A rug factory in Rangpur, Bangladesh, designed by Dhaka-based studio Nakshabid Architects to dismantle workplace hierarchies, has won the RIBA International Prize for 2026.
Named Green Field Factory, the project is the fifth winner of the biennial award, presented by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to the world's best new building outside the UK.
Nakshabid Architects was praised by the RIBA jury for designing a factory that incorporates passive design principles and prioritises the wellbeing of its 5,000 employees.
"Green Field Factory redefines manufacturing architecture in South Asia and beyond," said RIBA president Christ Williamson.
"By putting people, wellbeing and their everyday experiences at its core and actively supporting its female workforce, it proves that thoughtful design can dismantle traditional hierarchies to create profound social and environmental change."
It was announced as the RIBA International Prize winner at the Stirling Prize ceremony in London last night. This year's prestigious Stirling Prize was given to Mary Duggan Architects and Ruff Architects for the Lion Green Road housing development in London.
Commissioned by rug manufacturer Karupannya Rangpur Limited, Green Field Factory is a seven-storey building surrounded by fields and small settlements.
Nakshabid Architects based the design on the traditional Bengali home, incorporating natural ventilation and biophilic design principles.
Courtyards, verandas, gardens and a monumental green facade were designed to let natural light and airflow into the building, minimising the need for mechanical systems.
Green Field Factory has one main entrance with two grand staircases for all workers, intended to challenge hierarchies in the workplace. This responds to other factories in the area that have separate entrances for factory workers and people in management roles.
Shared spaces in the factory provide areas for workers to take breaks and socialise. Other areas are designated to support workers' families and the wider community during the day and outside of working hours, including a rooftop daycare centre, on-site medical practice, grocery shop and prayer room.
A connection to nature is provided through low-maintenance planting throughout, which also supports insects and birds, while artwork and sculptures celebrate the role of women in the workplace, family and community.
"The project demonstrates the dissolution of architecture as a topological space, with a single-pointed focus on dismantling civilisational oppression and hierarchy, for woman and man alike," said grand jury chair Bijoy Jain.
"Through the simple gesture of two grand stairs as an equanimous shared portal, it transforms a space and symbol once reserved exclusively for the king of the region, as landlord and ruling class, and for the colonial power that pervaded the length and breadth of the country," he continued.
"The architect and owner shared how the women and men working in the factory would bring their families with pride to show them where they worked, and the women empowered in their self-reliance to take life and familial decisions on their own."
The RIBA International Prize is awarded biennially to a building that "demonstrates visionary, innovative thinking, and design excellence whilst making a distinct contribution for its users and within its physical context".
Green Field Factory was selected ahead of BRAC University in Bangladesh by WOHA, Z33 art museum in Belgium by Francesca Torzo Architetto and the renovation of Royale Belge in Belgium by Caruso St John Architects, Bovenbouw Architectuur and DDS+.
Alongside the International Prize, RIBA awarded this year's International Emerging Architect Award to Maker Architecten for its YIMBY residential project in Kortrijk, Belgium.
The project revamped 18 plots across a 1920's garden city neighbourhood, utilising reclaimed materials for new facades and creating communal green space.
In 2024, Peris + Toral Arquitectes won the RIBA International Prize for an "inclusive and sustainable" social housing project in Barcelona.
The top photo is by Mud Canvas.
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