Dr. Raj Barr-Kumarakulasinghe is an Award-winning Architect, Academic, Author, and Ardent Advocate for helping the under-served. Since receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award from SLF in 2014, Dr. Raj has continued his service as a member of the Council of Former American Institute of Architects (AIA) Presidents and officiates in the Investiture of new Fellows of the Institute and Inauguration of the new president each year.
The program he initiated as National President of the AIA to create green pavilions to house the homeless in New Orleans, which had no homeless shelters, has continued every year since then. Now known as the Legacy Project, Dr. Raj’s call “to leave something of value in each National AIA convention host city, not just hot air and trash,” has helped improve schools, affordable housing, and infrastructure in each host city for over 27 years.
Dr. Raj had watched the University of the District of Columbia, the only land-grant college in DC, struggle for thirty years to get the architecture program accredited. Seeing an opportunity to help, he moved from Catholic U to UDC in 2017 with the express purpose of assisting UDC to get the architecture program accredited. The program was accredited in 2020, making it possible for underprivileged students residing in DC to enter the school and earn the accredited degree needed to become a professional architect, creating upward mobility by uplifting their families.
Dr. Raj was honored in 2018 as a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects Barr-Kumar Architects Engineers PC was selected as Best of DC in the category of Architects in 2020 and every year since.
Dr. Raj has volunteered on the Architectural Technology Advisory Committee of Northern Virginia Community Colleges for over thirty years and has served as Chairman since 2020. Under his leadership, students get specialized knowledge in sustainability practices that make them invaluable as paid interns while still in school.
An internationally recognized pioneer of the Sustainability movement, Dr. Raj is the author of three books on the subject and is currently writing a book on Climate Change and Urban Sustainability. He has lectured since 2014 at universities including Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Carnegie-Mellon, USC, London, Singapore, and the City School of Architecture in Colombo where he was given an award.
A frequent keynote speaker at international professional symposia including the Oxford Round Table on Climate Change, the Architects Regional Council of Asia, the European Union of Architects, the Smithsonian Institute, and the National Building Museum, he has provided Expert Congressional Testimony and serves as an Expert Witness in lawsuits. His expert testimony recently helped a retired lady recover damages when knocked unconscious by walking into an unmarked glass exterior wall.
Dr. Raj has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Barr-Kumar Architects Engineers PC and Barr International Group LLC for over 40 years. Project experience since 2014 includes Eco Maya Homes in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Hilton Hotel in Sri Lanka, Altos Escondidos Eco Resort in Panama, Jain Temple in Virginia, Basildon District General Hospital in England, Aleid Eco Resort in Saudi Arabia, and Teatro Dom Pedro V in Macau China.
Appointed by the Principal of Royal College Colombo in 2022 as Lead Designer for the addition to the Royal College Hostel, he designed a four-story building topped by a roof garden growing vegetables. A lightweight solar panel roof provides shade during the day while generating clean solar energy. The lightweight roof directs rainwater to a storage tank on the roof. At night, the solar panels slide to the perimeter, revealing the glittering star-spangled sky making the roof deck a cool outdoor sitting area.
Dr. Raj was selected as the Distinguished Overseas Sri Lankan to participate in an Office of Overseas Sri Lanka Affairs (OOSLA) Seminar on International Migration Day 2023 at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. The other members of the panel were Sri Lankan Ambassadors who had served in the United States.
Asked what advice he would give the younger generation, Dr. Raj replied that life is a journey full of lessons. There is no road map and no GPS. Set a goal, persevere, and remain resilient and flexible. If you hit a roadblock, don’t stop, look for a detour and keep moving forward. If you make a mistake, don’t fret, learn from it. Have faith. Aim to be the best in everything you do. Chase knowledge, not money or fame. Knowledge is power. Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. Be compassionate and kind. Help others to improve. The world is your stage. Have fun. Enjoy life.
For information on one of his recent projects, visit: www.EcoMayaHomes.com
