Bangladeshi photojournalist Azim Khan Ronnie has made history by winning the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) prestigious Art of Building photography competition for a second time, becoming only the second photographer in the contest’s history to achieve the feat.
Ronnie secured the Public Choice Award with his photograph, Living on the Edge, which documents an isolated family home in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, reduced to a tiny island by rising floodwaters. The image captures a family continuing their daily routines while using sandbags to protect their livestock, home, and belongings.
Ronnie explained that the photograph aims to highlight the resilience and determination of communities living on the front lines of environmental change and recurring flooding.
“Through this photograph, I wanted to show the resilience of communities living on the front lines of environmental change, as well as the relationship between people, their homes and the natural environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Birmingham-based photographer Damien Walmsley took out the Judges’ Choice award. His photograph, The Hidden Ballroom, captures the dramatic architecture, symmetry, and hidden geometry of a secret garden space within the Library of Birmingham.
“For this picture, I was really trying to take something different, and being in the secret garden at the library provided the picture of the hidden ballroom,” Walmsley said.
Both winners were selected from a global field of more than 1,500 amateur and professional entrants, each receiving a cash prize of £1,500 (AU$2,886).
CIOB Head of Communications Saul Townsend praised the diversity of the winning entries.
He noted that while Ronnie’s image serves as a poignant reminder of climate vulnerability and the need for resilient construction, Walmsley’s work showcases the artistic beauty and imagination inherent in modern architectural design.
Organised annually by the CIOB, the Art of Building competition celebrates the global built environment, highlighting the structures, places, and human stories that shape communities worldwide.