Event Overview

On 26 October 2026, Nuvocotto, a leading Indian terracotta brand, organised the fourth edition of the Terracotta Design Award (TDA) at K Hills, Kozhikode, Kerala. The event convened architects, designers, researchers and creative practitioners from across India and internationally, including participants from Vietnam, Turkey and the USA.

Award Categories and Winners

Three award categories were presented:

  • Terracotta Facades – recognising built projects where terracotta is central to the exterior design. The winner was Apoorva lekha of AD Studio 9, Bengaluru.
  • Terracotta Futures – open to conceptual, research‑based and student work exploring new directions for terracotta. The winner was Ho Viet Hung of H2 Architects, Vietnam.
  • Terracotta Reimagined – honouring innovation at the product, element or system level of terracotta. The winner was Manjunath C N of Studio Whitescape.

Jury Composition

The Facades jury comprised Rashiq Muhamad Ali, architect and founder of RqMA Architecture + Design, and Sunil Philip, founding partner of PSP Design, Chennai. The Futures jury included Alia Rashed Al Shamsi, Founder and Creative Director of Alia Rashed Commercial Designing Studio, Abu Dhabi, and Boney Keriwala, co‑founder of B.A.D — Bureau for Architecture and Design Studio, Surat. The Reimagined jury consisted of Vignesh Sekar, founding Principal Architect of STO.M.P (Studio for Modernism and Practicalism), Madurai, and Rajesh Shivaram, Principal Architect of Techno Architecture.

Keynote Address and Panel Conversations

The evening featured a keynote address by Ar. Andy Rahman, IAI, founder of andyrahman architect, Indonesia, who highlighted material‑based practice and collaboration with local craftsmen. Prior to the finalist presentations, each category opened with a jury panel conversation moderated by James Kingsley Claudin, discussing terracotta’s unique contributions to facades, its future trajectory, and the challenges of reimagining an ancient material at the element and system level.

Organiser Statements and Objectives

Nuvocotto’s Founder & Chairman N. A. Anaz, CEO Abdul Ahad, and Managing Director Mohammed Razal attended the event. Razal stated, “Meaningful dialogue between the industry and the design community is key to developing innovative designs and products. When manufacturers and designers exchange ideas and collaborate, it opens up new possibilities for materials like terracotta.” The award platform aims to connect the design community with product development, fostering climate‑responsive innovation in terracotta.

Significance

Now in its fourth year, the Terracotta Design Award has become a distinctive platform within the Indian design community, showcasing a diverse range of entrants across gender, culture, region and age, and reinforcing terracotta’s potential as a sustainable architectural material.