Annual Awards Recognize Innovative Companies and Projects Addressing the World’s Most Urgent Challenges
San Francisco, CA (June 10, 2025) — hb+a Architects is proud to announce that it has been named a honoree of Fast Company’s 2025 World Changing Ideas Awards. This annual recognition honors bold and transformative efforts that tackle the world’s most pressing issues—from fresh sustainability initiatives and cutting-edge AI developments to ambitious pursuits of social equity that are helping mold the world.
Protsvitayuchyy – Ukrainian for “thriving” aims to efficiently revitalize war-damaged buildings in Ukraine. The project harnesses prefabricated, straw-based panels that can replace components of buildings, reduce environmental impact and construction costs while allow historic structures to stay standing.
This year’s awards, featured on fastcompany.com, showcase 50 winners across 12 categories and 50 additional winners across industries, for a total of 100 outstanding projects. A panel of Fast Company editors and reporters selected the winners from a pool of more than 1,500 entries and judged applications based on their impact, sustainability, design, creativity, scalability, and ability to improve society.
“We’re consistently looking for solutions to address relevant social and environmental issues. Experimentation is fundamentally part of our process at the intersection of these pressing challenges.” Hafsa Burt (Founder)
Fast Company’s Summer 2025 issue (on newsstands June 17, 2025) will feature select award winners working on solutions such as a spinal cord stimulator for people who’ve been injured, modular bus shelters in Los Angeles, and AI to help eliminate counterfeit drugs.
“The World Changing Ideas Awards have always been about showcasing the art of the possible,” says Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “We’re proud to recognize the organizations and leaders that are making meaningful progress on the biggest issues of our time.”
About hb+a Architects : hb+a Architects is a San Francisco-based interdisciplinary architectural firm founded in 2006. The firm is dedicated to pioneering innovative, high-quality architectural solutions that integrate advanced green technologies, energy efficiency, and low-carbon materials. With a diverse portfolio spanning residential, commercial, institutional, and urban planning projects, hb+a Architects combines aesthetic excellence with functional and ecological responsibility. Committed to innovation, collaboration, and long-term urban impact, hb+a Architects continues to shape the future of architecture through designs that conserve resources, reduce environmental footprints, and enhance the built environment for generations to come.
ABOUT FAST COMPANY
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