At a recent TEDx talk in IIM Shillong, our Founder and Chief Architect, Mrs.Sheila Sriprakash spoke on the importance of designing environments that can bring about positive social change and transformation.

Here is the talk by Mrs. Sheila Prakash

Source : TEDx Talks

In her talk she highlights how a building affects the environment around it; the lifestyle, people’s behavior and aspirations, the climate, the arts and culture. She stresses on the importance of finding that balance in design which satisfies each of these aspects. Such an equilibrium in design leads to holistic sustainability.

She draws examples from the Brihadeeshwarar Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu where the architecture was inclusive and reciprocative, reflecting good leadership and peoples’ participation.

On the topic of smart cities she mentions that a city is smart when it has good connectivity; where infrastructure, art and culture, health, education and other facilities, all work in tandem. Resilience of a city is crucial to its development. Also, a city’s design needs to reflect a unique feature of the city that its residents can identify with.

According to Mrs. Sheila, a good design is one which works in the long term, strikes a balance and reflects originality. What’s more important is that it should be relevant to those using these spaces, where they are able to reciprocate effectively. This facilitates the process of social transformation.