Biley

BILEY MENON M. Arch., SLM, FIIA, FIUDI

Principal Architect, Urban Designer & Partner

Biley Menon

Biley Menon graduated from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi with a Master of Architecture degree. He is also an alumnus of the executive education program at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His postgraduate thesis, ‘Ecological Aspects of Urban Design’ was the first of its kind and was adjudged Best Thesis in the Department of Urban Design at SPA New Delhi.  After working with Prof. KT Ravindran in New Delhi, Biley started ‘Idea Design’ an architecture and landscape design firm jointly with Ar. Chitra Biley. With over 25 years of professional experience Biley has grounded his practice based on an ecoresonant architecture and urban design approach to find solutions to global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

A winner of the IIA National Award for Excellence in Architecture, Biley was a UNESCO consultant national-expert for their initiative on heritage of Cochin. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Masters Program in Department of Urban Design, College of Engineering Trivandrum. He has jointly led consortiums with world renowned planners and designers in the fields of Urban Heritage Conservation, Ecological Restoration, Biodiversity Conservation, Botanical Gardens and Zoological Parks.

Contact: biley@ideadesign.org

AWARDS

  • Winner of the Economic Times Designscape Awards 2025 for Hotels & Resorts Architecture
  • Winner of the Economic Times Designscape Awards 2025 for Integrated Township Architecture
  • Winner of FOAID National Award 2025 for Conceptual Architecture
  • Winner of CWAB National Award 2025 for Hospitality Architecture
  • Chief Minister’s Certificate of Excellence by Kerala Forest Department
  • Winner of Indian Institute of Architects National Award 2020 for Excellence in Architecture
  • Winner of Indian Institute of Architects State Award 2008 for Excellence in Architecture
  • Winner of the Indian Achievers’ Award by Indian Achievers’ Forum
  • i-Gen 50 Award 2016 – Top 50 Gen-Next Architects in India by ITP Publishing Mumbai
  • Wipro W-ELITE 2014 Best Sustainability Partner Award
  • Awarded Best Thesis in the Department of Urban Design, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi
  • Winner of  D Y Patil Trophy National Students Competition, National Association of Student Architects, New Delhi
  • President’s Scout (Rashtrapati Scout), Bharat Scouts and Guides

RECOGNITION

  • Co-Convenor, INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage) Cochin Chapter (2019-Present)
  • National Vice President, Institute of Urban Designers, India (2015-24)
  • Appointed National Expert, UNESCO, New Delhi (2011-12)
  • Member of Advisory Panel, LANDSCAPE – Journal of Landscape Architecture (2006-09)
  • Guest Editor, LANDSCAPE 73: Urban Design Special Issue of the Journal of Landscape Architecture (2023)
  • Member of State Design Policy Working Group, Govt. of Kerala (2023-24)
  • Member of Hi-Power Committee – Sabarimala Master Plan (2017-20)
  • Member of Master Plan Committee, Kochi Municipal Corporation (2005-06 & 2021-22)
  • Convenor, Tomorrow’s Cochin – Workshops & Exhibition by IIA Cochin Center, (2006-07) – Won the IIA National Recognition
  • Convenor, Living Monsoon International Design Talks Series & the first International Monsoon Architecture Festival – IIA Cochin Centre (2015-17) – Won the IIA National Recognition
  • Convenor, Urbanism Next – International Talk Series by the Institute of Urban Designers, India (2021-2024)

ACADEMICS

  • Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Architecture, College of Engineering, Trivandrum for M. Arch (Urban Design) program (2019-Present)
  • Visiting Faculty, Dept. of Architecture, College of Engineering, Trivandrum for M. Arch (Urban Design) program (2013-2019)
  • Member, Faculty of Architecture, Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT) (2019-23)
  • Member, Board of Studies, Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT) (2015-19)
  • External Examiner – Jury Member, Master of Urban Design Thesis, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi (Multiple Years)
  • External Examiner – Jury Member, Master of Landscape Architecture, CEPT University, Ahmedabad (2021)
  • External Examiner – Jury Member, KTU, M. Arch. (Urban Design) Thesis, CET College of Engineering, Trivandrum (Multiple Years)
  • External Examiner – Jury Member, B. Arch. Thesis, University of Kerala, University of Calicut & CUSAT (Multiple Years)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • Registered Architect, Council of Architecture, India
  • Fellow, Indian Institute of Architects (IIA)
  • Fellow, Institute of Urban Designers, India (IUDI)
  • Life Member, Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
  • Life Member, International Council on Monuments & Sites (ICOMOS)
  • Life Member, Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID)
  • Life Member, Kerala Management Association (KMA)
  • Life Member, Kochi International Foundation (KIF)
  • Member, Better Kochi Response Group (BKRG)

EDUCATION

  • M. Arch. (Master of Architecture with specialization in Urban Design) – School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi
  • SLM (Executive Program in Strategic Legacy Management) – Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
  • B. Arch. (Bachelor of Architecture) – TKM College of Engineering, Kerala University