The latest edition of the European Collective Housing Award concludes with the selection of "La Métropolitaine" and "The conversion of a former garage in Paris"—designed by Ignacio Prego Architectures and Atelier Téqui Architectes, respectively—as the winning projects.
Both projects are characterized by their promotion of housing policies that address the depopulation of urban centers and by demonstrating how social housing contributes to building cities that are more inclusive, socially diverse, and balanced.
"La Métropolitaine," winner of the New Construction Award at the second edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photograph by Maxime Delvaux.
The directors organizing the award highlighted the high caliber of the entries in this second edition, which were presented during the European Collective Housing Days. Finalist teams had the opportunity to showcase their work to the international jury gathered in San Sebastián.
"This has greatly enriched these gatherings. Ultimately, this award is becoming a beacon that allows us to observe outstanding projects and realize that—despite the housing crisis currently facing the continent—there are architectural teams doing highly ambitious work. They demonstrate, through already completed projects, that it is possible to build quality collective housing that has a positive impact on its residents."
José Ángel Medina Murua, Director of the Basque Institute of Architecture
"This second edition of the award confirms the need for a cross-border European initiative like this one, which brings together projects from diverse backgrounds that address shared challenges."
Wenwen Cai, Director of arc en rêve
"Conversion of a former garage in Paris," winner of the renovation award at the second edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photography by Florent Michel.
Winners of the European Collective Housing Award:
"La Métropolitaine" was named the winner in the new construction category; this project by Ignacio Prego Architectures (Paris, France) took on one of the most thankless tasks in urban housing: giving shape to a place that previously lacked it. Located on Avenue de la Porte de Clichy—at the threshold between Paris and its suburbs—the building presents a solid, unbroken façade facing the new Courthouse, beginning to shape an urban space that had previously defied definition. While the building’s mass appears compact and striking from a distance, up close it resolves into a more varied composition. Elongated fissures, light-filled porches, and irregular cutouts articulate the façade, creating a porous, permeable structure that enlivens the street-level experience. Openings at the base create transparency, linking the building’s internal life with the city's movement.
The building’s shallow depth—far from being a limitation—becomes the defining typological feature of the project. All apartments, ranging from one to five bedrooms, are dual-aspect: living rooms and kitchens span the full width of the building, with the city on one façade and the garden on the other. On the south side, a loggia opens up behind a double-skin façade that acts as a buffer against the noise, pollution, and intensity of the avenue. On the north side, a private terrace forms part of the entry sequence and opens out toward the park.
"La Métropolitaine," winner of the New Construction Award at the second edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photograph by Maxime Delvaux.
The result is a building that fosters urban cohesion at the street level, offering every resident a private connection to both city life and green spaces. This dual orientation is not a luxury, but the organizational logic from which all other aspects of the design emerge.
"A bold project that integrates social housing, affordable student accommodation, and a wide range of public and community facilities into a single architectural structure, built atop existing transport infrastructure. Particularly noteworthy is the public owner's commitment to maintaining affordable rents in such an exceptional location, right next to one of Paris's most exclusive districts."
Carme Pinós, Jury President for the Second Edition of the European Collective Housing Award
«Air Passage» finalist in the new construction category of the Second Edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photography by José Hevia.
In the new construction category, alongside "La Métropolitaine," the finalists included "Air Passage" by Peris+Toral Arquitectes (Masnou, Spain)—which transforms the roof of a public facility into a public square and organizes the dwellings around a bioclimatic passageway; "Common Woods" by Space&Matter (Amersfoort, Netherlands)—which groups 56 homes at the edge of a forest, featuring a cross-laminated timber structure and a strong ecological focus; "Illa Glòries" by Cierto Estudio (Barcelona, Spain)—a dense yet permeable social housing block with communal courtyards occupying 60% of the site; and finally, "Yimby" by Maker Architecten (Kortrijk, Belgium)—which increases density in a 1924 garden-city neighborhood using the "kangaroo house" concept, without displacing existing residents.
"Common Woods," a finalist in the New Construction category of the Second Edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photograph by Riccardo De Vecchi.
The project "Renovation and extension of a former garage in Paris to create 63 apartments and a shop", designed by Atelier Téqui Architectes (Paris, France), was named the winner in the Best Renovation category. Located in Paris's 11th arrondissement, a 1957 garage designed by Grand Prix de Rome winner Claude Béraud has been transformed into 63 apartments. The iconic street-facing façade—featuring cantilevered concrete bands that symbolize the automobile's role in the city's history—has been preserved. The ramps were removed to make way for landscaped courtyards, introducing natural light and creating 63 distinct ways of living.
The initial design decision was to minimize demolition. The structural blocks, columns, and beams were retained, working with the existing structure rather than removing it. Removing the ramps created courtyards that now bring air and light into a building that was previously cut off from both. A second, set-back façade—featuring wood panels and folding sliding doors—creates winter gardens in the space between the two skins; these are outdoor spaces usable year-round, allowing residents to experience the climate rather than merely endure it.
"Illa Glòries," a finalist in the New Construction category of the Second Edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photograph by José Hevia.
The vertical extension rests on a steel post-and-beam structure, featuring cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors and larch-clad timber façades. Bio-based materials account for up to 99 kg/m² of the extension. The project points toward a potential transition for European cities: moving from an extraction-based construction culture to hybrid systems that combine structural reuse with the timber industry.
"Through an extraordinarily efficient use of available space and carefully resolved floor plans, the project transforms structural constraints into opportunities, achieving exceptional spatial quality and generous living conditions."
Jury for the Second Edition of the European Collective Housing Award
"Yimby," a finalist in the New Construction category of the Second Edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photograph by Stijn Bollaert.
In the renovation category, alongside "Del garaje" by Atelier Téqui Architectes, three other projects were selected as finalists: "Oudemansstraat" by Woonwerk Architecten (Antwerp, Belgium), which transforms a former nightclub and three adjacent buildings into affordable housing; "Transformation of a Car Park on Rue Nollet" by NZI Architectes (Paris, France), which creates 83 social housing units without demolition or new land use; and "Transformation of Cité de Beutre" by Christophe Hutin Architecture (Mérignac, France), which renovates 93 post-war emergency housing units, viewing the adaptations made by residents as an asset.
"Oudemansstraat," a finalist in the renovation category of the second edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photograph by Aiste Rakauskaite.
The Ceremony
The winning projects were announced at a ceremony opened by Denis Itxaso, Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda for the Basque Government. The international jury was chaired by Carme Pinós, with members Jing Liu, Catherine Sabbah, David Madden, and Lucia Tozzi.
"The transformation of a parking lot on Rue Nollet," a finalist in the renovation category of the Second Edition of the European Collective Housing Award. Photograph by Frédéric Delangle.
About the European Collective Housing Award
The award aims to become a benchmark in the field of collective housing in Europe. The results of this second edition reinforce that ambition by increasing participation and globalizing the competition, effectively doubling the number of participating countries.
The finalist projects will be featured in the award's upcoming publication and in a traveling exhibition that will tour various European museums over the next two years.
