UIA 2030 Award Third Cycle: Championing Architecture for the UN 2030 Agenda

17 January 2026

By : ARC-84 / 0 Comments

On 16 January 2026, the International Union of Architects (UIA) in partnership with UN-Habitat announced the Stage 1 results of the Third Cycle of the UIA 2030 Award, revealing a shortlist of regional finalists from around the world. This biennial award was established in 2021 to promote the role of architecture in advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with particular focus on Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and the New Urban Agenda. By recognizing built projects that marry architectural excellence with measurable contributions to the SDGs, the Award spotlights how design can drive progress on issues like adequate housing, resilient infrastructure, and inclusive public spaces.

Organized in five cycles aligned with the World Urban Forum (WUF), the UIA 2030 Award runs through 2026 and beyond, ensuring ongoing alignment with global urban development discussions. The third cycle winners will be announced at WUF13 in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2026, with winning and commended projects to be showcased internationally. The Stage 1 shortlist marks an important midway milestone: these regional finalists have emerged from a rigorous first-round evaluation and now advance to a final round before winners are determined.

A Rigorous Two-Stage Selection Process

The submission process for the award underscores its high standards. Following a call launched on 29 July 2025, architects worldwide submitted completed projects (built within the last 5 years) for consideration. Entries were first reviewed regionally (Stage 1), reflecting the UIA’s five global regions (Western Europe, Eastern/Central Europe, The Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Africa). By the Stage 1 deadline (7 Nov 2025), hundreds of submissions poured in, showcasing diverse social and environmental contexts. An international jury then selected 1–3 Regional Finalists per category in each region, based on how well projects met the award criteria. Regional Finalists were announced in January 2026 (originally slated for late 2025) after careful deliberation.

In Stage 2, the shortlisted teams are now invited to provide more in-depth documentation, including short videos demonstrating the project in use and its context. They have until 6 March 2026 to submit these materials, which will illustrate how each project addresses specific SDG targets and principles of the New Urban Agenda in practice. The jury – composed of renowned architects and sustainability experts – will then evaluate the finalists and select one winner in each category, with other finalists receiving commendations. Winners will be unveiled at the award ceremony during WUF13 (18–22 May 2026). The stakes are high: beyond trophies, winners gain a global platform, with their work promoted across UIA and UN-Habitat channels and presented at the UIA World Congress in Barcelona 2026.

Six Categories Linking Design to the SDGs

One distinctive aspect of the UIA 2030 Award is its six award categories, each mapped to a specific sustainable development target. These categories illustrate the many facets of how architecture contributes to sustainable communities:

Ensure Water & Sanitation for All – Recognizes projects improving water quality, wastewater treatment, and reuse, aligning with SDG 6 Target 6.3. Example: A river restoration in China turned polluted waterways into green corridors.
Protect Labor Rights & Safe Work Environments – Rewards architecture that safeguards workers’ well-being (echoing SDG 8 Target 8.8). Example: A community project in Mexico providing dignified, safe housing for migrant workers.
Adequate, Safe & Affordable Housing – Celebrates housing solutions, slum upgrades, or urban regeneration that realize SDG 11 Target 11.1. Example: A slum redevelopment in India that transforms living conditions with participatory design.
Participatory, Land-Use Efficient & Inclusive Planning – Highlights projects enabling inclusive urban planning and efficient land use (SDG 11 Target 11.3). Example: A masterplan for an industrial precinct in Bangladesh emphasizing community input and land efficiency.
Access to Green & Public Space – Honors projects expanding safe, inclusive green and public spaces (SDG 11 Target 11.7). Example: A new urban park in Colombia that reclaimed underused land as a vibrant public realm.
Resilience to Climate-Related Disasters – Rewards designs that strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate risks (SDG 13 Target 13.1). Example: A flood-responsive landscape project in Spain mitigating urban flooding while creating public amenity.

Across all categories, submissions were judged on key criteria: building performance and impact (measurable benefits in use), design quality (architectural excellence in form, function, durability and context), and an integrated, holistic approach (from inclusive design processes to life-cycle sustainability). This means the jury looked not only at aesthetic or technical merit, but at how each work delivers lasting social and environmental value – truly “architecture as a tool for sustainable development.”

