Kiran Kapadia is an architect and urban designer. He received his Bachelor's degree in architecture from the School of Architecture (CEPT), Ahmedabad. He then went on to pursue a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from The Graduate School of Degree, Harvard University, USA. He founded Kapadia Associates in 1991 and over the past 30 years Kiran has guided and nurtured the practice, which has grown steadily over the years. The firm is involved in a wide range of projects and has won numerous professional awards.

Kiran is actively involved in academics and has served as visiting faculty at Kamla Raheja Institute of Architecture, Academy of Architecture, Mumbai and Faculty of Architecture CEPT University, Ahmedabad. He is currently a member of the Academic Council at the School of Environment and Architecture (SEA), Mumbai.

Kiran is also a passionate runner having run numerous full marathons in India and abroad. Kiran recently completed the Boston Marathon in April 2023 and Valencia Marathon in December 2024. Kiran earned the coveted Six Star Medal which is given to runners who have completed the World Marathon Majors which include Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.

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.

Ravi is the Co-founder and Director at Edifice. He has received numerous awards and recognitions from experts within the design fraternity. He has been an instrumental part of helping Edifice grow to its current eminent position. Ravi handles and oversees the brand management and manages key clients, apart from participating in the creative design process.

He also delivers lectures on design and practices of architecture and serves as a jury member for various renowned design award competitions.