The purpose of the Award
The aim of this annual award is to honor five living architects, urban and landscape designers who are committed to sustainability.
Their work offers a clear insight into the quest for ecologically responsible, contemporary architecture which is:
- fully in step with the ethical, civil, and social concerns of today
- innovative in the areas of ecology, energy, materials, and technology
- progressive in its search for new standards for both public and private facilities.
Timeline
The purpose of the Award
The aim of this annual award is to honor five living architects, urban and landscape designers who are committed to sustainability.
Their work offers a clear insight into the quest for ecologically responsible, contemporary architecture which is:
- fully in step with the ethical, civil, and social concerns of today
- innovative in the areas of ecology, energy, materials, and technology
- progressive in its search for new standards for both public and private facilities.
The 2026 Theme: “Architecture Is Transformation”
After having investigated the sources of architectural and urban innovation with “Architecture Is Experimentation” in 2023, the possible transdisciplinary transmission of sustainable design goals with “Architecture Is Education” in 2024, and innovative and adaptive scenarios of building processes with “Architecture Is Construction” in 2025, the Scientific Jury of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture ™ has decided to become even more visionary in 2026. How can architecture welcome, embrace and foster transformation? How can we transform the existing built environment, protected or not, transform urban and rural infrastructures, architectural materialities and immaterialities? How can collective intelligence, cutting edge technological tools and experimental design processes emancipate our clients and users, all in the service of equality?
We invite all architects, designers, urban and landscape designers around the world to submit entries for studied or built projects, for work related to research, writing, and experimentation, which demonstrates innovation and design quality and plays a significant role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations.
The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture ™ recognizes a nominee’s professional, scientific, social, and political engagement, not individual projects.
Frequency of the Award, Stages and Categories
The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture follows a single stage, open award procedure. There is only one category, with a previously defined theme, and five global winners. There is no regional award or selection.
Awards
The jury selects five global winners who will receive a Diploma and be invited to the annual Global Award Symposium in Venice, with travel and accommodation costs covered. Part of the recognition is the entry into the Global Award Community, a think-tank that has become a do-tank, by researching, experimenting, teaching, militating, exposing, writing and building together worldwide.
Terms of Eligibility, Participation and Submission
Participation is open to all architects, urban and landscape designers around the world, and submissions must be written in English. Participants can nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague, expert or critique. The nominator will provide the consent of the nominated in written form.
Members of the Organizing Body, the jury and their associates, business partners, employees and close relatives are not allowed to submit entries. Any person who has been involved in the preparation of the award at any point in time is not eligible to participate or to assist any participant.
Submissions must be sent using the template provided through the Global Award submission platform.
Submissions for the 2026 Award: “Architecture Is Transformation” are open till January 20, 2025.
Timeline
Submissions for the 2026 Award: “Architecture Is Transformation” are open till January 20, 2025.