Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh’s Green Field Factory of Karupannya Rangpur Limited has won the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Prize 2026, one of the highest global accolades in architecture.
Designed by Bangladeshi firm Nakshabid Architects, the rug factory in Rangpur challenges conventional industrial workplace design and creates new opportunities for its predominantly female workforce.
Established in 2015, the RIBA International Prize recognises buildings that demonstrate visionary thinking, originality and excellence in execution, while making a distinct contribution to their users, the surrounding environment and local communities.
The Green Field Factory presents an alternative approach to factory design and operation in a manufacturing sector that has historically faced international scrutiny over poor working conditions and unsafe environments.
To challenge these conventions, Nakshabid Architects and Karupannya founder Shafiqul Alam Selim, who have worked together over the long term, sought to question established social hierarchies in the workplace and rethink the role of a factory.
The project aims to move beyond traditional industrial settings by creating a workplace that places greater emphasis on its workers and their working environment.
The recognition highlights Bangladesh’s contribution to contemporary architecture and demonstrates how industrial buildings can be designed to address social and workplace challenges alongside their primary manufacturing functions.
