To encourage merit, recognise talent and reward achievements of international consequence, the International Union of Architects (UIA) awards prizes every three years during the UIA World Congress of Architects.
The five UIA prizes are named for the Past Presidents of the UIA whose fame was founded on their ethics as well as on their mastery of their particular discipline. They recognise excellence in five specific architectural domains. The jury conferred the prizes to:
The jury attributed the prize to French architectural and urban planning firm l'AUC citing the team's many projects that are reconstructions of existing buildings. "They transform old factories into ecological quarters, think about new types of community interactions and ways of being together. Their project ‘Base aérienne 217’ in Brétigny-sur-Orge reinvents ruined landscapes and includes regional city development, new thinking in city planning and complex possibilities for urban design in the 21st century".
Honourable mention
The jury also awarded an honourable mention to 300.000 Km/s (Spain) whose projects"have a good understanding of cities and give an approach to a number of central cities planning issues that need to be addressed today amid the race against time faced with climate change.”
The Prize was attributed to Chinese professor and architect Philip F. Yuan for his "ability to expand the boundaries of architecture by using digital technology, 3D printing and robotic construction, and who manages to keep his projects human-centred by taking into consideration local materials and working with the community.”
The prize was awarded to two architects. Danish architect Anne Beim, a holistic-thinking architect-academic, was lauded as being an example of a holistic-thinking architect-academic who has made significant contributions through her writings that have influenced architects in Denmark, Scandinavia, and wider Europe.
Czech architect Vladimír Šlapeta, one of the leading theorists and historians with a special focus on the contributions of Central Europe to the history of the Modern Movement, was recognised for his "outstanding contribution to teaching, deanship, through his writings, museum exhibitions, catalogues, and keynotes on the achievements of the Czech avant-garde in an international context and on contemporary European architecture.”
The jury chose to attribute the prize to Hoàng Thúc Hào’s whose projects "emphasise a sense of cohesion and a friendly environment for local people’s lives. His project ‘Worker Village’ reinvents the living standards of workers and encourages communication between neighbours with a shared courtyard and corridor and by inviting inhabitants to tend the gardens.”
Honourable mention
The jury also awarded honourable mentions to two architects: Jalal Ahmed (Bangladesh) whose projects are "simple yet impressive projects that engage the people physically in planning new villages" and Song Yehao (China) who has designed "impressive structures for projects conceived for rural areas, which demonstrate innovative features and engage the community in the building process".
The jury awarded the prize to two architects. It was impressed by Marina Tabassum’s interrogation of a specific design problem and her innovation shown in coming up with a practical, technically well-resolved solution which is scalable by the ordinary person. She has made remarkable contributions in creating buildings in line with their natural environments and embracing the design challenges posed by the environment.””
It also lauded Đoàn Thanh Hà for his "impressive body of work which embodies the spirit of the prize. The innovation shown in every project demonstrates the architect’s commitment to creating an architecture which is of its place. This is done through the considered use of local materials, by engagement with local communities and by employing the local skills and craftsmanship within each community."
Honourable mention
Belgian architect Belen Desmaison received an honourable mention for her engagement with the local community in creating a sustainable solution to their problem.
Find out more about the Triennal Prizes and view the submissions here.
