The 16th presentation of the ARCHITECTS' DARLING Awards took place at Congress Union Celle on 5 November 2026. Information service provider Heinze honoured leading manufacturers and brands from the construction industry during an evening event. The awards are based both on the assessments of an independent expert jury and feedback from around 1,900 architects and specialist planners. In the sector, the accolade is regarded as a key benchmark for how building material and system manufacturers are positioned among planning and specification target groups.
The foundation for presenting the Brand Awards was the annual Heinze market survey, which involved more than 200 manufacturers and brands. Thomas Wagner from Heinze Market Research explained that the high level of participation from planners gave the findings particular robustness and informative value. He noted that the survey accurately reflected how information offerings, products and brands are perceived in everyday professional practice, whilst pointing out tangible development opportunities for manufacturers.
Differentiation between brand perception and expert jury
The awarding process was divided into two segments, with a total of 36 golden Phoenix trophies handed out. Twenty-two Brand Awards recognised manufacturers in specific product categories and were drawn directly from the survey among specifiers. In addition, an expert jury of 64 members from architectural practices conferred 14 Jury Awards. These prizes primarily recognised product innovations, reference projects, configurators, and specific information and communication formats within the construction industry.
- —22 Brand Awards based on around 1,900 votes from specifiers
- —14 Jury Awards conferred by an expert panel of 64 members
- —Newly introduced Jury Award for AI-powered chatbots on manufacturer websites
- —Cradle-2-Cradle Challenge Award for circular economy concepts
A new focus this year was on digital assistance systems. For the first time, a Jury Award was presented in the Chatbots category, recognising web-based solutions designed to facilitate the search for product and company information in everyday planning. In addition, the Cradle-2-Cradle Challenge Award paid tribute to closed-loop concepts in the construction sector.
The awards ceremony was accompanied by a keynote from author Thorsten Havener, contributions from Clara Lösel, and music by BB Thomaz & Band. In light of rising regulatory requirements and the growing complexity of construction projects, the awards serve as a well-founded guide for clients and project stakeholders.
