The journey began when in the year 2000, Ar. Brinda Somaya curated the Women in Architecture 2000 Plus Conference which brought together women Architects from India and South Asia to share their stories, ideology and how it is reflected in their practice. Since then the HECAR foundation supports young women architects and has been publishing books.
In 2020, Ar. Brinda Somaya, along with her daughter Ar. Nandini Somaya Sampat, from SNK, came together with Ar. Ruturaj Parikh and Ar. Mary Norman woods to curate the WID2020+ International Conference and Exhibition to take the idea of the Women in Architecture 2000 conference forward and discuss the evolution of women led design practices around the world. The Conference was followed by an exhibition of the Design Manifesto for women designers to showcase their works and design philosophy.
In continuation to these remarkable events, WOMEN IN DESIGN is a platform to bring together stories of women who have excelled in their fields and to encourage women designers by presenting their works and ideas on a digital platform.
Brinda Somaya curated the Women in Architecture 2000 Plus Conference which brought together women Architects from India and South Asia to share their stories, ideology and how it is reflected in their practice.
Her vision statement: "In 1990, a decade after I began my practice, I felt the need to connect with fellow woman professionals with a desire to understand their work and more importantly, their struggles and challenges in the discipline. In the days without internet and email, there were very few opportunities for women professionals to network. I was also curious to know the state of the profession for women architects. In 1990, I wrote to fellow women architects I knew about the possibility of a conference that would reflect on their individual work – work done without collaboration and in an independent capacity. I had defined the parameters but I received no response at all. Ten years later, in 2000, the idea was still alive in my mind. I had worked during the decade of the 1990s in some isolation and again, I was not fully aware of the state of practice. We also decided to take this beyond the Indian context to architects in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. I invited these women to share their personal and professional stories. We also needed a vehicle to organize a platform for dialogue."
The HECAR Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 to celebrate Mumbai’s multifaceted historic tradition. It recognises Architecture as a product of historical movement and celebrates that it recognises that the essence of life is growth and change; and as such must make allowances for both. The foundation is committed to research, education and public initiatives on Architecture and its related fields including heritage and urban issues through talks, publications, exhibitions, scholarships and seminars.
The HECAR Acronym stands for:
HERITAGE
EDUCATION
CONSERVATION
ARCHITECTURE
RESTORATION