UNOPS, RAJUK announce winners of urban design competition for greener Dhaka

Young architects and urban designers have presented innovative ideas for a greener, more resilient and climate-responsive Dhaka as the winners of the Carbon Conscious Urban Design Idea Competition 2026 were announced on June 25.

The competition was organised under the Transforming the Built Environment through Sustainable Materials in Bangladesh project, jointly implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-Habitat and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), in coordination with the Ministry of Housing and Public Works (MoHPW). The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The competition invited university students from across Bangladesh to develop climate-conscious proposals for reimagining public spaces. Participants were encouraged to incorporate ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, low-carbon materials, water-sensitive urban design and inclusive public spaces to address Dhaka's environmental challenges.

A total of 36 design proposals from 12 universities were assessed by a jury comprising national and international experts in architecture, urban planning, engineering and sustainable development. According to the organisers, the jury praised the submissions for their creativity, technical excellence and practical approaches to creating healthier, more resilient and people-centred urban environments.

The first prize was awarded to Team BURN / BREATH from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) for its proposal, “The Receding Membrane”. The project, which proposes transforming an underutilised waterfront into an ecologically restorative and socially inclusive public landscape, also received the Excellence in Presentation Award.

The second prize went to Team Unit Five from CUET for "SATURATE: An Urbanscape That Returns Water to Earth”, while Team West Line from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) secured the third prize for “Memories of Bengal: An Ecology of Belonging in the Urban Fabric”.

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Four special awards were also presented for outstanding thematic contributions. Team Vanguard Urbanists from North South University (NSU) received the Low-Carbon Public Space Award, Team Chaya from Khulna University (KU) won the Climate-Resilient and Disaster-Ready Public Space Award, and Team Aronyok from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) received the Inclusive and Accessible Public Space Award. The first-prize-winning project was additionally recognised for excellence in presentation.

The winning teams will share prize money worth BDT 10 lakh along with formal recognition.

According to the organisers, the competition is part of broader efforts to accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient built environment in Bangladesh by encouraging innovative thinking among future architects, planners and designers. Through the initiative, participants were challenged to demonstrate how nature-based solutions, sustainable materials and inclusive design can contribute to building climate-resilient cities across the country.

Congratulating the winning teams and all participants, the organisers, including the Chairman of RAJUK and the UNOPS Bangladesh Country Manager, commended the quality of the submissions and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting innovative approaches to Bangladesh's sustainable urban development agenda.

The organisers said details of the official award ceremony will be announced later.