Altruistic in their work, some female architects have dedicated their career to helping others. Attentive to social needs and preoccupied with inequality, these women are committed to democratizing architecture, understanding it as a viable way to solve social problems. Jane Drew designed schools, social housing and hospitals in Chandirgarh, India, understanding that as an architect she should focus on the needs of the community. Julie Eizenberg, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of making great architecture no matter how tight the budget was, highlighting the social responsibility of the profession. Mayumi Souza Lima on the other hand, gave special attention to children’s needs, discussing and analyzing the spaces that were intended for them. Also, as a teacher, she used to take her class to the favelas, seeking greater politicalization from her architecture students. Elizabete Franca, the director of Studio 2E Ideias Urbanas, worked mainly on social housing plans for vunerable areas. Lastly, Julia King has focused on implementing sewerage systems in Indian slums, greatly improving the quality of life of the residents.

Jane Drew

 

Country of Origin: England, United Kingdom

Born: 1911

Died: 1996

Graduation: AA School, London, England.

Performance venues: England, Nigeria, Ghana, India, Iran and Sri Lanka

Partnerships: Maxwell Fry, Eduardo Catalano, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret.