Why Participating in the LIK Trophy Matters? Honoring the Past. Inspiring the Future.

Every architecture student, at some point, confronts the question: What is my place in the lineage of this profession? In a discipline that constantly evolves, it’s easy to be consumed by the future new technologies, new materials, new forms. Yet, to design meaningfully, one must also look back. The LIK Trophy is where that journey begins.

Named after legendary architect Louie I khan , the LIK Trophy in NASA India is not merely a competition, it is a cultural responsibility. It asks students to step into the role of historian, archivist, and storyteller, engaging deeply with the roots of Indian architecture. Through meticulous documentation, measured drawings, on-site surveys, and community interactions, participants rediscover architectural heritage that textbooks often reduce to a photograph or a paragraph.

But why does this matter? Because documentation is preservation. In a rapidly urbanizing India, where old structures are often seen as obstacles to progress, the LIK Trophy equips young architects with the sensitivity and skill to recognize heritage as a living resource. It’s a rare exercise where the output isn’t a proposal for the new, but a deeper understanding of the existing and that changes the way students design for the rest of their lives.

Participation in the LIK Trophy is also a masterclass in collaboration. Units send teams across cities and rural landscapes, navigating the unpredictable inaccessible archives, fading inscriptions, and oral histories that shift with each retelling. The process demands patience, empathy, and precision, reminding participants that architecture is as much about listening as it is about drawing.

Many of NASA India’s most respected alumni trace their professional ethos back to LIK projects. The rigor of documentation teaches a discipline that permeates design work, while the immersion in cultural context creates architects who are not just builders, but custodians of memory.

In the larger ecosystem of NASA India trophies, the LIK Trophy serves as a space where students pause the rush toward the next big thing and instead learn to anchor themselves in the long continuum of architectural thought and tradition. Because in the end, architecture without memory is just construction. And the LIK Trophy ensures we never forget.