‘Hidden footprints of AI infrastructure’ project wins 2025 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship

A project on the ‘hidden footprints of AI infrastructure’ has won the 2025 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship. The winner, Arham Khan of the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies (India), was awarded the scholarship for his research proposal 'Clouds Without Rain.'

Through fieldwork, interviews, visual and spatial analysis, and local policy study, Arham aims to offer insights into both the architectural implications and wider ethical questions of AI infrastructure. His research will examine six key data centers, all from the global south, with one exception: Ashburn, VA (USA); São Paulo (Brazil); Nairobi (Kenya); Manila (Philippines); Chennai and Mumbai (India).

“I am honored to have been selected as the winner of the 2025 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship,” Khan said. “I’d like to thank the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies for nominating me, and the judging panel of the scholarship for selecting me. This opportunity will allow me to carry out critical research into the global impact of data centers and how they shape our urban and environmental future.”

Launched in 2006, the scholarship offers £9,000 ($12,000 USD) annually to a student of architecture who “demonstrates outstanding potential and original thinking in relation to the sustainable future of cities.”

“The judging panel was impressed by the range and quality of all 80 submissions,” Norman Foster said in a statement about the winner. “Our deliberations were rigorous – initially, we focused on the narrative of the entries but on further interrogation, Clouds Without Rain emerged as a clear winner owing to its excellent visual clarity and clear descriptive text. The winning entry really brought to life the significance of data centers in terms of their environmental and community impact, and we look forward to seeing the outcomes of Arham’s research in this area as a result of winning the scholarship.”