Surfaces Reporter May 2016 Preview

EDITORIAL

vertica@surfaces.in

SHARING THE VISION FOR WADe INDIA, NOMINATION PROCESS FOR AWARDS, OBJECTIVES OF THE PLATFORM, AND MORE...

SURFACES REPORTER is glad to announce the much awaited event, WADe (Women Architects & Designers) happening on May 14th, 2016 at Leela Ambience Gurgaon. This issue is a precursor to the event which will launch the platform officially, together with the recognition of Role Models.

A humble initiative, WADe India is a platform for the community of women in architecture and design. It is born from the heart as a result of deep passion, commitment and willingness to make a difference.

We understand that our women are mostly among the empowered ones in the country and have a lot of potential to do better. It is time to capitalize and strengthen the contributions that women can make. While many have launched laudable initiatives in this area, now is the time to accelerate those efforts. As the number of women working for this industry is increasing, it is time to place renewed emphasis on women as a resource to move the construction & design ahead.

Here comes the role of WADe India. We see actionable areas like facilitating skills upgradation, facilitating access to finance, documentation of work done by past designers, making women-led projects more visible by spreading their work, bridging mentorship between leading and aspiring ones, standing by those women who want to come back to the profession, and a lot of research to support future initiatives. The platform would primarily operate through a number of small events, conferences, seminars, a mega annual event, strong presence in social media, as well as through a dedicated portal.

Women find strength in numbers. It is essential to increase the visibility of successful women architects and designers. The more you see, the more you believe in the possibilities. This is the reason WADe India decided to create a set a Role Models whom the aspiring ones would look up to, follow, and learn from the successes. The Role Models are expected to play some important roles for the industry by being a part of the supporting network. The names featured in this issue are very special. Selection has been strictly

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through nominations received by Surfaces Reporter during the 6-7 months of campaign. It is quite possible that there are some wonderful women professionals whose names didn't feature in this list. It is not our intention to exclude or include someone. If they are good, they will definitely get included in this initiative sooner or later. Moreover, WADe is a platform with long term vision. To be able to contribute to WADe community is open to all, be it men or women, from within or outside the industry, a felicitated Role model or a Role Model by action.

WADe team is particularly excited about the Emerging Young Women category and eagerly waiting to hear the results from Jury. These are the young women designers who have entered the competition through submission of projects.

Some people were keen on knowing why all the Jury members for this category are males. Well, WADe wanted our women to relax for this year. Next year onward, they are the ones who would be more active in every aspect.

There are some women who may not be in conventional architecture but have made significant contribution to the industry. WADe believes that these women deserve special attention and thus their work was evaluated for the award under 'Special Category'.

Having shared my part, I take the opportunity to ask a question to the readers: Q. What are the other effective ways for WADe to operate? Share your thoughts and ideas about some best practices for greater collaboration within a shared community.

I am available at vertica@surfaces.in.

Wade Role Models EMERGING CATEGORY

This special award of WADe India is dedicated to the upcoming Architects & Designers having exceptional talent which they have proved in a very short span of time. They are selected passing the following criteria:

who are covered in this issue F Project submission

F Evaluation by an eminent Jury comprising of Prof. Krishnarao Jaisim, Bengaluru; Ar. Prem Nath, Mumbai; Ar. Sanjay Puri, Mumbai; Ar. Dikshu Kukreja, New Delhi; Ar. Divya Kush, President, Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) & Mr. Pratap Jadhav, President Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID).

F Names of the Winners in the ‘Emerging Category’ will be announced on May 14th, 2016 during the WADe Awards & Conference.

F Only one name has come through nomination for this category, ‘Ar. Reny Lizo’. Ar. Reny Lizo is one of the shining stars of the current architecture & design sky. Awarded with iGEN Top 50-The New Generation of Innovators in Architecture along with her husband and partner Lijo Jose, Reny has been successfully creating beautiful edifices that are admired by all. WADe India extends its warm congratulation to the lady for successfully achieving a prominent status in a short span of time with such zeal. Presenting here the profile of Reny Lijo …

www.wadeindia.com

wade india

Abha Narain Lambhah Mumbai

“WADe India is a tremendous initiative to acknowledge and inspire women architects.“

Mumbai

Annkur Khosla

“As the WADe India Role Model, I will be mentoring young women for work-life balance.“

Anupama Kundoo Auroville / Madrid

“Women who have contributed significantly to the profession since the beginning, seem to have gone unacknowledged and not received their due recognition. Equal opportunities are not only important in the interest of the women concerned, but it is in the interest of society in general as everyone across society will greatly benefit from being part of an equal society, particularly children.”

