Dezeen has officially announced the 30 projects selected for the sustainability shortlist of the Dezeen Awards 2025. The nominated works, which span five distinct categories, represent design and architecture studios from 16 different countries, highlighting a global commitment to environmentally conscious innovation.
Key Takeaways
- 30 projects have been shortlisted across five sustainability categories for the Dezeen Awards 2025.
- The nominations feature studios from 16 countries, including Canada, India, Indonesia, and Finland.
- Notable projects include Finland's largest mass-timber building and the world's first industrial aluminum made from 100% post-consumer materials.
- The awards program is held in partnership with Bentley, emphasizing innovation for a more sustainable world.
Global Scope and Diverse Approaches
The 2025 sustainability shortlist showcases a wide array of projects tackling environmental challenges through creative design and engineering. The international representation demonstrates a worldwide movement towards sustainable practices in architecture and design. Firms from nations such as Norway, Australia, and Japan are among those recognized.
This year's selections grapple with critical issues, from large-scale urban development to the creation of new biomaterials. The diversity of the projects reflects a multifaceted approach to sustainability, addressing everything from building construction and renovation to interior design and material science.
A Week of Announcements
The sustainability shortlist is part of a week-long series of announcements for the Dezeen Awards 2025. Shortlists for architecture, interiors, and design were revealed earlier in the week. The nominees for Designers of the Year and the Bentley Lighthouse Award are scheduled for subsequent announcements.
Standout Projects and Material Innovations
Several shortlisted projects have garnered attention for their ambitious scale and innovative use of materials. Among them is the Katajanokan Laituri in Helsinki, Finland's largest mass-timber building. This structure utilized approximately 7,600 cubic metres of spruce and ash.
The Katajanokan Laituri building is composed of nearly 2,500 individual pieces of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber, showcasing the potential of wood in large-scale construction.
Other notable entries include the T2 Kempegowda International Airport Interior in Bengaluru, India, described as a "terminal in a garden," and the Space House in London, a renovation of two mid-century modern office buildings. In the material innovation category, Hydro CIRCAL 100R is recognized as the first industrial aluminum produced entirely from post-consumer scrap.
"The sustainability shortlist demonstrates a vast breadth of creativity. From new biomaterials to large-scale architectural renovations, these projects all grapple with the key issues of our age."
The Complete 2025 Sustainability Shortlist
The 30 projects were evaluated by a sustainability jury that included industry experts Johan Ejdemo, Caroline Till, and Fernando Laposse. The nominees are organized into five categories, each highlighting a different facet of sustainable practice.
Sustainable Building
- First Building - Bradfield City Centre, Sydney, Australia, by Hassell
- Intaaya Retreat, Nusa Penida, Indonesia, by Pablo Luna Studio
- Katajanokan Laituri, Helsinki, Finland, by Anttinen Oiva Architects
- Living in Fläming, Brandenburg, Germany, by Praeger Richter Architekten
- təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, Vancouver, Canada, by HCMA Architecture + Design
- Worker's Pavilion, Kollam, India, by No Architects
Sustainable Renovation
- Gorlaeus Lecture Hall Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands, by Civic Architects
- Hedeskov Living Lab, Djursland, Denmark, by Djernes & Bell
- Palais Rameau, Lille, France, by Atelier 9.81 and Perrot & Richard
- Space House, London, UK, by Squire and Partners
- Stanley Center for Peace and Security, Iowa, USA, by Neumann Monson Architects
- Transformation of School Davos, Davos, Switzerland, by Cura Architekten
Sustainable Interior
- CoLab, Madrid, Spain, by Sancal and Lucas Muñoz
- Symbolplus Office, Tokyo, Japan, by Symbolplus
- T2 Kempegowda International Airport Interior, Bengaluru, India, by Enter Projects Asia
- Terrain, Melbourne, Australia, by Terrain
- Veilance, Tokyo, Japan, by We+
- World Heritage Centre Wadden Sea (WEC), Lauwersoog, the Netherlands, by Spring Studio
Sustainable Design
- Biota by Richard Hutten
- Fatconomy – The Waste Fa(c)t Machine by Ficta Studio
- Kibu Children's Headphones by Morrama
- Rícino C Series by Estúdio Rain
- The Zero-Waste Disposable by Fotofoto
- Zero-Waste MTTR Jean by MTTR
Material Innovation
- Carbon Cell by Carbon Cell
- EconitWood by Additive Tectonics
- Freitag Mono[PA6]: Circular Backpack by Freitag Lab
- Grow Your Own Home: Margent Farm's Hemp-Based Corrugated Panels by Margent Farm
- Hydro CIRCAL 100R by Hydro
- Other Matter Architectural Surfaces by Other Matter