AIUB Architecture student receives CAA award 2024

Ms Shahira Sarwat, a student in the Department of Architecture at the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), has received a Commendation at the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) Awards 2024 in the 'CAA Presidents' Awards category.

This category recognises exceptional work by final-year architecture students. Shahira's thesis project, titled "Heritage Sanctuary for Geology," was completed during the Fall 2023-2024 semester under the guidance of studio teachers Ashik Vaskor Mannan and Irfat Alam, with Arefeen Ibrahim serving as the project supervisor. This year, the CAA received 159 submissions across all categories, with 64 entries in the Presidents' Awards category. Winners hailed from 12 countries across five regions. Shahira's thesis project focuses on preserving the unique geological features of Jaflong, Sylhet, known for its ancient limestone formations, Kopili Shale layers, and boulder beds dating back to the Eocene epoch. The CAA Award Ceremony took place in Kigali, Rwanda, and Shahira Sarwat's commendation certificate was later presented to her by Architect Md. Rafiq Azam, one of the jurors at the CAA, during a meeting at his office in Dhaka. Additionally, Shahira's project has been shortlisted for the final round of judging for the ARCASIA Thesis of the Year Award 2024, where it was selected as one of the three projects from the national level. The ARCASIA Thesis of the Year is a prestigious competition that celebrates innovative and socially relevant architectural work by students across Asia.