Architecture is a multifarious process. There are scales to be negotiated, materials to be explored and places to be true to. And in the context of our sub-continent, this also means there are informal sectors, a completely diverse constructional dialect and red tape to manoeuvre around. Through all of this, there are firms both young and old, yet not so well-known that diligently persevere against these odds to build relevant spaces, in a dialogue that resonates beyond the constraints of the brief. These are the practices that need to be given their due, ones that tread the fine line between the contemporary and the meaningful every day and do it earnestly, ones that eventually become practices of consequence.
In its 15th edition this year, IA&B’s Young Designers competition has constantly striven to showcase the importance of conscious design, in a time where the smallest act of building has global implications. The practices this year demonstrate a purposeful drive to propel archite