European architects can now compete in the UK’s prestigious Young Architect of the Year Award (YAYA). Now in its 16th year, YAYA is the only prize that recognizes the UK’s most promising new architectural practice and is a crucial means of allowing new practices to emerge.
Speaking at MIPIM, the international property fair in Cannes last week, BD Editor-in-Chief Amanda Baillieu said: “Over time, YAYA has proved itself as a consistently strong means of identifying the most promising young architects of each generation. But, since the prize was launched, the world has changed and the best architects in the UK now have to compete with their counterparts abroad. More than any other, this is a global profession so it makes sense to extend YAYA’s helping hand to the rest of Europe.”
Last year’s winner, Phil Coffey of Coffey Architects, said: “Operating as a young architect remains a far from straightforward proposition but YAYA is a crucial means of allowing new practices to emerge. YAYA has changed the practice in three distinct ways: we are being recommended for selected competitions and projects; current and prospective clients feel more confident about the practice’s ability to deliver; and consequently the practice itself is developing and able to undertake larger projects.”
Previous winners including Niall McLaughlin (1998), Patrick Lynch (2005), Nord (2006), Carmody Groarke (2007) and David Kohn (2009) have gone on to win significant commissions. YAYA is judged by an international panel of architects, clients and others.
Last year’s judges included the artist Pablo Bronstein, Kathryn Firth of the Olympic Delivery Authority and Graham Stirk of Rogers Stirk Harbour Architects.
This award is open to architects that are 40 years old or under on the deadline for entries which will be confirmed in May. It carries a cash prize of £5,000. More information and updates on the official website.
