Indian architect gets RIBA fellowship

Achal Narayanan, October 5, 20121

The Council of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the awarding of eight new international fellowships of the Institute. Those honoured include an Indian architect, Gurjit Singh Matharoo, from Ahmedabad.

The fellowships are given in recognition of the particular contribution non-UK architects have made to architecture. The lifetime honour allows individual recipients to use the initials ‘Int.FRIBA’ after their name.

Besides Gurjit Singh Matharoo, the others receiving the RIBA International Fellowships come from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Norway and Russia. All of them will be honoured at a special ceremony in London on February 6, 2013.

Innovations

Among the innovative buildings designed by Matharoo are a house built on the concept of a mosquito net, a luxury abode developed using low-cost materials, and a door designed to open like a curtain. The RIBA Council has also approved 12 new RIBA Honorary Fellowships to reward individuals from a diverse spectrum, including the fields of education, sustainability, engineering, property development, politics and journalism.

In another announcement, the Royal Institute of British Architects has named the noted Swiss architect Peter Zumthor as the winner of the Royal Gold Medal for 2013. Like the new RIBA Honorary Fellows and International Fellows, he will be presented the medal at the special London ceremony in February.

The Royal Gold Medal, inaugurated by Queen Victoria in 1848, is conferred annually on “some distinguished architect for work of high merit, or on some distinguished person whose work has promoted either directly or indirectly the advancement of architecture.”

• 1. source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/283012/F