The Surface Design Awards 2026 promises to once again uncover and celebrate the very best in design excellence, offering a global platform for groundbreaking projects and product design.

The 2026 awards underwent a refresh, introducing a new process that saw a panel of distinguished judges, each selected for their specialist knowledge and expertise, evaluate entries across ten updated categories. These updated categories were devised to reflect the most innovative projects and products that improve how designers approach materiality.

The esteemed judging panel brought together respected voices in the design industry including Muyiwa Oki – President RIBA, Tina Norden – Principal at Conran & Partners, Arthur Mamou-Mani – Director of Mamou-Mani, Seetal Solanki- Founder and Director of Ma-tt-er, Barbara Chandler- Founder of Green Grads, Oscar Pearce- Co-Founder of Design Burger, Michael Grubb- Founder of Michael Grubb Studio and Tim Bowder-Ridger- Principle and Partner at Conran and Partners, Roddy Clarke – Design Journalist, Presenter & Consultant and Tim Gledstone – Partner at Squire & Partners.

The Hospitality category highlights projects that balance visual complexity with functional design. Studio RAP’s Blue Voyage – Marsa Al Arab emerged as a standout finalist; Tim Gledstone praised it as unusual and engaging, while Arthur Mamou-Mani remarked on the impressive solution resulting from the use of challenging materials. Tina Norden added that the 3D aspect makes it visually complex. Other finalists include Signature Walls’ The Newman Hotel, a project Tim Gledstone described as a beautiful example of creative design working functionally and Tigg Coll’s Mason & Fifth Westbourne Park, with Tina Norden admiring the interesting use of tile.

In the Lighting category, judges looked for projects that master the interaction between surface and illumination. One such example is Signature walls’ The Newman Hotel, within which Michael Grubb highlighted the fresh feel of the basement and Barbara Chandler praised its art deco style. Other finalists include Matthew Giles Architects’ House of Panes and Giles Miller Studio’s Fractalism.

The Public Realm finalists demonstrate how materials can transform shared spaces into art. Peter Donegan Garden Design’s Cancer Support Outdoor Therapy Room was lauded by Muyiwa Oki for its “very interesting” design. Other shortlisted entries include Ketley Brick Co Ltd’s Silvertown Tunnel Portal Buildings, which Tim Bowder-Ridger noted for pushing the boundaries of texture, and the Kew Gardens Carbon Pavilion by Lundhs AS, which Tim Gledstone commended for its strong social awareness within the realm of regeneration.

Facades this year showcased a focus on bold palettes and climate responsiveness. Roberta Rampazzo Design’s Sublime was described by Tim Gledstone as an “exquisite” example of design. Roni Karsh’s Wa, Ma – Wooden Cube Facade stood out to Tim Bowder-Ridger for its use of wooden cubes and bricks, with Seetal Solanki adding that it successfully answers the urgent need for climate control.

Focusing on the circular economy and reuse, the Regenerative Design category features projects like the Agri-fruit-bag by Liza C Design, which Tim Gledstone hailed as “super regenerative” and Arthur Mamou-Mani cited as a firsthand example of regenerative practice. Tim Gledstone also praised Nested Living’s Redstones for using old timber in new ways, and the Kew Gardens Carbon Pavilion by Lundhs AS for its commitment to social and environmental awareness.

Innovation was found in the unexpected use of raw materials. The Agri-fruit-bag by Liza C Design was praised by Oscar Pearce for its innovative use of tomato material to create a rich texture, while Tim Gledstone noted its utility in reducing labour for farmers, Aga Blonska’s CoWave was described by Oscar Pearce as a “fascinating” use of new technology, with Barbara Chandler suggesting its potential to benefit other sectors like medicine. Camira’s ReSKU 2.0 was also shortlisted for its “great circular story” and deliberate sourcing.

Sustainability remains a core pillar of the awards, represented by Sphere8, whose durability as a concrete alternative impressed Roddy Clarke. Humanscale’s Freedom 25 was celebrated by Roddy Clarke as a “timeless” and “classic” design with a strong longevity story. Additionally, the Agri-fruit-bag by Liza C Design returned to the shortlist here, with Arthur Mamou-Mani praising the “full holistic understanding” behind the product.

Material Transformation celebrates the literal evolution of materials. Camira’s ReSKU 2.0 was lauded by Seetal Solanki as a highly effective and transparent transformation, while Tim Bowder-Ridger remarked that the makers had truly created a “whole new product” out of found materials. The Pit-to-table-pit-board was noted by Seetal Solanki for its beauty and potential for longevity through expanded colour ranges, and ReCinder was highlighted by Roddy Clarke for its fantastic translucency in lighting applications.

Heritage & Craft brought Tanaka Eyewear’s Patina as Performance, which Roddy Clarke found intriguing given the decline of the UK eyewear production. Camira’s ReSKU 2.0 was identified by Tina Norden as being “all about craft”, while The Monkey Puzzle Tree Ltd’s Blues Fantasia Textile Wallpaper was praised by Barbara Chandler for its devotion to craft techniques and the use of locally commissioned artists.

The full list of finalists is below:

Matthew Giles Architects – House of Panes

Studio RAP – Blue Voyage – Marsa Al Arab

Signature Walls – The Newman Hotel

Giles Miller Studio – Fractalism

Studio RAP – Blue Voyage – Marsa Al Arab

Tigg Coll – Mason & Fifth Westbourne Park

Signature Walls – The Newman Hotel

Ketley Brick Co Ltd – Silvertown Tunnel Portal Buildings – Greenwich Peninsular Portal in Greenwich and Silvertown Portal in Newham

Studio RAP – New Delft Blue

Peter Donegan Garden Design – Cancer Support Outdoor Therapy Room

Lundhs AS – Kew Gardens Carbon Pavilion

Studio RAP – Ceramic House

Roberta Rampazzo Design – Sublime

Roni Karsh – Wa, Ma – Wooden Cube Façade

Regenerative Design

Lundhs AS – Kew Gardens Carbon Pavilion

Nested Living – Redstones

Liza C Design – Agri-fruit-bag

Aga Blonska – CoWave

Camira – ReSKU 2.0

Sphere8 – EPI Corestone Nature

Humanscale – Freedom 25

Liza C Design – Agri-fruit-bag

Camira – ReSKU 2.0

Rosy Napper – ReCinder

Pit-to-table – pit-board

Camira – ReSKU 2.0

Tanaka Eyewear – Patina as Performance

The Monkey Puzzle Tree Ltd – Blues Fantasia Textile Wallpaper

Shenzhen Starise Creation Technology Co., Ltd – Vintage, Reinvented — Bold-Color Originals for Modern Living

Aga Blonska – CoWave

The 2026 awards also include the new

award, which is by invite only, where student projects and universities are invited to enter projects demonstrating outstanding material innovation and will be decided by public vote via the Surface Design Show website

The category winners and Supreme winner will be announced at a champagne reception during SDS26, held at London’s Business Design Centre.