2023 Vitruvian Honors & Awards Program

Outstanding Unbuilt Facade Award

In conceptual architecture, the finished building as product is less important than the ideas guiding them, ideas represented primarily by texts, diagrams, or art installations. - from Wikipedia (and, in this case at least, we agree!)

It doesn't work, it doesn't have to work. Wright had the shape conceived long before he knew what was going into it. I claim that is where architecture starts, with the concept. - Louis Kahn on Frank Lloyd Wright

The Outstanding Unbuilt Facade is awarded to an unbuilt facade system or system element, whether intended for a new or existing building application, or as a purely conceptual work. The work may include a research component, but is not fundamentally a pure research project (See the Outstanding Facade Research Award category for this type of work)This award is intended to recognize and honor unbuilt works of particular merit. Notwithstanding the above quotes, qualified entries include not only purely conceptual works, but also developed facade designs up to and including prototypes, mockups, and system testing, but with no current intention for final facade construction.

Submissions for the Outstanding Unbuilt Facade category will be evaluated in the overarching context of innovation and sustainability, which may include diverse considerations ranging from design concepts to intended project delivery strategies, supply chain management and lifecycle performance attributes.

The hierarchy of consideration for the Outstanding Facade Renovation Award will be:

  • 10% — Clarity (narrative and graphic representation)

  • 25% — Durability

  • 25% — Utility

  • 25% — Beauty

  • 15% — The extent to which collaboration and collaborative processes among the project team can be demonstrated to have played a definitive role in outstanding project outcomes.

Submission Requirements

Before beginning your submission, please review the following:

Submissions for this year's Vitruvian Honors & Awards has closed. Thank you for your nominations!