AUACW Pan-African Women Design Competition
She Builds Africa 2026
Design sustainable, inclusive and resilient spaces for Africa's future.
Registration and submission close
20 December 2026
Female architecture students, architects and eligible architecture professionals from countries represented within the AUA membership structure are invited to take part in this Pan-African design competition. The specific design challenge and technical requirements will be confirmed in the Official Competition Brief.
- Theme
- Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Spaces
- Registration closes
- 20 December 2026
- Languages
- English or French
Who can enter
- Student division
Female architecture students from countries represented within the Africa Union of Architects (AUA) membership structure. There is no age limit. - Professional division
Female architects and eligible architecture professionals from countries represented within the AUA membership structure. There is no age limit. - Enter individually or in a team of 2–4 women. Every member must qualify for the selected division, and a person may appear in only one submitted entry.
Our terms of reference
What this cycle holds itself to.
Authorship on record
Putting the practices, research and authorship of African women architects on the public record.
One brief, one continent
One brief, one calendar and one design conversation shared across AUA member countries, in English and French.
Judged blind, judged fairly
Anonymous review against Committee-approved criteria, so entries are judged on rigour and craft alone.
Built for the next 50 years
Climate-responsive, community-anchored architecture designed for resilience, dignity and long-term care.
Mandate and custody
Who holds the brief, and on whose mandate.
- 01
AUA
Africa Union of Architects
The continental federation of national architecture bodies across Africa.
- 02
AUACW
Africa Union of Architects Commission for Women
Advocacy, research, mentorship and visibility for women in African architecture.
- 03
2026
She Builds Africa 2026 — Pan-African Women Design Competition
The public competition, entry process and permanent continental archive.
The 2026 brief
One approved brief. No parallel rules.
The design challenge, site expectations, deliverables and technical requirements are set out exclusively in the Official Competition Brief. Every published version is dated, numbered and archived, so you can always see what changed and when.
Official Competition Brief — Coming SoonKey dates
- 20 December 2026, 23:59:59 WAT (UTC+1)Registration and submission close. Server time is authoritative.
- To be confirmedTechnical and eligibility review
- To be confirmedJury assessment
- January 2027Results announced. The exact date is confirmed by the Competition Committee.
- To be announcedProgramme webinar
How to enter
- 01
Check your eligibility
Preliminary guidance on your division and your AUA member country or institute.
- 02
Create your account
Verify your email, choose your language and complete your entrant profile.
- 03
Enter alone or build a team
Teams are 2–4 women. Every member must qualify for the same division.
- 04
Upload your evidence
Student or professional status evidence, stored privately and never shown to jurors.
- 05
Submit your entry
Submission fields and file requirements are confirmed in the Official Competition Brief.
Organised by
The Africa Union of Architects and its Commission for Women hold the mandate and custody of the programme.
Partner
Ecobank — The Pan African Bank participates as a confirmed partner of She Builds Africa. It holds no role in the governance, eligibility or assessment of the competition.