Julia King, the researcher and designer, who is currently setting up practices in both New Delhi and London as well as completing her PhD, scooped the award for architects and architectural designers who have been in their current role for less than five years. Her work focuses on the future of urban development, and was described by the jury panel of the Architects’ Journal Emerging Woman Architect of the Year Award, was described by the judges as ‘truly inspiring’.

The emerging architect has already designed and built a sewer for 322 low-income houses in New Delhi and is regenerating the Taj East drain which runs through slum areas near the Taj Mahal. The project in New Delhi won the Holcim Awards “Next Generation” 3rd prize in 2011 for region Asia Pacific.

Jury panel member and V&A director, Moira Gemmill, said: “Her work has great resonance internationally. She came across as someone who is very driven, very smart and very capable of getting things done often in very difficult circumstances”.

Peabody director Claire Bennie praised the “practical concern” of King’s work, while Landmark Trust director and women in architecture judge, Anna Keay described her projects as “life-changing” and Julia King as “a woman who is getting things done”.

Architect Hannah Corlett, director of up-and–coming London-based Assemblage, received the commendation. The other shortlisted architects were Aranta Ozeata Cortazar of Spanish practice TallerDE2 architects, Angela Dapper of Denton Corker Marshall,Daisy Froud of AOC, Hana Loftus of HAT Projects, Yeoryia Manolopoulou of 2013 Stephen Lawrence Prize-winning AY Architects, and Nicola Rutt of Hawkins\Brown

Corlett co-founded Assemblage back in 2003, and in the past year the practice has won a string of high-profile competitions including the international contest for the new USD 1 billion Iraqi parliament building.

Last year’s winner of the Jane Drew Prize Eva Jiricna praised all the shortlisted emerging women. She added: “It is really encouraging that there are so many bright young women architects and that they have got their chance, and that they have taken their chances and got on with it - I’m sure the future of architecture is bright if these women are going to hold the flag in the next generation and the next ten years to come.”

Celebrating the ROCA-sponsored AJ Women in Architecture campaign, which is now in its third year, the awards ceremony held at London’s Langham Hotel on February 7, 2014 also included a keynote speech from Hopkins Architects co-founder Patty Hopkins.