Aerogel Architecture Awards 2025

We are delighted to invite you to submit your examples of aerogel use in architecture, construction, refurbishment and monument preservation as built solutions or student projects. We are searching for the top realized projects internationally to showcase the best projects of architects, civil engineers or top project ideas of students from these fields. The best realized projects selected by our jury will be shortlisted for our Aerogel Architecture Awards ceremony hosted near Zurich at Empa campus, which will give broad recognition to the projects. The projects will be published in relevant international magazines and portals. The award celebrates the best examples with regards to energy efficiency, unconventional solutions, translucent daylighting, high performing buildings solutions with use of superinsulating aerogel materials.

CATEGORY
REALIZED SOLUTIONS / architects, civil engineers and their studios
STUDENT DESIGNS / architecture and civil engineering students 

SCHEDULE
January 20, 2025 – Competition announcement and registration opens
May 16, 2025 – Project submission deadline (23:59 hours Zurich time)
June 13, 2025, 15:30 – Winners’ announcement event, "Akademie" building, Empa Duebendorf (on-site and public stream) (AAA2025 is part of 3rd AIA - Aerogel Industry Academia Forum 2025, June 11-13, 2025)

JURY
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Beat Kämpfen // Kämpfen Zinke + Partner / Switzerland
Volker Herzog // Herzog-architektur / Germany
Manfred Wehdorn // Wehdorn architekten / Austria
Michael O´Connor //  Advapor / Advanced porous material consortium / France 

PARTNERS
Agitec
FIXIT 
IBIH
Hasit
Empa 

CONDITIONS FOR SUBMISSION
Architectural and civil engineering studios can submit realized projects of renovation, refurbishment or new buildings located in any country and place. Students of architecture and civil engineering can submit their proposals and design studio projects with use of aerogel based materials. The award is communicated in English. Projects should be no older than three years. Highly encouraged are submissions of realized projects of renovation of protected buildings, refurbished buildings and new buildings where the energy efficiency was improved using aerogel insulation materials or translucency of silica aerogels is used. Winners of Realized solutions category will be invited to Switzerland for the announcement event, which will take place at the NEST building at the Empa campus in Duebendorf (Zurich). The winners of Realized solutions category will receive a memorial trophy and will be invited to introduce shortly their project within ca. 10 minutes to broader audience. Winners in Student category will be invited to present their project via video presentation.

Full competition details