The 20th Cycle of the
Global Award for Sustainable Architecture™
is Now Open for Entries!
The unseen economic, ecological, social, and cultural challenges facing contemporary societies are being addressed by architects and planners as they search for a new definition of progress and the right balance between man and the environment. The understanding of design as a collective process based on shared ethics, methods, and experiments has been rewarded since 2007 by the Global Award for Sustainable ArchitectureTM, an honor created by the architect and scholar Jana Revedin in partnership with international universities as scientific partners. Since 2011, the Global Award Symposium is placed under UNESCO’s patronage. In 2024, it received the endorsement of the UIA.
Rather than offering financial rewards, a community based on dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and visions has been created—a think tank that, over time, has become a “do tank” and driver of change.
The purpose of the Award is to honor annually five living architects, urban or landscape designers who are moving toward sustainability. Their work offers clear insights into the search for an 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 2027 Theme: “Architecture Is Equity”
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, courageously innovative and adaptive scenarios of building processes with “Architecture Is Construction” in 2025, and the art of intelligently valorizing “what is already there” with “Architecture is Transformation” in 2026, the Scientific Jury of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture™ has decided to take a socio-political stance in 2027.
Can architecture become a catalyst for equity?
Can planning processes and public spaces for dialogue foster
democratic engagement and social cohesion?
Context and Role of Architecture & Urban Planning
In an era when democratic institutions are under mounting pressure, public trust in civic engagement is increasingly fragile. For some, this disillusionment translates into protest or withdrawal; for others, it manifests in calls for broader inclusion that too often go unheard.
Yet the vitality of democracy depends on tools that reignite public interest, inspire active involvement, and create meaningful avenues of participation.
Architecture and urban planning hold profound potential as catalysts for more equitable forms of civic life. By shaping both the processes of engagement and the physical environments we inhabit, these disciplines can:
- Amplify marginalized voices
- Expand access to decision-making
- Open new pathways into critical debates on democracy, sustainability, and the shared future of our cities
At the core of an architecture of equity are planning methods that:
- Foster inclusivity
- Generate collective visions
- Cultivate spaces for dialogue
Such practices do not simply produce buildings or urban forms; they nurture the civic capacities essential to democratic life: the ability to listen, to negotiate, to imagine, and to build together.
Pressing Questions at the Intersection of Design, Democracy & Sustainability
- In what ways can architectural methods and design practices be reimagined as instruments of equity?
- How might ecological and civic circularity guide the transformation of our built environments?
- What strategies can ensure the cultural, social, and economic adaptability of participatory design, particularly in transitional societies?
- How can principles of flexibility, adaptability, and recyclability support inclusive use and co-existence within architectural and urban ecosystems?
- Which geo- and bio-sourced materials, morphologies, and evolving practices of care and repair are required to guarantee democratic access to high-quality architecture and design?
Exploring these questions situates architecture and urban planning not only as technical fields but also as civic practices—essential to reimagining democracy, deepening participation, and shaping resilient, just, and inclusive living environments.
Call for Entries
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 ArchitectureTM recognizes a nominee’s professional, scientific, social, and political engagement — not single projects.
Evaluation Criteria
Empowerment: How can architecture become an agent of emancipation, fostering design processes "with and by the people," also through recent 3D and AI tools? Which methods and processes of architectural evolution lead to democratic access to essential services and amenities?
Circularity: How can architectural design practices, structures, and materials adopt a circular mindset - responding to social transformations, environmental changes, available resources, recyclability and innovative, thoughtful techniques and technologies, including right tech - by selecting the most suitable methods, materials, and technologies for the specific needs and resources of a project site?
Innovation: How can architectural research and experimentation drive innovation in our practice and the evolution of existing approaches? Which 'open work' design processes can lead to a conscious and responsible use of data, mappings, surveys, and participatory design practices? Can the shared 'situated project' become the architectural evolution towards equity?
Transdisciplinarity: How can participatory architectural design processes foster collaboration among scientific, technical, and creative explorers from various fields to develop innovative and inclusive concepts that effectively address complex social and political challenges?
Adaptability: How can architects - and their transdisciplinary teams - develop scenarios that offer equal flexibility and adaptability, while analyzing and supporting the changing ways and rhythms of life in our societies?
Timeline
- Award launch: World Architecture Day, October 6, 2025
- Deadline for questions: November 21, 2025
- Deadline for answers: November 28, 2025
- Deadline for submissions: January 30, 2026
- Jury meeting: April 14, 2026
- Announcement of winners: First half 2027 (date to be announced), at the Global Award for Sustainable ArchitectureTM Symposium
Download the Submission Template here
Download the complete Award Description and Requirements here
Once you have completed the submission template, go to the “Submission” tab to complete your application
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