The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has awarded the 2025 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship to Arham Khan of the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies (India) for his research proposal 'Clouds Without Rain.'
Through fieldwork, interviews, visual and spatial analysis, and local policy study, Arham aims to shed light on the hidden footprints of AI infrastructure—offering insight into both its architectural implications and wider ethical questions. His research will examine six key data centers, all from the global south with one exception: Ashburn, VA (USA); São Paulo (Brazil); Nairobi (Kenya); Manila (Philippines); Chennai and Mumbai (India).
Launched in 2006, the RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship offers £9,000 annually to a student of architecture who demonstrates outstanding potential and original thinking in relation to the sustainable future of cities.
The 2025 judging panel comprised: Norman Foster, Lord Foster of Thames Bank (Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners; President, Norman Foster Foundation), David Jenkins (Publisher, Circa Press; Trustee, Norman Foster Foundation;), Muyiwa Oki (RIBA President 2023 to 2025; Senior Architectural Manager, Mace), Sumita Singha OBE Dr (hc) (Founding Director, Ecologic Architects; Educator; Author; Trustee, Commonwealth Association of Architects; RIBA Councillor and Board Member), Richard Dilworth (Equity Partner, Foster + Partners; Trustee, Norman Foster Foundation), and Narinder Sagoo MBE (Senior Partner, Foster + Partners).
Impressed with the overall quality and breadth of topics covered by this year’s nominees, the jury commended three other entries:
- Theodore Galvin (Norwich University of the Arts, UK) Informal Ecologies: Considering alternate ways of living that derive and respond to the overconsumption of resources and the excess of ‘waste’”- Investigating alternative living systems and the politics of waste in five post-colonial African contexts, drawing attention to the carbon footprint of the fashion industry.*
- Līna Nijazi (Riga Technical University, Latvia) From Conflict-Affected Urban Landscapes” – Exploring the transformation of cities affected by war and conflict.
- Jana Sami (Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport – Cairo campus, Egypt) “Cities” – Addressing the impact of sea-level rise on seven African coastal settlements.
Arham Khan said: “I am honoured to have been selected as the winner of the 2025 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship. I’d like to thank the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies for nominating me, and the judging panel of the scholarship for selecting me. This opportunity will allow me to carry out critical research into the global impact of data centres and how they shape our urban and environmental future.”
Muyiwa Oki, RIBA President and member of the 2025 judging panel, said: “The review panel received a high number of brilliant proposals on a range of topics such as the politics of waste, the transformation of cities affected by war and conflict, and the impact of sea-level rise, and we were thoroughly impressed by the calibre of entries.
After much careful consideration and debate, we are thrilled to award the scholarship to Arham Khan for Clouds Without Rain. We were particularly impressed with its clear visual communication, compelling narrative, and timely focus on the environmental and societal impacts of AI infrastructure.”
Lord Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman at Foster + Partners and President of the Norman Foster Foundation, said: “The judging panel was impressed by the range and quality of all 80 submissions. Our deliberations were rigorous – initially, we focused on the narrative of the entries but on further interrogation, Clouds Without Rain emerged as a clear winner owing to its excellent visual clarity and clear descriptive text. The winning entry really brought to life the significance of data centres in terms of their environmental and community impact and we look forward to seeing the outcomes of Arham’s research in this area as a result of winning the scholarship.”**
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Notes to editors:
- Media contact: jenny.webber@riba.org
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Follow @RIBA on twitter for regular updates.
- The RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship was established in 2006 through a philanthropic donation from Lord Foster to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), with the aim of supporting and rewarding emerging architectural talent. Inspired by Lord Foster’s own formative travel experiences as a young graduate—made possible by his 1959 RIBA Silver Medal prize—the scholarship provides students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of architecture in its global physical and social contexts.
*85% of fast fashion (92 million tonnes) is discarded annually in landfills, informal dumpsites, or burned, leading to environmental pollution and health hazards for local communities. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global annual carbon emissions – almost twice that of combined emissions from all international flights (2 to 2.5%) and maritime shipping (3%). It is also responsible for 20% of global wastewater. Unless the fashion industry changes, its global emissions is set to increase by 50% by 2030.
** Data centres consume the equivalent energy of a nation like Argentina or the Netherlands and estimated global CO2 emissions of 2.5 to 3.7% surpass that of the airline industry. If unchecked, then by 2040 they could reach 14% of global emissions.
