Malaysia: Fawizah Kamal

Born in Perak, Malaysia, Fawizah Kamal is the first woman registered as an architect in Malaysia and the first Malay woman certified by the Royal Institute of British Architect (RIBA). She is also a registered member of the Architect’s Registration Council of the United Kingdom. Kamal studied architecture in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and completed her education in Portsmouth, England (1972). After graduation she returned to Malaysia and worked for the Urban Development Authority (UDA)  in Kuala Lumpur (1973). With her husband, architect John Ashraf Lucas, she co-founded Akitek Fawizah, an architectural firm in Kuala Lumpur (1974); they expanded the firm by establishing a branch in Penang, Malaysia (1978). Kamal also worked as an associate professor at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang, Malaysia (1978), where she was appointed a dean of the School of Housing, Building and Planning (1979–1982), becoming the first woman dean at USM, Penang.

Kamal was a member of the Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) Council (1976–1977), also serving as chairman of the PAM Activities Sub-Committee (1976). She was also a member of Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia; vice-president of Peniagawati, an association that empowers women in business; and deputy chief of Wanita in the Bukit Bintang Division of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). She was a panelist for a seminar on the topic of “Design in Islamic Cultures” organized by the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.