Founder of Dhaka-based practice Shatotto and highly commended in the inaugural AR Public awards, Azam will judge the 2026 edition of the biennial awardsRafiq Azam is the founder and principal architect of internationally acclaimed Dhaka-based architecture practice Shatotto. Recent projects in the public realm include the Bahadur Shah Park, Delowar Hossain playground and Rasulbagh children’s park in Dhaka, which was highly commended in the inaugural AR Public awards in 2022. Alongside his work for Shatotto, Azam has taught at several institutions across his career and is presently a visiting professor at BRAC university in Bangladesh. Open, accessible and abundant public space is crucial to the civic health of our cities and shared landscapes – a critical communal resource. As these spaces become increasingly threatened in the face of darkening commercial and political forces, the new AR Public awards recognise the importance of creating, rescuing and renovating public spaces.