This trophy is a collaboration between NASA India and HUDCO. Sponsored by the Housing and
Urban Development Corporation Limited(HUDCO), the trophy aims at designing for the informal sector and
give design alternatives for the issues pertaining to the solutions to Sustainable Urban Development.Instead of
limiting the options to in-house expertise, HUDCO thought of an innovative way to involve young and
enthusiastic professionals. This year the brief talks about Vernacular habitats to combat climate change. When
it comes to housing in India, there is a deficit seen in the housing of economically weaker sections of the society
and lower income groups. Hence the Government of India started the ‘Affordable Housing for All’ through the
‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna’ (PMAY). Through this opportunity multiple projects have taken up a
responsibility in providing better housing and have made an efficient impact yet it’s very selective or low.
Projects that come under government agencies /developers have benefited. Challenges arise because the
problem of providing better housing and being sensitive to the local users remains to a small radius. There are
communities living at scattered locations unaware and not familiar to these projects due to their location,
accessibility to materials and resources and mainly problems with maintenance and failed user sensitive design
quality. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the intensity of global urbanization that does not cope with
the environment and is a city’s culture insensitive. Vernacular practices help combat these issues, there needs to
be an initiative towards the approach of implementing vernacular habits to produce greener practices which is
easily affordable and efficient towards the economically weaker sections of the society who have limited
resources and financial constraints. Finally it mentions designing in the best interest of the people by being
sensitive to the impact a building has on climate and in their lives. Students from won Citation. Students from
won Special Mention.