Building the Designers of Tomorrow
Transparence is a design education and skill-building platform that empowers architecture and interior design students to develop the knowledge, skills and professional capabilities needed to address real-world challenges. A social impact initiative from Saint-Gobain, Transparence enables design challenges, mentorship, industry interaction, expert evaluation and opportunities for recognition. Students move beyond the classroom to engage with practical questions of sustainability, technology, materials, human wellbeing and the built environment. The programme encourages students to think critically, work collaboratively and translate ideas into viable design solutions—building capabilities that can support their transition from education to professional practice. Learn. Create. Connect. Build Better. Transparence brings together students, educators and industry professionals to create a learning ecosystem where emerging designers can build professional skills, learn from industry experts, develop sustainability-led thinking, strengthen collaboration, gain industry exposure, access recognition, and translate academic learning into real-world solutions. Through this process, Transparence aims to contribute to a more skilled, responsible and future-ready generation of design professionals as India accelerates towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Build professional skills through real-world design challenges
Learn from industry experts through mentorship & knowledge exchange
Gain exposure to professional practice and industry expectations
Develop light construction & sustainability-led design thinking
Welcome to Transparence 21.0
Future Workplaces
Light. Sustainable. Durable.
The way we work is changing rapidly, and with it, the spaces that support our professional and social lives. The workplace of tomorrow must respond not only to productivity, but also to wellbeing, collaboration, flexibility, sustainability, technology, and changing patterns of human interaction.
Transparence 21.0 invites students to look beyond the conventional office and explore how architecture and interior design can respond to these evolving needs.
This edition asks an important question:
What should a workplace become when work itself is constantly changing?
Participants are encouraged to develop thoughtful, future-ready environments that balance human needs with environmental responsibility and technological possibilities. The proposals should demonstrate how design can create workplaces that are adaptable, inclusive, comfortable, sustainable, and resilient, while responding meaningfully to their context.
Whether through architecture or interior design, this is an opportunity to rethink the relationship between people, work, space, and the environment.
Go beyond the workplace. Design what comes next.
TRANSPARENCE 21.0 – FUTURE WORKPLACES Light. Sustainable. Durable.
TRANSPARENCE 21.0 – FUTURE WORKPLACES Light. Sustainable. Durable.
As we enter the 21st edition, Transparence continues its legacy of encouraging students to think beyond conventional design approaches. This year, the challenge turns its attention to one of the spaces undergoing some of the most significant transformation: the workplace. From changing patterns of work and hybrid environments to wellbeing, sustainability, flexibility, and technological transformation, the workplace is no longer simply a place where people work. Transparence 21.0 challenges you to imagine what it can become.
JURY MEMBERS
Regional JURY PANEL | ARCHITECTURE
Ar. Vistasp Bhagwagar
Managing Director
AVA Design Pvt. Ltd
Ar. Sunil Philip
Founding Partner
PSP Design
Ar. Shirpal Munshi
Principal
Shirpal and Venkat Architects
Ar. Abhishek Dutta
Principal Architect
ArcOn Design
Ar. Anita Dake
Founder
Vector Design
Ar. Debmalya Guha
Principal Architect
PACE Consultants
INTERIOR DESIGN JURY PANEL
Ms. Sapna Aggarwal
Founder
Ansa Interiors
Ms. Pallavi Anchuri
Founder
Anchuri Design World
Ms. Poonam Mehta
Founder
AMPM Designs
COMPETITION TIMELINE
REGISTRATIONS OPEN
12 Aug 2026
REGISTRATIONS CLOSE
15 Dec 2026
SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE
22 Dec 2026
REGIONAL RESULTS & NATIONAL FINALE
8–10 Feb 2027 (Regional) Early March 2027 (National)
AWARDS
Beyond recognition, Transparence provides participants with opportunities to gain professional exposure, receive expert feedback and develop their understanding of contemporary design practice.
National-Level Prizes
- National Winner: Rs. 1,50,000/- per team, a trophy, and a certificate.
- National First-Runner-Up: Rs. 1,00,000/- per team, a trophy and a certificate.
- National Second-Runner-Up: Rs. 50,000/- per team, a trophy and a certificate.
Regional Level Prizes
- National Finalist Teams: Cash award of Rs. 10,000/- per team and a certificate.
- Jury’s Commendation: Certificate of Commendation in both sub-categories.
- Special Recognition: Certificate of Recognition in both subcategories.
Studio Project
The first 25 colleges with five entries or more will qualify for studio project entitlements, apart from an opportunity for students winning regional/national prizes:
- College with minimum 5 entries: Acedge Offerings worth Rs. 20,000/-
- Studio Project Awards: Best Studio Award Certificate for the best entry
- Faculty Recognition: Certificate of Appreciation for the Studio Faculty
COMPETITION TIMELINE
REGISTRATIONS OPEN
12th Aug
REGISTRATIONS CLOSE
15th Dec
SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE
22nd Dec
REGIONAL RESULTS & NATIONAL FINALE
8–10 Feb 2027 (Regional) Early March 2027 (National)
Architecture Student Contest (ASC)
2026 - Serbia!
The Architecture Student Contest (ASC) is a prestigious international competition driven by Saint-Gobain’s commitment to building a more sustainable future. Originally launched in 2004 by Saint-Gobain in Serbia, the contest quickly gained global recognition and has, since 2005, brought together over 1,300 architecture students from more than 30 countries every year.
The ASC offers architecture students a powerful platform to test their creativity, sharpen their professional skills, and design for real-world impact. At its heart, the competition challenges participants to go beyond aesthetics — to create buildings that are energy-efficient, resource-conscious, and deeply attuned to the health, wellbeing, and comfort of their occupants. It’s an opportunity to explore how sustainable architecture can address today’s urgent environmental challenges while imagining better spaces for tomorrow.
TRANSPARENCE VIDEOS
Architecture Student Contest (ASC) 2025 Returns to Serbia
Architecture Student Contest (ASC) 2025 Returns to Serbia
The Architecture Student Contest is an internationally recognised initiative of Saint-Gobain dedicated to the future of sustainable design. It began in Serbia in 2004 and has grown to become an internationally recognised competition, engaging over 1,300 architecture students annually from more than 30 countries, since it became an international student competition in 2005.
More than simply a design competition, the ASC encourages students to embrace and create with the spirit of innovation to be innovative in designing and creating buildings that are energy efficient, environmentally sustainable, and promote the health and well-being of occupants.
TRANSPARENCE 21.0
GO BEYOND THE WORKPLACE. DESIGN WHAT COMES NEXT.
Be a part of the future of design in India with Transparence 21.0! Reimagine workplaces that are light, sustainable and durable — and design what comes next.