The World Architecture News (WAN) Awards has WAN eight winners in its '21 for 21' competition aimed at highlighting 21 architects or organisations who will be 'leading lights' in architecture in the 21st century.

The judges were looking for "architects whose directional ideas are helping to shape the future of architecture, whilst keeping within the boundaries of commercial viability and sustainability".

"Another key factor will be the quality of the presentation; how the architect conveys his or her ideas to the panel will be seen as a vital communication skill," the website states.

Vo Trong Nghia Co. Ltd from Vietnam was selected for their "elegance and intelligent uses of natural material with multiple bamboo constructions".

Panel judge, Zaha Hadid Architects' Patrik Schumacher, said that Vo Trong Nghia Co.LTD are "finding forms true to material which has enabled them to create light forms with influences of scientific vernacular"

Peter Murray founder and chairman of New London Architecture described the German practice HHF Architects as being able to, "produce an elegant mixture of things. They can obviously try their hand at a variety of different approaches"

Architecture: HHF architects, Photos: Iwan Baan

Andrew Best from Buro Happold commented that Rintala Eggertsson Architects from Oslo had shown "well crafted projects" whilst Patrik Schumacher added that the work "comes across as poetic messages in the lived and designed environment"

Beijing-based MAD Architects were picked up by both Patrik Schumacher and Jack Carter, who said that the firm

"is going places"

Helen & Hard from Stavanger, Norway, used timber for their construction and the panel unanimously decided that the firm could "turn their hand to a variety of different sized projects'.

Emile Ashley, Erieta Attali, John E Kroll, Helen & Hard

Cloud 9 from Barcelona achieved 'unanimous approval' from the panel and was awarded a winning place. Patrik Schumacher said the firm is a "very strong" architectural practice

Cloud 9 Photo courtesy of @Enric Ruiz Gel

Spanish firm CREUSeCARRASCO arquitectos was described by Jack Carter as "a definite winner"

CREUSeCARRASCOarquitectos

Francis Kere of Kere Architecture's work was described as "elegant in its own way". Andrew Best states that: "In terms of architecture, he is making an impact on people that architecture usually forgets.

Peter Murray issued the following advice to next years contenders: "If practices are to have an impact on the future of architecture they need to be able to turn their hand to a variety of different approaches and that suggests the real architectural skill."

Images courtesy of WAN