Conference to celebrate the achievements of women in architecture and design

New Delhi: An upcoming international conference will seek to celebrate the achievements of women in architecture and design, will feature 35 women speakers and who will be sharing their work, thoughts and ideas.

Organised by the Mumbai-based Hecar Foundation, 'Women In Design 2020+' will open at Mumbai's Nehru Centre on January 8. The three-day conference that comes two decades after the foundation organised 'Women in Architecture - 2000 Plus' to celebrate the work of women architects from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan, will this time push the boundaries not just in the fields of architecture and design, but also in the areas of photography, art, film and literature.

It will shine the light on some path breaking projects including innovative techniques in architecture, planning, conservation and related fields, with the speakers talking about the challenges faced by women in constructions working with arts and crafts and their role in pedagogy, sustainability, research and the visual arts. "With 'Women in Design 2020+', we wanted to include women not just in architecture but various other professions that are closely interlinked with it. "Our list of speakers and panelists comprise incredibly talented women from around the world who have excelled in their respective fields, including many who were part of the inaugural conference held 20 years ago," Brinda Somaya, Chairperson, HECAR Foundation, said.

Some of the participating speakers include Billie Tsien, Annabelle Selldorf, Brinda Somaya, Johanna Gibbons, Martha Thorne, Elizabeth Vines, Chitra Vishwanath, Shimul Javeri Kadri, J. Meejin Yoon, Sunita Kohli, Laila Iskandar, Salma Samar Damluji, Yasaman Esmaili, Nandini Somaya Sampat, Joana Dabaj, Chhavi Rajawat and Vibha Bakshi. The event will also offer several opportunities for attendees to explore the city of Mumbai through heritage walks, exploring diverse art galleries and exploring its iconic architectural marvels.

"To me Mumbai is special and it serves as the ideal venue due to its Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensembles that have been recently listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. "The colors and contrasts spanning skyscrapers down to the streetscape Mumbai offer a rich cultural tapestry that must be experienced to be understood. This seminal conference will discuss the past, present and future of architecture and design," Somaya said. Organisers said the conference also hoped to garner the confidence of women to support one another and enable them to communicate and gain insight from their mentors in order to become mentors themselves for the generations that follow. The seminar will come to a close on January 10.