Last year, the inaugural A+Firm Awards brought together some of the world’s most talented design teams from every continent, celebrating the work of architects and designers at the forefront of innovation. Not only were these architecture and design firms lauded for the formal qualities of their work, they were also recognized for the impact they have on the wider world — be it social, environmental or economic.
The program proved such a success that it was a no-brainer for firms to be recognized again this year through the A+ platform. This time, however, it’s under the umbrella of an even larger and more global program — the 10th Annual A+Awards! That’s right: The A+Firm Awards is merging with the A+Awards to form a single, comprehensive awards program for architects and designers. Adding Firm Categories into what is already the world’s largest architectural awards program will enable firms — small to large, and from every part of the world — to tell their story on an even greater stage. Every winning firm will be published in the next edition of “The World’s Best Architecture” by The Monacelli Press, earn year-round publicity through global media, and participate in special programming soon to be announced.
In case you’re not familiar with them yet, take a look through the Firm Categories for this year’s A+Awards in order to find those that best fit your practice. It’s worth noting that you can submit in multiple Firm Categories (as well as Typology and Plus Categories, dedicated to individual projects).
For example, if you run a small architectural practice with less than 10 staff that was founded less than 10 years ago, you are eligible for the Best Small Firm and the Best Young Firm Awards. You can also submit for the Best Firm by geographic region, which you’ll choose based on where your firm’s headquarters in based.
A+Awards Firm Categories
Firm Type Awards
- Best Small Firm (1 – 10 employees) – For small-sized architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years and employ 1 to 10 staff as of October 1st, 2021.
- Best Medium Firm (11 – 49 employees) – For medium-sized architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years and employ 11 to 49 staff as of October 1st, 2021.
- Best Large Firm (50+ employees) – For large-sized architecture and/or design firms practicing excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years and employ 50+ staff as of October 1st, 2021.
- Best Young Firm – For emerging architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years and should have been founded no earlier than January 1st, 2011.
- Best Interior Design Firm – For interior design and/or architecture firms demonstrating excellence in interior architecture. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects can include interior designs for commercial, residential, cultural, hospitality and other project types.
- Best Young Interior Design Firm – For emerging interior design firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years and should have been founded no earlier than January 1st, 2011.
- Best Landscape Design Firm – For landscape architecture and/or architecture firms demonstrating excellence in landscape architecture. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects can include, but are not limited to public outdoor spaces, private gardens and landscape master plans.
- Best Sustainable Firm – For architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in the field of sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental design. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects can include commercial, residential, cultural, instutional, hospitality, transportation and other project types.
Specialization Awards
- Best Residential Firm – For architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in the private and/or multi-unit residential typology. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects within the residential typology built within the last 10 years. Projects can include, but are not limited to, private houses, apartments, and multi-unit residential buildings such as condominiums, student dormitories, and social housing.
- Best Commercial Firm – For architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in the commercial typology. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects within the commercial typology built within the last 10 years. Projects can include, but are not limited to, offices and workspaces, retail and shopping centers, restaurants, hotels, stadiums, and mixed-use commercial buildings.
- Best Cultural Firm – For architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in the cultural typology. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects within the cultural typology built within the last 10 years. Projects can include, but are not limited to, museums and galleries, theaters, exhibition centers, religious buildings and memorials, and other cultural projects.
- Best Public Projects Firm – For architecture and/or design firms demonstrating excellence in the public realm. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects within the inistitutional typology built within the last 10 years. Projects can include, but are not limited to, schools and universities, libraries, civic buildings, transportation centers, landscape projects, and urban and masterplans.
Firm Location Awards
- Best North America – For firms based in the United States, Canada and Mexico demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects do not have to reside within the category territory, but the firm’s headquarters should be located in North America.
- Best in Central & South America – For Central- and South America-based firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects do not have to reside within the category territory, but the firm’s headquarters should be located in Central or South America.
- Best in Europe – For Europe-based firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects do not have to reside within the category territory, but the firm’s headquarters should be located in Europe.
- Best in Asia – For Asia-based firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects do not have to reside within the category territory, but the firm’s headquarters should be located in Asia.
- Best in the Middle East & Africa – For Middle East- and Africa-based firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects do not have to reside within the category territory, but the firm’s headquarters should be located in the Middle East or Africa.
- Best in Australasia – For Australasia-based firms demonstrating excellence in their field. Eligible firms should submit at least 3 projects built within the last 10 years. Projects do not have to reside within the category territory, but the firm’s headquarters should be located in Australasia.
Entry Requirements
The submission process for Firm Categories has been simplified making it easier than ever for your firm to participate. Firms still get the opportunity to submit a portfolio of work, including as many projects as they like from the past 10 years of practice, but they are able to upload these as a single, seamless A+Awards entry. Here’s what you’ll need to submit for the A+Award Firm Categories:
Input your firm details:
- Firm Name
- Year Founded
- Firm Statement
- Collaborator and Client Credits (Optional)
Upload your images and/or visual assets:
- Upload 1-12 images (single images only, no collages)
- Upload 1 video (Optional)
- Images: 30MB max: jpg, jpeg, tiff or png file
- Video: 2GB max: mpg, flv or mp4 file
That’s it! If you have any questions about your Firm Category submission or any other submissions in this year’s A+Awards, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at awards@architizer.com and we’ll be glad to help. In the meantime, get started on your submissions by hitting the blue button below: