ICOMOS – ISCEAH, CRAterre, Department of Culture and Tourism- Abu Dhabi

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Ten years after the first TERRA Award, the Terra Landscape–Architectural Award 2026 will celebrate outstanding contemporary earthen architectures that express a deep and meaningful connection between architecture and landscape.

Organised as part of TERRA 2026 – the World Congress on Earthen Architecture (Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, 13–16 April 2026), the award will recognise exemplary projects from around the world that demonstrate how earthen materials can shape our relationship to the environment, culture, and territory.

This new distinction seeks to honour all those who contribute to the vitality of earthen construction today: the visionary clients who choose earth as a building material, the creative designers who engage with context and landscape, and the skilled artisans and builders whose craftsmanship transforms soil into architecture.

By showcasing these projects, the Terra Landscape–Architectural Award aims to promote earthen architecture as a living practice — one that builds bridges between tradition and innovation, nature and culture, local identity and global challenges.

The Award will be divided into three categories, each reflecting a specific approach to the relationship between earthen architecture and landscape:
1/ Integration into the Natural Site,
2/ Dialogue with Existing Cultural Landscape,
3/ Valorisation of Local Resources and Know-how.

Each project is to be submitted to one category only. The proposed projects will be evaluated according to a common set of criteria, with additional weighting given to those specific to the chosen category. The jury will select five projects per category, for a total of fifteen finalists, from which three winners — one per category — will be designated.

The three award winners will be invited to present their projects at the awards ceremony in Al Ain. They will also be given the opportunity to attend the TERRA 2026 World Congress, with travel and accommodation expenses covered by the organiser. Hosted for the first time in the Arab region, the congress is expected to gather between 700 and 1,000 participants, with an estimated 140 to 160 presentations.