NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF) has announced the 15th edition of the ADF Design Award 2025, an international design competition that it organizes. 

Applications for awards will be accepted from Thursday, August 15, 2024, through Friday, December 20, 2024 (JST). 

A total of about US$50,000 will be awarded, including a Grand Prize of US$30,000 and two Awards of Excellence, each worth US$5,000 from all categories.

The Grand and Excellence Award winners will also receive an additional prize: they will be able to display their artwork at the ADF location in Fuori Salone during the Milano Salone Internazionale del Mobile, which is set to take place in April 2025 and is the largest furniture trade show in the world. 

Additionally, they will be invited to a reception party and have additional opportunities for interaction with interested parties. The winners will also be on display at COCO WARP, the ADF-run Metaverse Museum, and at the ADF gallery in Aoyama, Tokyo. An excellent chance to present your architectural design work to a global audience is the ADF Design Award. The moment the decision is made, the jury for the awards will be revealed.

The ADF Design Award seeks to educate those who are unaware of design by identifying and honoring the most innovative and exceptional designs from around the globe. We place more emphasis on the ideas and methods of creation than just the aesthetic appeal of the design. The ADF Design Award is seeking submissions that push us to innovate and set entirely new standards in design while improving people's lives and the environment.

World Architecture Community is official Media Partner of Aoyama Design Forum.

ADF Design Award 2024 "La Carboneria (House Tarrago)" / Office for Strategic Space Application Guidelines

Application period 

August 15, 2024 - December 20, 2024 (JST)

Url: https://9154.evalato.com/

Categories

- Hospitality: hotel, casino, theme park, pavilion

- Commercial & Office: shopping center, department store, office building

- Housing Complex: non-private residence, non-interior

- Education & Sports: school, research facility, stadium

- Cultural Buildings: theater, library, museum, art gallery, hospital

- Public Architecture: public facilities, airport, station, port

Juries: TBA

2022 award-winning work “The beauty of wasting” by Lisa Ogawa and Tomomi Kawashima. Image © Lisa Ogawa and Tomomi Kawashima, courtesy of ADF

Criteria

Beauty: Artistic value in shape, color, detailing, and material selection

Innovation: Responding to social changes, using new materials, innovative construction processes, and pioneering designs. Innovation is a challenge within limited conditions

Usefulness: The architecture and building is beneficial and sustainable for its users and the environment

Regional / Cultural / Chronological: The architecture and building blends with and differentiates itself from the region, and its superficial beauty fits with the times and cultural context.

2021 award-winning work by Takuto Ohta. Image © Takuto Ohta, courtesy of ADF

Submission

Design Proposal: Design concept, materials, and details (A4 size, no more than 5 pages in PDF format) *Resolution of 300 dpi or higher, file size of 10M or less, font size of 11pt or higher

Curriculum Vitae (maximum of 5 pages in A4 horizontal PDF format).

Prize

Grand Award: US$30,000 (1 work from all categories)

Excellence Award: US$5,000 (2 works from all categories)

There may be a case that some awards are considered as "not applicable".

2023 award-winning work Kazuhiko Masuko & Mikami Architects / Oshida Architects. Image courtesy of ADF

Supplemental Prize

The Grand Award and Excellence Award winners will have their works exhibited at the ADF venue in Fuori Salone during the "Milano Salone (Salone Internazionale del Mobile)"

Aoyama Design Forum will cover up to USD 1,000 for set-up costs

The winners will have the opportunity to be exhibited at the Metaverse Museum "COCO WARP" run by ADF

The winners will have the opportunity to be exhibited at the ADF gallery space in Aoyama, Tokyo

The grand prize winner will receive PR support from the ADF Business Matching Division for one year

Entry Work: Completed work within 3 years

2020 award-winng work, “CYLINDER × MATERIAL" by Rie Aruga. Image © Rie Aruga, courtesy of ADF

Eligibility

Individuals or groups (up to one work per group)

Any nationality

Must be a member of ADF (No fee is required to join)

Application fee: Free

Announcement Of Results: March 12, 2025

Language: English

Contact: For further questions about the Award, please reach out to [email protected].

NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF)

As a non-profit organization founded in 2009 in Japan, ADF (NPO Aoyama Design Forum) works to elevate the status and provide training for designers all over the world. The ADF has been collaborating closely with numerous design and architect associations worldwide since its founding. 

Top image courtesy of ADF.

> via ADF

ADF Design Award Aoyama Design Forum