ABOUT - AWARDS

Awards

2025

In 2025, the Smart Circular Bridge of Stadt Ulm was announced as the winner of the DGNB Sustainability Award 2025 in the Research category.

The project merges circular, biobased construction with an interactive sound art installation and digital #storytelling, offering an inspiring example of how architecture, science, circularity and creativity can come together to shape a more sustainable future cities and green infrastructures.

In 2025, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy was included in the 25 Influential Computational Designers building Architecture Future by ParametricArchitecture!

Huge thanks to @Hamid Hassanzadeh for the feature and to @PAACADEMY for recognising the value of material-based, sustainable, and computational design approaches. I’m proud to represent @BioMat and the continued research we do at BioMat@Copenhagen, PLUS, and AAU.

See the full article here.

2024

In 2024, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy was hosted in a ceremonial event by the Egyptian Engineering Syndicate organized by the National Egyptian Architects Chamber.

The event included giving a speech about #BioMat. Sustainable Design & Building Technology Services and the intention behind it in the scope of advancing the #building #sector in both teaching and in practice through both experimental and market projects. The event was #podcasted live in arabic, as an action towards #technology #transfer and #spreading #knowledge throughout the #globe towards a global societal #impact

2023

In 2023, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy received the SIT Furniture Design Award ™ , yesterday in an amazing Awards Ceremony at the iconic #KKL #Luzern, #Switzerland on November 18, 2023, for the innovative 'FlaxPack' by BioMat Studio. This composite stool, developed by Kevin Saslawsky , Christian Steixner , Michael Tucker and tutored by Vanessa Costalonga , applies TFP Tailored Fiber Placement, allowing it to be shaped, folded, and easily transported.

The bioresin infusion and compliant folding mechanisms create an organic, structural and aesthetically pleasing form. The design, recognized at the SIT awards2023 ceremony the upscaling potential in architectural realm scales and applications, blending technical simplicity with emotional appeal.

In 2023, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy received the DigitalFUTURES Arabic Award ! DigitalFutures.World

The Awards Ceremony took place during the Closing Ceremony for the DigitalFUTURES online workshops on Sunday 30 July 2023.

2021

In 2021, BioMat group won two Green Concept Award Prizes, through the BioMat Pavilion2021 (Category Architecture and Tiny Houses) and through the mycelium chair (Mycomerge).

In 2021, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy received the Focus Open International Design Award 2021 from the State Design Center of Baden-Würrttemberg (https://design-center.de/de ) silver category on behalf of her team and partners.

In relation to the industrial research project BioProfile in which extruded and co-extruded biocomposite facade elements, structural components and window frames were newly developed and produced, that was funded from 2017-2020 by the Federal German Agency of Renewable Resources (FNR) under the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the prize was received. BioProfile partners included BioMat @University of Stuttgart

In 2021, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy received the certificate of the Excellence Award for Women in Architecture and Construction in the Near East and North Africa as one of the three finalists for the highest category of this prize 'Women of Outstanding Achievement' for the contribution in this field for the year 2020..

2016

In 2016, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy obtained the MatarialPreis 2016 (Die Auszeichung für besondere Materialien 2016) for the innovation of BioFlexi.

2015

In 2015, Assoc.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hanaa Dahy obtained the Materialica Prize Award for Design+Technology 2015 for the innovation of BioFlexi.

Awards and Distinctions Full List:

  1. International Sustainable Architecture Award (2025) – Awarded by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) for the architectural design of the Smart Circular Bridge in Ulm, Germany (June 2025).

  2. Nomination for the Egyptian State Excellence Award (2025) – Nominated by the Egyptian government for excellence in sustainable architecture and design.

  3. Honorary Distinction by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany – Recognized as a role model for career pathways linking sustainable architecture and the construction industry with the bioeconomy. Video link.

  4. Honorary Distinction by the Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers (Architecture Division) – For contributions to advancing sustainable architecture internationally, Cairo, 1 September 2024.

  5. Venice Architecture Biennale Design Award (Shortlisted, 2023) – Shortlisted in the Design category, European Cultural Centre, Venice, Italy (May–November 2023). Announcement in Venice, 26 November 2023.

  6. SIT Furniture Design Award (2023) – Awarded by the Centre for Culture and Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland (18 November 2023) for the TFP-based foldable adaptive lightweight chair, designed with BioMat students Kevin Saslawsky, Christian Steixner, and Michael Tucker under Dahy’s supervision.

  7. DigitalFUTURES Arabic Prize (2023) – Awarded 30 July 2023.

  8. Michael Owen Jones Distinguished Lectureship Award (2023) – University of Virginia, School of Architecture, USA (January 2023).

  9. Nomination for the Egyptian State Appreciation Award for Arts (2023) – Nominated by the International Union of Architects (UIA), Egyptian National Sector (April 2023).

  10. German Federal Ecodesign Award (Nomination, 2022) – Shortlisted.

  11. Sustainability Design Award (Nomination, 2022) – Shortlisted.

  12. Dezeen Award (Nomination, 2022) – Longlisted.

  13. Material Prize (2022) – Design Center Baden-Württemberg.

  14. Green Concept Award (2022) – Category: Architecture & Tiny Houses.

  15. Silver Focus International Award (2021) – Design Center Baden-Württemberg.

  16. Material Prize (2021) – Design Center Baden-Württemberg.

  17. Tamayouz Excellence Award (2020) – Women in Architecture & Construction in the Middle East and North Africa, Top 3 finalist.

  18. Tamayouz Excellence Award – Makiya Prize (2020) – Personality of the Year in Architecture in the Middle East, Top 10 finalist.

  19. Material Prize (2019) – Design Center Baden-Württemberg.

  20. German Federal Ecodesign Award (Nominations, 2018 & 2019) – IDZ | Internationales Design Zentrum Berlin e.V.

  21. Innovation Fellowship for High-School Teaching (2017) – Baden-Württemberg Stiftung / Deutscher Stifterverband.

  22. Gips-Schüle Prize (Nomination, 2017).

  23. Material Prize (2016) – Design Center Baden-Württemberg.

  24. Materialica Design + Technology Award (2015).

  25. UIA Award for Graduation Project (2003) – International Union of Architects, Egyptian National Sector.

  26. UN Honorary Award (2003) – For the Mobile Clinic project, New York, USA.

  27. Honorary Award for Outstanding Student (2001–2003) – Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo.

  28. First Prize, Samha Gardens Design Competition (2002) – UAE, during internship at CPAS Engineer Office.

  29. First Prize, Dubai Courthouse Design Competition (2001) – UAE, during internship at CPAS Engineer Office.