In a series celebrating BD’s Architect of the Year Awards finalists, we look at the WA100 International Architect of the Year shortlist
Earlier this year BD announced all the architects who made it on to the shortlists for our prestigious annual Architect of the Year Awards.
Now we are shining the spotlight on each category in turn and publishing a selection of the images that impressed the judges.
This year’s judges include: Yẹmí Aládérun, head of development, Meridian Water (Enfield Council); Amr Assaad, director, Buckley Gray Yeoman; Lee Bennet, partner, Sheppard Robson; Sarah Cary, chief development officer, White City at Imperial; Ben Derbyshire, chair, HTA Design LLP; Martyn Evans, creative director, U+I; Dicle Guntas, managing director, HGG London; Gavin Hale-Brown, director, Henley Halebrown; Tanvir Hasan, director emeritus, Donald Insall Associates; Lee Higson, board director, Eric Parry Architects; David Kohn, founder and director, David Kohn Architects; Oliver Lowrie, director and founder, Ackroyd Lowrie; Anna Mansfield, director, Publica; Jo McCafferty, director, Levitt Bernstein; Ian McKnight, director, Hall McKnight; John McRae, director, Orms; Andrew Mellor, partner, PRP; Sadie Morgan, director, dRMM; Setareh Neshati, director of regeneration and development – delivery and operations, Westminster City Council; David Partridge, co-founder, Senze; Manisha Patel, director, kpk Studios; Sarah Robinson, associate director, The King’s Foundation; Simon Saint, principal, Woods Bagot; Philippa Simpson, director for buildings and renewal, Barbican Centre; David Stansfield, senior partner, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios; Amin Taha, director, Groupwork; Magali Thomson, project lead for placemaking, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Ola Uduku, head of school, Liverpool School of Architecture; Tatiana von Preussen, co-founder, vPPR; Richard Wardle, director, Stanton Williams.
Today’s shortlist is for WA100 International Architect of the Year.
DNA Barcelona Architects
The Spanish practice specialises in large-scale architectural works and luxury projects. Its entry features two Mexico projects. Hotel Franciscana is ongoing in Valladolid’s historic centre, and ‘redefines luxury by integrating colonial architecture with modern sensibilities’, according to the practice. In Tulum, the completed Amira District is a luxury residential development with interconnected pools, rooftop lounges and yoga decks, designed to create a wellness-oriented sanctuary.
FaulknerBrowns
Founded in 1962, FaulknerBrowns is an international design studio with offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, Dublin and Vancouver. The practice’s entry reflects its expertise in sports and leisure buildings. Showcased projects include Sportcentrum Zanderij, a multifunctional sports facility set within a woodland site in Ermelo, the Netherlands, and two ongoing schemes: a National Cricket Centre in Ireland and the Coronation Park Velodrome in Edmonton, Canada. In Latvia, it is masterplanning a mixed-use redevelopment of the Riga waterfront.
INI Design Studio
The multidisciplinary practice has nine offices across India, with over 850 million m² of built and ongoing works globally. Its entry ranges in scale from a net-zero individual residence to a 907-acre urban masterplan for Rajkot Smart City. In Uttarakhand, it has designed a masterplan for the regeneration of Kedarnath, a pilgrimage town which suffered catastrophic floods in 2013. The project aims to restore sanctity while embedding climate-resilient infrastructure and inclusive access.
Kettle Collective
Three Middle East projects comprise the entry from Kettle Collective, which has studios across four countries.
The Tilal Al Ghaf Juma Mosque, completed last year in Dubai, is described by the practice as reimagining spiritual architecture through a modern Islamic lens. In Muscat, the Opera District masterplan aims to create a landmark waterfront destination adjacent to the Royal Opera House. A competition scheme for an office building at Madinat Al Irfan, Oman, completes the entry.
Sanjay Puri Architects
The Mumbai practice describes itself as committed to ‘socially responsive, contextually rooted, and environmentally conscious design’. Four projects in India are showcased. The colourful Shree Town housing in Raipur references the organic housing layouts of traditional Indian cities and villages. In Rajasthan, the Nokha Village Community Centre has a swirling design inspired by sand dunes and traditional courtyards. The entry also features the Zen Spaces house in Jaipur and Akshaya 27, an 8,000 m² office building in Chennai.
>> Also read: UK Design Capital of the Year: How Cambridge is planning for a denser, more connected future
>> Also read: UK Design Capital of the Year: How Glasgow is setting new standards for sensitive regeneration
Postscript
The Architect of the Year Awards are on Wednesday, 15 October 2025 at the Marriott Grosvenor Square, Grosvenor Sq, London, W1K 6JP.
Book your place here.
No comments yet