Updated: Registration schedule has been updated for the 2022 Design Educates Awards (DEAwards). 

The Design Educates Awards (DEAwards) has launched its 2022 edition to recognize, showcase, and promote globally the best educational ideas and implementations of architecture and design. 

Design itself may provide an informative and educational layer that guides us through the increasing complexity of our environment. It can highlight specific possibilities and challenges, explain sociocultural factors and influences, or even outline new scenarios for future development. Each year, the esteemed panel of judges selects outstanding ideas and implementations in the categories of architectural design, product design, universal design, and responsive design.

You might be asking yourselves, "Do we really need another architecture and design competition?."

All architects and designers can register to the competition until 1 February, 2022, while project submissions will close on 2 February, 2022. 

World Architecture Community is official Media Partner for the 2022 Design Educates Awards and will share the results of the competition during this time. 

Winner for the year 2021 in architectural design: “Zheshui Natural Library” by LUO studio. Image © Jin Weiqi

Many architecture and design awards recognize and promote the “beauty” of successful design. But in the DEAwards, we wanted to go one step further. We do not just want to see aesthetically and technically pleasing designs—we want something that offers true added value. We want an additional benefit with long-term implications that considers the increasing complexity of our lives, both now and in the future, something that will have a lasting influence beyond the ever-present effects of design and architecture.

Visual arts and, even more obviously, language have long been accepted as forms of expression with social and even political impacts. But even design and architecture, although generally quieter disciplines, can communicate. In fact, they have an indisputably direct impact on the way we live together—on the “how” and the “where.” Complex technical relationships, ecological relationships, and operation manual communication allow the users of a building to speak to its architects, engineers, and owners, that is, the ethos on which this initiative is based. The DEAwards recognize even subtler forms of artistic communication. Yet despite their subtlety, these approaches can change our behavior—and thus the world—albeit quietly and gradually.

Awards

Laureates of the awards join an elite group of 116 members from 35 countries to date, are invited to present their designs during the awards ceremony in Germany, and are included in the book Design Educates. (So far, three editions of the ceremony have taken place, and three volumes of the book have been published.) The winners, laureates of prizes, honorable mentions, and nominations will be selected in each category: (1) architectural design, (2) product design, (3) universal design, and (4) responsive design. In addition to the general evaluation, the student project with the highest score will be awarded the label of Emerging Designers. Parallel to the jury’s evaluation, representatives of Solarlux will select the laureates of Solarlux Choice. 

The DEAwards are about building a community as well—a community of motivated, inspirational people using their ideas and designs to make our surroundings more functional and beautiful, safer, healthier, and more sustainable. All participants of the awards are invited to join the awards ceremony and Architecture in Foyer Conference to meet with other participants, jurors, and organizers. The benefits for laureates include the elements listed below (please remember that we will not charge you any hidden costs; the only cost of participation in the awards is during the registration of your entries, and all additional benefits are free of charge in edition 2022):

Inclusion in the book Design Educates

The laureates and winning entries are presented in the annual publication of Design Educates. The previous volumes of the book included information about the jurors and partners and also handwritten notes of inspiration on design, education, and innovation (prepared by the selected jurors). The book is a great way to present your success to possible clients and collaborators. Moreover, as a laureate, you will receive your copy of the book free of charge during the awards ceremony!

Golden Prize for the year 2021 in responsive design | Villa Ypsilon by LASSA Architects. Image © NAARO

Participation in the exhibition in Germany

Your design will be professionally presented in an annual exhibition in Germany, in Solarlux Campus, during the Architecture in Foyer Conference. The participants of the conference (including the other laureates, selected jurors, and other guests) are invited to witness the exhibition after the awards ceremony. It is a great way to network with other professionals and possible clients while showcasing and presenting your work.

Presentation of the design during the awards ceremony in Germany

During the awards ceremony (which takes place on the first day of the Architecture in Foyer Conference), you will be able to present yourself and your design while receiving your certificate onstage!

Certificates and winning labels to promote your success

You will receive the digital version of your certificate via e-mail and the printed version during the awards ceremony. The certificate is proof of your outstanding success, which you can easily use during your professional endeavors.

Gift certificate from v2com for the winners

You will receive a gift certificate to distribute one press kit on v2com newswire, the world’s largest specialized media network publishing the most prestigious architecture and design publications. 

Lifetime Winner title with press packages

All the benefits that the DEAwards offer are for life, and this will not ever change. Once you join the prestigious group of participants and laureates of the awards, you will always be able to use all related titles, labels, and certificates!

Promotion within the group of media sponsors and media supporters 

One of the most important benefits of the awards is the exposure to possible clients and collaborators. We are honored to work with such an amazing group of media partners and sponsors that help us promote the winning entries globally!

Financial awards for participants of student categories 

In addition to all benefits mentioned above, the laureates of the Emerging Designers label (individual students or teams of students who received the highest ranks during the jurors’ evaluation) will be provided an additional financial compensation of $1,000.

