The CAA Awards Programme

The Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) is committed to delivering on its charter objectives: ‘To maximise the contribution by architects to the well-being of society’ and ‘helping to create a better world for tomorrow, today’. As the world continues to grapple with the combined challenges of climate change and rapid urbanisation together with associated increases in vulnerability, inequality and biodiversity loss, the 2024 CAA awards programme has been developed to recognise the work of architects that has made a demonstrable contribution to addressing such issues and contributes to delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

Lifetime Achievement

• CAA Lifetime Achievement Award (also known as the CAA Robert Matthew Lifetime Achievement Award): The CAA Lifetime Achievement Award recognises a Commonwealth architect, or architectural practice, whose body of work is considered to have made a significant impact to the advancement of architecture in the Commonwealth over a number of years.

Professional Practice

• CAA Environmental Impact Award: The CAA Environmental Impact Award will recognise work in any sector which can demonstrate having achieved a significant positive environmental impact in areas such as circular economy, energy & carbon, water, ecology & biodiversity and/or connectivity & transport.
• CAA Social Impact Award: The CAA Social Impact Award will recognise work in any sector which can demonstrate having achieved significant positive social impact in areas such as affordability, community development, health & well-being, and social value.

Education

• CAA Student Award: The CAA Student Award will recognise the work of students in Years 1-3 which creatively addresses issues associated with social, economic, and environmental well-being in the context of the current biodiversity crisis and climate emergency.
• CAA President’s Award: The CAA President’s Award will recognise the work of students in Years 4, 5 & 6 which critically and creatively addresses the issues associated with social, economic, and environmental well-being in the context of the current biodiversity crisis and climate emergency.

The 2024 CAA Awards Programme is now closed but see here for details of the Award Criteria and submission details. The Awards Ceremony for the 2024 Awards Cycle took place at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda on the evening of Thursday 22 August 2024. See here for details of all the winners of the 2024 CAA Awards Programme, here for videos of the category winners, and here for full details of the winning submissions.

Past winners of the CAA Lifetime Achievement Award include:

• 1983, Philip Cox AO, (Australia)
• 1985, Arup Associates, (UK)
• 1989, Raj Rewal, (India)
• 1991, Hampshire County Council Architects Department, (UK)
• 1994, Ian Ritchie Architects, (UK)
• 1997, Gregory Burgess Architects, (Australia)
• 2000, TR Hamzah and Yeang, (Malaysia)
• 2003, Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, (India)
• 2016, Joint winner, Grimshaw Architects, (UK)
• 2016, Joint winner, Pervaiz Vandal & Associates, (Pakistan)
• 2019, Prof Richard England, (Malta)
• 2022, Rafiq Azam, Shatotto Studio, (Bangladesh)
• 2024, Yasmeen Lari, (Pakistan)

The 2026 award cycle will be launching towards the end of 2025. In the meantime, for further queries, please contact: awards@commonwealtachitects.org