The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), the country’s apex professional organisation of architects, has announced the recipients of 2018 IIA Awards. With a record number of 537 entries from across the country, the two-day event witnessed 82 of the country’s finest projects being presented by architects, and an exhibition of all shortlisted entries. About 1,000 delegates and 600 architecture students from across the country participated in the event held at Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerela.

The IIA Awards have been constituted to encourage, acknowledge, appreciate and honour the creative contribution of IIA members all over India in the field of architecture. The Institute creates a platform for the members to present their creations which can lead to meaningful debate and dialogue aimed at defining a new direction for architectural practice in the country, according to IIA.

The awards were adjudged in categories of residential, interior-non residential, socially responsible, commercial, public institutional, industrial-infrastructure, interior-residential, hospitality & recreation, conservation, landscape, unbuilt and research. IIA president Ar Divya Kush presented the awards.

• Ar Verendra Wakhloo, Matra Architects & Rurban Planners, won the award in the ‘residential A’ category for Kaleka House
• Ar Swapnil Valvatkar, Collage Architecture Studio, was winner in ‘residential B’category for the project Rohan Aviriti – An Urban Oasis
• Ar Narayan Moorthy, Kumar Moorthy and Associates, won the award in commercial category for corporate office for Creative Travel
• Ar Bakir Zafar and late Ar Noor Aboojiwala, NBZ Architectural Consultants, won the ‘public–institutional’ category award for Masjid-e-Haji Abdur Rauf project
• Ar Bijoy Ramachandran, Hundredhands Design, won commendation in the ‘public–institutional’ category for Bangalore International Centre
• Ar Christopher Charles Benninger, CCBA Designs, won the award in ‘industrial infrastructure’ category for Krohne Marshall
• Ar Pinkish Shah, S+PS Architects, won the award in the interior-residential category for the Pavillion House
• Ar Vivek Singh Rathore, Salient Architects, and Ar Amit Aurora, Group DCA, were declared joint winners in ‘interior – non residential’ category for Fanattic Sports Museum and Office for Communique Marketing Solutions, respectively
• Ar Madhav Joshi, Madhav Joshi & Associates, won the award for Backpacker’s Hostel in ‘hospitality and recreation’ category
• Ar Sidhartha Talwar from Studio Lotus, and Ar Anubhav Gupta from GPL Design Studio, won the award in ‘conservation category for Imagine Studio at The Trees
• Ar Madhushitha C A, Cochin Creative Collective, won the award in ‘unbuilt’ category for 1868 House
• Ar Sujata C Hingorani, Oasis Designs Inc, won the award in ‘landscape’ category for JM Streetscape, Pune Streets Programme
• Ar Mohandas P, Stapati & Vanam, was joint winner in the landscape category for designing Malabar Headquarters
• In ‘socially responsible’ category, Ar Arjun Rajan, A’Factree Architects, won the commendation for Transition Homes
• Ar Shilpa Sharma, IES College of Architecture, won the award in research category

“We are extremely pleased to have hosted the prestigious IIA Awards for Excellence in Architecture for 2018 in Thiruvananthapuram. This is the most coveted architecture event where the best in the fraternity converged to deliberate, discuss and internally review the state of architecture. We believe this initiative has significant potential in shaping the way forward. Architects have a tremendous impact on the lives of people if they are meaningfully engaged by society. This award holds great significance as it is adjudged and given by fellow architects,” said Ar N Mahesh, chairman–events, IIA Trivandrum.