Winners of the Design that Educates Awards tackle the educational potential of architecture and design

The Design that Educates Awards allow for architects and designers to create new opportunities to discuss solutions around architecture. Each year, the esteemed panel of judges will select the most outstanding examples. The objective of the awards is to recognize, showcase, and promote globally the best ideas and implementations of architecture and design that educate. The theme of the awards has been inspired by the research called ‘Educating Buildings’ (‘Bildende Bauten’) by Dr. Peter Kuczia.

This year participants from more than 30 countries submitted their designs, which were given thorough consideration by an international panel of Judges. Jury members selected projects in 3 main categories of “Architectural Design”, “Product Design”, and “Universal Design”. In addition, the student project which received the highest ratings from the judges - has been awarded the label of “Emerging Designers.” Solarlux representatives selected the laureates of the “Solarlux Choice.”

Below are this year's winners and descriptions of their work.

Architectural Design Winner: Futurium Berlin by Richter Musikowski Architekten PartGmbB

Project Description: 
The Futurium is a public building for Future-oriented exhibitions and events in the heart of Berlin. As an plus-energy building it achieves the BNB-Gold Status in sustainability. It is completely barrier-free. The building will serve as an open public place for presentations and will promote the dialogue between research, development and citizens.Future-oriented developments of national and international significance will be made visible through exhibitions and events.

Location and Facade Details: 
Embedded between the Spree Riverbend, the Berlin main station and the Charité Hospital, the Futurium creates its own sculptural identity in this ensemble. On the two main sides of the building two public spaces are defined by setting back the building. The entrances have cantilevering canopies of up to 18 meters generating sheltered public spaces. A pattern of dots covers the entire public space and lends it its own identity. The façade is made up of a reticular grid of shimmering diamond shaped panels. Under the constantly shifting lighting conditions they generate an ever-changing cloud image.

Architectural Design Category Special Recognition: National Museum in Szczecin - Dialogue Centre Przelomy by Robert Konieczny KWK Promes

Project Description:
The building reconciles two conflicting traditions: the quarter and the square. This is how the urban hybrid was created - it encloses the space like a quarter, while maintaining values of open space. Expansion of the square creates foregrounds in front of the philharmonic hall and the church. The quarter is marked in opposite corners as the floor of the square is raised. One of them houses a museum, the other is a hill closing the urban interior and protecting it from the noise of the street. There is no clear boundary between architecture and urbanism. The shape of the museum is a continuation of the square built of square slabs. In the uplifted corner, they gain a third dimension, becoming blocks. The whole is a monolith, which is transformed when the museum is open. Part of the vertical panels rotate creating arcades with entrances. The ground floor is the extension of the square and holds mainly entrance zone.

Architecture Design Category Honorable Mentions:

• Tower of Bricks by Interval Architects
• Hribljane House by Medprostor d.o.o
• Unikato by Robert Konieczny KWK Promes
• EDC&F Centers by ASA Design Ltd - Active Social Architecture
• SWISS XXII Rossa by Davide Macullo Architects
• Haven House. A Gateway in the Rocks. by Anastasia Elrouss Architects
• Community Center Camburi by CRU! Architects - Camboostic
• Exterior Skin Design for the Wynwood Mixed-Use Building and Parking Garage by Faulders Studio
• Residence in Triviandrum by Vinu Daniel, WALLMAKERS
• The corridors of Mosul (Iraq). Post-war Reconstruction Strategy by Maria Abu Raad
• CHIRATH Residence by Vinu Daniel, WALLMAKERS

Architecture Design Category Finalists:

• Children Eco-Village by O2 Design Atelier SDN. BHD
• Haddad Compound by Anastasia Elrouss Architects
• Kaeng Krachan Library by Junsekino Architect and Design

To learn more about other category winners and their amazing projects click here.