In a challenging year, design has continued to lift our spirits. Case in point: the 1,209 submissions from 57 countries to the 2021 AZ Awards. From this standout number, the esteemed jurors have selected 72 finalists in 22 categories. Collectively, the diverse range of finalists exemplify excellence in innovation, aesthetics, creativity and social and environmental responsibility.
The submissions were evaluated by 10 world-renowned practitioners. Patricia Urquiola, Ini Archibong, Susannah Drake, Sou Fujimoto, Adelaide Testa, Paul Filek, Karim Rashid, Barbara Bestor, Marc Ryan and Gilles Saucier adjudicated through an immersive — and globe-spanning — remote deliberation process.
The 2021 AZ Awards winners will be revealed online in an exclusive showcase on June 25. Ahead of the awards announcement, our People’s Choice portal is also now open, giving you a chance to support your favourite finalists. Vote via our People’s Choice portal by May 21!
Architecture – Residential, Single Family
i29 architects: Floating Home, Amsterdam, Netherlands
NADAAA: Villa Varoise, Le Var, France
Naturehumaine: Chalet au lac Memphrémagog, Memphrémagog, Canada
Yasuyuki Kitamura Architects: House in Minohshinmachi, Osaka, Japan
Powerhouse Company: Villa JM, North Brabant, Netherlands
Perkins&Will: SoLo, Soo Valley, Canada
Architecture – Residential, Multi-Unit
BIG: Vancouver House, Vancouver, Canada
Studio Jean Verville architectes: NMBHD, Montreal, Canada
NADAAA: RISD North Hall, Providence, U.S.
Adaptive Re-Use
Alexander Gorlin Architects: Bell Works, Holmdel, U.S.
Krueck + Sexton Architects: CME Center – Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago, U.S.
K-Studio: Dexamenes, Kourouta, Greece
Commercial and Institutional Buildings Over 1,000 SqM
Studio Zhu Pei: Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, Jingdezhen, China
gh3*: Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage, Edmonton, Canada
Sanjay Puri Architects: The Rajasthan School, Ras, India
Steven Holl Architects: Nancy and Rich Kinder Museum Building, Houston, U.S.
Chybik + Kristof Architects & Urban Designers: Lahofer Winery, Dobšice, Czech Republic
Commercial and Institutional Buildings Under 1,000 SqM
Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter: Breitenbach Landscape Hotel, Breitenbach, France
Graal architecture: Recreation Center in Athis-Mons, Ile-de-France, France
Diana Kellogg Architects: The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, Jaisalmer, India
Architecture – Temporary & Experiential Installations
REgroup: The Line, Lockeford, U.S.
Alibi Studio: Secret Sky, Hume, U.S.
TALLER Architects, SCA and Colab19: Vertical Activation: A Scaffold for Economic Recovery, Bogotá, Colombia
Ideas/Prototypes
Matter Design: Adolescent Play-Lab
Ren Peng: Smart-Box
Unbuilt Projects
Étienne Bernier Architecture, APPAREIL Architecture and BGLA: Marguerite-d’Youville Elementary School, Chicoutimi, Canada
Wittman Estes: Duwamish Crossings, Seattle, U.S.
Lemay: Théâtre de Verdure, Montreal, Canada
Architectural Products
Pella: Easy Slide Operator
Duravit: SensoWash Starck f by Philippe Starck
Furniture Design
Teknion: Essa by Pearson Lloyd
Green Furniture Concept: Ascent Beam Seater
Miniforms: Soda Coffee Table by Yiannis Ghikas
Arper: Adell by Lievore + Altherr Désile Park
Cappellini and Haworth Collection: Lud’o by Patricia Urquiola
Furniture Systems & Collections
Salvatori: Anima Collection by Yabu Pushelberg
Nienkämper: The Patkau Collection by Patkau Architects
Interior Products
Jill Malek: Dwellings Wallcoverings
Kirei: New Horizons Collection
Camira: Oceanic by Jodie Padgett
Matheson Cookware: Matheson by Castor Design and Matty Matheson
Lighting Fixtures
Davide Groppi: Origine by Davide Groppi and Giorgio Rava
Flos: Coordinates by Michael Anastassiades
Lighting Installations
LeuWebb Projects: Thermally Speaking, Toronto, Canada
Hickok Cole Architects and GPI Design: Illuminated Glass Ceiling and Wall Features, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Experiential Graphic Design
Silo: Bicycle Parking Garage, The Hague, Netherlands
WXY architecture + urban design: Sunset Park Activation Plan & Brooklyn Army Terminal Public Realm, New York City, U.S.
Commercial & Institutional Interiors
LSD Interior Design: Xi’an Fangsuo Commune, Xi’an, China
Studio Paolo Ferrari: Alchemy Flagship, Toronto, Canada
i29: Felix Meritis, Amsterdam, Netherlands
gad · line+ studio: Cloud of Hometown Resort Hotel, Tai’an, China
ACDF Architecture: Chateau Viger Offices, Montreal, Canada
Residential Interiors
Dupont Blouin: Garnier Residence, Montreal, Canada
MESA atelier: Casa das Janelas Verdes, Lisbon, Portugal
Drew Mandel Architects: House on Bracondale Hill, Toronto, Canada
Future Simple Studio: Rue de la Gauchetière Loft, Montreal, Canada
Landscape Architecture
Cobe: Karen Blixens Plads, Copenhagen, Denmark
Turenscape: Welcoming the Water: Tongnan Dafosi Wetland Park, Chongqing, China
Urban Design Visions
Mecanoo: Spoorzone Dordrecht, Dordrecht, Netherlands
Partisans: The Orbit, Innisfil, Canada
Henriquez Partners Architects: Ghetto, Venice, Italy
Studio-MLA: Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Plan, Los Angeles, U.S.
A+ Award for Student Work
Mingyang Sun and Fangyuan Sheng (University of Pennsylvania): Water Miner – Johannesburg 2050
Abbie Ford, Abby Eleeson, Ace Brown, Brady Whitehill, Casey Chura, Dakota Tubbs, Gabby Foster, Jack Swezy, Jean-Marc Juston, Kaitlin Hoines, Kelly Schorn, Leah Ferrara, Lindsey Freund, Maddy Irwin, Maggy Dickherber, Nate Hulse, Norah Swift, Riley Estrada, Ryan Everson, Tiffany Nguyen, Vinny Hyunh (University of Kansas, Prof. Dan Rockhill): Levee House
Tim Cousin, Natalie Pearl, Latifa Al Khayat, William Marshall (Massachusetts Institute of Technology): The Stack Politic
Sebastián López Cardozo and Lene Sollie (Rice University): A New Housing Model for Social and Environmental Resilience in Houston’s Third Ward
Environmental Leadership
Perkins&Will: SoLo, Soo Valley, Canada
Acc Naturale Architettura and Negozio Blu Architetti Associati: Green Pea. Democratizing sustainability, Turin, Italy
Social Good
Michael Hsu Office of Architecture: Tiny Victories, Austin, U.S.
TALLER Architects, SCA and Colab19: Vertical Activation: A Scaffold for Economic Recovery, Bogota, Colombia
VERTEBRAL: El Terreno, Mexico City, Mexico
Diana Kellogg Architects: The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, Jaisalmer, India
comment