Transparence 21.0
Transparence 21.0 asks students to reconsider workplaces in India. This coverage concerns the architecture category: a campus master plan and one workplace building developed in detail, rather than a commission to construct a winning scheme.
The brief requires integration of Saint-Gobain building solutions. Registration closes before submission. The official documents disagree on the finalist payment; confirm that amount before relying on it.
Brief and eligibility
| Organizer | Saint-Gobain; educational coordination by Ethos Empowers. |
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| Site and task | An Indian IT park, SEZ, commercial/business zone or innovation district; the category page emphasizes Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Develop one workplace within a larger master plan. |
| Eligibility | Undergraduate architecture/design students in India, including 2026 graduates; teams of up to three eligible members, including mixed colleges/years. |
| Scale | Typically 8–10 acres; approximately 30,000–70,000 m² overall floor area. Minimum FAR 1.5; coverage 30–50%; at least 20% public/green/recreation space; observe local regulations. |
| Entry fee | Not stated in the reviewed public material; do not assume a fee or fee waiver. |
| Implementation | Student ideas exercise; no construction appointment is promised in the reviewed brief. |
Dates, submission and awards
| Registration deadline | 15 December 2026; closing hour and timezone not announced. |
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| Submission deadline | 22 December 2026; closing hour and timezone not announced. |
| Results | Regional: 8–10 February 2027; national finale: early March 2027. |
| Submission | Online link supplied after registration; one PDF, maximum 20 MB, containing up to 12 landscape A3 sheets. Include drawings, concept, environmental strategy and compulsory A4-size area statement. Keep sheets anonymous, with north arrow/scales; name the file ABC_XYZ using team-member and college names as instructed, while keeping the sheets anonymous; the organizer assigns an entry ID. Text is limited to 100–150 words per A3 sheet. Submission language is not expressly specified. |
| National prizes | INR 150,000 / 100,000 / 50,000 per team, approximately USD 1,573 / 1,049 / 524, calculated using Bank of Russia cross-rates effective 30 October 2026 (INR 100 = RUB 84.5938; USD 1 = RUB 80.6761). |
| Finalist payment | Website: INR 10,000 (about USD 105); architecture PDF: INR 20,000 (about USD 210), beside an Interior Design label. This is unresolved, not a guaranteed sum. Tax treatment is not specified. |
Jury, rights and disclosure
The current homepage names regional architecture jurors Vistasp Bhagwagar (AVA Design), Sunil Philip (PSP Design), Shirpal Munshi (Shirpal and Venkat Architects), Abhishek Dutta (ArcOn Design), Anita Dake (Vector Design) and Debmalya Guha (PACE Consultants). These are architecture-practice roles; the national panel is not identified there. The category page contains a different panel and past-looking results, which are not treated here as confirmed appointments for this edition.
Registration includes consent for entries to appear on organizer/partner websites, social media and promotional platforms with participant/institution credit. The reviewed form does not establish a complete ownership-transfer or reuse agreement. Cancellation/refund provisions are not stated. The official brief and homepage were rechecked on 30 October 2026; the registration-consent note was retained from the 29 October review. Currency equivalents use the Bank of Russia cross-rates dated 30 October and are indicative.
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
The architectural value lies in connecting the workplace to its campus: arrival, public space, shared facilities and environmental choices can be tested together instead of treating the office as an isolated object. Teams should make those relationships legible through sections and area calculations, not only renderings.
The sponsor-product requirement makes this a constrained educational exercise, not a neutral comparison of all material systems. Claims about comfort or environmental performance remain design intentions until supported by calculations and suitable evidence. A strong entry would explain why a selected assembly fits its climate and use, including limitations. The prize discrepancy and unclear closing time warrant checking before committing resources.
Related competitions — Editorial team selection
For complementary archive reading, consider William Gladstone School extension and Harem Bus Station. These references concern related questions of space and use, not a claim that either competition is currently open.
Indicative time remaining for registration
Indicative only: assumes 23:59 India time (UTC+5:30) on 15 December, or 18:29 UTC. No official closing hour/timezone is stated. Registration closes before the separate 22 December submission deadline.
Official competition
Read the brief, updates and entry conditions before registering.
