Why enter?
Established in 1999, the AR Emerging awards support young architects and designers at a key stage in their career, promoting their best work to a worldwide audience. Previous winners include Carla Juaçaba, Shigeru Ban, Rick Joy, Anna Heringer, Sou Fujimoto, Thomas Heatherwick, Neri & Hu, Li Xiaodong and Frida Escobedo.
The benefits of entering the AR Emerging awards include:
- There is a prize fund of £5000
- All finalists will be published in a special edition of The Architectural Review
- All finalists will present in person to our world-renowned judging panel in November
- All entrants will be invited to a celebratory event in November where the finalists will present live and the winners will be announced
- After the celebratory event, all finalists will be invited to join the AR editorial team, judges and sponsors at an exclusive dinner
- AR will make a contribution to finalists’ travel costs based on locations
- All entries will be displayed in a permanent gallery on the AR Emerging awards website
Entry guidelines
Eligibility
Open to up-and-coming practices involved in architecture, urban and landscape design whose qualifications are recognised by their local accreditation organisations. For a practice to be eligible, all practice founders must be born after 1 January 1980 and be aged 45 or under.
Individuals who are working independently or across several practices they have (co-)founded are also eligible if they are aged 45 or under – an example of such profile is Gabriela Carrillo, shortlisted in 2020
Project types
Rather than focusing on a single, completed building, the AR Emerging awards recognise excellence in an overall body of work. We encourage a wide range of design projects: new builds, refurbishments, interiors, furniture, infrastructure, pop-ups, as well as product, urban and landscape design, with no restriction of scale, programme, budget or location.
Portfolio submission
Individuals and practices are invited to submit portfolios comprising three projects:
- One completed, built project : either a temporary or permanent structure, this project should have a completion date between January 2022 and October 2025
- One work in progress : still on the drawing board or currently on site, this project should be due to be completed after October 2025
- One idea : this is your chance to show your broader interests. The idea could be an unsuccessful competition entry, the design of an exhibition or piece of furniture (released or not), a storyboard, an essay or publication, etc.
Each portfolio should show all three projects, with one board per project. Please note that multiple schemes entered on one board will not be accepted. Neither will CDs, videos, transparencies, physical models or prototypes. As there is a new jury, work entered in previous years or for other AR awards may be resubmitted on new boards.
Boards
Each entry should be designed on three A3-sized boards (one for the completed built project, one for the work in progress, one for the idea) to be provided digitally via the entry form, and must include photography, drawings and a brief written description in English – the location of the submission is helpful to the jury. The boards can be in landscape or portrait format, and maximum board size is 297 x 420 mm (approx. 11.7 x 16.5 in).
Anonymity
To ensure anonymity in shortlisting, no names of entrants or collaborating parties may appear on any part of the board. Only after the finalists have been selected will the identity of the winners be revealed.
Judging and prizegiving
All finalists will present in person to our world-renowned judging panel. Awards will be presented at an invited prizegiving event and all finalists will be invited to join the AR editorial team, judges and sponsors at an exclusive dinner. The events will take place in November 2025 and full details will be revealed soon.
AR will make a contribution to finalists’ travel costs based on locations
What are the entry deadlines?
Entry deadline: 27 June 2025
How much does it cost to enter?
Super early bird savings: 28 March 2025 - £149 per entry + VAT
Entry deadline: 27 June 2025 - £299 per entry + VAT
Need help with your entry?
To discuss the awards, please contact Diana Zieba on +44 (0)203 953 2902 or email diana.zieba@emap.com.
Download the 2023 winner portfolio
Thinking about entering the AR Emerging awards but unsure how to start your portfolio submission? If yes, check out the portfolio of the 2023 winner, Mexico-based practice TO, showcasing three projects that paved the way to their success.
