No matter the subject, friendly competition is a useful way to push yourself, to ensure you excel in your field, grow, and share your very best work with a wider audience. By its very nature, architecture and design are perfectly suited to competition; ever since the very first buildings, architects have sought recognition for their work. Every year, firms and individuals compete for the prestige associated with winning an award, knowing that a win would propel their project too far greater heights — and simply taking part has substantial benefits.
Here, Arch2o presents five of these architecture and design awards, each with different methods of entry and intent, from those honoring a lifelong body of work, to those open to all: student architects to internationally-renowned firms.
Five architecture and design awards that you should know
1. Pritzker Architecture Prize
Founded in 1979 by the Pritzker family, and funded by their Hyatt Foundation, the Pritzker Architecture Prize aims to “honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.” The annual award includes a grant of US$100 000 and in 2020 was awarded to the remarkable Irish architects, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, who, along with their firm, Grafton Architects, has achieved incredible recognition, from also winning the inaugural World Building of the Year award, at the World Architectural Festival, to the inaugural RIBA International Prize (more on RIBA below).
The Pritzker is perhaps the best-known architecture award, with an incredible roster of laureates, certainly attaining Jay and Cindy Pritzker’s original vision of encouraging and stimulating a much greater public awareness of buildings. The jury, currently chaired by the 2016 winner of the prize, Alejandro Aravena, selects a winner from nominations solicited by the Executive Director, Martha Thorne. Past laureates, academics, and critics, along with any licensed applicant may submit an application for the award.
2. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Since it was established in 1977, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) has been awarded every three years, to an international project which meets the needs and preferences of Islamic societies. When first conceived, there was a distinct western bias in architecture, and the award has not only successfully brought a much wider knowledge of Muslim architecture to the wider world, but also sought to highlight issues such as sustainability, climate adaptation, and quality of life — issues that are now at the forefront of global architectural discussion. The winners share a prize fund of US$ 1 million, and they are chosen from a wide range of projects, examples from the 2019 edition include the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, the Alioune Diop University Teaching and Research Unit in Bambey, and the Wasit Wetland Centre in Sharjah, all considerably different and diverse projects.
3. AIA Gold Medal
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) runs more than thirty award programs, with the most famous and prestigious being the Gold Medal. This is awarded annually to an individual, or pair, whose work has created an influential legacy, both practically, and also through architectural theory. Past winners include architects whose names are well known by a wider public audience, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Sir Norman Foster, and Frank Gehry. Recent winners include Tadao Ando, Julia Morgan, Moshe Safdie, and, most recently, Edward Mazria. Quite simply, an astonishing list of architects at the very top of their game
4. RIBA
As with the AIA, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) organize a number of awards as a part of their program, including the RIBA International Prize, the RIBA International Emerging Architect Prize, and the RIBA International Awards for Excellence. The latest winner of the RIBA International Prize, Children Village, by Aleph Zero and Rosenbaum of Brazil, demonstrates exactly what the RIBA jury is looking for — a project which fits its environment perfectly, achieving precisely what was needed in the brief but going beyond this, into those rare strata of perfection.
One thing all these awards have in common is a shared love and joy of architecture itself. For architects and designers, to have the opportunity to disseminate their work, whether their latest project or the sum total of their career to date, is a powerful thing. To showcase the discipline to the public and wider world is essential, demonstrating how important the lived-in environment actually is. To see a new building, or a renovated older one, or a stunning interior, or incredible use of outdoor space is something which should never be taken for granted — what humankind can achieve is extraordinary, and never more so than the work of the winners of these awards.
5- UIA Gold Medal
The UIA Gold Medal, first awarded by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in 1984, stands as a beacon of honor and excellence in the field of architecture. Established in 1961, this prestigious accolade recognizes architects whose work has significantly enriched the discipline and positively impacted human life through the built environment.
The UIA Gold Medal is not just a testament to architectural prowess but also a celebration of visionary ideas that shape our world. Recipients of this distinguished award are selected based on their contributions to architecture’s advancement, their ability to address contemporary challenges, and their dedication to creating spaces that enhance the quality of life.
Over the years, the UIA Gold Medal has been awarded to some of the most influential architects in history, including I. M. Pei, Kenzo Tange, and Charles Correa. These laureates have left an indelible mark on the global architectural landscape, demonstrating an exceptional blend of creativity, innovation, and social responsibility.
Winning the UIA Gold Medal is more than a career milestone; it is a recognition of an architect’s lifelong commitment to excellence and their unwavering passion for crafting environments that resonate with humanity. This award continues to inspire architects worldwide, fostering a legacy of ingenuity and transformative design