For those who aren't cued in yet, Transparence is a platform for budding architects – at present students of architecture – to showcase their best ideas for unique architectural designs and the innovative use of glass in design. Anchored by Ethos – an organisation dedicated to grooming the skills of students of architecture, this idea was conceptualised by Saint-Gobain in 2005, and is a nationwide inter-college competition, wherein students are given a brief based on which they need to come up with a design, complete with all aspects of its architecture.
Entering its fourth year, Transparence 2009 received 586 registrations from over a 100 architecture colleges. 105 final submissions were received for the topic “Ecotel” – an eco-friendly, green hotel building. Like at every edition, the event this year too is being mentored by an eminent architect. This year it is Architect Vidur Bhardwaj, Director of the architectural firm Design & Development, and Chairman, IGBC New Delhi chapter. Continuing its association with Society Interiors and Indian Architect & Builder as media partners, Transparence this year had a unique association with www.glazette.com and www.glassisgreen.com as knowledge partners.
Transparence follows a zonal round format, wherein entries from the North, West, South and East are evaluated by a jury in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata respectively. The South Zone Round held in Chennai on 7th November comprised a jury of 3 eminent personalities from the field of architecture and construction - Ar. Anil Baraya, VP, Architecture, CPG Group, Bangalore; Ar. Sriram Ganapathy, Director, KSM Consultants, Chennai; and Mr. Sthaladipti Saha, Chief Engineering Manager - Design, Larsen & Toubro EDRC, Chennai. A total of 35 submissions had poured in from Chennai, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Manipal, Calicut, Trichy, Ramanathapuram and Hosur from over 15 Colleges.
After much discussion and deliberation by the jury over the 35 entries – thanks to the competitiveness of each submitted design, finally two entries were selected for the National Finals to be held at the Annual NASA Convention 2009. The jury felt that some of the other entries deserved to be commended under the categories of ‘Special Recognition’ and ‘Jury Commendation’. The jury gave away these awards to the following winners:
Winners (Trophy, certificate & Rs. 18,000 cash prize)
Jury Commendation (Trophy & certificate)
Special Recognition (Certificate)
Speaking exclusively to Glazette.com, the jury unanimously felt that the quality of submissions had reached a new standard. They opined that the students spend more time with pencil and paper as budding architects, rather than rely in entirety on computer software. They also encouraged students to take part in similar competitions that not only complemented their learning skills but also gave them a wider platform to compete and meet with peers in other institutions. The jury lauded the efforts of Saint-Gobain for showcasing budding talent and providing students with an interface to the industry.
Apart from the awards, Transparence acknowledged the encouragement given by the colleges to their students to participate in such competitions. For this purpose, awards in the categories of Maximum Number of Registrations and Submissions (“Green Glory”) and for incorporating Transparence as a Studio Project (as part of the curriculum) were given away. The colleges that bagged these awards were:
These awards were given away by Mr. R. Subramanian, Director, Sales & Marketing, and Mr. A.R Unnikrishnan, National Head, Structural Glass Solutions of Saint-Gobain Glass India.
As a dedicated glass portal, Glazette reaffirms its support to Transparence and will continue to bring to you all about the event. Keep watching this space for LIVE updates on the progress of Transparence 2009, with loads of videos, exclusive bytes and behind-the- scene moments. Only on Glazette!
