Design & Health International Academy Award
Lifetime Leadership Award
Lead judge
Prof. Alan Dilani, Sweden
Awarded to a leader and visionary who has shown outstanding human qualities duringa lifelong commitment to enhancing the health, wellbeing and quality of people’s lives through their dedication to design. The award recognizes the human and personal qualities needed to push back the boundaries of progress and inspire future generations. There is no entry form for this award. Enquiries regarding nominations should be sent to info@designhealth.academy
International Health Project (Over 40,000m2)
Lead judge
Dev Bagga, BLP Singapore
An award for an outstanding healthcare building over 40000 sqm where considering human interaction with build environment considerations as evident as clinical and managerial priorities. The project must demonstrate an understanding of the principles of salutogenesis, and show how innovative design permits ongoing flexibility of use and addresses issues of healthy building and user’s satisfaction. Submission form nr 1 with entry form required.
International Health Project (Under 40,000m2)
Lead judge
Arch. Tye Farrow, Canada
An award for an outstanding healthcare building under 40000 sqm where considering human interaction with build environment considerations as evident as clinical and managerial priorities. The project must demonstrate an
understanding of the principles of salutogenesis, and show how innovative design permits ongoing flexibility of use and addresses issues of healthy building and user’s satisfaction. Submission form nr 1 with entry form required.
Sustainable urban and built environment
Lead judge
Arch. David Kaunitz, Australia
Awarded for a healthcare project or any type of health community and urban planning completed after 1 January 2010, that can demonstrate sustainability performance above the mandatory norm, satisfies legislative, technical, financial and moral imperatives, and shows understanding of the principles of salutogenic and ecological design. Submission form nr 1 with entry form required.
Future Healthy Built Environment Project
Lead judge
Prof. Ray Pentecost, USA
An award for the design of a future any built environment that recognizes the changing role of the built environment in relation to health and wellbeing of people or local community. The project must demonstrate a ‘Salutogenic’ vision with psychosocial design factors, that addresses anticipated socioeconomic challenges of the future healthy building. Submission form nr 1 with entry form required.
Use of art in public & private spaces
Lead judge
Dr. Wilson Rangga, Malaysia
An award that recognizes the effective application of creative endeavor which further advances knowledge of the potential of the arts to support therapeutic outcome and impact the health process. Preference will be given to success in new and innovative approaches of using Art in public spaces to create mental process and thereby stimulate positive emotional experience. Submission form nr 2 with entry form required.
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Mental Health Project
Lead judge
Arch. Natalia Ottonello, Uruguay
An award for a mental health facility where an effective reconciliation between operational requirements for security and supervision and the imperative for a civilizing and humane environment that supports therapeutic intervention is evident.Submissions should show an understanding of the principles and practice of salutogenesis. Submission form nr 1 with entry form required.
International Research Project
Lead judge
Prof. Sahand Abbasi, USA
An Awarded for a completed, innovative, independently assessed, piece of research focused on a particular aspect of the design, function, construction, financing or maintenance of a healthcare facility or addressing a relevant topic concerning public health in the context of any kinds of built environment. Reserach project entry form required.
Salutogenic design project
Lead judge
Arch. Angel Neo, CPG, Singapore
Awarded for the design of a completed project of any type of built environment, which clearly demonstrate that are comprehensible, manageable and meaningful, thereby fostering a strong sense of coherence amongst its users
that promotes their health and wellbeing through stimuli, experience and emotion. Submissions must show how environmental, social and economic sustainability is improved. Submission form nr 3 with entry form required.
Interior Design Project
Lead judge
Prof. Hessam Ghamari, USA
An award to recognize a therapeutic space that enhances the health, wellbeing and quality of life of the patients, staff and visitors. Preference will be shown to innovative projects that show understanding of the principles of salutogenesis, respect the privacy and dignity of patients, as well as provide an enjoyable experience that reduce stress. Submission form nr 2 with entry form required.
Prof. Hessam Ghamari, PhD,
California State University Northridge, USA
Director of Academy Awards
Prof. Alan Dilani, PhD,
Founder /CEO of Academy,
Sweden
The Design & Health International Academy Awards has a significant influence on the design and development of salutogenic environments that support health, wellbeing and quality of life around the world. This year, the programme comprises ten categories across the key areas of international health delivery, and the prestigious Lifetime Leadership Award. The final awards, which will be presented at a prestigious ceremony to be held on October 1st, in Malaysia during the 15th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition, will reflect important aspects of the exceptional work undertaken by researchers and practitioners at the forefront of the field. Recipients of the awards will be teams and individuals who through outstanding efforts, have contributed to the progress of knowledge and demonstrated vision and leadership in exemplary initiatives within the field.
Who should enter?
The awards are open to international organisations and individuals in both the public and private sectors participating in either research or practice, including the planning, procurement, design, construction and management of healthy built environments. Eligibility Built projects or research programmes completed between January 1, 2018 and May 31, 2026 are eligible to enter. The exceptions are the Sustainable Design Award, which allows entries of projects completed after January 1st, 2015 and the Future Health Project Award, which only allows submissions of unbuilt or conceptual designs. Projects may be entered into multiple categories, provided they are tailored to meet the specific requirements for the judging criteria of each award, but may not be re-entered in the same category in subsequent years. The closing date for each entry is July 15, 2026.
How to submit?
Complete the Entry Form and the Submission Statement relevant to the category you are entering on the rear of this document and send it to the Design & Health International Awards 2024 at the e-mail address below, with a 750 word statement and a maximum of 10 Powerpoint slides, which MUST explicitly address the criteria as outlined on the Submission Statement. High and low resolution images of the submitted project should also be submitted to be used on the awards section of the website, during the awards ceremony, in World Health Design and on associated marketing material. Please refer to the rules for further information on payment and submission requirements. International Academy for Design and Health Global office 103 88 Stockholm- Sweden
info@designhealth.academy
www.designhealth.academy
Judging process and timetable
April 15, 2026 – Call for Entries / Awards open for Submissions
July 15, 2026– Deadline for receipt of Submissions
The judging process consists of a two phase process.
July 16, 2026 – Phase 1: Entries are scored remotely by each judging panel against the approved criteria. The scores are forwarded to the category chairs who make a recommendation on the shortlisted entries and award winners. August 2026: Awards shortlist announced. Shortlisted projects are expected to register and attend the Design & Health World Congress to present their project in a poster display and receive their award, either as an award category winner or a commended project. They may be required to elaborate on their submitted project to the judges or provide further information as required.
August 15, 2026 – Phase 2: Members of the judging teams report their final award decisions.
October 1st, 2026 – Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner at Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition in Kuching Malaysia .
Judging criteria
Each of the criteria can be found on the Submission Statement attached to this document or at: www.designandhealth.com. Judging panel The judging panel consists of a group of independent experts from around the world. Experts in their field, the judges come from multidisciplinary backgrounds in research and practice. The winners of each award are determined by a lead judge, who is supported by a panel of three judges with proven expertise in their field. Any judge associated with any of the entries will withdraw from the relevant part of the adjudication process. The award recommendations are then approved by Dr. Hessam Ghamari, Director of Academy Awards.
The Design & Health International Academy Awards is the leading advocacy program in the world recognizing professional excellence in the research and practice of designing healthy built environments.
