"This year's group of winners represent a diverse group of practitioners and firms exploring ways that work in design and the arts can counteract environmental catastrophe and re-center the human hand in shaping the future."
"Launched in 2000 by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, the awards honor designers across design disciplines from architecture to digital design to interior design. Despite the awards program being created as a project of the White House Millennium Council, this year's honorees zag away from the trendlines of current national politics."
"Two standout honorees include Mattaforma, a New York City-based architecture and research studio focusing on mass-timber and sustainable building materials, and Berea College Student Craft, a hands-on experiential design and craft program that dates back to 1893."
The 2026 National Design Awards, launched by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, honor U.S.-based designers and firms advancing climate action, sustainability, and human craftsmanship. Winners include fashion designer Josh Tafoya for indigenous textile practices, Estudio Teddy Cruz + Fonna Forman for ecological research, and Frida Escobedo Studio for environmentally sensitive architecture. Additional honorees span digital cartography and ecological restoration. Notable winners include Mattaforma, focusing on mass-timber sustainable building, and Berea College Student Craft, a century-old hands-on program. The jury, chaired by Aric Chen of the Zaha Hadid Foundation, includes leaders in design, AI, water economics, and fashion.
#climate-action-and-sustainability #design-awards-and-recognition #sustainable-architecture #craft-and-human-centered-design #environmental-innovation
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