International YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects Launches in 2026

Feb 12, 2026

YAS Global Architecture Award For Women Architects

A New Global Platform for Women in Architecture

The International YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects officially launches in 2026, introducing a new annual recognition dedicated to celebrating women architects whose work reflects cultural depth, contextual awareness, and meaningful human experience within the built environment. Designed to spotlight architectural excellence across both emerging and established markets, the award provides an international platform for projects that demonstrate innovation while remaining grounded in local identity and social responsibility.

The inaugural edition focuses on architects practicing in the Middle East and China, two regions undergoing rapid urban and cultural transformation. By highlighting both built and unbuilt projects, the program encourages participation across scales and typologies, from residential and mixed-use developments to civic, cultural, and conceptual works. The intention is to surface design thinking that contributes to community life, environmental stewardship, and the emotional resonance of physical space.

This launch marks an important moment for the global architecture community, creating additional visibility for women leaders whose projects shape cities, neighborhoods, and cultural narratives worldwide.

Origin and Vision Behind the Award

The YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects is created and presented by Stephen Yas, AIA, RIBA, NCARB, an internationally recognized architect and urban designer with more than five decades of professional experience. As Managing Director – USA and Global Design Leader at NOVO Architects LLC, Yas has built a career defined by cross-cultural design work, urban planning initiatives, and a long-standing commitment to architectural leadership.

The award reflects a broader mission to encourage architectural practices that balance creativity with responsibility. Rather than focusing solely on visual impact or scale, the program emphasizes how design influences everyday life, cultural continuity, and environmental consciousness. By centering the award on women architects, the initiative also aims to support greater visibility and representation within a profession that continues to evolve in terms of leadership diversity.

Administrative coordination and communications for the award are managed by Desert Rose in collaboration with MIE Events DMCC, ensuring international outreach and structured evaluation processes. Further details regarding jury members, submission mechanics, and future award editions will be announced as the program expands.

Evaluation Criteria and Submission Focus

Submissions to the YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects are reviewed by an international jury of architects and urban designers, selected for their global experience and multidisciplinary perspectives. Projects are evaluated using a comprehensive framework that considers both technical and human-centered dimensions of architecture.

Key evaluation areas include:

Cultural and Contextual Integration
Projects are assessed on how effectively they respond to local narratives, heritage, and environmental conditions. Designs that demonstrate sensitivity to community identity and geographic context are strongly encouraged.

Emotional and Human Experience
Beyond structural performance, the jury considers how spaces influence well-being, movement, and social interaction. The ability to create environments that resonate emotionally with users is a defining factor.

Architectural Design Excellence
Technical precision, spatial organization, material selection, and overall design quality remain central to the evaluation process.

Innovation and Contemporary Expression
Forward-thinking concepts, experimental approaches, and adaptive solutions are welcomed, particularly those that challenge conventional methods while maintaining functional integrity.

Social and Environmental Responsibility
Sustainability, accessibility, and long-term community impact play an essential role in scoring. Projects that demonstrate measurable environmental awareness or social contribution receive added emphasis.

Both realized structures and conceptual proposals are eligible, allowing architects to submit visionary work alongside completed developments. The submission deadline for the inaugural edition is 15 April 2026.

Presentation at a Global Industry Gathering

The YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects will be formally presented on 7 May 2026 in Chicago, during the Desert Rose Architectural Forum and the APEX World Real Estate Conference and Exhibition. This alignment positions the award within a broader international conversation about architecture, urbanism, and real estate innovation.

The Chicago presentation is designed to bring together architects, developers, planners, and industry leaders from multiple continents. By hosting the award ceremony alongside major forums and exhibitions, the program ensures that winning projects receive meaningful exposure within professional networks that influence future development and design trends.

Event coordination and hosting support are provided through MIE Events and affiliated partners, reinforcing the award’s global accessibility and organizational structure.

Industry and Cultural Impact

The YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects is structured to create both immediate recognition and long-term influence. In the short term, participating architects gain international visibility and professional validation. Over time, the program aims to contribute to broader cultural shifts by encouraging inclusive leadership and cross-regional collaboration in architecture.

For regions such as the Middle East and China, where rapid development intersects with deep historical identity, the award highlights projects that respect tradition while embracing modernization. This dual focus encourages a design language that is simultaneously progressive and culturally anchored.

For the global architecture community, the award reinforces the importance of narrative-driven design, reminding stakeholders that architecture functions as both infrastructure and storytelling. Buildings and public spaces shape how communities gather, interact, and remember their history, and the award seeks to amplify voices that approach this responsibility with intention and creativity.

The International YAS Architecture Award for Women Architects introduces a thoughtfully positioned platform that blends recognition, representation, and responsibility. By focusing on cultural integration, human experience, and environmental awareness, the program elevates architectural achievements that extend beyond aesthetics into meaningful societal contribution.

As the inaugural edition approaches its April 2026 submission deadline and May 2026 presentation in Chicago, the award sets the stage for a new cycle of global architectural dialogue. Through coordinated efforts from Desert Rose, MIE Events DMCC, and international jurors, the initiative stands to become an ongoing benchmark for excellence in women-led architectural design.

Further information regarding submission guidelines, jury announcements, and participation updates will be shared via official channels including Desert Rose, MIE Events, and APEX World Real Estate Conference & Exhibition.