indian IndustryConfederation of Indian Industry
The Confederation of Indian Industry is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organisation, seeking to play a proactive role in India’s development process. The organisation works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India,...
and she was a key member of the delegation from India to the United States Green Building Council
United States Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council , co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated...
's Annual Conference in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 2007. On February 7, 2011 she spoke at the Goethe Institute about Notions of Space. In 2002 she was a Visiting Scholar and Research Fellow at Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
's School of Architecture. In 2011, she was selected by Leibniz University of Hannover in Germany and the University of Valencia in Spain, to be featured in a traveling exhibition across Europe that showcased notable architects from around the world and their impact on society. She was the only architect from India, among seven architects from around the world who were selected in honor of their professional accomplishments. She was an invited speaker during the Earth Day celebration at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Ann Arbor, as an international expert in sustainable design in the developing world. She was an invited expert to the 2011 National Association of Realtors Convention in Hyderabad, India and was a speaker about "Shaping India for tomorrow". She was an invited speaker to the 2011 Confederation of Indian Industry and Indian Green Building Council Conference, to introduce a concept of "Holistic Sustainability" - extending parameters for Sustainable Design beyond environmental footprint, to socio-economic impact.
Current projects
Sheila Sri Prakash is currently working on several projects worthy of note. Of particular significance is the new South City Township by Larsen and Toubro that is an approximately 4000 apartment residential township. Another large scale housing project is within Mahindra World CityMahindra World City
Mahindra World City may refer to:* Mahindra World City, New Chennai,a premier Special Economic zone in the South of IT Corridor.* Mahindra World City, Jaipur, an integrated business complex in Jaipur...
, a boutique 5-star beach resort near Pondicherry, as well as the state of Tamil Nadu's first platinum rated office complex for Cethar Vessels.
See also
External links
- Shilpa Architects – Official web site of architect's firm.