Alison Brooks Architects has been named studio of the year while Gad Line+ Studio has won the title of emerging architecture studios of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.
Based in the UK, Alison Brooks Architects was selected from a shortlist of six studios, which was determined by our jury of 25 leading figures from the world of architecture.
Chinese architecture studio Gad Line+ Studio beat four other emerging studios to win the award.
The winning studios were revealed at the Dezeen Awards 2020 architecture show, which was streamed on Dezeen on 23 November.
The interiors and design studio category winners will be revealed on 24 November and 25 November.
Alison Brooks Architects named studio of the year
The architecture jury, which consisted of London-based Sally Mackareth, Mariam Kamara of Studio Masomi, Alexandra Hagen of White Arkitekter, Penda China's Sun Dayong and Issa Diabaté of Ivory Coast-based Koffi Diabate Architects, chose London-based Alison Brooks Architects as the winning architecture studio of the year.
They said that the practice is "conscious and questioning, and adopts a public interest approach" and that "this is the direction we want architecture to move towards".
"A groundbreaking practice with great ethos – particularly the way that they question both norms and the profession itself," they further explained.
Projects by the studio include an art-filled black house alongside a Georgian farmhouse in Gloucestershire and a housing development in King's Cross.
Brooks founded her eponymous architecture studio in 1996 with a portfolio ranging from urban design and landmark developments to private houses, higher education projects and buildings for the arts.
The studios were chosen by this year's architecture master jury, which virtually met on 4 November. Their selections were based on evidence of strong vision and achievement, business success, client satisfaction and positive impact.
Gad Line+ Studio named emerging studio of the year
Gad Line+ Studio, a Hangzhou-based architecture studio, founded by Meng Fanhao and Zhu Peidong in 2018, has won the emerging architect of the year category. The architecture master jury was "hugely energised by this young studio" and praised it for "its youthful, spirited and exciting work".
Based in Hangzhou, the studio was also shortlisted in the cultural building of the year category for its Jiunvfeng Study on Mount Tai this year and previously for an affordable housing scheme it designed in Fuyang District at Dezeen Awards 2018.