Minnette de Silva

Minnette De Silva was the first Asian woman to become an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1948. Born in 1918, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, De Silva qualified as an architect in 1948 and set up The Studio of Modern Architecture in Kandy the same year. 

De Silva articulated innovative ideas about urban planning, sustainability, the use of local architectural features, materials, and craft through a practice that combined architectural design, writing, research, and teaching. She coined the term “modern regional architecture,” to refer to her “experiments” which emphasized community, ecology, and craftsmanship from a Sri Lankan perspective. “The Life and Work of an Asian Woman Architect (Volume 1)”, De Silva’s autobiographical memoir, outlines her philosophy, influences, and contributions to modernist architecture in Asia. It was published posthumously in 1998, a few months after her death.