Baumit Life Challenge

The Baumit Life Challenge has established itself as one of the most prestigious architectural competitions in Europe. It not only rewards excellence in design, but also promotes sustainable construction across the continent. On May 21, 2026, the Baumit Life Challenge event in Budapest honored outstanding architectural masterpieces from across Europe.

The prestigious winner of the Baumit Life Challenge Award 2026 is the Hotel Kellogg’s project. A former industrial silo in Bremen was transformed into an exceptional hotel that maintains its strong identity while opening a new chapter in urban life. In addition to the main prize, awards were given for the best architectural solutions in six categories: single-family house, multi-family building, non-residential construction, thermal renovation, historical renovation and stunned by texture: a special creative category evaluating unique surface structures, plaster techniques, forms, and materials. Each category reflected different aspects of architectural quality – from innovative new construction to sustainable renovations and demanding restoration renovations of historic buildings.

The international jury, which included the Slovenian representative Polona Filipič Gorenšek, architect, associate professor at the Department of Urban Planning at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana, and co-founder of Studio Stratum, had the challenging task of selecting the best projects from more than 350 entries. The evaluation criteria included design, appearance and implementation, as well as sustainability, resource efficiency, and social impact.

This year, Slovenia was represented in the competition by 17 projects, and four of them were among the finalists:

Topniška project by SoNo architects in the category of multi-apartment buildings,
Žalec kindergarten by Efekt architecture in the category of non-residential buildings,
Ring house project by OFIS architects in the category of thermal renovation, which is also the winner in this category,
Črnuški bajer settlement by GT architects in the category of structure emphasizes form – a category intended for projects with innovative use of facade structures.

Projects by Slovenian architects are regularly ranked among the finalists and award recipients, which confirms the continuity of high-quality architectural production in Slovenia. In addition to the Baumit Life Challenge 2026 award in the thermal renovation category, the OFIS office last month also received the main Plečnik Award 2026 for the renovation of the boathouse in Zaka. Congratulations to all the awardees!