A Kochi-based architecture student won the 28th Charles Correa Gold Medal in Mumbai on October 22, 2026, for the undergraduate thesis project titled “Energy Commons: Reimagining energy infrastructure as a place for civic engagement.”
The annual award recognises outstanding undergraduate architectural thesis projects addressing challenges in the built environment. The 2026 edition focused on “Equitability through Design”, with the guiding question, “Who are we designing for?” The winner received a cash prize of ₹25,000.
Key Highlights
- Award: 28th Charles Correa Gold Medal
- Winner: Kochi-based architecture student
- Winning thesis: “Energy Commons: Reimagining energy infrastructure as a place for civic engagement”
- Award date: October 22, 2026
- Venue: Mumbai
- 2026 theme: “Equitability through Design”
- Cash prize: ₹25,000
About the Charles Correa Gold Medal
The Charles Correa Gold Medal was initiated in 1998 by Indian architect Charles Correa. The Charles Correa Foundation (CCF) has administered the award annually since its inception.
The medal recognises undergraduate architectural thesis projects that engage with the built environment and explore relevant social, environmental and design challenges.
The 2026 winning project, “Energy Commons”, explored how energy infrastructure could be reimagined as a place for civic engagement. The edition’s theme encouraged participants to consider who benefits from design decisions and how architecture can respond to the needs of different communities.
Eligibility and Submission Schedule
Since 2022, the medal has been open to architecture colleges across India. Before this expansion, eligibility was limited to colleges in Mumbai and Goa.
Participating colleges must be approved by the Council of Architecture (COA).
The submission schedule for the 2026 edition was:
- Registration opened: April 16, 2026
- Registration deadline: July 3, 2026
- Deliverables deadline: August 21, 2026
The Council of Architecture is India’s statutory body responsible for regulating architectural education and the architectural profession under the Architects Act, 1972.
Earlier Editions and Related Events
- 2025 award ceremony: Held on September 16, 2025, at IFBE in Mumbai. The theme was “Equitability through Design”.
- Book launch: At the 2025 ceremony, Amit Chandra launched Designing Equitable Cities, the proceedings of the Z-axis 2018 Conference.
- 2023 medal: Recognised an undergraduate architectural thesis on “form follows climate”. The award ceremony took place online on May 9, 2024.
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