Michael Maltzan, UNStudio, Arturo Vittori, Atelier TeamMinus win in 2017 Zumtobel Group Awards

Michael Maltzan Architecture, UNStudio, Arturo Vittori, and Atelier TeamMinus won top honors in the 2017 Zumtobel Group Awards, which honor contemporary realized or conceptual works “that make a significant contribution to greater humanity and sustainability in the built environment and its design”. Out of 347 projects from 48 countries, the winners were selected in the three main categories: Buildings, Urban Developments & Initiatives, and Applied Innovations. This year's competition also introduced the inaugural Young Professionals Special Award (for entrants under age 40), which went to Atelier TeamMinus.

Perhaps you may recognize some of these winning projects. Have a look at them below.

Buildings category winner:
Star Apartments, Los Angeles, CA by Michael Maltzan Architecture

The Star Apartments complex was a single-floor commercial building that was converted into a 95,000 square-foot supportive housing facility in Downtown Los Angeles. Expanded to six stories, the new building provides 102 homes and support services for previously homeless individuals. 

Jury comment: “Star Apartments has set a new standard for architecture within the field of social housing, social and environmental sustainability, as well as community and bottom-up processes.”

Urban Developments & Initiatives category winner: 
Arnhem Central Station, Arnhem, The Netherlands by UNStudio

Masterplanned by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, the new Arnhem Central Station is a mass transit and mainline rail hub designed for mixed use and to integrate public space. 

Jury comment: “The impressive and unbending determination of Ben van Berkel and UNStudio to seeArnhem Central Station through a series of significant challenges all the way to completion is exemplary. The project demonstrates the necessity of continuous involvement and engagement for sustainable solutions.”

Applied Innovations category winner:
Warka Water, Dorso / Omo Valley, Ethiopia by Arturo Vittori

Designed by Italian architect Arturo Vittori, Warka Water serves as an alternative water source in Ethiopia's Dorso / Omo Valley region. The project offers a potential solution to the lack of accessible clean and secure water resources in rural regions of Africa. 

Jury comment: “The strong innovative aspect of the Warka Water project lies in its independent use of archaic knowledge combined with deep understanding of needs and context. To achieve simple and functional solutions for comprehensive problems takes time and intense research.”

Young Professionals special award:
Jianamani Visitor Center, Yushu, China by Atelier TeamMinus

“The modern Jianamani Visitor Center in Yushu engages closely with its historical Tibetan context by forging explicit links with the ancient local site intrinsic to Tibetan Buddhism.” 

Jury comment: “This was the first building to be erected after the 2010 earthquake, giving both employment and hope to the inhabitants of Yushu. [...] The Jianamani Visitor Center awakens hope for the future of architecture, defending the position that experimentation is not contradictory to contextual solutions.”

Honorable Mentions

Buildings category:
“Farming Kindergarten” by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Vietnam
“Jianamani Visitor Center“ by Atelier TeamMinus, China
“La Maison du Savoir“ by 03Baumschlager Eberle Architekten, Austria
“Transformation of 530 Dwellings“ by Anne Lacaton & Jean-Philippe Vassal with Fréderic Druot and Christophe Hutin architects, France

Urban Developments & Initiatives category:
“Empower Shack“ by Urban-Think Tank, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
“Recovery of the Irrigation System at the Thermal Orchards” by Cíclica [space·community ecology], Spain
“Sydney Park Water Re-use Project” by Turf Design Studio, Australia
“Urban Rigger“ by Kim Loudrup and Bjarke Ingels, Denmark

Applied Innovations category:
“3for2 Beyond Efficiency” by Architecture and Building Systems Research Group, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
“Hy-Fi” by The Living - David Benjamin, USA
“Mine the Scrap“ by Certain Measures, Germany
“From Solar Trees to Active Glass Facades” by Opvius GmbH, Germany

Young Professionals:
“3for2 Beyond Efficiency“ by Architecture and Building Systems Research Group, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
“Mine the Scrap“ by Certain Measures, Germany
“Nest We Grow – House of Food, for Food” by LIXIL International Student Architectural Competition, Japan, USA
“Salpi Industrial Factory“ by Enzo Eusebi + Partners, Italy