Design Awards - 2026

Ar. N. S. Abhayakumar receiving the First Prize in the design competition conducted by the National Housing Bank from Shri. Satendra Singh, Principal Secretary, at the World Habitat Day celebrations organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 5 October 2026. Shri Tokhan Sahu, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, graced the event.

About the competition: In alignment with the National Housing Bank’s mission to promote sustainable and inclusive housing development, the Bank has instituted an award “NHB Award for Best Design in Affordable Housing” to encourage innovation and excellence in housing design. The award will recognize and encourage innovative, sustainable, and inclusive housing designs that address the challenges of affordability, sustainability, space constraints and adaptability to India’s varied climate/topographical zones while offering quality living conditions.

Objective of the Award - The award aims to

• Promote innovation in “Beneficiary led construction” design on small piece of land.
• Address the unique challenges of India’s varied climate zones.
• Encourage sustainable and environment – friendly construction practices.
• Promote cost-effective and culturally appropriate housing solutions.
• Encourage beneficiary-led construction approaches that optimize the use of small plots of land.
• Encourage students and architects to design innovative, affordable, and green buildings.
• Provide a platform for showcasing designs that meet the needs of low-income communities without compromising quality or sustainability.