Winning projects for the 2023 WAFX Awards address climate emergency, building community resilience, and more

The winners of this year’s World Architecture Festival WAFX Awards have been announced, featuring a total of 34 projects from top design firms across the globe whose work addresses a range of important contemporary environmental issues and other social concerns.

Designs in eight categories were selected by the jury from the future projects included in the overall shortlist that was announced last week ahead of the Festival's three-day meeting at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands resort in November. 

Category: Ageing and Health

• Dubai Healthcare City by Kalbod Studio (Dubai)
• Alexandria Health Centre by Warren and Mahoney (Sydney, Australia)
• PHRC: Poona Hospital and Research Centre by Mandviwala Qutub and Associates (Pune, India)

Category: Building Technology

• Fisher and Paykel Global Headquarters by RTA Studio (Aukland, New Zealand)
• The Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation by Grafton Architects with modus studio (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

• Preservation and Regeneration of a “Tulou” in Nanjing County by UrbanFabric (Nanjing County, Fujian Province )
• The BRIJ by CRAB Studio (New Delhi)
• ChongZhou Bamboo Weaving Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall by China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Corp (ChongZhou, Sichuan Province)

• Biogenic Construction by CINARK - Center for Industrial Architecture, The Royal Danish Academy (Copenhagen)
• Absorbent Sand Storm Skyscraper by Kalbod Studio (Dubai)
• Affordable biobased houses by UArchitects / Misak Terzibasiyan (Bosschenhoofd, Netherlands)

Category: Carbon, Climate & Energy

• Taikoo Green Ribbon by ARUP (Hong Kong)
• The Ellinikon Park by SASAKI (Athens, Greece)
• The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International (Cairo, Egypt)

Category: Cultural identity

• Nora Mosque and Community Center by EAA-Emre Arolat Architecture (Ajman in the United Arab Emirates)
• Jain Cultural Centre by Mandviwala Qutub and Associates (Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh)

• Montreal Holocaust Museum by KPMB Architects + Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker Architecture (Montreal, Québec, CA)
• Musée International du Vodun by Koffi & Diabaté Architectes (Porto Novo, Benin, in West Africa)

Category: Ethics and Values

• we!park by Shma Company Limited (Bangkok)
• Pangasinan Barangay Centers by Buensalido Architects (Pangasinan, Philippines)

• Makery @ 2nd Street by SANALarc (Independence, Oregon)
• The Home of Homes by ABāD Design Studio, Cross Studio (Tehran, Iran)

Category: Re-use

• Sinterbecken by Metaform (Belval , Luxembourg)
• Rethinking Oil Rigs - Offshore Data Centres by Arup (London)

• Ecodistrict laMercedes in Barcelona by Batlleiroig Arquitectura (Barcelona, Spain)
• Kinmen County Central Library and Art Museum by JJP Architects and Planners (Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy)

Category: Smart Cities

• Green City Kigali by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (Kigali, Rwanda)
• Punggol Digital District by WOHA Architects (Singapore)
• Shenzhen Airport East Integrated Transport Hub by Grimshaw (Shenzhen)
• Diatom City by Desitecture (Detroit, Michigan) 

Category: Water

• Antioquia Municipal River Parks by Gobernacion De Antioquia - Juan Pablo Lopez – Sebastian Monsalve (Antioquia, Colombia)
• Micro Colony by UArchitects / Misak Terzibasiyan (Bangladesh)

• Digging For Light by Kalbod Studio (Yazd, Iran)
• HydroSKIN: Façade for Urban Rainwater Retention and Evaporative Cooling by University of Stuttgart (Stuttgart, Germany)

The 2023 World Architecture Festival kicks off on November 29th. Learn more about the WAFX winners here. Be sure to explore our latest coverage of the shortlisted finalists of the 2023 World Architecture Festival here.