The International Union of Architects (UIA) is pleased to announce the results of the first edition of the International Innovative Health Design Awards, organised by the UIA Public Health Work Programme.
In acknowledgement of the difficulties endured on a global scale over the COVID‐19 pandemic and the interventions made in addressing imposed change, the UIA declared 2022 the UIA Year of Design for Public Health. In recognition of the essential roles that architects fulfil in social and environmental well-being, the UIA sought to recognise the efforts of architects in addressing ways of dealing with the effects of future calamities and Design for Health, through works of architecture and architectural research.
The Awards were open to all practising architects and architecture academics, and participants were invited to submit entries in one of two categories ‘Built Work’ and ‘Theoretical Work’:
I) Built work aligned to any building typology;
II) Through architectural research documenting such as innovation through new findings.
BUILT WORK
The jury, chaired by Deniz Incedayi (Turkey) and consisting of Cindy Walters (United Kingdom), Tye Farrow (Canada), Kerstin Thompson (Australia), Luyanda Mpahlwa (South Africa) and alternate juror Fernando Mora (Mexico), met on 27 March 2023 to evaluate 15 submissions received from across the 5 UIA Regions. In the final grading, 2 submissions remained with one being declared the awardee, and the other being commended with an Honourable Mention.
Laureate:
SUP Atelier of THAD – Song Yehao, Sun Jingfen, Xie Dan, Shi Lei, Wang Zhixin, Chen Xiaojuan, Chu Yingnan, Loo Huixin and Liu Mengjia (China)
Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) in Yixing, China
'It is hoped that the project will be well received by its community; embraced as a successful case study in terms of promoting health, healthy buildings, and environmental awareness, and that it will contribute to a healthy built environment so needed in our times.'
Honourable mention:
IMK Architects – Rahul Kadri (India)
Symbiosis Hospital and Research Center (SUHRC) in Pune, India
"The project demonstrates a fitting response to its setting, designed with full acknowledgement of the topography and the needs of the surrounding community for state-of-the-art health care, research, education, and skills development."
THEORETICAL WORK
The jury, chaired by Fani Vavili (Greece) and consisting of Ola Oduku (United Kingdom), Nivaldo Vieira de Andrade Junior (Brazil), Rosman Wai (Hong Kong), Vity Claude Nsalambi (Angola) and alternate juror Lindy Osborne Burton (Australia), met on 20 March 2023 to evaluate the 3 submissions received. The jurors were unanimous in their assignment of the award.
Laureate:
Francesca De Filippi*, Stefano Fantucci**, Roberto Pennacchio*, Marco Simonetti**, Matteo Robiglio*, Elena Guidetti*, Valeria Villamil Cárdenas*, Laura Juliana Gualdrón Frias*, Michele Di Marco***, Anna Silenzi*** (Italy)
*Department Architecture and Design **Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino, Italy ***World Health Organization (WHO), Technical Science for Health Network (Téchne)
Design for Healthcare SURGE. A Toolkit for the African Region
"The design methodology stresses social and environmental aspects, and the established design methodology can be a practical toolkit to support future development of similar Centers for mitigating public health emergencies in different contexts and conditions in Africa."
The two award-winning projects will be exhibited at the UIA Education Commission Exhibition during the 28th UIA World Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Find out more about the Award and view the jury report on our website.