Stage 1 Shortlist: Five Regions, Global Talent

The Stage 1 Regional Finalists list paints an inspiring picture of geographic diversity and shared commitment to sustainability. In total, 35 projects from around 17 countries have been shortlisted, representing all five UIA regions. From sprawling megacities to smaller communities, these finalists demonstrate how architects everywhere are tackling local challenges in alignment with global goals. Notably, the jury ensured each award category had representation from multiple continents, underlining the universality of the SDG challenges.

Asia and the Pacific led the pack in this cycle’s shortlist. China in particular stands out with nine finalist projects – more than any other country – reflecting the country’s active engagement in sustainable urban initiatives. These include projects like river ecological restorations, village revitalizations and community centers, showcasing Chinese architects’ responses to water management and participatory planning. India also made a strong showing with five finalists, such as a public space initiative and an informal housing upgrade, underscoring India’s innovation in community-driven design. Other Asian finalists hail from Thailand (wastewater treatment park), Sri Lanka (heritage-minded urban renewal), Vietnam (a book street project), and Bangladesh (an industrial area masterplan), attesting to the region’s breadth of approaches.

Europe and the Middle East contributed a significant share of finalists as well. Spain appears with three projects (from social housing in Barcelona to a flood-adaptive park in Valencia), illustrating European leadership in climate resilience and housing design. Sweden’s entry – a ferry terminal park redevelopment – and two projects in Palestine (community gardens in Ramallah and Jenin) bring in Northern and Middle Eastern perspectives on public space and urban greening. Palestine’s presence in the list (with two finalists) is especially meaningful, highlighting local architects’ work in creating green oases amid dense cities. Additionally, Morocco earned a spot with the restoration of Agadir’s historic citadel, a project merging cultural heritage with resilience after an earthquake.

The Americas region is well represented too. Latin America saw countries like Mexico (two finalists, including a temporary housing project and a climate-adaptive urban plan) and Peru (two finalists, including a community school and an innovative housing prototype) make the list. From Colombia, a nature-infused park in Medellín’s hillsides earned recognition, while Uruguay contributed a Montevideo public space project reactivating a city square. Brazil’s finalist, a redesigned public square in São Paulo, demonstrates how even small urban interventions can foster social inclusion. Meanwhile in North America, the United States secured two finalists: a mixed-use affordable development in New York City and a coastal resiliency project in New York’s Rockaways. These U.S. projects underscore themes of equitable development and climate adaptation in an urban context.

Africa had a more modest presence – a point that observers note as an area for growth in future cycles. Only two African projects appear among the finalists: one in Morocco (the Agadir citadel restoration mentioned above) and one in Kenya. In fact, the Kenyan project – a community-centric health facility – is the sole Sub-Saharan African finalist to advance to Stage 2. This highlights both a regional underrepresentation and the importance of celebrating this achievement to inspire more submissions from Africa. Many have called for greater outreach and support to African architects to boost participation, as the continent’s cities face critical challenges that creative architecture can help address.

Regional Finalists by Country – UIA 2030 Award (3rd Cycle)

Country	# of Finalist Projects
China	9
India	5
Spain	3
Mexico	2
Peru	2
Palestine	2
USA	2
Colombia	1
Uruguay	1
Brazil	1
Sweden	1
Sri Lanka	1
Bangladesh	1
Thailand	1
Vietnam	1
Morocco	1
Kenya	1

Table: Countries represented among the Stage 1 finalists (with number of projects from each). The 35 finalists span 17 countries, reflecting broad geographic diversity. Notably, only one finalist is from Africa (Kenya), underscoring a current imbalance in regional representation.

The above lineup demonstrates that geographic diversity is at the heart of the UIA 2030 Award’s mission. From Europe’s historic cities to Asian megacities, Latin American communities and beyond, architects everywhere are contributing solutions. The finalists range from small grassroots projects to large-scale urban interventions, but all share a commitment to sustainable development. Jury members noted that despite different contexts, many projects converged on common values: working closely with communities, respecting local environments, and pushing the boundaries of design for social good.

Africa’s Pride: Nicholas Simwichi of Kenya on the Global Stage

Among the newly announced finalists, one name in particular is making waves in African architecture circles: Nicholas Simwichi of Kenya. Simwichi is the only African architect to reach the Stage 2 shortlist this cycle, earning him regional trailblazer status. His project, the Kahawa West Health Centre Improvement in Nairobi, Kenya, was selected as a finalist in Category 5: Access to Green and Public Space. It represents Africa’s sole project vying for the 2030 Award this cycle – a remarkable achievement that shines a spotlight on the continent’s contributions to sustainable design.

