Winning projects of the Construmat'25 Awards
Jury and Public Awards
The winning projects of the 2025 Construmat Awards in Healthy Architecture stand out for creating sustainable, livable, and healthy environments that ensure the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of people through bioconstruction, comfort (thermal, lighting, acoustic), as well as flexible spaces for social interaction and the presence of nature.
Construmat Awards
New University Children’s Hospital
Zurich, Switzerland, 2014-2024Herzog & de Meuron
Kinderspital Zürich – Eleonorenstiftung
ZPF Ingenieure AG, EBP Schweiz AG, Amstein + Walthert AG and others
This project represents the other extreme: a large-scale, high-budget children’s hospital in Zurich. Yet it is equally admirable, as it demonstrates the ability to break down the scale and complexity of the project so that each small space is designed to a high level of comfort and aesthetic quality. It’s remarkable how such a large building can be so beautiful! A great roof wraps this “city-like” hospital complex and is broken up by a tangle of courtyards—like a piece of Gruyère cheese—with varying sizes and shapes. These courtyards surprise the young users with a game of discovery through form, light, and vegetation. The project skillfully transforms a large hospital into an entirely new world, in contrast to the exterior, through a sequence of uniquely shaped and green patios, creating an intimate experience that captivates the child. Throughout the building, there are thoughtful architectural gestures tailored for children. Functionally, the project also cleverly differentiates itself—blurring the design in non-clinical areas while becoming fully orthogonal in the medical zones where clarity is needed.
Rosa Clotet, Llongueras-Clotet arquitectes, member of the Jury
WINNER ex aequo
@herzogdemeuron
Raw Rooms. 43 Social Housing Units
Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain, 2022PERIS + TORAL arquitectes. Marta Peris, José Manuel Toral.
IBAVI. Institut Balear de l’habitatge
UTE 43 viviendas Ibiza. Serrano Aznar; Cydemir
This is an extraordinary work for its ability to respond to two of the fundamental demands of architecture today: the pursuit of density and the affirmation of a character in harmony with its surroundings. The former is achieved through a highly effective and refined composition that simultaneously offers compactness and flexibility of use, while the latter is achieved by means of a careful, subtle, and beautiful interweaving of the fragmented piece into volumes that resonate in scale with their context and, while still evoking popular Mediterranean architecture, reaffirm its modernity. Both characteristics—flexible density and distinctive adaptation to the environment—largely explain the building's "sustainable" character, which does not depend on complex technologies or dubious certification protocols to create a habitable and healthy environment, but fundamentally on form and material combined with precision and poetry. From a construction perspective, the building's most unique feature is its load-bearing wall system of compacted earth blocks (CEBs). These walls simplify the structure while providing a high thermal inertia, which, combined with natural ventilation, guarantees the building's bioclimatic functioning. Furthermore, the walls exhibit excellent acoustic performance while providing thermal insulation. The use of this system, combined with the design of the façade insulated with natural materials—including local posidonia—allows for a 60% reduction in emissions compared to a conventional building. This positive environmental performance is reinforced by the efficient and carefully designed south-facing orientation of the houses (all have a conservatory-terrace) and by the surrounding courtyards through which hot air is channeled during the summer. In this building, beautiful and healthy habitability (both concepts should coincide) are achieved through a wise, extremely concentrated, and effective use of the fundamental elements and strategies of good architecture: type, compactness, filters, and materials.
Eduardo Prieto, ETSAM-UPM, member of the Jury
WINNER ex aequo
Jury Mentions & Audience Award
WayAir Foundation Pre and Primary School
Ulyankylu, Kaswa, Tanzania, 2020-2023Jeju Studio & Arh+
WayAir Foundation
AKON Construction. Volunteers and local construction companies
Jury Proceedings:
One of the main merits of this school, built in an informal refugee settlement in western Tanzania, is that it demonstrates how architecture continues to have the capacity to improve people's well-being. Furthermore, unlike other projects whose merit lies simply in their social content, this building is designed with excellent architecture that is capable not only of responding to the basic needs of refugees (in this case, providing an orderly and secluded environment for teaching) but also of reinforcing the sense of community and identity of the population the building serves. Eduardo Prieto, ETSAM-UPM, member of the Jury
Air Quality & Ventilation. The open-air design and shaded patios promote natural ventilation, reducing indoor air pollutants and enhancing respiratory health.
