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 6 July 1955) is a famous architect and urban designer from India. She started her own architecture company called Shilpa Architects. She was the first woman in India to create and run her own architecture business.
Contents
About Sheila Sri Prakash
Her Early Life
Sheila Sri Prakash was born in Bhopal, India, on July 6, 1955. Her father, G. K. S. Pathy, was an officer in the Indian Army.
A Talented Child Artist
When Sheila was a child, she learned many types of classical Indian dance, music, and art. She started learning Bharatanatyam dance at age four. In 1961, she gave her first big performance, called an Arangetram. People called her a "child prodigy" because she was so talented.
Sheila was also good at Kuchipudi dance and played the Veenai, a musical instrument. For almost 20 years, she performed as a dancer. Her family moved to Chennai so she could have more chances to learn classical arts. She also learned from famous teachers like Sri Dandayudha Pani Pillai and Vempati Chinna Satyam. She practiced Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Veenai, classical Indian music, painting, and sculpting.
As a Veenai player, she created and recorded music with another Veenai musician, Chitti Babu.
Her Education Journey
Sheila went to Rosary Matriculation School in Chennai. She then got a pre-university degree from Stella Maris College, Chennai. In 1973, she started studying for her Bachelor's degree in 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 seen as one of the most important female architects in the world today. She has designed and finished over 1200 building projects. Many of her designs use local art, culture, and history as their inspiration.
She is famous for her ideas about "Reciprocity in Design." This means her designs consider how buildings affect people and the environment. Her work includes many different types of projects. For example, she designed low-cost "Reciprocal Houses" for people who needed affordable homes. She did this for the World Bank in 1987. She also designed energy-efficient office buildings, homes, neighborhoods, and even sports stadiums.
Her studies on how buildings and spaces affect human behavior are very important. This is especially true for places like hospitals, hotels, and wellness centers.
She helped start the Indian Green Building Council. This group promotes buildings that are good for the environment.
Many of her designs can be seen in places like Mahindra World City, New Chennai and the Madras Art House. She also designed the Paranur railway station. In 1993, she designed a home in Chennai that used recycled materials. She also created a system for rainwater harvesting, which collects and stores rainwater. This system became mandatory in the state of Tamil Nadu in 2003. It helped solve the problem of water shortages across India.
She uses traditional Indian art and culture in her modern designs. This helps her create buildings that are both beautiful and sustainable.
Saving Old Buildings
Restoring the Brihadisvara Temple
In 2012, Sheila Sri Prakash was chosen to help restore and protect the Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur. This temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Her company, Shilpa Architects, was chosen from many other architectural firms.
This restoration project involved studying old records from 950 CE. This helped them understand how ancient Indian engineers built the temple. While the temple's structure is being improved, the areas around it have also been made better. This includes new lighting and signs for visitors.
Working with the World Economic Forum
In 2011, Sheila became the first Indian architect to join the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation. This 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, culture, and heritage.
Through her work at the Forum, she created the "Reciprocal Design Index." This helps measure how sustainable a design is.
The Reciprocity Wave Movement
Sheila Sri Prakash started the Reciprocity Wave Movement. This is an art and design competition that teaches people about holistic sustainability. "Holistic sustainability" means caring for the environment, people, and the economy. The second Reciprocity Wave Event in Chennai worked with the Indian Premier League's Chennai Super Kings.
Her company has held three such events, two in Chennai and one in Bangalore.
Helping Women with Zonta
Sheila is an active member of Zonta International. This group works to improve the lives of women around the world. She has served as a leader for Zonta in her area and has taken part in international events.
Teaching and Learning
Sheila Sri Prakash often works as a judge or expert for student design 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 also invited to join the Board of Studies at the Anna University School of Architecture and Planning. This board helps decide what is taught and who teaches at the university.
Her Latest Projects
Shilpa Architects, Sheila's company, has been working on many new projects. These include their own office building, which is very energy-efficient. They also designed the HITEX exhibition center in Hyderabad. Other projects include a large housing community with about 4000 apartments.
She also designed a 5-star beach resort near Pondicherry. Her company also designed the first platinum-rated office complex in Tamil Nadu for Cethar Vessels. She has also designed factories for big companies like OBO Bettermann and Flextronics.
Awards and Honors
Sheila Sri Prakash has received many awards and honors:
- She was named one of 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 got the Bene Merenti Award from the University of Ion Mincu in 2017.
- The Indian Institute of Architects gave her the "Honourable Architect Award" in 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 creating an "inspirational practice that designs societies and not merely buildings or cities."
See also
In Spanish: Sheila Sri Prakash para niños
- List of Indian architects
- List of architecture firms
- List of architects
- Women in architecture
