Over to the Jury!

There's nothing arbitrary about the annual selection of India's top architects and builders by CONSTRUCTION WORLD. They are chosen for their performance based on a nationwide, perception-based survey, followed by a jury deciding the final winners. This year, as always, the 20-member jury meet threw up a stimulating mix of thoughts, suggestions and, of course, winners.The processThe methodology of the CW Architect and Builder (CWAB) Awards was explained to the jury by Group Managing Editor Falguni Padode.A comprehensive database of builders was compiled through a process that involved delving into the rich and comprehensive ASAPP database, contacting the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), contractors and consultants for their opinions and inputs. Thus, the base list was formed, which was put to vote over a four-month survey; architects, contractors, building material companies and consultants formed the base for the survey.The top 20 were shortlisted and put before an eminent jury for the final selection. The shortlisted winners were contacted, details elicited and short films by each were called for to give them the opportunity to showcase their work before the jury.The jury meet, which formed the final stage of selection, consisted of distinguished members of the construction and building community. As the theme for CWAB this year is green, all shortlisted builders (20 of them) had been asked to showcase their green initiatives, along with the other details. Queries flew thick and fast as the builder jury deliberated on the criteria: the builders' entire body of work; their performance last year; their green or corporate social responsibility initiatives; and so on.ASAPP Media Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director Pratap Vijay Padode pointed out that in addition to a judicious mix of all these factors, selection could also be based on the individual's perception of a builder, his/her reputation and goodwill, project execution ability, as well as being above board in terms of transparency and fair dealings.The jury cast their vote by secret ballot. It included Anupam Sharma, CEO, DOKA India Pvt Ltd; Architect Arunjot Singh Bhalla, Design Director, RSP Architects, Planners and Engin-eers; Sumit Bannerjee, Vice Chairman, Reliance Cementation; AK Mathur, Executive Director, Tata Projects; Vikram Amin, Executive Director-Strategy and Specific Business Deve-lopment, Essar Steel Business; Satish Dhupelia, Consulting Structural and Civil Engineer, Satish C Dhupelia Engi-neers; Thirumal Govindraj, Executive Director, CB Richard Ellis; Sanjay Bahadur, CEO-Global Construction Chemicals, Pidilite Industries Ltd; and Upen Patel, Business Director-Cons-truction Che-micals, BASF India Ltd.Touch of greenIn keeping with the theme of the event, both sets of juries (for architects and builders) also participated in a green debate moderated by ASAPP Media Chairman Atul Tandan. Here, thoughts, philosophies and practices flew furiously back and forth, indicating that India, as the country with the second largest green footprint in the country, was on the right - read green - path!