Why enter the AR Future Project awards?
- All entries will be published in the AR Future Projects catalogue distributed to all AR subscribers
- All entries will be reviewed by an international judging panel and there will be one winner per category as well as an overall winner
- The overall winner will receive £1,500 of prize money
- Winners of the prizes for student projects, unsuccessful competition entries and ideas for sustainable research and development will receive £500 each
- All entries will be featured in a gallery on the AR Future Projects website.
- All winning projects will be promoted on the AR website, emails and via social media, which have a following of over a million readers worldwide
- All winners will receive a winners’ pack including a trophy, certificate, catalogue, winners’ badge and press release
- All winners will be invited to a celebratory event and winners’ lunch during Salone del Mobile, Milan in April 2027.
Who can enter?
For the 14 future project categories below, architects, developers, funders, contractors and anyone else who can demonstrate their involvement in the project that is being submitted is welcome to enter. Both the name of the architect and the name of the client will need to be provided when filling in the entry form
For the student prize, we accept finished projects from students who graduated after 1 January 2026, completing their masters, RIBA Part 2, or equivalent in that year
For the competition entry prize, we accept unsuccessful proposals submitted to an architecture competition that announced its results after 1 January 2026. These can’t have won or been commended in the competition, and should be entered by one of their authors
For the sustainable research and design prize, we accept ideas to improve the environmental performance of the construction industry. These ideas can be on the drawing board, at prototyping stage or currently being tested on site, and can be entered by one of their authors.
What can be entered?
Projects on the drawing board or at an early stage of construction (expected completion date should be after 1 June 2027) that have a client associated with them and fit one of the following 14 categories – please note that, for all categories, it is very important for the judges to understand the context in which the scheme will be built, and judges reserve the right to change the category of entries without informing the entrant
Civic and community
This category covers a range of buildings which are commissioned and/or occupied by a public authority, or are example of buildings where the use will be primarily determined by local need. At one end of the scale could be major projects like town halls or civic offices, but smaller public amenities and spaces or building for community uses are also eligible.
Commercial mixed use
This category is for buildings and groups of buildings where at least three different uses have been incorporated into a development in significant quantities – cultural elements could be included provided the overall quantum of the proposal is commercial. Judges will be interested in how the whole adds up to more than the sum of the parts, and how the mix of uses is integrated into a successful overall design.
Cultural regeneration
This category includes significant cultural projects which seek to improve and enhance their surroundings – at the scale of the neighbourhood, the urban quarter or the city – including museums, galleries, concert halls, theatres and opera houses.
Education
We are looking for nurseries, primary and secondary schools, university buildings and campuses as well as any spaces for teaching and learning housed outside institutions. Single buildings or larger developments with education at their core are all eligible.
Hotels and leisure
Hotels, swimming pools, bars, restaurants, casinos and other tourist attractions are welcome in this category, which may also include a mix of uses where leisure is the primary driver. Judges will be interested in the potential customer experience, as well as intelligent planning and striking display.
Health
Hospitals, clinics, dispensaries and other medical centres as well as nursing homes are all eligible in this category, which may also include a mix of uses where healthcare is the primary focus. Judges will be particularly sensitive to environments that are conducive to patient recovery and that guarantee the wellbeing of all users.
Housing
Entries should comprise apartment blocks or groups of houses – but not one-off houses. Judges will be looking for convincing site planning, careful gradation from domestic to semi-private spaces as well as wider contribution to the local environment. Please submit housing proposals, NOT single-family houses.
Infrastructure
This category includes airports, bridges, rail and mass transit hubs, metro and underground stations, pedestrian and water-related projects. Judges will pay close attention to how these pieces of infrastructure help connect points on the map and improve users’ everyday life.
New and old
This category is for projects that exploit, enhance or extend existing buildings, with no specificity of programme. Judges will be interested in the potential of the revitalised space and in the dialogue between new and old elements.
