Sumaya Islam
" It is the Belief which can make one, authoritative enough, to be happy forever. "
Sumaya is an artist, academic, architect and entrepreneur, the Founder and Managing Director of CREATO Design Research Lab Ltd. She has also been working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture of American International University-Bangladesh. She is the organizational member of United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Editorial Panel member of the prominent quarterly Magazine, DOT: Art and Architecture Bangladesh, under Delvistaa Foundation. Recently she has been designated as the mentor of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) under the a2i innovation Lab, Cabinet Division, Bangladesh along with being enlisted as a local mentor for the NASA Space Apps Challenge - Bangladesh organized by BASIS.
Sumaya graduated in 2011 from American International University-Bangladesh with full scholarship, receiving the prestigious “Vice Chancellors Award” for best thesis undergraduate academic recital in Architecture, moreover she was also bestowed with ‘Gold Medal’ for being the topper and achieving the highest CGPA both in her Batch and the Department. She has completed her post-graduation from the renowned Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in 2015, on ‘Spatial and Performance Design’ at London, UK with distinction in design. She has also completed Diploma on Film Making Program in New York Film Academy (NYFA), 2018 at New York, USA. To enhance her methodological skills, she has accomplished the professional course “Entrepreneurship in Built Environment: MIT | SA + P” from Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT in 2021 with distinction. She holds certifications on many advanced professional and technical courses and workshops from various institutes around the world. The notable ones are - ‘Basic’ and ‘Foundation’ course at South Asian Institute (Pathshala), Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2012; ‘Digital Filmmaking Workshop’ at Shilpakola Academy along with Moviyana Film Society, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2012; ‘Scenic Workshop’ at Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin), Berlin, Germany, 2014; ‘Woodland Ecology and Management’ workshop at University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, 2015; ‘Musical Collaborative Workshop’ along with ‘Emerging Ibiza’ at Ibiza, Spain at 2015.
​​
She has published numerous international publications and has Participated and Presented at international conferences like: Cornel University, Ithaca, USA in 2018; Ozegen University, Istanbul, Turkey in 2016; Arizona State University, Arizona, USA in 2014. Her self-authored book on Architectural Philosophy aligned with Film, Music and Performance named “ARCHIFORMANCE: The Syntax of Meditative Mediating Voyage” is published by the prominent publishing house Xlibris on 2019 from London, UK. This book had been selected for exhibition at many significant international book fairs alike, the London International Book Fair, Book Expo America, Beijing International Book Fair, Frankfurt International Book Fair, Guadalajara International Book Fair and is currently housed at Library of Congress, Washington, USA.
​
She believes in collaborative associations and gives priority to her covenants over everything. Spending time with family, friends and the nature is what she enjoys the most.