About

The Villa Architecture Prize is linked to the specific type of architecture, “Villa.” The prize is awarded irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or ideology to a living pioneer spirit (an architect or an architecture firm) who has dedicated his career to developing an “architectural dialect” and a “contemporary manifestation” according to the purposes of the award. 

Nominations are accepted internationally from diverse fields who have a knowledge of and interest in the villa-ideology / idea of the villa; a utopian setting for conversations of “architectural inventions.” The “Literary Production” of architecture or the “Writing Architecture.”

The Executive Director actively solicits nominations from past laureates, architects, academics, critics, politicians, professionals involved in cultural endeavors, and persons of diverse fields who have expertise and interest in the field of architecture.

Additionally, any licensed architect may submit a nomination to the Executive Director for consideration by the jury for the Villa Architecture Prize. Nominations are accepted through November 1 of any given year. Send an e-mail to the Executive Director with the nominee’s name, a full portfolio of villa-work, and contact information. Nominations that do not result in the award are automatically carried over to the following year. The Jury normally undertakes deliberations early in the calendar year, and the winner is announced in the spring.

Purpose / Criteria

The award objectives aim at promoting the Villa; the building types most closely associated with literary production, constant with the ideology of the villa to foster otium, or the contemplative life. The Villa Award considers this statement and pursues the following objectives:

+ To recognise and praise the excellence of substantial iconic villas, experimental houses, pavilions, and future prototypes.

+ To highlight the natural setting or otium (contemplative life), in opposition to the excesses of city life, or negotium (real life) in today’s architecture.

+ To promote the villa-purpose; happiness, health, and joy in design criteria.

+ To increase the incorporation of villa-culture, art & creativity.

+ To promote “person-centered architecture” and “nature-centered architecture.”

+ To cultivate psychological needs in architecture rather than material needs.

+ To emphasis the appreciation of landscape and villa-life.

+ To focus on villas as experimental projects that provide the opportunity for architects to study a technical or functional aspect in concrete terms.

+ To deepen on the villa projects as the “literary production” of architecture or the “writing architecture.”