2028 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture
Each year, The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture™ recognizes five architects who share the principles of sustainable development and an experimental participatory Design approach to the needs of society, in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
The Global Award was created in 2006 by the architect and scholar Jana Revedin. The Global Award Symposium is placed under UNESCO’s patronage. The Award is endorsed by the Union of International Architects (UIA) since 2024.
The work carried out by The Global Award has garnered significant international attention, becoming a platform for scientific independence to unite the award winners in a community of collective research and experimentation in architectural and urban self-development projects.
The purpose
The purpose of this annual award is to honor 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 UIA invites architects and designers from all over the world to take part in the 2028 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture.
For two decades, the Award has brought to light practices that open new paths for a more responsible way of building, often far from the spotlight, and has given them international visibility. Through its endorsement, the UIA supports this mission and reaffirms its commitment to an architecture that serves both people and the planet.
Discover below the theme of this edition, the conditions of participation and the key dates of the call.
This edition invites architects and designers from around the world to share circular strategies that rethink how we plan, build, transform and sustain our environment at every scale. Applications are open until 29 January 2027.
Visit the Global Award website
Key dates
2026-11-20 Deadline for questions2026-11-27 Deadline for answers2027-01-29 Deadline for submissions2027-05-03 Jury meeting
Prizes
Each of the five winners will receive:
- a diploma;
- an invitation to the annual Global Award Symposium, with travel and accommodation costs covered;
- the publication of their work in an annual monographic publication.
Laureates also join the Global Award Community, an international network for research, experimentation, teaching, advocacy, publishing and collaborative action.
Theme and objectives
The 21st edition of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture is now open for applications under the theme “Architecture Is Circularity”. The theme investigates architecture’s relationship to planning at every scale, from territories and cities to buildings, materials and regenerative systems, and explores circular strategies that redefine how we design, transform and sustain the world around us.
Created in 2006 by architect and researcher Jana Revedin, and endorsed by the UIA since 2024, the Award honours each year five living architects, urban or landscape designers whose work demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and ecologically responsible contemporary architecture.
Key criteria
The Award recognises a nominee’s overall professional, scientific, social and political engagement rather than a single project. Entries are evaluated on:
- Innovation
- Design quality
- Contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Eligibility
The Award is open to all architects, designers, urban and landscape designers worldwide. Entries may concern studied or built projects, or work related to research, writing or experimentation.
The competition follows a single-stage, open procedure, with one category and five global winners. All entries must be submitted in English, using the official template available on the Award’s submission platform.
- Learn more and submit your entry here.
