NTEACH
National Award for Transformative Education in Architecture for Climate Change
Presented by Council of Architecture (CoA) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), and administered by COA-TRC and SDI.
Across India, architecture faculty are reimagining how climate change is taught — in studios, classrooms, seminars, fieldwork, and live projects. NTEACH: National Award for Transformative Education in Architecture for Climate Change recognises this important work.
NTEACH recognises faculty members, teaching teams and institutions, who are meaningfully integrating climate literacy, climate justice, and climate action into B.Arch education. It highlights courses and studios that help students move beyond awareness towards design competence, evidence-based thinking, and responsible architectural practice.
If your teaching helps students understand climate risks, design for low-carbon and resilient futures, engage with real places and communities, or connect performance with design quality, we invite you to apply.
About NTEACH
NTEACH is presented by the Council of Architecture (CoA) and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), and administered by SDI.
The award responds to the Council of Architecture’s directive of 18 March 2024 on integrating climate change into the Bachelor of Architecture curriculum. It aims to identify, recognise, and document strong teaching practices that can inspire architecture institutions across India.
NTEACH is not limited to one type of course. Submissions may come from design studios, lecture courses, seminars, integrated courses, or other formal curricular formats. What matters is the quality of climate integration, the strength of the teaching approach, and the evidence of student learning.
Why this award matters?
Climate-responsive design is now a core architectural competency. Future architects need to understand not only form, space, structure, and materials, but also heat, water, energy, carbon, resilience, equity, and the lived experience of people in a changing climate.
Many faculty members are already doing this work in thoughtful and creative ways. NTEACH is an opportunity to bring that work into the spotlight.
This award seeks to:
- Recognise faculty leadership in climate-responsive architectural education.
- Encourage meaningful integration of climate change into the B.Arch curriculum.
- Celebrate teaching that connects design, evidence, people, place, and performance.
- Build a shared repository of strong examples that other institutions can learn from.
- Support the wider transition of architectural education towards climate action.
Who should apply?
NTEACH is for faculty members from CoA-recognised architecture institutions in India.Applications may be submitted by
- An individual faculty member; or
- A teaching team of up to three faculty members.
A faculty member from a CoA-recognised architecture institution must lead and submit the application. Faculty from other departments, programmes, or institutions may be included as part of the teaching team.
The award will recognise the faculty member or teaching team, with formal acknowledgement of the institution.
What kind of work is eligible?
Submissions must be based on completed coursework that is part of the formal B.Arch curriculum.What kind of work is eligible?
The submitted course or teaching activity should demonstrate how climate change has been meaningfully integrated into architectural education. It should show how students gained relevant knowledge, skills, values, and design capabilities through the course.
Workshops, short-term events, or extracurricular activities are not eligible unless they are clearly embedded within formal coursework.
What are we looking for?
Strong applications are likely to demonstrate:
- Clear intent and relevance to climate-responsive architectural education.
- Integration of climate literacy, climate justice, and/or climate action.
- A thoughtful teaching-learning approach.
- Evidence of student learning and demonstrated competencies.
- Real-world, place-based, or practice-linked engagement.
- Use of evidence, analysis, performance thinking, or design evaluation.
- Collaboration with communities, practitioners, industry, institutions, or other disciplines.
- Reflection on what worked, what did not, and how the course can improve.
NTEACH is looking beyond polished outcomes. It is also looking for honest, thoughtful teaching practice that can help architecture education evolve.
Application Requirements
The application is designed to be concise, evidence-based, and directly aligned with the evaluation framework. Applicants should be prepared to provide basic information about the faculty member or teaching team, the institution, and the completed course being submitted for the award.
The application has two parts.
Part A: Basic Information and Eligibility
Applicants will provide details of the applicants, course, academic year, number of students, and confirm that the submission meets the eligibility requirements.
Part B: Main Application
The main application asks applicants to briefly describe the intent, approach, evidence, and learning from the course.
Applicants will explain the course’s significance, its learning objectives, how it develops climate literacy, climate justice, or climate action competencies, and how it is embedded in the B.Arch curriculum.
Applicants will describe teaching-learning methods, real-world or place-based engagement, evidence-based or performance-based learning, and any collaborations with industry, communities, departments, institutions, or students across academic levels.
The application places strong emphasis on evidence of student learning. Applicants will submit student work samples, assessment evidence, student feedback, testimonials, and a letter of endorsement from the HoD, Dean, or equivalent institutional authority. (Please keep them ready before you begin the application process)
Applicants will also be asked to reflect on what worked, what did not work, what they learned, and how they intend to strengthen climate change teaching in the curriculum going forward.
Scoring Summary
Applications will be evaluated on a total score of 100.
The evaluation will focus on the clarity of the course intent, the strength of the teaching approach, the quality of evidence of student learning, and the applicant’s reflection on future curriculum integration.
| Section | Score |
|---|---|
| Intent | 10 |
| Approach | 20 |
| Evidence | 60 |
| Conclusion | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Award process and schedule
The award process is designed to be transparent, evidence-based, and supportive of faculty who are advancing climate-responsive architectural education.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 20 June 2026 | Award announcement and call for applications |
| 01 August 2026 | Last date for submission |
| 10 December 2026 | Announcement of top 5 finalists |
| January 2027 | Presentation by finalists to the jury at CoA National Awards |
Awards and Recognition
NTEACH will recognise outstanding faculty contributions to transformative climate education in architecture.
In addition to cash prizes, the award includes:
- Certificates and trophies/plaques for the winner and runner-up
- Formal recognition of the institution
Select applications may also be documented as part of a compendium of best practices for integrating climate change into architectural curricula. This will help share strong teaching examples with architecture institutions across India.
Apply for NTEACH
If you have led a course or studio that helped students engage meaningfully with climate change, we encourage you to apply.
Your work could inspire other faculty members, strengthen curriculum integration, and contribute to the future of climate-responsive architectural education in India.
For Queries
For questions about the award, eligibility, or application process, please contact:
Uday S
uday@sdichallenge.in
SDI
