ARCASIA Thesis of the Year 2026 (TOY 2026) 

The ARCASIA TOY 2026 is organised by ARCASIA and culminates in an awards ceremony held during the 23rd ARCASIA Forum 2026 in India this September 2026 where the winners will be announced. 

Objective 

The competition encourages students to develop proposals backed by strong research and a clear understanding of local context. It aims to motivate students to learn from vernacular knowledge and reinterpret it in a fresh and relevant way. The focus is not on copying the past, but on using traditional principles such as local building methods, crafts, typologies, and climate-responsive design to create solutions that are sustainable and suitable for the future. 

The competition also encourages students to think of sustainability as an essential part of design and planning. Participants are expected to understand how their thesis can contribute to broader goals such as responsible resource use, climate resilience, inclusive development, and long-term community well-being, in alignment with the spirit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Important dates for TOY2026 

1. Submission of entries to the HKIA closes: 20 May 2026 

2. HKIA Judging: 21 May 2026 - 3 June 2026 

3. HKIA Submit the Finalist(s) to ARCASIA: 10 June 2026 

4. Final Judging and notification of the finalists: 6 July – 15 July 2026 

5. Awards Ceremony during the ARCASIA Forum : 11 September 2026 

HKIA Pre-Selection Jury Panel - ARCASIA Thesis of The Year Competition (2026) 

1. HKIA Board of External Affairs Co-deputy Chair, Stanley Siu 

2. HKIA ARCASIA Committee Chair, Charis Mok 

3. HKIA Board of Educational Affairs Chair, Simon Chan 

4. HKIA Board of Educational Affairs Deputy Chair, Daniel Suen 

5. External jury member: Hong Kong Architecture Centre Chair, Sarah Mui 

**For TOY 2026, HKIA is pleased to offer a travel subsidy to the winning students for attending the Award Ceremony in India. Students are eligible for this subsidy only if they are HKIA Student Member or in other valid membership of HKIA before reimbursement. In addition, students are required to submit a post-event report to HKIA and deliver a sharing session (with PPT slides) to HKIA members. Details of the subsidy and sharing session will be announced. Students are also responsible of their travel visa application and should be aware of the vaccination requirement for travelling to India.** 

For more information, please visit: 

https://arcasia.org/awards/arcasia-thesis-of-the-year-2026-toy2026/

For enquiries, please contact HKIA Secretariat Ms. Erica LUI at 3155 0423 or by email to bexa@hkia.org.hk. 

Thank you.