The 21st Annual Architect of the Year Award was held in Sri Lanka. It is significant in that this is the first time that AYA has been held outside of India. Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, while Ashok Kantha, the Indian High Commissioner was the Guest of Honour.

The AYA held once in three years by JK Cement, a leading producer of cement in India, was initially instituted to encourage outstanding talent in the Indian architecture profession. Over the years the awards have grown in scope and repute, and are the most coveted among architecture professionals in India and in the region. The recipients of this year’s awards and their projects are:

The Architect of the Year Award – Archt Madhar Joshi of Pune for the high performance computer centre.

Focus Countries’ Architect of the Year Award – Archt Rafiq Azam of Bangladesh for the SA residence in Dhaka

Young Architect’s Award – Archt Tushar Shashikant Shetye of Pune for the Malhar Machi Mountain Resort in Pune.