Sheila Sri Prakash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheila Sri Prakash
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Sheila Sri Prakash addressing the World Economic Forum in 2013
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Sheila Sri Prakash
6 July 1955 (age 74) |
| Education | Anna University School of Architecture and Planning |
| Occupation | Architect Urban designer Executive |
| Board member of | Chennai Smart City Ltd Shilpa Foundation Nirmana Investments Shilpa Architects |
| Children | 2 |
Sheila Sri Prakash (born on July 6, 1955) is a famous architect and urban designer from India. She is the person who started Shilpa Architects. She was the first woman in India to create and run her own architecture company.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Talents
Sheila Sri Prakash was born in Bhopal, India, on July 6, 1955. Her father, Lt. Col. G. K. S. Pathy, was an officer in the Indian Army. Her mother was S. Thangamma.
As a child, Sheila was very talented in arts. She learned classical Indian dance, music, and painting. She started learning Bharatanatyam dance when she was just four years old. In 1961, she gave her first big public performance. People called her a "child prodigy" because she was so gifted.
Sheila was a skilled dancer in both Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles. She also played the Veenai, a special musical instrument. For nearly 20 years, she performed as a dancer. Her family moved to Chennai so she could get even better training in classical arts. She also played the Veenai and recorded music with another Veenai musician, Chitti Babu.
Education and Architecture
Sheila went to Rosary Matriculation School in Chennai. She then studied at Stella Maris College, Chennai. In 1973, she started studying architecture at the Anna University School of Architecture and Planning. At that time, it was unusual for women to enter this field. She also studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Designing Buildings and Cities
Sheila Sri Prakash is known as one of India's top architects. She is also considered one of the most important female architects in the world. She has designed and finished over 1200 building projects. Many of her designs use local art, culture, and history as inspiration.
She is famous for her ideas about "Reciprocity in Design." This means her designs aim to create a balance between people, nature, and buildings. Her work includes many different types of projects. She designed low-cost homes for people who needed them, invited by the World Bank in 1987. She also designed energy-efficient office buildings, homes, communities, and even sports stadiums. Her ideas are very helpful for fast-growing places with many people.
She also studies how buildings and city designs affect human behavior. This is called spaciology. She was a founding member of the Indian Green Building Council. This group helps make buildings more environmentally friendly.
Many of her designs can be seen in places like Mahindra World City, New Chennai. She also designed the Madras Art House and the Kuchipudi Art Academy in Chennai. In 1993, she designed a home using recycled materials. She also created a system for rainwater harvesting. This system collects rainwater for later use. The state of Tamil Nadu made this system mandatory in 2003. It became a model for other parts of India to help with water shortages.
Sheila uses traditional Indian art and culture in her modern designs. This helps her create buildings that are both beautiful and sustainable.
Saving Old Buildings
Brihadisvara Temple Restoration
In 2012, Sheila Sri Prakash was chosen for a very important project. She was asked to restore and protect the Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur. This temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was the first big effort in modern times to restore this ancient temple.
Her company, Shilpa Architects, was chosen by the Archaeological Survey of India. They looked at many proposals from architects around the world. This restoration project involved studying old records from 950 CE. This helped them understand how the ancient builders created the temple. They also improved the lighting and signs around the temple for visitors.
Global Leadership
In 2011, Sheila became the first Indian architect to join the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation. This council is a team of international experts in design. She also served on the council for the role of arts in society. This was because her buildings often include art and culture.
As part of her work there, she created the "Reciprocal Design Index." This helps measure how sustainable a design is.
Reciprocity Wave Movement
Sheila Sri Prakash started the Reciprocity Wave Movement. This is an art and design competition. It helps people learn more about living in a sustainable way. The second Reciprocity Wave Event in Chennai worked with the Indian Premier League's Chennai Super Kings. Shilpa Architects has held three such events so far.
Helping Women
Sheila is an active member of Zonta International. This group works to improve the lives of women around the world. She has held leadership roles in Zonta and participated in international events.
Teaching and Learning
Sheila Sri Prakash often works as a judge or expert for student projects at universities. She was a visiting scholar at Ball State University in 2002. She also teaches at Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. She was invited to join the Board of Studies at the Anna University School of Architecture and Planning. This board helps decide what students learn and who teaches them.
Recent Projects
Shilpa Architects has been working on many exciting projects. They designed their own office building, which is very energy-efficient. Other projects include the HITEX exhibition center in Hyderabad. They also designed a large housing project with about 4000 apartments. Another big housing project is in Mahindra World City, New Chennai.
She also designed a luxury Taj 5-star beach resort near Pondicherry. Her company designed the first platinum-rated office complex in Tamil Nadu for Cethar Vessels. They also designed an office building for HDFC Bank and the main office for the State Bank of India. Her work also includes designing factories, like one for OBO Bettermann in India and another for Flextronics.
Awards and Recognition
Sheila Sri Prakash has received many honors and awards for her work:
- She was named among the top "9 Female Architects Designing the Future" by Travel+Leisure magazine.
- She won the Sustainability Champion of the Year award in 2019.
- She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Builders, Architects and Building Materials (BAM).
- She was given the Bene Merenti Award from the University of Ion Mincu in 2017.
- The Indian Institute of Architects gave her the Honourable Architect Award in October 2015.
- She was listed among the top 100 most influential architects in the world by it:Il Giornale dell'Architettura.
- Architectural Digest named her one of the 50 most influential names in Architecture and Design in 2015. They called her a "Reinventor" for her amazing work.
See also
In Spanish: Sheila Sri Prakash para niños
- List of Indian architects
- List of architecture firms
- List of architects
- Women in architecture
