The World’s Best Architecture Practices in 2021 by Architizer is a list of 31 global practices that win Architizer’s annual award in various categories.
Categories are grouped in Best of the Year Awards, Typology Awards, Specialization Awards.
Best of the Year Awards:
Best Small Firm: Shulin Architectural Design, Hangzhou, China
Best Medium Firm: Koichi Takada Architects, Sydney, Australia
Best Large Firm: neri&hu design and research office, Shanghai, China
Best XL Firm: Foster + Partners, London, United Kingdom
Best Young Firm: Office Off Course, Shanghai, Hangzhou, China
Best in North America: MGA | Michael Green Architecture, Vancouver, Canada
Best in Central and South America: Studio Saxe, San Jose, Costa Rica
Best in Asia: Department of ARCHITECTURE Co., Bangkok, Thailand
Best in Europe: Dominique Coulon & Associés, Strasbourg, France
Best in Africa: Koffi & Diabaté Group, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire
Best in Australasia: Austin Maynard Architects, Melbourne, Australia
Typology Awards:
Architecture – Private Residential: Park + Associates, Singapore, Singapore
Architecture – Multi Unit Residential: ODA New York, New York, United States
Architecture – Commercial: Hooba Design Group, Tehran, Iran
Architecture – Cultural: Mecanoo, Delft, Netherlands
Architecture – Institutional: Crystalzoo, Alicante, Spain
Architecture – Hospitality: Lacime Architects, Shanghai, China
Architecture – Humanitarian: MASS Design Group, Boston, MA, United States
Architecture – Conceptual: Ballman Khapalova, Ithaca, United States
Interior Design – Commercial: Stonehill Taylor, New York, United States
Interior Design – Institutional/Cultural: Vermilion Zhou Design Group, Shanghai, China
Landscape Architecture: Zhu Yufan Y³C Atelier, Beijing, China
Interior Design – Residential: l’atelier, nomadic architecture studio, Berlin, Germany
Specialization Awards:
Rendering Studio: Gabriel Saunders Pty Ltd, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
Photography Studio: Julien Lanoo, Comines, Belgium
Engineering Firm: AKT II Limited, London, United Kingdom
Sustainability: LUO studio, Beijing, China
Public Projects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), New York, United States
Small Projects: The Urban Conga, Brooklyn, United States
Collaboration: HDR, Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Lighting Designer: Tillotson Design Associates, New York, United States
On November 17, 2021, Phaidon Press published a book about these 31 architecture practices and design firms.
Shiyun Mountain House by Shulin Architectural Design, winner of the Best Small Firm award. ©Shulin Architectural Design
Wood Innovation and Design Centre by MGA | Michael Green Architecture, winner of the Best in North America award. ©MGA | Michael Green Architecture
Stark House by Park + Associates, winner of the Architecture – Private Residential award.
The Shed Studio Theatre by Mecanoo, winner of the Architecture – Cultural award. ©Mecanoo
TWA Hotel by Stonehill Taylor, winner of the Interior Design – Commercial award. ©Stonehill Taylor
Michelet: 50 Sqm for 5 People by l’atelier, nomadic architecture studio, winner of the Interior Design – Residential award. ©l’atelier, nomadic architecture studio
Vessel by Heatherwick Studio. Structural design: AKT II Limited, winner of the Engineering Firm award. ©Heatherwick Studio