Nicholas Simwichi is a Nairobi-based architect known for his dedication to community-driven, contextually responsive design. Trained at the University of Nairobi’s Department of Architecture & Building Science, he came of age professionally amid Kenya’s dynamic urban and social landscape. After graduating, Simwichi gained experience on innovative projects that blend architecture with community development. He collaborated with international and local teams – notably including work with the Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), a non-profit design firm focused on underserved communities, and with Urko Sanchez Architects on sustainable building projects. His portfolio, though still early-career, already spans from designing a children’s educational campus in a forest to upgrading public spaces in informal settlements.

Simwichi’s design philosophy centers on the belief that architecture is a catalyst for social change. He advocates for participatory design processes and close collaboration across disciplines. “For success in the industry, architects, structural engineers, and service engineers should work collaboratively,” Simwichi noted at a recent professional forum. This ethos of teamwork and integration is evident in his projects, which often bring together architects, community members, engineers, and even artists. Simwichi also champions sustainability not as a luxury, but as a necessity in African contexts – emphasizing low-cost, locally-sourced materials and climate-responsive techniques to ensure projects are both affordable and resilient.

Profile of Nicholas Simwichi

Education & Training: B.Arch. from University of Nairobi; member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK). Early training grounded him in both design excellence and the pressing urban issues of Nairobi, from informal housing to infrastructure gaps.
Professional Work: Started his career working on community-centric projects. As part of Urko Sanchez Architects’ team, he contributed to the acclaimed Nairobi Waldorf School project, a semi-permanent, nature-integrated school campus that won a Holcim Foundation sustainability award. Simwichi was instrumental in designing the school’s “living walls” – translucent panels filled with local soil that allow plants and insects to inhabit them, merging architecture with ecology. This project exemplified his knack for innovative sustainable design and was celebrated for its low-impact, modular approach.
Community Design Leadership: At Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) Kenya, Simwichi worked on upgrading public spaces in Nairobi’s informal settlements. He served as project architect for KDI’s Urban Fabric Initiative in Kahawa Soweto, which aims to build communal infrastructure in underserved neighborhoods. Here, Simwichi helped co-design facilities like sanitation blocks, playgrounds, gardens and a community center in close partnership with local residents. This hands-on work reinforced his reputation as a “people-centered designer,” able to translate community needs into built form.
Design Philosophy: Simwichi believes architecture should “foster dignity, resilience, and hope” in communities. In line with UIA 2030 Award ideals, he measures success not just by visual appeal but by a project’s impact on people’s daily lives – whether it’s cleaner water, safer streets, or a greener environment. “Architecture isn’t just about buildings; it’s about improving how people experience their city,” he has expressed. This human-centric outlook drives his approach to sustainability: each design decision, from site planning to material choice, aims to improve social and environmental well-being holistically.

Kahawa West Health Centre Project – Healing by Design

Simwichi’s finalist project, the Kahawa West Health Centre Improvement, exemplifies his principles in action. Situated in Kahawa Soweto (a settlement in Nairobi), this project goes beyond a conventional healthcare facility. It transforms the grounds of a local clinic into a vibrant community hub, adding much-needed public space and amenities for both patients and residents. In collaboration with community groups and partners, Simwichi helped design a new “Green Alley” park within the health center compound, turning an underutilized area into a welcoming, healing environment.

Key features of the Kahawa West project include a healing garden and shaded playground for children, a cafeteria/canteen that provides healthy food for visitors, a breastfeeding room for mothers, and improved sanitation facilities – all integrated into the health center’s site. The design creates pockets of green space and seating where previously there were only barren grounds, thus offering comfort and dignity to those waiting for care. By opening the clinic’s premises to the community, the project also provides a new public space in a dense neighborhood that has few parks. It strikes a balance between serving healthcare needs and everyday social needs, illustrating the SDG principle that public health and public space go hand in hand.

Crucially, this project was co-created with the local community. Residents and clinic users were engaged throughout – from identifying needs to helping build and now manage the facilities. According to reports, community groups have taken ownership of operations like the café and play area, ensuring local employment and stewardship. This participatory approach not only empowered the community but also tailored the design to what people truly wanted, resulting in spaces that are well-used and loved. The project is part of a larger slum upgrading program (supported by organizations like the World Bank and AFD), positioning it as a pilot for how small-scale interventions can have outsized impact on urban well-being.

