COA Awards 2026 Zone 3 concludes at ICFAI Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Aug 13 (TNT): The three-day Council of Architecture (COA) Awards 2026 — Zone 3, hosted by the ICFAI School of Architecture (ISArch), concluded at the ICFAI campus here on Thursday.
Over 200 budding architects, faculty members and practicing architects participated in the programme, held from August 11 to 13 under the aegis of the Council of Architecture Training and Research Centre (COA TRC), showcased more than 130 final-year B.Arch thesis entries from over 73 architecture colleges across Telangana and Maharashtra.
The Zone 3 edition recognised excellence in three categories — Architectural Thesis Excellence (AEAT), JK AYA Award for Best Student of the Year and Documentation of Architectural Heritage (DAH).
The inaugural session was attended by ICFAI Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr A Vinay Kumar, Registrar Prof Dr S Vijayalakshmi, ICFAI Tech Director Prof Dr K L Narayana and other dignitaries.
Executive Director of Zetatek Technologies and former FTCCI president R Ravi Kumar, who was the chief guest, spoke on the role of inner transformation and self-motivation in overcoming anxiety and achieving goals.
ICFAI Society Chairperson Shobharani Yasaswy inaugurated the Architectural Thesis Exhibition (AEAT 2026).
A jury comprising senior architects and academicians evaluated the entries. The panel included COA TRC Director Prof Ar Jayashree Deshpande, architect Yatin Pandya, Prof Dr Manita Saxena, Prof Dr K S Anantha Krishna, Prof Ar Neeti Trivedi and Prof Ar Anis Mohammed.
The jury shortlisted the top 10 AEAT entries on August 12, while the shortlisted candidates presented their projects before a public jury session on August 13.
The final shortlisted candidates included Varun Shetty, Sheikh Fatima Yasin, Omkar Nana Awale and Swara Chavan, who were recognised for their innovative ideas and relevance of their projects.
The closing ceremony featured representatives of the COA TRC, followed by presentation of certificates and mementos to jury members, a vote of thanks and the National Anthem.
The organisers said the programme provided a platform for architectural students and professionals to showcase innovative work and promote research, networking and exchange of ideas in architectural education.
TNT TS
