The International Solar Alliance (ISA), through the ISA-SIDS Platform, has partnered with the GRIHA Council to co-host the ISA-iSUN Design Challenge. The Challenge is positioned under the Enabling Readiness pillar of the ISA-SIDS Platform, which supports technical assistance, feasibility validation, regulatory support, and the development of practical solutions for sustainable energy deployment in SIDS. It invites architecture students to work alongside practising architects and other relevant professionals to develop climate-resilient, scalable, and replicable resort prototypes for the Maldives, Mauritius, and Fiji. The involvement of practicing architects strengthens the credibility, technical rigour, and practical relevance of the proposed designs.
The Design Challenge centres on embedding solar energy directly into architectural design through
four key objectives:
- Build Capacity: Strengthen student competencies in design thinking, problem-solving, and project execution, supported by professional architectural guidance.
- Bridge Theory and Practice: Translate clean-energy concepts into functional, solar-integrated designs tailored to the specific needs and conditions of SIDS.
- Raise Awareness: Highlight the role of solar innovation and eco-conscious design in developing climate-resilient tourism infrastructure.
- Ensure Scalability: Encourage affordable, accessible, and feasible solutions that can be replicated and adapted across SIDS.
Together, these objectives will generate professionally guided, technically credible, and implementation-oriented resort prototypes. They will also create a transferable knowledge base for governments, architects, developers, and communities, supporting stronger energy security, climate resilience, and sustainable tourism infrastructure across island states
Event date: 31 August 2026
Time:
05:30 PM - 06:30 PM IST
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM CEST
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM BRT
09:00 PM – 10:00 PM JST
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM SAST / CAT
Joining Link:
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/493444375341704?p=Gezw1nMsiBZEflZPC0