Keynote speaker – Landscape Australia Conference 2018
Shefali Balwani is a practising architect and principal of Architecture BRIO in Mumbai. Shefali completed her degree at the School of Architecture C.E.P.T in Ahmedabad and studied during an exchange program at the the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. Before starting her own practice she worked with Rahul Mehrotra Associates in Mumbai and the office of Channa Daswatte in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 2006 she co-founded Architecture BRIO in her hometown together with Robert Verrijt.
The firm has since then won several national and international awards such as the Zumtobel Group Award, the AD-50 Awards, and the JKC Architect of the Year Awards.
Architecture BRIO’s work field spans the vast variety of cultures, climates and landscapes across the Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia. Each project is seen as a challenge and opportunity to uncover the unique characteristics of these specific conditions, investigating which intervention has a potential for positive change and impact in the way we deal with our natural and built world.
The practice actively engages with research and seeks out collaborations with institutes and organisations. With Billionbricks, an NGO committed to eradicate homelessness, they set up a dedicated studio called Bb-Studio. The innovation design studio consults with communities, NGOs and governments to provide scalable high-quality buildings and infrastructure solutions. As part of the Bandra Collective, the firm is involved with research and design of public space in the city.
