The ‘KSRM Award for Future Architect 2022’ competition is organized primarily to inspire future architects. Taurem Rahul Singh of Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET) won the first prize in this competition. He is a student of architecture department of BUET. Mahir Aritra of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CHUTE) Department of Architecture came second. And the third was the University of Asia Pacific (UAP). Nafiu.

As per the competition rules, students are required to submit posters and models of thesis project designs. A jury panel consisting of five judges scrutinized the projects after receiving submissions on November 12. After deliberation, the winner is selected. The final result was announced on November 17 at The Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) Center in Agargaon, Dhaka.

In the first phase of the competition, a total of 36 projects were nominated, 3 each from the architecture departments of 12 IAB accredited universities. Three were given the best award. The prize money for the first, second and third place winners was Tk 1 lakh, Tk 75 thousand and Tk 50 thousand respectively. Apart from these, three people were also given awards. They are Taurem Sananu of BUET, Nasif Sadman of Chuet and Atika Farzana Bari of Khulna University.

The subject of Rahul’s first project was the preservation of the historic Ganja Mahal. Rahul said, the Ganja Cooperative Society was born in Naogaon in 1915. They used to earn revenue by exporting cannabis to other countries. It is said that the early establishments of Naogaon town were established by the Ganja Samiti. But after the illegalization of ganja in 1974, the source of income of the association was disrupted. After that many buildings were abandoned. Rahul has set up a project to preserve these structures and also to make people aware of the evils of drugs. The project that got the first prize. This student of BUET has made a plan to decorate the cannabis warehouses as bookstores, libraries, stationery shops.

Mahir Aritra of Chuet has designed a multi-storey building using existing structures in the sea. He feels it will create new opportunities in research and tourism. Mahir said, ‘Basically our thesis project is evaluated by the university for this competition. Later in the competition, the presentation, poster and model construction was given a month. At that time I prepared myself.

Md worked with Tiquil village of Nachol upazila of Chapainawabganj. Nafiu. People mainly know this village as Alpana village. He highlighted how research can be done on this village.

The three architecture students feel that this award will motivate them to do better.