The World Architecture Festival 2025 (WAF) has revealed the first round of award winners following Day One of the world’s largest live-judged architectural event, taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Florida.
Across the three-day festival, more than 460 finalists will deliver live pitches before a panel of over 160 international judges. The opening day featured shortlisted projects from around the globe competing across 22 categories spanning Completed Buildings, Future Projects, and Interiors. Among today’s award recipients are WOW Architects, BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group, Batlleiroig, and Perkins&Will.
Completed Buildings—Award Winners
Civic and Community
- Winner: The Holy Redeemer Church and Community Centre of Las Chumberas by Fernando Menis—La Laguna, Spain
- Highly Commended: African Flow by Urbanitree—Yaoundé, Cameroon
Creative Re-use
- Winner: Younghusband by Woods Bagot—Melbourne, Australia
- Highly Commended: DOM-INO HUB by atelier tho. A—Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
- Highly Commended: Meelpakhuis by Studio Akkerhuis—Leiden, Netherlands
Culture
- Winner: Shunde Yunlu Wetland Museum by Studio Link-Arc—Foshan, China
- Highly Commended: Fenix by MAD—Rotterdam, Netherlands
House & Villa (Urban)—supported by GROHE
- Winner: Lantern House by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design Inc.—Vancouver, Canada
- Highly Commended: Twin Lakes House by EKAR Architects—Bangkok, Thailand
House & Villa (Rural/Coastal)—supported by GROHE
- Winner: Ridge House by Superkül—Grey County, Ontario, Canada
- Highly Commended: Naxxar House by AP Valletta—Naxxar, Malta
Housing—supported by GROHE
- Winner: Isla Intersections Supportive Housing & Paseo by Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects—Los Angeles, United States
- Highly Commended: Terrazas para la vida by Urbanitree—Barcelona, Spain
Office
- Winner: T3 Diagonal Mar Offices by Batlleiroig—Barcelona, Spain
- Highly Commended: Casa BFF by OBR Open Building Research—Milan, Italy
Production, Energy, and Logistics
- Winner: Quinta de Adorigo Winery by Atelier Sergio Rebelo—Tabuaço, Douro Valley, Portugal
- Highly Commended: Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant by Clancy Moore Architects—Arklow, Ireland
- Highly Commended: Orange County Sanitation District Headquarters by HDR Inc.—Fountain Valley, California
Retrofit
- Winner: Sirius Redevelopment by BVN—Sydney, Australia
- Highly Commended: Transamerica Pyramid Center by Foster + Partners—San Francisco, United States
School
- Winner: FK Kindergarten and Nursery by HIBINOSEKKEI + Youji no Shiro—Nagasaki City, Japan
- Highly Commended: Cuizhu Foreign Language School by Studio Link-Arc—Shenzhen, China
Shopping
- Winner: Central Nakhon Pathom by stu/D/O Architects—Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Highly Commended: Gump’s CROSS by EKAR Architects—Bangkok, Thailand
Sport
- Winner: Hiwa, Recreation Centre by Warren and Mahoney + MJMA Architecture & Design—Auckland, New Zealand
- Highly Commended: Club Cash by Gómez Platero Architecture & Urbanism—Montevideo, Uruguay
Judges for the Completed Buildings categories noted that “the play and control of daylight, sound, and material tactility are exemplary across the winning projects.”
Future Projects—Award Winners
Civic
- Winner: Vancouver Aquatic Centre by MJMA Architecture & Design + Acton Ostry Architects—Vancouver, Canada
Infrastructure
- Winner: Gelephu International Airport by BIG—Gelephu, Bhutan
- Highly Commended: Da Nang Waste-to-Energy Plant by VTN Architects—Da Nang, Vietnam
Leisure-Led Development
- Winner: Luana Farms by Plontur Group—Calaca City, Batangas, Philippines
- Highly Commended: KIKLIO by K-Studio—Corinthian Gulf, Greece
Master planning
- Winner: Smithfield Birmingham by Prior + Partners and Field Operations—Birmingham, United Kingdom
Sport
- Winner: Acclimated Sports + Multipurpose Hall by Avally Design Studio—Davao City, Philippines
- Highly Commended: Arena León by HKS Architects—León, Mexico
Urban Design
- Winner: Te Ara Tukutuku by LandLAB + SCAPE for the Toi Waihanga design collective—Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, New Zealand
Judges praised the Future Projects category for “architecture that seamlessly integrates with its landscape while demonstrating ambition, social value, and strong sustainability goals,” noting that several projects also reflect their cities’ cultural histories.
Interiors—Award Winners
Hotels
- Winner: Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree by WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design—Singapore
- Highly Commended: Pulso Hotel by Studio Arthur Casas—São Paulo, Brazil
Workplace (Large)
- Winner: ADND SILO by ADND LLP—Mumbai, India
Workplace (Small)
- Winner: Acciona Campus by Perkins&Will—Madrid, Spain
- Highly Commended: Treyarch by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris—Los Angeles, United States
Judges for the Interiors categories remarked on the “care and attention to detail evident in every aspect of the winning work,” noting that one project “will stand the test of time and continue evolving decades from now.”
Upcoming Highlights at World Architecture Festival 2025
Another round of category winners will be announced tomorrow at the Miami Beach Convention Center, bringing the total number of category awards to 43. Winners from each category will advance to the final round on 14 November, where they will compete for the festival’s top honors:
- World Building of the Year
- Future Project of the Year
- World Interior of the Year
The grand finale Gala Dinner will also reveal a series of special prizes, including the prestigious Sustainability Prize.
To stay up-to-date with WAF 2025, you can visit the World Architecture Festival for full coverage and live announcements.
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