French architect Anne Lacaton has been awarded the 2025 Jane Drew Prize for her pivotal role in advancing women in architecture, recognised for her inventive and socially conscious design work.
In recognition of her groundbreaking career, French architect Anne Lacaton has been awarded the 2025 Jane Drew Prize for Architecture, which recognises an architectural designer who has “raised the profile of women in architecture”.
The honour is part of the W Awards, co-organised by the Architectural Review and Architects’ Journal, which celebrate the achievements of women in the architecture world.
Lacaton, co-founder of the Paris-based Lacaton & Vassal studio, is recognised for her transformative approach to architecture, particularly through adaptive reuse and social housing projects. Since founding the studio with Jean-Philippe Vassal in 1987, Lacaton has been at the forefront of rethinking how we build in a way that is socially responsible and sustainable. Her design philosophy champions inventive solutions to transform existing structures, rather than demolishing them.
The Jane Drew Prize, named after the modernist pioneer Jane Drew, honours women who have made significant contributions to the field. Lacaton joins the ranks of previous winners like Kazuyo Sejima, Zaha Hadid, and last year’s recipient, Iwona Buczkowska.
Architects’ Journal highlighted Lacaton’s work as “instrumental in defining what it means to build responsibly in the 21st century,” with particular mention of her ‘series of exceptionally inventive retrofit projects”.
Notable works by Lacaton & Vassal include the renovation of the Palais de Tokyo museum in Paris and the transformative overhaul of a 1960s social housing block in Bordeaux, which have set a new standard for sustainability and social engagement in architecture.
Alongside Lacaton’s award, the 2025 Ada Louise Huxtable Prize for Contribution to Architecture was presented to Palestinian architect and writer Suad Amiry. The prize, which honours individuals from fields adjacent to architecture, recognises Amiry’s significant impact on the preservation of historical buildings in Palestine through her organisation Riwaq.
A prolific author, Amiry’s books, including “Sharon and My Mother-in-Law” (2003) and “Mother of Strangers” (2022), have garnered international acclaim for their insight into the intersection of culture, history, and the built environment.
