Architect Rafiq Azam wins Arcasia Awards for Architecture

Noted architect Rafiq Azam and his architecture firm Shatotto have won the Arcasia Awards for Architecture 2017 in India recently.

Rafiq has been declared as the gold medal winner under the category “Public Amenity Buildings – Specialized” for his project “SA Family Graveyard”.

The winners were announced at a ceremony hosted by the Indian Institute of Architects held at Sujan Raj Mahal Palace in the Indian city of Jaipur on May 24.

Architect Kazi Golam Nasir, president of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh, received the award on behalf of Rafiq as he could not attend the ceremony.

The Arcasia Awards is considered to be one of the highest honours for a practicing architect in Asia.

This year, the award competition was held on 11 categories. A total of 627 projects from 21 countries got submitted and 54 were shortlisted via an online jury panel, said Shatotto officials.

The panel then selected the 11 gold medal winners.

The “SA Family Graveyard” project is designed and constructed for the family of Salauddin Ahmed, the owner of SA Group, in Noakhali, according to Shatotto officials.

About the project architect Rafiq said, "I drew a line between life and death considering life as terrestrial or temporal…and death as celestial.”

Architect Rafiq Azam was born on December 29, 1963. He and his firm, Shatotto, is specialised in modern architectural aesthetics and the ancient architectural heritage of the region.

He graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1989. Shatotto was established in May 1995.