Women in Architecture Awards 2016: shortlists revealed

The shortlisted candidates for the Woman Architect of the Year and the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture have been announced and it is time to take a look at their work. The lists include women who are leading figures in the design industry coming from all over the world, such as England, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, Sweden, Finland and the USA.

In the category for the Woman Architect of the Year there are four female architects that have delivered outstanding projects and made a huge impact on the industry with their latest designs. These women are Tatiana Bilbao, Jeanne Gang, Kazuyo Sejima and Charlotte Skene Catling.

The Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture shortlisted women who use innovative approach in the architecture to inspire positive change from social aspect.

Here is a quick overview of the shortlisted candidates for the Woman Architect of the Year 2016.

• Tatiana Bilbao, Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO (Mexico)

Bilbao offers housing for families with low-income, ready to respond to the climate challenge in Mexico and offer a solution for the current hosing crises in the country.

• Jeanne Gang, founder of Studio Gang (USA)

Gang is internationally recognized for her designs that are extremely bold and offer high level of functionality. In her designs she incorporates innovative technologies that are eco – friendly, which can be clearly seen in Studio Gang’s tri-axial Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.

• Kazuyo Sejima, S A N A A (Japan)

Sejima has earned her place among the shortlisted candidates mainly for the Pritzker award winning studio’s design, especially for her design in 2015 for the sinuous cultural center The River, neatly located in the rolling Grace Farms landscape.

• Charlotte Skene Catling, Skene Catling de la Pena architects (England)

In 2015, Catling’s Flint House that is wedge-shaped was declared as the best new house in entire UK. This acknowledgement came by RIBA for the house’s location, the material used to make it and the overall design.

The shortlisted candidates for Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture included:

• Elisa Burnazzi, partner and co-founder of Burnazzi Feltrin Architects (Italy)

Burnazzi sees architecture as a creative act that drives her passion. She was shortlisted for her design of the community center in honor of the three young victims of the L’Aquila earthquake

• Gabriela Etchegaray, co-founder of Ambrosi Etchegaray (Mexico)

Etchegaray had put a lot of effort into her architectural solutions and her work on local heritage. In 2015 she was able to preserve the façade of the Guanajuato Building, an example of traditional colonial house and at the same time incorporate the modern private courtyards.

• Petra Gipp, founder of Petra Gipp Arkitektur (Sweden)

With her architectural and sculptural expression Gipp was able to earn her place among the shortlisted candidates presenting her award-winning Kivik Art Centre and the inventor’s studio The Cathedral.

• Anna Heringer (Germany)

Heringer was able to offer sustainable architecture through the usage of traditional materials and incorporate new approach towards efficient construction and structural integrity. This has led her being one of the shortlisted candidates.

• Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph, co-founders of Design, Bitches (USA)

Design, Bitches works on reconstructing the America’s staple food joints and offers a unique blend of architecture, culture and pop.

• Saija Hollmén, Jenni Reuter, Helena Sandman, founding partners of Hollmén Sandman Reuter (Finland)

Hollmén focuses on designs that are environmental and offer aesthetic sustainability which was an inspiration for the founding of the NGO in 2007 which provides architectural services for the communities that are in need.

• Marie Zawistowski, co-founder of OnSite (USA)

Zawistowski combines practice, education and service trying to broaden the role of the architect by participating in projects for developments of the community.

• Di Zhang, founder of waa (we architect anonymous, China)

Zhang works mainly on art-culture related projects. In 2015 his company completed MOCA Yinchuan, a contemporary museum.

These women give enormous contribution to the entire industry and their work should be acknowledged. The organizers of these awards hope that they will be able to attract the attention of all female architects in the world and encourage them to participate and present their work.