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Highlighting Architecture and Design with Social and Environmental Impact
The winners of the 2026 AZ Awards have been announced, offering a snapshot of the projects, products and ideas shaping contemporary architecture and design around the world. Revealed on May 28 at the AZ Awards Gala held at Toronto's St. Lawrence Market North, this year's honourees reflect a growing emphasis on environmental responsibility, social engagement and material innovation.
The international roster of winners spans Canada, Japan, China, Denmark and the United States. Among the recognized projects are MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects' Hilltop Cottage in New Brunswick, Daily tous les jours' interactive installation Human Perches in Quebec, and Lebel & Bouliane's Durham Spine & Pain Institute in Ontario.
Architecture - Residential Houses
Winner: Hilltop Cottage by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, New Brunswick, Canada
Photo credit: Matthew MacKay-Lyons
Architecture -
EXPERIENTIAL INSTALLATIONS
Winner: Human Perches by Daily tous les jours, St Jude, Canada
Photo credit: Olivier Blouin
Interiors -
HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS
Winner: Durham Spine & Pain Institute by Lebel & Bouliane, Ajax, Canada
Photo credit: Doublespace
Several firms received recognition for multiple contributions. Copenhagen-based SLA was honoured both for Grønningen-Bispeparken, a landscape project that enhances urban biodiversity, and for its proposal—developed with Arcadis—to reimagine Toronto's David Crombie Park. Toronto firm MJMA was also recognized for the Hiwa Recreation Centre in New Zealand, where experiential wayfinding plays a central role in shaping the visitor experience.
Landscape Architecture
Winner and People's Choice: Grønningen-Bispeparken by SLA, Copenhagen, Denmark
Photo credit:
SLA
Urban Design -
MASTERPLANS AND PROPOSALS
Winner and People's Choice: David Crombie Park by SLA and Arcadis with Tawaw Architecture Collective, Toronto, Canada
Photo credit: SLA
EXPERIENTIAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
Winner: Hiwa Recreation Centre by MJMA Architecture & Design with Haumi and Warren and Mahoney Architects, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand)
Photo credit: Scott Norsworthy
A notable theme among this year's winners is the use of architecture as a tool for social inclusion. Michael Maltzan Architects' 26 Point 2 Apartments in Long Beach, California, and the Toronto project 1120 Ossington by mcCallumSather and Smart Density were both celebrated for creating dignified, identity-rich housing environments for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.
Architecture -
MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
Winner: 26 Point 2 Apartments by Michael Maltzan Architecture, Long Beach, U.S.
Photo credit: Iwan Baan
SOCIAL GOOD
Winner: 1120 Ossington by mcCallumSather and Smart Density, Toronto, Canada
Photo credit: Liron Weissman
Mass timber also emerged as a defining material across several winning projects. Montgomery Sisam's Koffler Scientific Reserve and Moriyama Teshima Architects' Limberlost Place in Ontario demonstrate new possibilities for timber construction at different scales, while OOTT's Three Roofs Timber Hall in Nagano explores innovative architectural expression through wood.
Architecture - Buildings over 1000 SQM
Winner & People's Choice: University of Toronto Koffler Scientific Reserve by Montgomery Sisam Architects, King City, Canada
Photo credit: Doublespace
ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP
Winner and People's Choice: Limberlost Place by Moriyama Teshima with Acton Ostry Architects Toronto, Canada
Photo credit: Doublespace
BUILDINGS UNDER 1,000 SQM
Winner: Three Roofs Timber Hall by OOTT, Nagano, Japan
Photo credit: Tatsuya Tabii
In addition to the jury-selected winners, AZURE recognized recipients of its People's Choice awards, chosen through an online public vote. The publication also announced the winners of its Emerging Awards, which spotlight promising talent across disciplines. This year's recipients are AAmp in Architecture, By Lemoignan in Interiors and Smallmediumlarge in Industrial Design. The full list of winners will appear in the Summer 2026 issue of Azure magazine.
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- Architecture – ADAPTIVE RE-USE Winner: The Art Chapel by PLAIN Design Build, FACT and Actual Architecture Company, Lincoln, U.S. Photo credit: Walker Pickering
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- Architecture – ADAPTIVE RE-USE Winner: Jiangnan House Yangzhou Guangling by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio and AESEU, Yangzhou, China Photo credit: XIA ZHI Pictures
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- Design – SINGLE-PIECE FURNITURE Winner: Petit Rond Series by Troels Grum-Schwensen for FRAMA Photo credit: Courtesy of FRAMA
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- Design – FURNITURE SYSTEMS AND COLLECTIONS Winner & People’s Choice: Kobold by Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset Photo credit: Courtesy of Erwan Bouroullec
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- Design – LIGHTING FIXTURES Winner: Liiu by VANTOT for Luceplan Photo credit: VANTOT
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- Design – LIGHTING SCHEMES Winner: Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany by Licht Kunst Licht Photo credit: HGEsch
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- Design – INTERIOR PRODUCTS Winner: Technicolour Collection by Peter Saville for Kvadrat Photo credit: N/A
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- Interiors – RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS Winner and People’s Choice: Pine Island Cottage by Thom Fougere Studio and Bureau Tempo, Georgian Bay, Canada Photo credit: Alex Lesage
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- Interiors – RETAIL & HOSPITALITY Winner: Monos New York Mercer Flagship by Bernard Dubois Architect, New York, U.S. Photo credit: Angela Hau
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- Interiors – WORKSPACE Winner (tie): Office Renovation in OCT Loft by ARC Z, Shenzhen, China Photo credit: Chen Hao
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- Interiors – WORKSPACE Winner (tie): BESTSECRET by HENN, Munich, Germany Photo credit: Mark Seelen
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- CONCEPTS Winner: $2,500 Vernacular Home by XYLab, Para Dash, Bangladesh Photo credit: Xinyun Li
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- Urban Design – BUILT DEVELOPMENTS Winner and People’s Choice: The Legacy of the Paris 2024 Games: from the Athletes’ Village to a New Living District by PPX Architectes, L’Île-Saint-Denis, France Photo credit: Sergio Grazia
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- Urban Design – INTERVENTIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE Winner: Luther George Park Performance Pavilion by Trahan Architects, Springdale, U.S. Photo credit: Tim Hurlsley
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- A+ STUDENT AWARD Winner: Prairie Park Pavilion by Matthew Garrett and fellow architecture students of University of Kansas Photo credit: K Van De Riet
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- EMERGING ARCHITECTURE FIRM Winner: AAmp Studio, Toronto Photo credit: Doublespace
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- EMERGING INTERIOR STUDIO Winner: By Lemoignan, Montreal Photo credit: Alex Lesage
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- EMERGING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO Winner: Smallmediumlarge, Montreal Photo credit: Gabriel Laporte
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- Design – ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Winner: Miele 36-inch Induction Range with M Touch by Miele Photo credit: N/A
AZ Awards
The AZ Awards is AZURE’s international architecture and design competition, recognizing excellence and innovation, and showcasing the world’s best projects, products and ideas.
Now in its 16th year, the competition has grown in impact and stature to become a significant international benchmark for excellence, attracting entries from some of the most highly innovative firms around the world.
The AZ Awards is a unique opportunity for architects, landscape architects, designers, urbanists, students, clients, and manufacturers to receive the international exposure and acknowledgement that their exceptional work deserves.
