Architects Urge Government Action to Improve Urban Infrastructure at Latitude 2025 Event

Architects
and
urban
design
professionals
at
the
2nd
edition
of
Latitude
2025,
hosted
by
the
Indian
Institute
of
Architects
–
Karnataka
Chapter
(IIA-KC),
have
called
for
immediate
government
intervention
to
address
the
growing
urban
infrastructure
challenges
across
India.
The
two-day
event,
held
on
January
24-25,
brought
together
leading
architects,
urban
planners,
and
policymakers
to
discuss
innovative
solutions
for
the
nation’s
urban
future.

Winners
from
Betweenspaces,
Studio
Motley,
Parallax
alongside
Mr.
Jayasankar
Kentinkara-UltraTech,
Ar.
Mohan
B.
R.
and  Ar.
Mueen
Haris-IIA-KC
at
the
Design
Awards
ceremony

During
his
keynote
address,
Ar.
Mohan
B.R.,
Chairman
of
IIA-KC,
urged
policymakers
to
leverage
the
expertise
of
architects
in
shaping
urban
development
and
resolving
infrastructure
issues.
He
pointed
out
the
significant
disconnect
between
architectural
education
and
practice
due
to
insufficient
government
support
and
collaboration.
Mohan
emphasized
the
importance
of
involving
professionals
from
various
fields
in
policy-making
and
urban
planning
processes
to
achieve
sustainable,
well-designed
cities.

“Indian
architects
possess
the
necessary
skills
and
international
exposure
to
tackle
large-scale
urban
challenges,”
said

Mohan.
“Yet,
without
a
robust
partnership
between
architects
and
the
government,
we
are
unable
to
deliver
long-term
solutions
to
the
nation’s
infrastructure
crises,
including
traffic
congestion,
urban
planning
inefficiencies,
and
inadequate
facilities.”

Ar.
Mueen
Haris,
Vice-Chairman
of
IIA-KC,
echoed
the
sentiment,
urging
the
Indian
government
to
adopt
global
best
practices
in
architectural
design.
Drawing
a
parallel
to
India’s
success
in
attracting
international
talent
for
sports,
Haris
called
for
similar
efforts
to
integrate
global
architectural
standards
into
the
nation’s
urban
design
projects.

The
event
also
marked
the
launch
of
the
IIA-KC
Latitude
Design
Awards
2025,
a
celebration
of
architectural
excellence
across
multiple
categories.
The
winners
were
selected
after
two
thorough
rounds
of
jury
evaluations.

The
UltraTech
Latitude
Design
Awards
2025
recognized
outstanding
achievements
in
architecture
across
various
categories.
The
recipients
of
the
awards
included:

• 
  
  
  Outstanding
  Public
  Building:
  Betweenspaces

• 
  
  
  Outstanding
  Individual
  Residece:
  Studio
  Motley 

• 
  
  
  Outstanding
  Interiors:
  Residential

• 
  
  
  Outstanding
  Public
  Building
  –
  Hospitality:
  Parallax
  Architects 

• 
  
  
  Outstanding
  Educational
  Projects:
  Architecture
  Dialogue
  and
  Biome
  Environmental
  Solutions 

• 
  
  
  Outstanding
  Interiors
  Non-Residential:
  Mistry
  Architects 

• 
  
  
  Outstanding
  Beyond
  Architecture
  –
  Architectural
  Drawing
  as
  an
  Art
  Form:
  Sthaan 

In
addition,
the
event
recognized
professors
from
IIA-KC-affiliated
architectural
colleges
in
Karnataka
for
their
outstanding
contributions
to
the
field.

Latitude
2025
served
as
a
vital
platform
for
fostering
knowledge
exchange,
creative
collaboration,
and
fresh
thinking
in
the
architectural
and
urban
planning
sectors.
As
Indian
cities
continue
to
grapple
with
rapid
urbanization,
the
event
underscored
the
urgent
need
for
more
integrated,
forward-thinking
strategies
to
build
sustainable,
liveable
urban
environments.

Over
1,000
architects
and
students
gathered
for
the
Latitude
2025
event,
with
PROMINENCE
served
as
the
title
sponsor
for
the
Latitude
2025
event,
while
UltraTech
proudly
supported
the
IIA-KC
Latitude
Design
Award
2025
as
its
sponsor.