We are very happy to announce our next IUSD lecture titled Building Futures: Empowering Women to Create Sustainable Homes for the Elderly by Dr. Victoria Marwa Heilmann (TAWAH – Tanzania). The lecture will take place on Monday 23 June 2025 at 12:00 CEST at the cafeteria of the K1 building. The lecture is part of the Women in Architecture lecture series ‘Equitable Spaces – Talks and Lectures’ at the University of Stuttgart.
The Lecture
Access to decent shelter is a basic human right, yet women and the elderly are among the most vulnerable to housing insecurity. This presentation will highlight how Tanzania Women Architects for Humanity (TAWAH) is mobilizing women in rural Tanzania to build low-carbon homes for the elderly. By pioneering sustainable, low-cost housing solutions, TAWAH trains women to become builders, using locally available materials to reduce environmental impact and enhance economic resilience. The construction of homes for the elderly is an integral part of this broader training initiative. At its core, TAWAH’s mission is to foster thriving, supportive communities where everyone has access to safe, dignified housing and the resources they need to flourish.
The Lecturer
Victoria Marwa Heilman is an architect based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, committed to using her expertise for community development. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Tanzania Women Architects for Humanity (TAWAH), which addresses housing challenges in impoverished communities. Victoria holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of Stuttgart, a Master’s from the Catholic University of America, and a Bachelor’s from the University of Dar es Salaam. She is a 2004 Ford Foundation IFP Fellow, an Eisenhower Fellow since 2016, a Mama Hope Global Advocate since 2020, an SDG Innovation Champion (2022), and was named among 50 influential African Women Architects in 2024, with her work featured in RIBA’s 100 Women: Architects in Practice (2024). Victoria’s passion for bridging architecture with social impact led TAWAH to win a Gold World Habitat Award in 2025.