Winner for the year 2021 in product design and Emerging designers 2021: “GoRolloe” by Kristen Tapping. Image by Kristen Tapping

Ceremony

The awards ceremony will take place during the Architecture in Foyer 2022 worldwide conference at the Solarlux Campus in Germany (Melle, Lower Saxony, Germany) from September 22–23, 2022. The conference will be hosted by Solarlux GmbH (the strategic partner of the awards) and will consist of an exhibition of the results of the DEAwards, lectures by distinguished architects and designers, laureates’ presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities. Participation in the awards ceremony is free of charge (registration is required). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, interested parties must follow updates about the event on the official website.

Book 

The laureates of the awards and the winning designs are presented in the book Design Educates along with the members of the jury and introductions by the curators and directors of the awards. The book presents the comments of the jurors on the aspects of design, education, and innovation. Find more at Design Educates Awards. 

Image courtesy of DEAwards.

Jury

The Jury of the edition 2022 has been joined by among others:

Prof. Toyo Itō (Architect, Toyo Ito & Associates, Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize)

Jette Cathrin Hopp (Architect, Director of Acquisition & Business Development Snøhetta),

Prof. Winy Maas (Architect, Founding Partner and Principal Architect of MVRDV)

Jakob Lange (Architect, Partner at BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and Head of the BIG Ideas)

Julie Payette (Publicist, Founding Partner of v2com newswire)

Doris Sung (Architect, Director of UG Programs and Assoc Prof USC,  Principal, DOSU studio) 

Prof. Masayo Ave (Industrial designer, educator, founder of MasayoAve Creation)

David Basulto (Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-chief of ArchDaily)

Maria Aiolova (Designer, Global Principal at AECOM and Co-Founder of Terreform ONE)

Prof. Mark L. Gardner (Architect, Principal at Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects (J/GA), Assistant Professor Parsons the New School) 

Prof. Alan Pert (Director, University of Melbourne School of Design, Australia)

Prof. Ranjana Dani (Designer, MIT Institute of Design, Graphic Design Dep., India)

Aidin Ardjomandi (Industrial designer, manager of events in Istituto di Moda Burgo Qatar, founder of Ardjou Design Studio)

Dr. Peter Kuczia (Architect, Designer, Initiator of the Design Educates Awards)

And more! 

The previous panels have been joined by among others: 

Prof. Alison Brooks (Architect, principal and creative director at Alison Brooks Architects)

Prof. Farshid Moussavi (Architect, Professor in practice at Harvard GSD, Founder of FMA)

Prof. Barbara Holzer (architect, lecturer, cofounder and director of Holzer Kobler Architekturen)

Prof. Ben van Berkel (Founder of UNStudio, Visiting Professor at Harvard University’s GSD)

Hani Rashid (Architect, designer, co-founder of Asymptote, Head of Studio_Hani Rashid)

Prof. Mikala Holme Samsøe (architect, urban planner, lecturer, founder of Samsøe og)

Amandus Samsøe Sattler (architect, founding partner at Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten)

Stefan Behnisch (Architect, philosopher, founding partner of Behnisch Architekten)

Prof. Shingo Ando (designer, educator, professor at Kyoto Arts and Crafts University)

The full list of juries is listed on the website of the awards. 

Golden Prize of the year 2021 in universal design |Braille meets emoticons - a visual language for visually impaired by Walda Verbaenen. Image © Walda Verbaenen

Schedule

Registration opens in September 2021

Early registration: until October 1, 2021

Regular registration: until December 1, 2021

Late registration: until February 1, 2022

Project submission deadline: February 2, 2022

Jury deliberation: February 2022

Announcement of winners: The first week of March 2022

Awards ceremony 2022 (expected date): September 22–23, 2022 

UTC time zone for all dates. 

Please follow the official website of the awards for possible changes in the schedule.

Join

The DEAwards are open to everyone. To join the awards, please proceed to the User Panel (https://profile.designeducates.com/login). In the User Panel, you can register for the awards, prepare drafts of your submissions, make registration payments, and see the list of your submissions. The awards are a multidisciplinary call for ideas and implementations in the categories of (1) architectural design, (2) product design, (3) universal design, and (4) responsive design. Descriptions of all categories are available in the About section of the official website. 

Participants may submit multiple projects. There is no limit in the number of participants per team. Individual entries are allowed. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged to join. The theme of the awards is inspired by the research titled “Educating Buildings” (“Bildende Bauten”) by Dr. Peter Kuczia. Entries will be evaluated based on the following criteria: overall idea and implementation, potential for educational influence, effectiveness and quality of the informative layer, aesthetics, quality of presentation, visionary approach, originality, feasibility, and comprehensiveness. The submitted ideas should refer to the competition theme and highlight the educational potential of design.

Participation fees

The registration fees (specified on the website) support the statutory activity of the Laka Foundation (non-governmental &  non-profit organization). At the Design Educates Awards, we will never charge you any hidden costs. The only fee is the registration fee which is visible during the registration and User Panel. If you decide to submit more entries, discounts are applicable (you will see the amount of the discount during the registration).

Organizer and Partners

Organizer: The host of the DEAwards is Laka Foundation (nonprofit and nongovernmental organization).

Contact the organizer at [email protected].

Top image courtesy of DEAwards.

> via DEAwards