Ideas of Improving Livability of Small Houses to be honoured

Pune:The prize distribution ceremony of Open Ideas National Competition 2024, Season IV and Housing Studio Programme will be held on 31st January 2025,at 5 PM IST at Sumant Mulgaonkar Auditorium MCCIA, Ground floor, A Wing, ICC Complex, SB Road, Pune.This competition was organized by Habitat Forum (INHAF) in partnership with Sustainability Initiatives (SI), seeks to bring together innovative minds to tackle the critical issue of improving the livability of small, low-cost housing. 

Barjor Mehta(President,CEPT University, Ahmedabad, an acclaimed academician and practitioner), will deliver the keynote address. Dr Rajendra Nimbalkar (IAS) Ex CO of MHADA who has kindly consented to preside as the Chief Guest of the event will bring invaluable insights from the public sectorperspective while the Guest of Honour, Architect Amit Bapat(Design Head - WestEastZone Godrej Properties), will share an architect’s perspective on the real estate industry, its current trends, and challenges.

The competition invited participation from practicing architects, interior designers,planners, engineers, senior students, NGOs, government agencies, and professionals working in slum-upgrading and rehabilitation. The initiative aims to generate innovative solutions to improve housing design for schemes like PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) and other affordable housing programs, making these homes more functional, livable, and sustainable.

The competition was launched in May 2024. More than 287 participants registered and 65 entries received. From the submissions received, the jury selected five winning proposals. A 12 week Housing Studio On the same theme, is parallel and also complementary to the competition. Piloted at Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture (BNCA), Pune by INHAF, the 3rd season of the housing studio programme was launched in June 2024 simultaneously in a number of architectural colleges in Pune and elsewhere. Three colleges participated- SMEF’s BRICK Group of Institutes, Pune, Vishwakarma University, Pune, and Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore. The 21 proposals submitted were scrutinized by a 7-member jury of professionals and experts and three proposals declared winners.

The much-anticipated prize distribution ceremony for both the Competition and Housing Studio is scheduled on 31st January 2024 at 5 PM IST at Sumant Mulgaonkar Auditorium MCCIA, Ground floor, A Wing, ICC Complex, SB Road, Pune, stated a press release.