PNG PNGIA Design Excellence Awards 2026 Awards Portal
Papua New Guinea Institute of Architects

Dulux Design Excellence Awards 2026

Celebrating architecture and design that reflect Papua New Guinea’s identity, culture and future, while recognising sustainability, community impact, craftsmanship and the spirit of Melanesian architecture.

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Official access

Choose the correct portal

Public submissions, jury scoring and committee administration are separated to protect access and keep each workflow clear.

Entry Submission Portal

Submit a project, upload required documents and complete the official entry form.

Open submission portal

Judge Portal

Secure access for appointed jurors to review eligible submissions and record scores.

Open judge portal

Committee Admin Portal

Secure access for authorised committee administrators to manage the awards workflow.

Open admin portal
About the awards

Design excellence grounded in PNG

The awards recognise projects that respond to local context, sustainability and community, preserve cultural identity, strengthen place-making and inspire future generations of designers across Papua New Guinea.

General entry eligibility

  • Entries must be located in Papua New Guinea unless otherwise approved by the Awards Committee.
  • Submissions must be made by an eligible architect, designer, firm, project team, client or authorised representative.
  • Projects must comply with relevant approvals, building regulations and professional standards.
  • Submission materials must accurately represent the project and include all required documentation.
  • The Awards Committee may reclassify an entry where another category is more appropriate.
  • Jury decisions are final.

Submission package

  • A fully completed online entry form.
  • A project statement covering design intent, objectives, cultural and contextual response, sustainability and key design challenges.
  • Clear architectural drawings in PDF, including relevant plans, elevations, sections, details and landscape information.
  • High-quality project photographs or artistic impressions showing exterior, interior and contextual relationships where applicable.
  • Project owner or client permission before submission and compliance with copyright, moral rights and confidentiality obligations.
Entrants are responsible for ensuring copyright, moral-rights and confidentiality requirements are satisfied before submitting any material.
Award programme

2026 award categories

Each category has its own eligibility rules and scoring criteria. Review the criteria carefully before selecting a category in the submission portal.

01

Commercial Design Award

Built commercial projects including offices, retail, hospitality, mixed-use, industrial and workplace environments.

02

Interior Commercial Design Award

Completed commercial interior architecture and fit-out projects, including retail, offices, entertainment and public commercial environments.

03

Apartment & Units Residential Design Award

Completed multi-residential apartment and short-stay developments suitable for occupation.

04

Standalone Residence Design Award

Completed standalone homes, renovations and extensions.

05

Student – Master Class Award

Academic, conceptual, research or unbuilt work by architecture students enrolled in recognised institutions.

06

Dulux Colour Award

Built projects demonstrating exceptional, practical and culturally appropriate use of colour.

07

Heritage Design Award

Heritage conservation, restoration, adaptive reuse and culturally significant projects.

08

Emerging Architect Award

Individual submissions from eligible graduate and emerging architects and design professionals.

09

Civic & Community / Urban Design Award

Civic, landscape, public realm, infrastructure and community-focused projects.

10

Institutional Design Award

Completed and operational schools, universities, healthcare, government, religious, research and public facilities.

11

Overall Design Excellence Award

Jury selection only. Limited to eligible, completed built projects shortlisted through the awards process.

Assessment framework

Common scoring scale

All category criteria are assessed on a five-point scale, from unresolved or insufficient responses through to benchmark-setting design excellence.

1Poor

Largely unresolved or below minimum expectations.

2Fair

A basic response with limited effectiveness, clarity or integration.

3Good

A competent and functional response that adequately satisfies the criterion.

4Very Good

A strong and well-executed response demonstrating thoughtful integration.

5Excellent

An outstanding and exemplary response that exceeds expectations and sets a benchmark.

Read the official award information before submitting

Review the category-specific criteria, eligibility requirements, submission checklist and entrant responsibilities before opening the submission portal.

Criteria Booklet Award Categories