Offices
Judges will be looking for evidence of how the proposal creates a pleasant environment in which workplace productivity can flourish. Single buildings or larger developments where offices are the primary building type are all eligible.
Regeneration and masterplanning
Entries in this category will involve long-term masterplans intended to transform and improve a large site, neighbourhood or urban quarter, where generations of inhabitants will enjoy a well-planned new or renewed environment. Judges will be looking for evidence of environmental, economic and social benefits to demonstrate how the project will work in the round and why it will last.
Retail
Shopping centres, department stores, superstores, malls, significant shops or groups of shops can enter this category. Judges will be interested in new approaches to retail, striking display and customer experience.
Sports
Stadiums, sports centres, swimming pools and other sports facilities are included in this category, as well as projects that include sports as a primary programme.
Tall buildings
This category includes all towers – residential, commercial or other – of more than 20 storeys. Judges will be interested in the elegance of appearance and structure, the clarity and logic of planning, and how the tower contributes to the skyline and to street life at ground level. Buildings have to be more than 20 storeys, but there are no restrictions of programme.
We are also interested in unbuilt and speculative work as well ideas that are currently being tested and investigated:
Student prize
Architecture school provides young architects with an infinite playing field onto which to speculate, whether critically commenting on the world we live or imagining better tomorrows. This prize will be awarded to a 2026 graduate for a project that is propositional, experimental and radical.
Competition entry prize
Unsuccessful competition entries should not be thrown into the bin. This prize seeks to recognise work and ideas that were dismissed by the judging panel of a design competition after 1 January 2026, but that architects can learn and draw inspiration from.
Sustainable research and design prize
The built environment generates nearly 50 per cent of annual global CO2
emissions. Launched last year, this prize is looking for innovative uses of materials and new construction techniques, for ideas around the reduction of architectural waste and more sustainable design methodologies. The winner will receive £500.
How much does it cost to enter?
Future Projects categories
Early bird price (submitted by 9 October): £549 +VAT
Standard entry price (submitted between 10 October and 13 November): £599 +VAT
Late entry price (submitted between 14 November and 4 December): £649 +VAT
If you're making more than one category entry, each additional entry will only be charged at 50%. To make that saving, please contact Prudence Fabre on +44 (0)203 953 2914 or prudence.fabre@emap.com.
Price saving example for Future Projects categories:
1x entry £599
2 x entries £898.50
3 x entries £1,198
Future Projects student prize:
Early bird price (submitted by 9 October): £25 +VAT
Standard entry price (submitted between 10 October and 13 November): £49 +VAT
Late entry price (submitted between 14 November and 4 December): £75 +VAT
Future Projects Competition entry and Sustainable research and design prizes:
Early bird price (submitted by 9 October): £49 +VAT
Standard entry price (submitted between 10 October and 13 November): £100 +VAT
Late entry price (submitted between 14 November and 4 December): £149 +VAT
Please note that 20% VAT will be applied to the basket for UK practices. Note - please use the same contact details on your entry submission that match the name on your debit/credit card.
Final entry deadline: 4 December 2026
How to enter
Read the entry criteria below
- Register your details online – you will receive an email. Click on the link to validate your account or add the validation code. You will need to do this before you can complete your entries.
- Submit your entry via the online entry form. Your entry should consist of:
- two A2 boards, uploaded as two separate PDF files containing compressed images – files should not exceed 12Mb and boards need to be anonymous, otherwise they may be disqualified
- a 200-word summary of your project, written in English – this text will be used for editorial coverage, so please ensure all important information (including project name, practice name, client name, project city and country) is included
- four high-resolution JPEG images – two portrait and two landscape, 300mm on the long side at 300dpi and in CMYK
To submit your entry, agree to the terms and conditions then click the COMPLETE button at the bottom of the page.
- Login at any time to finish your entry. If you forget your password, please use the reset password link on the login page.
Please note