Celebrating the most progressive architecture and design from across the Indo-Pacific, the INDE.Awards recognise projects, practices and people shaping the future of the region’s built environment. In its 2026 edition, the awards once again highlight work that responds thoughtfully to place, culture, climate and community. Taking out the program’s highest honour, the Best of the Best, partnered by Zenith, is Prestige University by Sanjay Puri Architects.
Set across a 32-acre campus, Prestige University is conceived as far more than a collection of academic facilities. Administration offices, classrooms, seminar halls, a library, cafeteria and auditorium are brought together within a dramatic five-level structure that rises diagonally to a height of 28 metres. Its stepped form allows the architecture itself to become part of the campus landscape, culminating in an accessible rooftop and open-air auditorium designed to accommodate an impressive 9,000 students.
Drawing inspiration from India’s traditional stepwells, Sanjay Puri Architects has translated a familiar architectural language into a contemporary educational setting. Across the building, 463 platforms create opportunities for gathering, movement and informal interaction, transforming circulation areas into active social spaces. A diagonal indoor street connects different parts of the university, while naturally lit courtyards provide moments of openness throughout the substantial built form. Together, these elements encourage students to move, meet and engage beyond the boundaries of conventional classrooms.
Environmental performance is equally embedded within the architecture. In a climate where temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius, ventilated GFRC screens help shade the building while allowing air to circulate through its internal spaces. Natural light, courtyards and passive ventilation strategies work together to create a more comfortable and energy-conscious learning environment. Functional zones are organised floor by floor, balancing accessibility with opportunities for interaction across the university community.
As the INDE.Awards 2026 Best of the Best Winner, Prestige University demonstrates how architecture can support education while also creating a meaningful civic and social environment. Through its integration of landscape, climate-responsive design and communal space, Sanjay Puri Architects has created an academic hub that is both highly functional and deeply expressive, offering a compelling vision for the future of educational architecture in the Indo-Pacific.
Discover the full lineup of 2026 winners here. Entries to the 2027 INDE.Awards will open in early December.
Photography
Vinay Panjwani
