The awards consolidate their international reach with the participation of 53 projects from different countries.
The house on a brick base, designed by Ágora Arquitectura, is articulated by a pilastered brick plinth upon which a prefabricated CLT wood box is placed. The building's interior is illuminated by skylights, and the perimeter is enclosed by a perforated wall, allowing the architecture to breathe without revealing its inner workings.
The assessment also highlights “the clarity with which the project articulates its structure between the brick base and the prefabricated upper box,” an operation that organizes the whole without resorting to artifice. Elements such as the perforated wall and the skylight are integrated “with measure and naturalness, avoiding superfluous gestures and allowing the architecture to breathe.”
"Casa sobre un zócalo de ladrillo" by Ágora Arquitectura wins the APE Grupo Architecture Awards. Photograph by José Hevia.
The competition jury highlighted the quality of two other projects, awarding an honourable mention to "House O" by Xstudio and another to "WMF showroom" by Parck Studio.
The "House O" designed by Xstudio is located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and stands out for the way in which the space has been freed up with an intervention that doesn't conceal the existing structure, but rather reveals it, leaving installations, beams, and ducts exposed. Ceramic tiles appear in key areas, creating unity within the volume.
The jury praised “the freshness with which the space is liberated, and light is restored,” thanks to precise interventions that do not conceal what already exists, but rather reveal it. Exposed installations, beams, and ducts allow one to “read the history and evolution of the building,” while ceramics appear “precisely in key spaces, defining a unified volume where color and material are integrated in a very balanced way.”
"House O" by Xstudio, Honorable mention at the APE Grupo Architecture Awards. Photograph by David Rodríguez.
"WMF showroom" by Parck Studio is located in Belgrade and stands out for its spatial clarity, with a central cube that acts as the core of the space. The space is organized around this piece, configuring a fluid circular path in an interior space that does not resort to formalisms.
The jury highlighted “the clarity with which the space is organized around a central cube that acts as the core of use,” creating a fluid, circular flow. They praised the project's understated materials and the way it incorporates the brand's identity “without resorting to formalism,” resulting in a clean, functional, and serene interior.
"WMF showroom" by Parck Studio, honorable mention at the APE Grupo Architecture Awards. Photograph by Milos Martinovic.
The APE Grupo Architecture Awards are aimed at professionals and projects from anywhere in the world, and the prize includes a cash award of 5,000 euros.
