French architect Anne Lacaton, recipient of the 2021 Pritzker Architecture Prize,has been awarded the 2025 Jane Drew Prize for Architecture, an annual accolade recognizing an architect whose work and commitment to design excellence have contributed to raising the profile of women in architecture. Part of the W Awards, the prize honors figures who have advanced architectural practice through innovation, advocacy, and impact. Lacaton, co-founder of the Paris-based practice Lacaton & Vassal, was selected for her pioneering approach to sustainable and socially responsible architecture.
Known for her inventive retrofit strategies, she has been instrumental in demonstrating how existing buildings can be adapted and improved rather than demolished. Her work emphasizes affordability, adaptability, and environmental responsibility, particularly in social housing projects. Notable examples include the transformation of the Grand-Parc housing estate in Bordeaux, where winter gardens were introduced to enhance living spaces without displacing residents, and the renovation of Paris's Palais de Tokyo museum.
The Jane Drew Prize is named after Jane Drew, a pioneering modernist architect and advocate for women in the profession at a time when architecture was predominantly male-dominated. Drew, who trained at the Architectural Association in London, was instrumental in bringing modernist design principles to the United Kingdom and beyond, co-founding the influential partnership Fry, Drew & Partners. She played a key role in shaping post-war architecture, particularly in large-scale urban planning projects such as Chandigarh, India, where she collaborated with Le Corbusier.
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"Individual Space is as Important as Collective Space": In Conversation with Pritzker Prize Laureate Anne LacatonAs part of the W Awards, the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize was also announced, with Palestinian architect and writer Suad Amiry named as the 2025 recipient. This award, named after architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable, recognizes individuals from fields adjacent to architecture who have made a significant impact on the built environment.
Amiry is the founder of Riwaq, an organization dedicated to the conservation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings in Palestine. She is also a prolific writer, known for works such as Sharon and My Mother-in-Law (2003) and Mother of Strangers (2022). Previous winners of the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize include political activist and philosopher Angela Davis (2024), architect Phyllis Lambert (2023), and artist Mona Hatoum (2022).
Additionally, the Prize for Research in Gender and Architecture was awarded to Designing Motherhood, a project launched in 2017 by design historians Michelle Millar Fisher and Amber Winick. This initiative explores the intersection of design and reproductive health, addressing a historical gap in architectural discourse. The project includes a book published by MIT Press, a traveling exhibition currently on display at ArkDes in Stockholm and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and collaborations with maternal health specialists and policymakers.
All three awards form part of the W Awards, formerly known as the Women in Architecture Awards, which celebrate contributions to the field across multiple disciplines, from groundbreaking building design to research and advocacy. The program continues to highlight both emerging and established voices shaping the future of architecture.
Architectural awards serve to recognize excellence, innovation, and impact in the built environment, celebrating projects and individuals who push the boundaries of design and sustainability. In other architectural news, Tatiana Bilbao, Alison Brooks, and Jun'ya Ishigami have been elevated to the AIA Honorary Fellowship, recognizing their exceptional contributions to architecture and society on an international level. Additionally, the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) has announced its five finalists for the 2025 Americas Prize, highlighting projects from Argentina, Canada, Mexico, and the United States that exemplify architectural excellence across the Americas. Finally, the ArchDaily 2025 Building of the Year Awards have honored 15 projects, selected by readers, that showcase outstanding architectural design and innovation worldwide.
