Santhosh Shanmugam is a Partner at Shanmugam Associates (SA), a well-established architectural and design firm with over 40 years of practice in Chennai and Trichy, India. SA’s approach is rooted in simplicity and pragmatism, with a design ethos that is both experimental and rational. The essence is to deliver minimal and timeless solutions taking into consideration nature’s sensitivity, economic barriers and client’s requirement—qualities that Santhosh continues to champion through every project.

A graduate of the Advanced Architectural Design programme at Columbia University, New York, Santhosh also holds an undergraduate degree from the School of Architecture and Planning at Anna University, Chennai. His early career saw him working at Oppenheim Architecture + Design in Miami, where he was involved in designing hospitality, residential, and high-end villa projects across the globe.

With a passion for blending cultural context with contemporary practice, Santhosh brings a global perspective grounded in local realities. As a judge for the AYDA Awards, he is eager to guide emerging designers in crafting thoughtful and future-forward design solutions.

Suhasini Ayer is an Architect and Urban Planner, and the co-founder of the Auroville Centre for Scientific Research (CSR) Trust. This collaborative organisation works with multiple agents and agencies in applied research for sustainable settlement planning, solar passive architecture, appropriate building materials and technologies, water and waste management, and renewable energy.

She heads Auroville Design Consultants, a planning and architectural design studio focused primarily on planning, designing, and implementing applied research development projects within Auroville. This approach responds to the natural and human geography, local climate, and culture to evolve minimal and elegant built forms. The underlying theme in all the projects is creating integrative systems, including water, energy, waste, building materials, and technology, to create passive sustainable networks between people and the built and unbuilt spaces, empowering them to take responsibility for their environment.

Suhasini hopes to bring her sustainability perspectives to the AYDA participants.