theme

Since pre-historic times, water, the world’s most important natural resource along with the air we breathe, has been responsible for the birth and death of civilizations. Its strong relationship with culture has manifested itself over millennia in varied forms of all scales and types. In the Indian subcontinent, water acquired a deep spiritual, religious and philosophical meaning across cultures and religions. Rivers and lakes with ghats, pools and ponds inside forts and gardens, stepped wells, and tanks in religious precincts are some of the historic manifestations of water which are deeply revered in Indian culture. These examples have also been a great source of visual pleasure and delight, where water has not only enlivened places but infused new life in whole settings.

Water has intrigued designers over the last two centuries or more, inspiring them to come up with new and innovative approaches towards its meaning in landscapes all over the world.

Water has been an integral part of traditional practices of natural resource management across all regions of India, conserving its quantity and main taining its quality. However in the last century, rapid population growth and unchecked urbanization, coupled with top-down development and insensitive planning policies and design approaches have caused great stress on our water resources. Today, polluted rivers, encroached-upon ponds, clogged drainage channels, defunct drainage systems, depleted ground water, diminishing natural recharge areas, have all contributed to deteriorating water quality across the country.

The Competition invites students to explore contemporary and aesthetic manifestations of water at different scales in the Indian context, that reflect contemporary attitudes towards design, enjoyment, interpretation, health and well-being, and most of all, conservation keeping in mind its utmost value as a natural resource.

locus

You may think of a generic or specific physical setting which you believe has a potential for an exploring of ideas. Create an idea which relates the setting with the thought of water as a design element. Communicate the unique sense of experience and a sense of place it creates.

You may select a site of an ongoing design studio or live project which fulfills the theme criteria. The idea matters and unconventional and radical approaches towards the theme will be encouraged.

awards

  • First Prize 50,000
  • Second Prize 30,000
  • Third Prize 15,000
  • Shriya Anand Award 21,000
  • Plus upto FOUR Jury Special Mention Certificates
  • The winning entries shall be featured in LA, Journal of Landscape Architecture (LA46) December-February issue.

jury

  • Dr Priyaleen Singh, Historic Landscape Conservation Architect, New Delhi
  • Nandita Parikh, Landscape Architect New Delhi
  • Martand Khosla, Architect, New Delhi

submission guidelines

Detailed Submission Format and Registration Form {to be submitted along with the submissions} are available as PDF file on the competition website

registration (mandatory)

A registration fee of 1000 (one thousand only) is mandatory for participating in the competition. This fee shall be deposited at the time of thesubmission of the entry.

Please note that registration fee is non refundable and non transferable.

timelines

  • 15 October, 2015 - Submission Deadline
  • Last date for the Registation fee and Entries to reach the Foundation Office in New Delhi - 28 October, 2015
  • Jury Meet | Declaration of Results - 29-30 October, 2015
  • Exhibition at New Committe Room, Planning Block, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi

who can participate

If YOU are studying in one of the following courses anywhere in India:

  • 2 Years full time Post-Graduate Courses, Masters in Landscape Architecture, M.Arch. {Landscape} / M. Arch with / without specializationsin any discipline
  • 5 years Full time Graduate Courses in Architecture and Planning, B. Arch / D. Arch / B. Planning
  • 4 Years Graduate Diploma in Art / Design with/ without specialization in any discipline
  • 2 – 2 1/2 years Full Time Post Graduate Diploma in Design with /without specialization in any discipline OR You have recently graduated from any one of the courses noted above, in May–July 2015.