Martha
Cecilia Fajardo P.
Born
in Colombia, Martha studied Architecture
in the University Piloto of Bogotá,
after which she moved to England and studied
in the Master degree course at Sheffield
University, obtaining her Landscape Design
Diploma in 1981.
Her
nexus with the landscape architecture matters
officially began in 1982 when, after her
university training, she returned to Colombia
and founded the Colombian Society of Landscape
Architects ( Sociedad Colombiana de Arquitectos
Paisajistas - SAP). Martha was appointed
its first President, serving for a period
of 6 years, the same year she founded the
private company Grupo Verde Ltda.
Grupo
Verde Ltda is a firm dedicated to the professional
practice of Landscape Architecture and
Environmental planning, with emphasis on
Urban Design and Planning. It is made up
of a group of interdisciplinary professions:
Planners, Urbanists, Architects, Urban
Designers, Engineers, and specialists of
Geology, Plants Taxonomy, under the leadership
of the Landscape Architects. Since its
founding, the firm has been engaged in
projects varying greatly in size and requirements.
Martha
has been a strong defender of the profession's
role and has been active in the professional
practice field, with her husband, the Japanese
urbanist and landscape architect, Noboru
Kawashima. The firm is one of the pioneers
in the country, producing designs and directing
projects from concept to completion and
construction. The office was fully involved
in the Open Spaces projects of Bogota Transformation.
Martha
maintains an active involvment with the
International Federation of Landscape Architects.
In 1984 she attended for first time the
World Council of the XXIInd Congress, in
Siofok, Hungary, a time and place where
she met members who have influenced her
life ever since. From 1988 to 1991, she
served as the IFLA Vice-president of Western
Region, completing her term at the IFLA
World Congress in Cartagena, Colombia.
Martha continued her involvement with the
organisation as IFLA Western Region Newsletter
Editor from 1997 to 2000.
On
October 6 2002, in Riga, Latvia, Martha
was elected IFLA President becoming first
women president and first from the emerging
world. In 2004 in Taiwan, she was re-elected
for a further two years and will complete
her term at the 43rd IFLA World Congress
2006, which will be hosted by the American
Society of Landscape Architects in Minneapolis,
USA.
Martha
has served in juries for student and professional
competitions in landscape architecture world
wide, as well as lecturer in places such
as Tokyo, Cape Town, Quebec, Boston, Curitiba,
Sao Paulo, Belem, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires,
Montevideo, Caracas, La Havana, México,
Puerto Rico, Paris, Prague.
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