2023 Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards
The UIA has launched the 4th edition of the Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards organised by its Architecture for All Work Programme (AfA).
Participation is free of charge.
Read the questions and answers.
UPDATE
Please note the submission deadline has been extended from 15 March to 14 April 2023.
Submissions are accepted until 11.59pm France time (GMT+2/CEST).
Theme and objectives
The UIA Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards were established to promote inspiring buildings and sites that have created socially sustainable environments through high quality architectural design.
A special award is also 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
- New buildings
- Refurbished existing buildings, including historic buildings
- Public and open spaces
- Research undertaken by architect(s) on the theory or practice of universal design
Key criteria
Entries in Categories 1, 2 and 3 will be evaluated 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:
- Takes account of human diversity and needs
- Enhances user experience through use of friendly scale, form, colour, material, and light
- Facilitates orientation, navigation, wayfinding ease of understanding and cultural safety.
Entries in Category 4 will be evaluated to determine whether the research:
- 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.
Eligibility
Built works must have been completed since 30th November 2016 and may be submitted by the lead architect of the project or by the building owner/client with the architect’s permission. Attribution must be correctly presented and agreed in submission when there are number of architects in a team.
Research by an architect or architects which advances the theory and practice of friendly and inclusive design must have been completed since 30th November 2016. Projects that have previously been submitted may be submitted only one additional time.
Jury Members
Regional Nomination Boards (for categories 1-3)
Region I – Western Europe
- Kathleen Polders, Belgium -Chair
- Kate McGechan, UK
- Delfin Jiménez Martin, Spain
- Fionnuala Rogerson, Ireland Alternate
Region II – Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East
- Sotiris Papadopoulos , Chair
- Krzysztof Ingarden, Previous Winner Poland
- Boleslaw Stelmach, Previous winner Poland
Region III – The Americas
- Kristine France, Chile – Chair
- Ron Wickman, Canada
- Vanessa Zadel, Peru
Region IV – Asia and Oceania
- Glory Wang, Hong Kong -Chair
- Norwina Mohd Nawawi, Malaysia
- Syed Akeel Bilgrami, Pakistan
- Sung Min KIM, Korea
- Belinda Seale, Australia
Region V – Africa
- Olanrewaji Olusola, Nigeria- Chair
- Safaa Issa, Egypt
- Emmanuel Nyirinkindi, Rwanda
- Ahmed El Rida UD consultant, Libya – Alternate
International Jury
Built works (Categories 1-3)
- Vassilis Sgoutas, UIA Honorary President, Greece, Jury President
- Kazi Arefin, Previous Award Winner, Bangladesh
- Kate Otten, Previous Award Winner, South Africa
- Udi Pollak, UD expert, Israel
- Angela Rolfe, AfA Regional Director, Ireland,
- Erico Abordo, AfA , Alternate juror, Philippines
Research (Category 4)
- Allen Kong, AFA Co-Director AfA, Australia, Jury President
- John Zeisal, Independent Expert, USA
- Jasmien Herssens, Independent Expert, Belgium
- Arina Hayati, AfA, Alternate juror, Indonesia
Key dates
Prizes
The Jury may award a Medal to the Global Winners in each of the 4 Categories, together with up to 3 Honourable Mentions in each Category. There are no winners at regional level.
Global Medal Winners will be invited to present their projects in person at a seminar organised by the Architecture for All Work Programme at the UIA Copenhagen World Congress taking place on 2-6 July 2023.
Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards medals and certificates will be presented at the UIA Congress.
Registration Fee and contribution for travel and accommodation to the Congress will be provided by the UIA to the Medal Winners of each category.