Mumbai

Brinda Somaya

“I have always been very optimistic and there are great young architects in our country today and I am sure they will take India on to the world map of architecture. I just hope that everybody keeps their feet on the ground.”

Canna Patel Ahmedabad “Just a thought to initiate WADe awards for women, is a mountain high effort. The joy will be seen as the event and activities thereafter roll out a red carpet support for women in design.”

Chitra Vishwanath Bengaluru

“My Message to upcoming architects is be hardworking and serious.”

Bengaluru

Gayathri Shetty

“Events like WADe India are specially required in the rural sector & in small towns. Students in these colleges need confidence to come out & express themselves as designers. A platform like this would give them exposure enabling them to connect with architects and Architecture in the larger cities.”

Krupa Zubin Mumbai

“Surfaces Reporter stands apart for its unique approach both as a gallery of images and a technical periodical. My team enjoys every issue that comes and we wish Vertica and her team the very best for their commitment to quality and research. “ Mumbai

Lalita Tharani

“WADe India is setting a benchmark by becoming the (long due and much needed) first platform to recognize & felicitate ‘Women Led Development’ in this genderbiased profession of Architecture and Design. The efforts by WADe should be looked as platform to bring out level playing fields and sensitize the profession about the gender bias in the larger make-up of architectural production, re-engage and retool women who at some point side stepped to concentrate on their families and to create a larger network which could inspire, and share knowledge and skills.”

Nina Puri Mumbai “As the WADe India Role Model, I choose to mentor young women for work-life balance. WADe can look upto me for guiding those women who wish to return to the profession.”

Ahmedabad

Parul Zaveri

“Almost 25 years ago, few of us women architects based in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, had started a group with the same objectives as that of WADe. This platform helped voice their problems, find solutions & empowered many women architects, who developed the confidence to create their own space in the male dominated architecture & interior profession. An organization like WADe is required at this stage to revive that spark and take it to the national level. This is a good initiative since their attention is not diverted into the profession they can focus on women architects’ development.”

Payal Kapoor

New Delhi

“A lot of women architects and designers have contributed to this field doing fantastic work, so this initiative by Wade is praise worthy and will surely encourage more women to strive to do better work and get recognised.”

Chennai

Ponni Concessa

“It is important for women to share experiences both personal and professional especially in India because of intense social conditioning imposed on women.”

Raseel Gujral

New Delhi

“I have always given my imagination a free run. What emerges is really a fusion of modern and contemporary’. So one might refer to her style as a mix of tradition and today but she is happy being called a “contemporary classic”.

Thrissur

Reny Lijo

“WADe India is a great initiative to recognize women of various field. A wonderful platform for them to come and share their experience, which according to me happens nowhere else in India.”

Rupana Reddy Hyderabad “WADe India is a good initiative to bring women designers on one national platform and share their ideas, experience and exposure with young designers. “

Mumbai

Santha Mattoo

“It is a refreshing and welcome change to give due and required attention to the work of women in the field of Architecture. I truly believe appreciation for what one does is a very strong motivator. There are many women who lead design firms or are in partnership with male architects.”

Seema Puri Mumbai

“I am deeply moved that a platform like WADe, to recognise the effort that women put into their work has finally come into being.

Or else many-a-time, I felt like a sole protagonist in this battle of supremacy between the sexes.”

Mumbai

Shabnam Gupta

“As a WADe India Role Model, I will support WADe by writing blogs about performance, positivity, work-place ethics & more.”

Sheila Sri Prakash

Chennai

“Young architects must be aware that we have a rich art, traditional and cultural heritage that we must tap. Studying historical buildings and the technologies used in the past will inspire them to use these skills and materials into the spaces they are currently envisioning.“

Mumbai

Shimul Javeri Kadri

“I have no doubt in my mind that encouraging women to enter the profession, to stay in it, and to do well is a wonderful initiative. I think WADe India should be a forum for really voicing all the questions that are crucial for the women.”

Sita Nanda

New Delhi

“Design sense is something either you are born with or not.”

Mumbai/Pune

Sonal Sancheti

“My message to upcoming architects and designers is believe in yourself, be passionate and work hard.”