WADe India: A Great Drive for Women Architects and Designers of India

By Jaideep Khanduja @PebbleInWaters

WADe India is newly reformed Federation for Women Architects & Designers. WADe India Awards & Conference 2016 in this regard is a phenomenal effort to highlight Women-Led developments in architecture & Design. WADe was formed in the last quarter of 2012 in an effort and research by the team of Surfaces Reporter to list the excellent works done by past women architects & interior designers of India. The surprising factor emerged out of it was that there was no formal or informal information there in this regard and hence they had to drop the idea at that painful juncture. The fact that emerged is that there is no systematic trajectory of work done by past women architects & designers of India. That is when Vertica Dvivedi, Founder, WADe India decided to take a lead in filling this void once for all. That is when in mid-2015, the team decided to dive into it in a significant manner in this regard and the community of women architects and designers as a whole.
WADe India started documentation of work in this regard driving the mission in a significant manner and direction. During July 2015 the team started inviting nominations through formal declaration and printed circular in Surface Reporter. To steer up this effort, BSMR, an external research agency was engaged. Finally, on May 14th, WADe India is launched with some concrete objectives like
  • To showcase Women-led projects
  • To bridge mentorship between Leading & Aspiring
  • To assist those who wish to come back to the profession
  • To encourage, share and learn through continuous research
  • To celebrate life, work and achievements of architects & designers
  • To reward & recognize great works done by women architects & designers

WADe India aims to connect all women in the industry through their portal and also through a number of events across the country. WADe India has done a tremendous job in not only researching and documenting the significant works done by Architects and Designers of India but also in recognizing them on national platforms and bringing them together for better harmony and synchronization of energies.