BIDISHA SINHA

Bidisha finished her schooling and first degree in New Delhi before moving to London for her Masters at the Architectural Association. She has had an architectural career spanning over 18 years, delivering projects in India, UK and Hong Kong. In her role within Zaha Hadid Architects, over the last 15 years she has personally delivered projects which have made a positive difference to the revitalization agenda of the programs that were associated with them. They include the 2010 RIBA Stirling Prize-winning Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton, delivered as part of the Academies Program giving Lambeth their first secondary school in one of the poorest wards of London. The design of the school was seen as instrumental in bridging the ties between a fragmented communities. It made it on to the 'Brixton 5 pound note', used by local traders. She also delivered the 2017 RIBA London Awarded 'Mathematics – The Winton Gallery' which was part of the Science Museum Group's on-going regeneration masterplan. Since opening, the gallery saw visitor footfall of over a million within the first year and a marked increase in retention times. Working closely with the curating team, the project has successfully redefined the perception of how STEM subjects maybe displayed to straddle both educative and artistic aspects. She is currently involved among other projects in Asia, in delivering a student accommodation which is set to redefine the concept of on-campus shared accommodation. She maintains a particular fascination in observing and understanding our social cultures and sense of identity. Born in Damascus, having lived in New Delhi, London and recently Hong Kong, she brings an acute sensibility of multi-cultural diversity to her teams, driving the projects to re-imagine, and to relentlessly test pre-established cultures that we operate within and to find creative solutions that work for all. She has lectured and been part of academic jury panels in architecture and design schools in UK, USA and India. Bidisha is also one part of a collaborative design partnership 'Architecture of Conversation' with Ilga Lemanis. Based in London, who design positive, colorful, pattern collections.