Design Educates Awards 2026 is an international competition hosted by the non-profit Laka Foundation, recognizing architecture and design projects that offer meaningful added value beyond aesthetics. The awards focus on ideas and implementations that educate, influence perception, respond to social or environmental needs, and communicate a broader benefit for people and society.
The 2026 edition includes two main categories: Architecture and Design for Impact. Architecture entries may range from small-scale shelters and exhibition installations to residential, public, and urban-scale solutions, while Design for Impact covers non-architectural designs, products, and concepts that create meaningful benefits for people, society, and the environment.
Both realized projects and conceptual proposals are accepted and evaluated separately. The competition is suited to studios, companies, students, emerging designers, and established practices looking to present recent work with educational potential, practical relevance, and a clear contribution beyond formal design quality.
Entry fee: Students: 50 EUR; individual professionals and company tiers are listed from 175 EUR to 650 EUR, with a 25% reduction for submitting the same project to both categories and no further fees.
Eligibility
Open to participants from around the world, including students, individual professionals, companies, emerging designers, and established practices, with submitted works preferably not older than five years.
Prize
In each category, the awards include Winner of the Year, Gold Prize, Silver Prize, Bronze Prize, Special Recognition, and Honorable Mention; the highest-scoring student project also receives the “Emerging Designer” label. Winner benefits include certificates and winning labels, inclusion in an ISBN-registered yearbook, participation in the exhibition with certificate confirmation, complimentary attendance at the awards ceremony in Warsaw, press kits, permanent listing in the Winners Gallery, and promotion through media sponsors and partners.