Architecture for Health Student Award 2026
Mention
Sofia Juntunen
The Award
The Architecture for Health Student Award recognised outstanding master’s theses addressing the evolving field of Architecture for Health. The prize aimed to promote innovative work at the intersection of architecture and urban planning and to encourage students to engage critically with the pressing health challenges of our time.
It was awarded by the Hans and Christine Nickl-Stiftung.
Projects were submitted from the disciplines of
/ architecture / landscape architecture / urban design.
The award honoured outstanding student work engaging with Architecture for Health, including healthcare architecture, urban planning, and landscape design. This year’s winning projects demonstrated creativity, compassion, and a deep understanding of human needs, illustrating how architecture can create environments that care, support, and inspire.
The submitted works also reflected a strong engagement with contemporary and emerging health-related issues. In recent years, the focus of Architecture for Health has broadened significantly: alongside traditional healthcare facilities such as hospitals and care homes, increasing attention has been given to climate-responsive design, resilient urban environments, digital health infrastructures, and the spatial implications of ageing societies.
The range of topics included sustainable and low-carbon healthcare architecture, adaptive reuse of existing structures, the integration of mental health and well-being into the built environment, as well as inclusive and community-oriented design strategies. Furthermore, projects addressed healthy cities, preventive healthcare, sports and wellness, and the intersection of health and hospitality.
Charité Special Prize
In collaboration with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one student project demonstrating an exceptional focus on sustainable, resilient, and future-oriented hospital design received special recognition.
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Hans und Christine Nickl-Stiftung
The Architecture for Health Student Award is part of the Hans and Christine Nickl-Stiftung scholarship program. The aim of the foundation is to directly promote the sustainability of health care by connecting research findings in urban planning and architecture with public health care, medical technology, and health economics.
The foundation aims to promote young scientists through scholarships and awards.