WAF 2022 Special Prizes finalists announced, ahead of this year's festival which takes place in Lisbon from 30 November – 2 December.

WAF 2022 Special Prizes finalists are selected from across the greater WAF Awards shortlist to shine a light on the submissions that exhibit an outstanding use of Engineering, Colour, Natural Light and Certified Timber, as well as the best Small Project of the Year Prize.

This year sees two inaugural new prizes, The Futureglass Prize supported by Aestech and The Royal Fine Art Commission Trust International Building Beauty Prize supported by Ballymore.

Best Use of Colour Prize

The Best Use of Colour Prize celebrates the creative use of colour in , both inside and out. The eight WAF 2022  finalists for the Prize employ bright and bold colours innovatively to catch the eye, to provide a wayfinding tool or to create joyful spaces for its users. The shortlisted projects are:

  • Hong Ngoc Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital by MPN + Partners
  • Holland Casino Venlo by
  • Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Entrepreneurship zone by Hongkong Huayi Design Consultants (S.Z) Ltd.
  • The Docks by Meixner Schlüter Wendt
  • Harvard University District Energy Facility by Leers Weinzapfel Associates with RMF Engineering (MEP) and Thornton Tomasetti (Structural)
  • Sasipawan Wisdom Center by Architects 49 Limited
  • John Lewis Elementary School by Perkins Eastman DC
  • Meadowbank Schools by

Best Use of Certified Timber Prize supported by the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

This Prize is supported by the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). A special jury including a PEFC representative have identified entries which have used certified timber in an innovative, educational or artistic manner. The eight finalists for the Timber Prize represent a mix of the world's largest timber buildings and smaller structures that reflect local culture through the use of traditional materials, both embracing how wood can be used to push the envelope of modern construction. The shortlisted projects are:

  • Sara Culture Centre by
  • The Alice Hawthorn by
  • Paseo Mallorca 15 by
  • HAUT Amsterdam by Architecture
  • EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin by Architekten
  • Eric Tweedale Stadium by dwp | design worldwide partnership
  • Timber Bridge in Gulou Waterfront by LUO studio
  • Växjö train station and town hall by

Engineering Prize

The esteemed Engineering Prize is awarded by a specialist jury to a project that marries great architecture and engineering to push the envelope in building design. The nine finalist projects showcase the most striking, unique and sophisticated structures, whose complex engineering enhance the user experience and provide sustainable solutions in an ambitious way. The shortlisted projects for WAF 2022 Enginneering Prize are:

  • Expo 2020 Thematic Districts by
  • The St. Regis Chicago by
  • Orange Village – Headquarters by Koffi & Diabaté Architectes
  • Quay Quarter Tower by 3XN
  • Secure Sanand by Studio SAAR
  • Westfield Mall of the Netherlands by MVSA BV
  • SoFi Stadium by
  • Parkade of the Future by 5468796 Architecture + Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning
  • Paddington Elizabeth Line station by Weston Williamson + Partners

Small Project of the Year Prize

The Small Project of the Year Prize is awarded to the best completed project that is small for its type. These finalist projects represent the ingenuity and craftsmanship of architects designing within restricted parameters.  The Prize celebrates projects small in scale but big on innovation. The shortlisted projects are:

  • Denis Goldberg House of Hope by noero architects
  • Ravenscar House by Patterson Associates
  • The Moving Kitchen by JC Architecture
  • Palanga Goat Shelter by Erginoglu & Calislar Architects
  • The Chamber Church by Büro Ziyu Zhuang
  • Yao-Fang-Men Park Church by SUYI and W2 Architects
  • Kings Langley Cricket Club and Amenities by Eoghan Lewis Architects
  • Dining Space at DevaDhare by Play Architecture

Best Use of Natural Light Prize supported by VELUX

The Best Use of Natural Light Prize, supported by VELUX, recognizes the best use of natural light in completed buildings in particular to enhance human well-being, performance and joy. The eight projects shortlisted for this Prize are all public and semi-public spaces, designed to maximise natural daylight to engage with their surroundings and create dynamic spaces for their visitors. The shortlisted projects are:

  • Sara Culture Centre by White Arkitekter AB
  • University of Warwick Faculty of Arts by
  • Jakoba Mulderhuis by
  • Dobra 55: The Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics building by Kuryłowicz & Associates
  • Pingtan Children Library by Condition_Lab
  • Paddington Elizabeth Line station by Weston Williamson + Partners
  • Agrotopia by van Bergen Kolpa architects + META architectuurbureau
  • Dining Space at DevaDhare by Play Architecture

The Futureglass Prize supported by Aestech

Including both completed and future projects The Futureglass Prize, supported by Aestech, is awarded to the project that best demonstrates new ways in which glass and glass technology can be deployed. The finalists for the inaugural Prize range from chameleonic glass-paneled buildings to innovative glass interventions in existing structures, showcasing the breadth of how glass and glass technology can be used in new and inventive ways. The shortlisted projects are:

  • Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen by
  • Australia 108 by Fender Katsalidis
  • The Burrell Collection by
  • Biodome Science Museum by KANVA
  • Heper Lighting Factory by Yazgan Design Architecture
  • A2A Headquarters by ACPV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel
  • Core Wynwood by
  • 14A Konstitucijos Avenue by
  • Agrotopia by van Bergen Kolpa architects + META architectuurbureau

This year celebrates the inaugural Royal Fine Art Commission Trust International Building Beauty Prize supported by Ballymore, this Prize will be awarded to a completed building which ‘raises the spirits' through architecture. The finalists will be announced within the coming weeks.

WAF 2022 Special Prizes finalists will go on to compete live at WAF Lisbon and the overall winner of each will be revealed at the Gala Dinner.

Other WAF 2022 finalists to be announced at WAF include The Lisbon Prize, which is supported by kreon to recognise and celebrate the best building in the city WAF is being held, The Visualisation Prize, supported by Lumion which celebrates this year's best architectural render, WAFX, which celebrates the best of this year's future projects, and The Architecture Drawing Prize, curated by Make Architects, Sir John Soane's Museum and WAF, and supported by Iris Ceramica Group.

Looking forward to see all these amazing project presentations at 2022 in Lisbon in December!