For Simwichi, the significance of this project is deeply personal and professional. It validates his conviction that even modest architectural works – a garden here, a bench there – can dramatically uplift quality of life. As the only sub-Saharan African finalist, he carries the hopes of a continent often underrepresented in global design awards. “It’s an honor to represent Kenya and Africa on this stage,” he wrote on social media, reflecting on the announcement. He also sees it as a chance to highlight the importance of designing for communities that are too frequently overlooked. In an interview, he noted that projects like Kahawa West show “the power of doing more with less – creating meaningful public spaces with limited means, through creativity and collaboration.” This ethos resonates widely in African cities where resources are scarce but the need for inclusive design is immense.

Simwichi’s achievement is being celebrated across Africa’s architectural community. The Architectural Association of Kenya praised him as “a standard-bearer for sustainable African architecture in action.” Fellow architects and students are inspired by his journey – from local training to global recognition – and by the project’s humble yet transformative nature. In a region where architects often face systemic challenges, Simwichi’s success sends a hopeful message: that local solutions, when guided by sustainable design and community input, can earn global acclaim and drive change at home.

Inspiring the Future: Reflections and Next Steps

The UIA 2030 Award Stage 1 results encapsulate a hopeful narrative: architects worldwide are rising to the challenge of the SDGs, delivering projects that merge beauty with purpose. The six categories of this award demonstrate that whether it’s water, work, housing, planning, public space or climate resilience, architecture has a pivotal role to play. As Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, has often stressed, achieving sustainable cities will require “rethinking the way we plan, build, and manage urban areas” – and these finalists are real-life examples of that rethinking.

Moving into Stage 2, the spotlight will intensify on these projects. The jury will scrutinize how they perform in use: Are they truly improving lives and environment as intended? The finalists’ upcoming video presentations will likely bring forward human stories – children playing in new parks, families with access to clean water, communities preserved from disasters – giving a face to the abstract SDG targets. Such stories make clear that architecture’s impact is ultimately measured by people’s experiences.

For Nicholas Simwichi, the next few months will be an exciting preparation for the final jury. Win or lose, his presence in the finals has already elevated the discourse about African urbanism and the need for greater support and recognition of design innovation across the continent. His journey underscores the importance of opportunities like the UIA 2030 Award to surface hidden gems from regions that global spotlights sometimes miss.

As the world awaits the winners to be revealed at the World Urban Forum in May, one cannot help but feel inspired. The UIA 2030 Award finalists are more than just excellent architectural projects – they are beacons of possibility. They show that by aligning creative design with the Sustainable Development Goals, we can tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time: from climate change to inequality. Each finalist, whether a modest health center in Nairobi or an ambitious river restoration in China, offers a lesson in how to build a better future.

In the words of UIA President José Luis Cortés, “ architects are not merely building structures; they are building the path to 2030.” The Stage 1 shortlist of the Third Cycle UIA 2030 Award vividly illustrates that path – one where innovation, inclusion, and sustainability walk hand in hand. The architecture and urbanism community will be watching closely as these projects continue their journey, hopeful that they will inspire many more around the globe to design with purpose and passion for “people, planet, and prosperity”.

Sources:

UIA – “UIA 2030 Award: Third Cycle” (Official Award Brief and Key Dates)
ArchDaily – “UIA 2030 Award Announces Regional Finalists of Its Third Cycle Across Five Global Regions” (News article by Reyyan Dogan, 16 Jan 2026)
Sciences Po Urban School – “Exploring Nairobi: A Hub of Urban Challenges and Innovations” (field report on Urban Fabric Initiative, Feb 2025)
Scholar Media Africa – “Security conference calls for cybercrime prevention” (mention of Nicholas Simwichi, Mar 2023)
Holcim Foundation – “Waldorf School, Nairobi – Regional Winner 2025” (Project description and team credits)
STIRworld – “‘Living walls’ add an interactive dimension to the Nairobi Waldorf School” (Interview with project team, Apr 2024)
LinkedIn (Joe Mulligan) – “Make It Until You Make It” (Project update on Kahawa West, Apr 2025)
UIA/UN-Habitat – Award Category Definitions and Criteria (Third Cycle)
UIA Press Release – Regional Finalists of Inaugural Cycle (background on award objectives)

Citations

UIA 2030 Award Announces Regional Finalists of Its Third Cycle Across Five Global Regions | ArchDaily

All Sources

archdaily uia-architectes researchgate scholarmedia awards.h…oundation stirworld linkedin sciencespo