SAWA Nominated for the Golden Pyramid 2026

SAWA has been nominated for the 2026 Golden Pyramid, the national award for inspiring commissioning in architecture and urban development.

For NICE Developers ERA Contour, this nomination is a special honor. In recent years, SAWA has received widespread acclaim as a building: as a circular wooden residential building, as an example of nature-inclusive and socially responsible construction, and as an icon of the transition in the construction industry. That is precisely why it is especially meaningful that our joint leadership as clients is now also being recognized.

From the very beginning, SAWA was developed with a shared vision: to demonstrate that it is possible to integrate climate considerations, affordability, biodiversity, and social cohesion into a single urban residential building. NICE Developers ERA Contour have deliberately opted for an open and transparent partnership, characterized by shared ownership, short lines of communication, and a strong focus on social value.

This nomination underscores the importance of this approach to collaboration. Not only for SAWA itself, but also as a model for future projects. Because we believe that the major challenges of our time call for new forms of commissioning: with greater collaboration, greater trust, and more room for social impact.

The jury of the Golden Pyramid Award cites “collectivity” as the common thread running through this year’s nominations. According to the Office of the Chief Government Architect & Government Advisors, the nominated clients looked beyond the interests of the immediate users and made a conscious effort to contribute to the broader social context. The jury said of SAWA:

 SAWA is a wooden residential building in Rotterdam that holds lasting significance for both current and future generations.

NICE would also like to extend its warmest congratulations to the other nominees:

• The City of Almere, Amvest, and the Zuiderzeeland Water Authority in collaboration with DUIN, Almere
• De Nieuwe Meent, Amsterdam
• De Nederlandsche Bank and the renovation of Frederiksplein, Amsterdam
• The Municipality of Best and De Zevensprong Child Center, Best

In June, the jury will visit the five nominated projects. The winner will be announced on October 29, 2026.

For more information: www.goudenpiramide.nl