Light & Connection to Nature. Outdoor learning and gathering spaces offer ample natural light and connection to the environment, which boosts mood, focus, and circadian rhythm regulation.
Water. Integrated water harvesting systems support access to clean water—vital for hydration, hygiene, and reducing water-related illnesses.
Thermal Comfort & Shelter. The building’s shaded central plaza and climate-conscious design help regulate temperature, keeping indoor and outdoor spaces cool and comfortable in a hot climate.
Mind & Emotional Wellbeing. The school’s symbolic role as a place of hope and progress contributes to reduced stress, a stronger sense of purpose, and emotional resilience among students and families.
Community & Social Cohesion. Communal spaces foster interaction, belonging, and support networks, which are critical for mental health and resilience—especially in post-crisis or refugee settings.
Physical Activity & Engagement. Open outdoor spaces encourage movement and play, essential for physical development and overall health in children.
Ann Marie Aguilar, International WELL Building Institute, member of the Jury
HONORABLE MENTION
@jejustudio @wayair_foundation
21st Century Masia. Torre del Marqués Hotel 5*
Monroyo, Teruel, Spain, 2020Edra arquitectura km0 EN
Proyectos e Inversiones del Matarraña SL
Constructora Elecnor S.A & Ehisa Construcciones y obras S.A
Jury Proceedings:
The intervention is presented with criteria aimed at reducing environmental impact on a farmhouse built in the 17th century. The functionality and energy self-sufficiency of the original building system are maintained, reintroducing the traditional construction methods. The main objective of the intervention is to recover the building and project it into a new phase of use, adapting it to current regulations according to hotel classification, while ensuring optimal energy efficiency, using the principles of contemporary vernacular architecture. This 21st-century vernacular building is achieved through the use of local materials to meet the comfort needs of the building without generating environmental impact.
Edra arquitectura Km0, Àngels Castellarnau, Healthy Repport
AUDIENCE AWARD
@edra_arquitecturakm0
Ceremony, Talks and exhibition
Ceremony
The awards ceremony and roundtable discussion, featuring the teams behind the winning works, the jury, and the expert committee, will be held on May 21st starting at 4:00 p.m., Main auditorium, Pavilion 2:
- Introduction by Würth España SA, sponsor
- Institutional Welcome by Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Curation; Construmat, Organization
- Granting of Diplomas to the Nominees by Expert Committee
- Granting of Diplomas to the Winners by members of the jury, Construmat and Würth España S.A.
Talks. Round Tables
5,20 pm. Bio-based Construction Materials
- Marta Peris, Peris + Toral arquitectes
- Luca Volpi, Societat Orgànica
- Àngels Castellarnau, edra arquitectura km0
- Héctor Aventín, ELECNOR contractor
- Eduardo Prieto, member of the Jury, ETSAM-UPM
5,45 pm. Healing, social commitment and Nature
- Klaus Molterer, Herzog & de Meuron
- Michael Grotzer, Kinderspital Children’s Hospitalmichae
- Iwo Borkowicz, Jeju Studio
- Aneta Sadowska-Wojar, WayAir Found.
- Rosa Clotet, member of the Jury, Llongueras-Clotet arquitectes
Round tables moderated by
Anna Ramos, Fundació Mies van der Rohe Director
6,15 pm. Farewell and Acknowledgements. Cocktail
Exhibition
The nominated and award-winning works will be on display at the exhibition located at stand B34-Pavilion 2 of the Gran Via Venue in Fira-Barcelona throughout the days of the Salon.