The sheer diversity of approaches won ten architects and designers a place at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) to be held next month in Amsterdam. The winners of the WAFX 2018 prizes were announced recently and will now present their projects to the jury at the WAF event in the Dutch capital on 28th and 29th November, with the overall winner receiving a prize at a star-studded Gala Dinner on 30th November.

The WAFX prizes, supported by WAF sponsor GreenCoat, are awarded to future projects that identify key ecological and societal challenges, which architects are actively seeking to address over the next ten years. Prizes are given across ten categories including Ageing and Health, Building and Technology, Climate, Energy and Carbon, Cultural Identity, Ethics and Value, Food, Power and Justice, Re-Use, Smart Cities and Water.

The WAFX judges were impressed by the diversity of innovative approaches taken by architects and designers across the globe, ranging from innovative solar panel fields in The Netherlands, to urban green corridors in Bangkok, eco farms in rural Vietnam and river parks in Colombia.

“We have been amazed by the standard of entries across this year’s future project categories and the prize winners in addressing some of humanity’s greatest concerns," says Paul Finch, WAF Programme Director.

"Rather than being purely ‘pie in the sky’ conceptual work, each is firmly grounded in reality, presenting practical solutions to issues around the world. It is a very strong field of entries and we look forward to hearing more from the prize winners when the festival convenes in November.”

“For the second year GreenCoat is proud to support the WAFX awards and the innovative and forward-looking architectural concepts they showcase," says Anke Meyer, Corporate Marketing SSAB.

"By addressing key challenges architects will face in the coming years, these projects are perfectly aligned with SSAB Swedish Steel’s own initiatives and ambitions. We look forward to welcoming all of the WAFX category winners at WAF and presenting the trophy to the overall winner.”

The WAFX 2018 Prize Winners:

Ageing and Health - The Alder Center by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Building and Technology - W350Project by Nikken Sekkei

Climate, Energy and Carbon - Highway Solarpanel Field by 70F Architecture

Cultural Identity - Ataturk Culture Center by Tabanlioglu Architects

Ethics and Value - Sheltainer - Where Humanity Meets Hope by Sheltainer

Food - Cuchi Organic Eco Farm by IF (Integrated Field)

Power and Justice - Tower Inten city by Savage Dodd Architects with UrbanWorks

Re-Use - Beloit College Powerhouse by Studio Gang

Smart Cities - 10 KM by Shma Company Limited

Water - Medellin River Parks / Botanical Park Master Plan by Sebastian Monsalve + Juan David Hoyos