Ahmedabad: There is now a third name in a rare and distinguished architectural league. Ahmedabad-based architect Jayesh Hariyani, Founder and Senior Principal of INI Design Studio, has been recognised as an International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), receiving the prestigious FRIBA distinction for his contribution to architecture and society.
The recognition places Hariyani in an exclusive group of architects of Indian origin to have received both FRIBA and the Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). He was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2021. The only other Indian architects to have held both distinctions are the late B.V. Doshi and Charles Correa.
For Hariyani, however, the recognition is less about the company it places him in and more about the journey behind it.
“Architecture is ultimately about creating places that respond to people, context and the needs of a changing society,” Hariyani says. “Being recognised by an institution such as RIBA is a rare honour, but I see it less as a personal milestone and more as recognition of the work that people across our practice have contributed to over the years.”
That emphasis on people and collective endeavour mirrors the evolution of INI Design Studio, which has grown under Hariyani’s leadership into a multidisciplinary practice of nearly 500 professionals, with projects across India and international markets.
Its portfolio extends well beyond conventional architecture. It encompasses urban planning, engineering, landscape design, sustainability and research, as well as projects spanning education, healthcare, science and research, tourism, airports, civic infrastructure, museums, sports and cultural heritage.
Much of Hariyani’s work has involved places and projects of public significance. In India, INI has developed masterplans for sacred towns including Kedarnath, Badrinath, Ambaji and Beyt Dwarka, alongside projects such as the Ahmedabad Iconic City Square and the Vision Plan for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave. Its portfolio also includes campuses for Shiv Nadar University, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Gujarat Technological University; waterfront developments at Dumas Sea Face and Dharoi Dam; the Rajkot Smart City Masterplan; Science Centres in Rajkot and Bhuj; and Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad.
His international experience has similarly shaped his perspective. Earlier in his career, Hariyani worked on projects involving Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the US, as well as Al Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi and the Motorcity Masterplan in Dubai.
The journey has helped shape a practice that operates across geographies and disciplines. INI has received national and international recognition across architecture, urban design, landscape and sustainability and is listed in WA100, Building Design’s global ranking of major architecture practices.
Hariyani’s FRIBA recognition comes at a time when Indian architectural practices are playing an increasingly prominent role in global conversations around sustainable development, resilient cities, public infrastructure and cultural preservation. His career reflects that widening canvas from buildings and campuses to cities, public spaces and large-scale urban interventions.
Yet, for Hariyani, the distinction is ultimately a reminder of the responsibility that comes with working at that scale.
“It also reinforces the responsibility to continue exploring how design can create lasting value,” he says.
From Ahmedabad to projects and conversations around the world, Hariyani’s latest recognition marks another milestone in a career built around the idea that architecture’s greatest impact lies not simply in what it builds, but in the value it creates for people, places and society.
