2011

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Winner of the fifth RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship announced

Date:

06 May 2011

Press office contact:

Mina Vadon
T: +44 (0)207 307 3761
E: mina.vadon@riba.org

The 2011 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship has been awarded to Sahil Bipin Deshpande - the second student from Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai, to win the prize in the history of the scholarship. His proposal - Sanitation: a case study across eight metropolises - will take him to Delhi, Shanghai, Beijing, Oslo, Paris, Belfast, Kumasi and Johannesburg, where he plans to develop a sustainable manifesto for sanitation with applications for Mumbai.

A total of 39 RIBA-accredited schools put forward candidates - a record number of applications to the scheme since its inception in 2006. The jury was led by Lord Foster, and included:

  • Ruth Reed, RIBA President
  • Rowan Moore, writer and critic
  • Spencer de Grey, Head of Design at Foster + Partners
  • Stephen Hodder, Chairman of Hodder + Partners
  • Roger Risdill Smith, a senior partner at Foster + Partners.

The jury also highly commended a proposal by Stuart Taylor of Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand - Post-Earthquake Reconstruction in the Pacific Rim.

Lord Foster said:

'To achieve a sustainable urban environment, the approach must be integrated, embracing buildings, transport, as well as infrastructure. Sanitation is part of the metabolism of a city - it is as vital to plan waste removal, as it is energy or water supply. The proposal aims to tackle a reluctance to deal with the issue of sanitation through what I am sure will be a fascinating and informative study. We wish both Sahil and Stuart the best of luck.'

Ruth Reed, RIBA President said:

'The RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage with architecture within a global context. I warmly congratulate Sahil Bipin Deshpande who produced this year's winning project. This year's prize has been awarded to a very deserving proposal that engages with a fundamentally important issue for all cities. I look forward to hearing about his travels and progress on this inspiring project which will have considerable benefits to his home city of Mumbai.'

Notes to editors

  1. For further information, please contact Mina Vadon in the RIBA Press Office on 020 7307 3761 or email mina.vadon@inst.riba.org. 
  2. Initially set up in 2006 as a biennial programme, the £6,000 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship is awarded to one student to fund international research on a topic and in a location of their choice. In January 2009, Foster + Partners donated an extra £100,000 to the endowment of the RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship, enabling the scheme to run annually.
  3. For information about the RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship contact John-Paul Nunes or Joanna Scott in the RIBA Education Department, on 020 7307 3678, or see RIBA Norman Foster Scholarship. 
  4. The RIBA Education Department is responsible for the management of a range of scholarships, bursaries, and other funding schemes to support the work of architectural students, graduates, academics and practitioners. Over the last couple of decades, the RIBA has assisted hundreds of architectural education projects, either by funding independent researchers or students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate courses (including Masters and PhD programmes) in architecture. These funding schemes are made possible thanks to generous donations from RIBA members and supporters, including individuals and architectural practices. Current scholarships and bursaries on offer include support for travel, research, environmental and community projects.

 

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