Kumar Bahukhandi
Architects and urban design professionals at the 2nd edition of Latitude 2025, hosted by the Indian Institute of Architects – Karnataka Chapter (IIA-KC), have called for immediate government intervention to address the growing urban infrastructure challenges across India. The two-day event, held on January 24-25, brought together leading architects, urban planners, and policymakers to discuss innovative solutions for the nation’s urban future.
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Winners from Betweenspaces, Studio Motley, Parallax alongside Mr. Jayasankar Kentinkara-UltraTech, Ar. Mohan B. R. and Ar. Mueen Haris-IIA-KC at the Design Awards ceremony
During his keynote address, Ar. Mohan B.R., Chairman of IIA-KC, urged policymakers to leverage the expertise of architects in shaping urban development and resolving infrastructure issues. He pointed out the significant disconnect between architectural education and practice due to insufficient government support and collaboration. Mohan emphasized the importance of involving professionals from various fields in policy-making and urban planning processes to achieve sustainable, well-designed cities.
“Indian architects possess the necessary skills and international exposure to tackle large-scale urban challenges,” said Mohan. “Yet, without a robust partnership between architects and the government, we are unable to deliver long-term solutions to the nation’s infrastructure crises, including traffic congestion, urban planning inefficiencies, and inadequate facilities.”
Ar. Mueen Haris, Vice-Chairman of IIA-KC, echoed the sentiment, urging the Indian government to adopt global best practices in architectural design. Drawing a parallel to India’s success in attracting international talent for sports, Haris called for similar efforts to integrate global architectural standards into the nation’s urban design projects.
The event also marked the launch of the IIA-KC Latitude Design Awards 2025, a celebration of architectural excellence across multiple categories. The winners were selected after two thorough rounds of jury evaluations.
The UltraTech Latitude Design Awards 2025 recognized outstanding achievements in architecture across various categories. The recipients of the awards included:
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Outstanding Public Building: Betweenspaces
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Outstanding Individual Residece: Studio Motley
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Outstanding Interiors: Residential
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Outstanding Public Building – Hospitality: Parallax Architects
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Outstanding Educational Projects: Architecture Dialogue and Biome Environmental Solutions
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Outstanding Interiors Non-Residential: Mistry Architects
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Outstanding Beyond Architecture – Architectural Drawing as an Art Form: Sthaan
In addition, the event recognized professors from IIA-KC-affiliated architectural colleges in Karnataka for their outstanding contributions to the field.
Latitude 2025 served as a vital platform for fostering knowledge exchange, creative collaboration, and fresh thinking in the architectural and urban planning sectors. As Indian cities continue to grapple with rapid urbanization, the event underscored the urgent need for more integrated, forward-thinking strategies to build sustainable, liveable urban environments.
Over 1,000 architects and students gathered for the Latitude 2025 event, with PROMINENCE served as the title sponsor for the Latitude 2025 event, while UltraTech proudly supported the IIA-KC Latitude Design Award 2025 as its sponsor.
