2020 UIA Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards

Organised by the UIA's Work Programme Architecture for All, the Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards were established to encourage and acknowledge architects who have created exemplary friendly, inclusive and accessible buildings and public spaces. Entries must demonstrate that they have met the highest standards of universal and inclusive design, where the completed buildings and places contribute to the quality of life of all those who may use them.

A special award will also be given for evidence based design research that makes a significant contribution to improved quality of life through facilitating a better understanding of human centred design and its application to the design of the built environment.

Award Categories 

1. New Buildings
2. Refurbished Existing Buildings, including Historic Buildings
3. Public Realm
4. Research

Eligibility
Built works designed by architect member(s) of a UIA Member Section that have been completed since 30 November 2016. 
Research by an architect or architects completed since 30 November 2016 which advances the theory and practice of friendly and inclusive design.

Awards
A medal and up to three (3) Honourable Mentions will be presented in each of the Categories 1, 2 & 3.
The winner of Category 4 and up to two Honourable Mentions will receive UIA Certificates.
The Jury reserves the right not to make any award if, in its opinion, no entry reaches the required standards.

Judging Criteria

Entries in Categories 1, 2, and 3 will be judged on the overall quality of design and how the project has addressed accessibility and inclusive design. In particular, the Jury will consider whether the quality of the architecture:

• Enhances user experience through use of friendly scale, form, colour, material and light

• Takes account of human diversity and needs 

• Facilitates orientation, navigation, wayfinding and ease of understanding

Entries in Category 4 will be judged on whether the research:

• Is evidence based

• Contributes to improved quality of life through facilitating a better understanding of user centred design and its application to the design of the built environment 

• Can be applied widely and used effectively by architects and others to enhance design quality and create friendly and inclusive places

Timeline

• Launch 31.07.19

• Closing date for questions 30.10.2019

• Deadline for submission of entries & Stage 1 Entry Fee 30.11.2019

• Shortlisted entrants will be informed by 30.01.2020

• Deadline Stage 2 Entry Fee for shortlisted entries 15.02.2020

• All shortlisted entrants must submit a panel in an agreed format by 30.03.2020 (template will be supplied). The panels will be printed by SARP and will be exhibited at the Congress.

• Winners will be informed by 30.04.2020.

• The Awards will be presented at the 27th UIA World Congress of Architecture Award Ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19-23 July 2020.

Stages

For Categories 1 – 3 the selection process will be in two (2) stages.

Stage 1:               Juries organized by the UIA Architecture for All Work Programmme, including past award winners, will complete the initial evaluation of projects on a regional basis, shortlisting up to a maximum of 3 projects per category per region. 

Stage 2:               Shortlisted projects will be assessed by an international jury chaired by a UIA Past President. All UIA regions will be represented on the jury as well as a past Medal Winner.

Jury
Categories 1-3, Stages 1 and 2.  Jury Members
Category 4 Jury Members

Awards Ceremony
Architecture for All will honour the winners of the third edition of “Friendly and Inclusive Spaces” at the official Awards Ceremony at the 27th UIA World Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 19-23 July 2020.

Promotion
Projects selected to go through to Stage 2 will be promoted through publication on the UIA and Architecture for All Work Programme websites, social media and/or journals as well as those of UIA member bodies. Press releases publicising the winners will also be sent to international media.

Submission Requirements here

Language
The submission text must be in English. Links to further information may be in the entrants’ national language.
By submitting an entry participants accept the terms and conditions set out in the above Regulations of the Award. 

Contacts
All questions concerning these Awards and/or the AwardForce platform, please contact uia@uia-architectes.org with the subject line “Friendly and Inclusive Spaces” Awards.

To enter please click HERE