World Architecture Festival 2025 will make its debut in the USA, taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center from November 12–14. At the heart of the festival sits a unique awards programme. All finalists will present their project live at the event in front of a panel of expert judges and their peers.
Other WAF Competitions
The main WAF awards are now closed for submissions. However, we have a host of other competitions still open for entries!
40 Under 40 North America
World Architecture Festival and The Architect’s Newspaper have partnered to launch 40 Under 40 North America, highlighting 40 outstanding young architects from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Submissions are now open until July.
Architecture Book of the Year Award
Publishers are invited to submit entries to the Architecture Book of the Year Award programme.
Submissions are now open for entries until Monday 12 August.
The Architecture Drawing Prize
Curated by WAF, Make Architects and Sir John Soane’s Museum, TADP celebrates the importance of drawing as a tool in capturing architectural ideas.
Entries for the 2025 Prize are now open until 12 September 2025.
Student Charrette
Supported by Broadway Malyan
WAF's global student design charrette is an integral part of the Festival. Student teams were invited to submit proposals and the shortlist will be revealed soon. Entries now closed for 2025.Hear from the 2024 winners!
"There's awards shows and then there's WAF!" Hear from the 2024 winners
Why enter the WAF awards
- WAF is the only awards programme where all finalists present their projects live to a panel of judges live at the festival in Miami. Discuss your project and use their feedback to strengthen your future work.
- The WAF awards generate more than 350 pieces of international press coverage each year. CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, The New York Times, Telegraph, Designboom and ArchDaily are just a few of the media outlets you could be seen in and show clients you are at the forefront of design.
- Our finalists, judges and attendees span the globe. Develop an invaluable international network that you can seek advice from, partner with and win work from.
- The judging panel consists of 140+ leading architects, designers, journalists and industry experts. WAF’s unique, rigorous judging process strengthens your credibility and sets you apart from the competition.
- Have your project permanently listed on the World Buildings Directory. All entries will receive a listing complete with a full description and images.
- All winners will receive a complimentary press kit distribution, courtesy of our partner v2com newswire. v2com—the international newswire specializing in design and architecture—will share your press kit with 7000+ print and digital publications in 100+ countries!
Entries for the 2025 awards are now closed.
The entry and judging process
Entries for the 2025 awards are now closed.
December 2024: online entries open to architects and designers across the world.
21 March 2025: early bird entry rate ends.
May 2025 : Entries close. All boards, images and descriptions have to be uploaded to your entry form.
June 2025: shortlist decided. Leading architects and industry professionals gather to look at the entry boards and decide the 2025 shortlist. You will be informed soon after if you are a finalist.
July 2025: shortlist announced. All finalists will be published on WAF’s website, international press and by WAF’s renowned media partners.
9 July 2025: finalist delegate rate ends. Don’t forget, all finalists must purchase two passes to attend the festival and present their project live!
12 - 13 November 2025: live judging at WAF in Miami. All finalists present for 10 minutes to a panel of three category judges followed by 8 minutes of Q&A. Judging takes place in a ‘crit’ room open to the WAF audience. Category winners are announced at the end of each day.
14 November 2025: live judging for overall winners in Miami. Each category winner presents again for the Completed Building, Future Project, Landscape or WAF Interiors Super-Jury. The overall winners and special prize winners are announced at the Gala Dinner.
What to include in your entry:
Our simple online entry form will guide you through the process. You can save and return to your entry at any point (even after you have paid!) Here is an overview of what to include.
- 2 x A2 entry boards (we print them for you, the judges use these to make their shortlisting decisions)
- A project summary of 200 – 500 words to be included on the World buildings Directory
- A hero image of your project
- Up to 6 further images of the project including photographs and plans
WAF Completed Building, WAF Landscape and WAF Interiors categories must be completed between 1 January 2024 and 1 June 2025.
Categories
WAF Completed Buildings
Civic and Community
Creative Re-use
Culture
Display
Health
Higher Education and Research
Hotel and Leisure
House and Villa (Urban)
House and Villa (Rural & Coastal)
Housing
Mixed-Use
Office
Production, Energy and Logistics
Retrofit
School
Shopping
Sport
Transport
WAF Future Projects
Civic
Commercial Mixed-Use
Competition Entries
Culture
Education
Experimental
Health
House
Infrastructure
Leisure-led Development
Masterplanning
Office
Residential
Sport
Urban Design
WAF Landscape
WAF Interiors
Bars and Restaurants
Education
Hotels
Public Buildings
Residential (housing, more than one dwelling)
Residential (single dwelling)
Retail
Temporary/Meanwhile uses
Workplace (Large)
Workplace (Small)
Yachts and Ships
Increase your chances of winning at WAF
Special Prizes
Alongside the WAF award categories are a host of special prizes awarded to projects from the main shortlist. Entrants do not have to pay any additional fees to be considered for the prizes. Shortlisted projects will go on to compete in the live-judging at WAF.
WAFX
WAFX celebrates international proposals which embrace cutting-edge design addressing major world issues. The WAFX shortlisted projects will be chosen from the WAF Future Projects shortlist with no additional cost or material needed from the entrant. Winners will go on to present on the Festival Hall Stage at WAF.
WAF Interiors
WAF Interiors is the sister awards programme of WAF and celebrates the finest examples of global interior design. It takes place at the same time and location as WAF. Submit your interior projects across 11 categories.
FAQ's
The Judges
Only at WAF are you judged by your peers, your heroes and the industry’s power players, all live at the festival at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
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