Arul Dass was recently named one of the winners of the 2022 TechWomen100 Awards for her work in building conservation. Photo: Catharine Arul Dass
Britain-based architect Catharine Arul Dass was recently named one of the winners of the 2022 TechWomen100 Awards.
The Awards is organised by WeAreTechWomen, an Essex, England-based initiative founded in 2015 to help women working in technology to maximise their potential.
The winners of the awards represent outstanding women within the technology sector holding a wide range of roles including technical architecture, cloud engineering and nuclear engineering.
"It was a humbling experience, and I am truly honoured to be among the top 100 Tech Women in the UK. There were over 1,000 entries for this award. I had the opportunity to meet many amazing women who are doing great things within this male-dominated tech world," said Arul Dass, who is in her late 40s, via email.
"For a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) architect like me to receive this award is a recognition and endorsement of my contribution to building conservation with the use of digital technology," she added.
From Ipoh, Arul Dass graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Architecture from Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur in 2001. She then received her Masters in Architecture in 2013 from the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow University, in Scotland.
In 2017, she completed her Professional Practice in Architecture (RIBA, ARB Part III) at London Metropolitan University.
Currently based in southeast London, where she has been living since 2012, Arul Dass was attached to the Justice Ministry from Feb 2013 to March 2019, after which she has been working with the UK Parliament until today.
Her work involves pioneering and setting the benchmark for the digital conservation requirement for heritage projects, which involves cataloguing heritage assets in a specific format.
Arul Dass said the award serves as an encouragement to her and she also hopes that it will inspire the younger generation to excel in their work.
"This is a moral boost for me, as it is a reward for all my hard work and persistence. I do not do what I do intending to receive awards.
"My passion is my drive, but awards and recognitions like this help to create awareness, and I hope this is a motivation for others, especially the younger generation.
