Women in architecture celebrated at the W Awards by the UK’s architectural press

The UK’s Architects Journal and Architectural Review have unveiled winners and shortlists for several awards celebrating women in architecture. The W Awards, as the prizes are collectively titled, seeks to “to raise the profile of women and non-binary people in architecture worldwide, inspiring change as a united voice of this global call for respect, diversity and equality.” The awards were launched in 2012, and recognize both architects and architectural projects. 

Jane Drew Prize for Architecture 2022

The Jane Drew Prize for Architecture 2022 has been awarded to British-Iranian architect, educator, and writer Farshid Moussavi. The annual award is given to an architectural designer whose work and activity has raised the profile of women in architecture. Moussavi was a co-founder of Foreign Office Architects, known works such as the Yokohama International Ferry Terminal, which opened in 2002. In 2011, Moussavi founded Farshid Moussavi Architecture, based in London.

“It is a very great honor for me to receive the Jane Drew Prize, which has done so much to draw attention to the achievements of women in the field of architecture,” Moussavi said in reaction to the news. “There are relatively few role models for women in architectural practice, and I believe that this allows them freedom to be more creative in responding to the urgent challenges facing architects today, whether these challenges are finding new and more generous uses for buildings as well as new languages in which to engage a larger and more diverse public, or addressing climate change to protect future generations.”

Ada Louise Huxtable Prize for Contribution to Architecture 2022

The Ada Louise Huxtable Prize for Contribution to Architecture 2022 has been awarded to the British-Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum, recognizing individuals from the wider architectural industry who have made a significant contribution to the built environment. Announcing the news, Architectural Review editor Manon Mollard said: “In a world fractured by conflict and exile, the work of Mona Hatoum only gains further relevance and importance. Turning familiar objects into uncanny experiences, she makes visible human fragility and spatial violence.”

Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture 2022

In addition to the winners of the Jane Drew and Ada Louise Huxtable prizes, the shortlists have been unveiled for the Moira Gemmill and MJ Long Prizes. The Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture recognizes promising designers under the age of 45 who are leading their own practice.

For AR editor Mollard, the 2022 shortlist “shows there isn’t a single kind of architect but myriad ways to practice: uncovering and interpreting layers of history, imagining speculative projects to tackle environmental concerns, advocating for the rights of marginalized groups, building installations, making maps and animations, evidencing the presence of toxic mine waste, preserving social ties.”

The 2022 shortlist comprises:

• Ana Baptista, co-founder of Colectivo Mel, based in Portugal
• Rania Ghosn, founding partner of Design Earth, based in the United States
• Swati Janu, founder of Social Design Collaborative, based in India
• Sumayya Vally, principal of Counterspace, based in South Africa

MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice 2022

Meanwhile, the MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice has also unveiled its 2022 shortlist, celebrating architects who are excelling in practice. The award, now in its third year, specifically considers UK-based architects working for UK-based firms, and is judged on an overall body of work with emphasis on a recently completed project.

Commenting on the 2022 shortlist, Architect’s Journal deputy architecture editor Frances Williams said: “The projects on this year’s shortlist include high-quality council housing, the sensitive redevelopment of a brutalist archive, a beautifully judged rework of the visitor experience at an archaeological site and the inventive reorganization and new public face for a youth theatre. The projects shortlisted are both innovative and inspiring, and truly set a precedent for the future of our industry.”

The 2022 shortlist comprises:

• Sophie Mitchell of Nissen Richards Studio, for Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, UK
• Fiona Monkman of Islington Architects, for Centurion Close, London, UK
• Hannah Stringer of AOC, for the National Archives, London, UK
• Anne Wynne of DSDHA, for the National Youth Theatre, London, UK