Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture triumphs as Dezeen Awards 2024 sustainability winners revealed

Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture has won Dezeen Awards 2024 sustainable project of the year following the announcement of all six sustainability category winners at a party in London.

The six winners awarded in Dezeen's annual awards programme were by studios including Kooo Architects, Isomi and Kvadrat.

Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture crowned sustainable project of the year

Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture by MASS Design Group won the prestigious sustainable project of the year award and was also named sustainable building of the year.

Located in the village of Gashora in Rwanda, the project serves as a model for sustainable land use and construction using rammed earth and compressed earth blocks to create the university buildings.

The off-grid agricultural campus, which features a figure-eight-shaped accommodation block, was described by the master jury as "architecture at its best – beautiful, useful and inspiring".

"The Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture respectfully sits within its landscape, using local bio-based materials while regenerating biodiversity and benefitting the local community through training and job creation," they said.

The winning university campus was competing against projects which included a bold yellow office retrofit in Berlin, a recyclable sofa system made from natural cork and a custom brick made from tea leaves and soil.

View the winning sustainability projects on the Dezeen Awards website or read below:

Sustainable project of the year and sustainable building of the year: Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture by Mass Design Group

A figure-eight-shaped accommodation block and various educational spaces designed by US studio MASS Design Group won sustainable project of the year.

Designed for the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture University, the five agricultural buildings were constructed using low-carbon initiatives and local materials such as rammed earth to compressed earth blocks.

"RICA embodies a truly holistic approach, covering everything from the building to the furniture and the landscaping," they continued. "It is a particularly remarkable example of a well-rounded, beautifully executed vision for how sustainable design can benefit both people and planet."

Read more about Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture by Mass Design Group ›

Sustainable renovation of the year: Wuzhen Rural Brewery by Lichao Architecture Design Studio

Lichao Architecture Design Studio won sustainable renovation of the year for its renovation of an abandoned 25,400-square-metre factory in Jiaxing City, China.

Transformed into a creative industry park, the development features exposed red brickwork, trusses, and chimneys preserved from the original site to blend with the local landscape.

The sustainability master jury described the renovation as "ambitious and surgically done".

"It sets an important precedent for how China – and the world – should deal with its defunct industrial architecture, converting the rundown industrial complex into a beautiful, welcoming environment without losing its sense of history or personality."

Read more about Wuzhen Rural Brewery by Lichao Architecture Design Studio ›

Highly commended: Haus 1 - Atelier Gardens by MVRDV

Dutch studio MVRDV were highly commended for their yellow office retrofit with zigzagging outdoor staircase in Berlin.

The striking 23,800-metre-square office building was adapted into a hub for social entrepreneurship and activism for Atelier Gardens.

The judges said, "Haus 1 proves that retrofits can be fun, colourful and nearly indistinguishable from new builds, endearing them to people who might never otherwise consider a refurb."

Read more about HAUS 1 - Atelier Gardens by MVRDV › 

Sustainable interior of the year: Tengbom's Stockholm Office Interior by Tengbom

Architecture studio Tengbom won sustainable interior of the year for its own office redesign in Stockholm, Sweden.

The studio repurposed the interior elements of the 1934 factory building utilising the original furniture, natural colours and materials combined with biophilia to achieve a design that prioritises inclusiveness, co-creativity and wellbeing.

"Tengbom's self-designed office offers a fun new take on what a sustainable interior can look like," said the judges.

"The renovation easily rivals a new build interior, proving that reuse doesn't have to mean sacrificing on aesthetics," they continued.

"Through the considered use of colour and existing furnishings, the studio was able to revitalise a former industrial space without the need for mountains of new materials."

Read more about Tengbom's Stockholm Office Interior by Tengbom ›

Sustainable design (consumer) of the year: Tejo by Paul Crofts for Isomi

Designer Paul Crofts and furniture brand Isomi won sustainable design (consumer) of the year for their recyclable sofa system made from natural cork and latex.

Using recycled Portuguese cork for the base and backrest alongside wool, flax or hemp upholstery, the modular seat has a simple construction that can be easily disassembled and is entirely recyclable at the end of its life.

The master jury said, "Tejo is an elegant solution for the sustainable sofa conundrum, designed for easy disassembly using only natural and recyclable materials."

"The project's impact goes beyond the product itself by supporting the maintenance of Portugal's cork forests and the judges would love to see it go even further by offering a lending or takeback scheme to close the loop."

Read more about Tejo by Paul Crofts for Isomi ›

Sustainable design (building product) of the year: Tea-Earth Brick by Kooo Architects

Japanese studio Kooo Architects won sustainable design (building product) of the year for their custom-made bricks that combine tea leaves and earth.

Kooo Architects tested different soil types and discarded tea leaves to create an environmentally friendly and non-toxic material.

The brick made from crumbled tea leaves was recently used to clad a Beijing teahouse to provide a multi-sensory feel with textured surfaces and contrasting colours.

"The Tea-earth Bricks offer a phenomenal example of how hyper-local solutions – instead of a one-size-fits-all approach – can create painfully beautiful results," said the judges.

"By finding new applications for local waste materials and using them with minimal intervention, the project creates a closed-loop system while envisioning the future of sustainable aesthetics."

Read more about Tea-Earth Brick by Kooo Architects ›

Material Innovation of the year: Ame by Teruhiro Yanagihara for Kvadrat 

Japanese designer Teruhiro Yanagihara won material innovation of the year for Ame, an upholstery textile woven with recycled polyester made entirely from textile waste.

Designed for Danish brand Kvadrat, the textile that embodies longevity and mindful reuse in its construction was inspired by Sashiko, a traditional Japanese mending technique.

"Ame draws attention to the vast amount of waste materials generated by the textile industry and offers an innovative method for how it can be recycled to a textile of the same – if not greater – value," said the master jury.

"While we work to phase out synthetic materials, Ame fills a yawning gap in the market for beautifully designed fabrics made from recycled instead of virgin plastic."

Read more about Ame by Teruhiro Yanagihara for Kvadrat ›

Dezeen Awards 2024 in partnership with Bentley

Dezeen Awards is the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The seventh edition of the annual awards programme is in partnership with Bentley as part of a wider collaboration to inspire, support and champion design excellence and showcase innovation that creates a better and more sustainable world. This ambition complements Bentley's architecture and design business initiatives, including the Bentley Home range of furnishings and real estate projects around the world.

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