KTA 2026

Competition Brief

KTA 2026 is the 22nd edition of the national Final Project Competition organised by the Department of Architecture at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya, Indonesia. Running under the theme “Generative,” the competition compiles final-year thesis projects from architecture schools across the country into a single curated pool, using submission patterns rather than fixed categories to define its award structure. Registration and submission take place online, making entry accessible from any location, while the resulting exhibition is staged physically on the ITS campus.

Intent

Rather than asking entrants to apply within predetermined design categories, KTA 2026 collects all eligible final-year projects first and only then groups them by typology, method, or discourse. The organisers describe this as a way of letting thematic patterns surface organically from the submissions themselves, turning the competition into both an award and a snapshot of current architectural pedagogy in Indonesia. The number of resulting categories — and therefore the number of prize tracks — is determined only after this internal curation phase is complete.

Purpose

Established in 2004, KTA has functioned for two decades as a national benchmarking platform for architecture thesis work. The 2026 edition sits alongside a newly introduced Essay Competition and a Public Lecture series, broadening the event beyond graduating students to include those still completing their degrees. Selected works are exhibited publicly at Plaza Dr. Angka on the ITS campus, a high-traffic academic space, giving finalists exposure to faculty, industry guests, and the wider student body rather than a closed jury audience alone.

Requirements

Entry is limited to architecture students whose final project was examined and formally submitted within the 2025–2026 academic year, with a minimum grade equivalent to AB (3.50/4.00), supported by either a university recommendation letter or a scanned transcript. Participation is individual — group entries are not accepted — and submitted work must be free of plagiarism at every stage, with disqualification as the consequence of any violation. Full technical guidelines are published separately at its.id/PanduanKTA2026.

Jury

Jury composition has not been publicly named. Selection runs through an internal curation and judging process managed by the KTA 2026 organizing committee at the Department of Architecture, ITS — not confirmed, check the official website for individual panel members.

Registration Fees

Payment via Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) Virtual Account 8257715040610002, account name ITS PTN BADAN HUKUM UTK OPERASIONAL PENDD. PROF. International payers use SWIFT code BNINIDJAXXX, ITS Sukolilo Campus, Surabaya 60111. Registration is completed at architecture-its.org/kta2026; the registration number and upload link are issued by email once payment is confirmed. Fees are non-refundable.

Prizes and Rewards

Total announced prize pool: IDR 18,000,000. The number of award categories is confirmed only after the internal curation process concludes, meaning the final count of winners and runners-up is not fixed at the time of submission. All finalist work — regardless of placement — enters the Digital Works Catalogue and the physical exhibition at Plaza Dr. Angka, ITS.

Key Dates

✦ ArchUp Competition Review

KTA 2026 stands out for a genuinely uncommon format: rather than fixing design categories in advance, the organizers curate submissions after the fact and let categories emerge from the work itself. For a national thesis benchmarking event running its 22nd edition, this is a mature and reflective approach — it treats the competition as a mapping exercise for architectural education in Indonesia, not merely an award show. The eligibility bar (minimum AB grade, verified transcript) keeps quality consistent, and the low national fee of IDR 300,000 keeps the barrier to entry modest for graduating students. The main limitation is structural uncertainty: entrants commit to the process without knowing how many categories, and therefore how many winners, will exist until after judging begins. Intellectual property remaining fully with participants is a strong, entrant-friendly clause. For Indonesian architecture graduates seeking national visibility for a completed thesis, this is a low-risk, well-established platform with a genuinely distinctive judging philosophy.

Final Thoughts

KTA 2026 is a national final-project competition for Indonesian architecture graduates, run by ITS Surabaya, with a curated rather than pre-categorized judging structure. Registration (IDR 300,000 national / 25 USD international) closes 19 August 2026, submissions close 21 August 2026. Register and submit at architecture-its.org/kta2026. Contact: ktaarsitekturits@gmail.com.

Submission Deadline

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