2025-2026 Competition notice
INTERNATIONAL AWARD
DOMUS RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION FASSA BORTOLO.
Historical pre-existences and architecture
X Edition - Call for Applications 2025-2026
Art. 1 - ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AWARD
The International Architectural Restoration Award, named "Domus Restoration and Preservation Fassa Bortolo," was conceived and promoted in 2010 by Fassa S.r.l., owner of the "Fassa Bortolo" brand, and the Architecture Department of the University of Ferrara. The award is enriched with the specification "Historical pre-existences and architecture."
The award aims to bring public attention to architectural works that understand conservation as a cultural necessity and have enhanced historical pre-existences while respecting their authenticity as layered palimpsests, through a conscious design culture.
Art. 2 - THE AWARD
The award is held annually and is divided into two sections, alternating every two years:
- "Build Projects" section: Gold and silver medals will be awarded to private or public sector designers and restoration companies responsible for the completed works.
- "Projects Developed as Thesis” section: Gold and silver medals will be awarded to projects deemed deserving by the jury for specific aspects.
For this 10th edition, in 2025-2026, the competing category will be "Built projects”.
For the 2025–2026 edition, the total prize fund amounts to €10,000.00, to be allocated as follows:
• one prize (and Gold Medal) to the winner of the International Award “Domus Restoration and Conservation – Fassa Bortolo” – historical pre-existences and architecture – Built Projects section, amounting to €5,000.00;
• two prizes (and Silver Medals) to the runners-up of the International Award “Domus Restoration and Conservation – Fassa Bortolo” – historical pre-existences and architecture – Built Projects section, amounting to €2,500.00 each.
The Jury, if deemed appropriate, may award additional Special Mentions and may also redefine the distribution of the prize fund. Furthermore, the Jury reserves the right to establish a shortlist of the Award in order to highlight those projects which, although deserving, were not included among the winners or recipients of special mentions.
Art. 3 – FASSA BORTOLO SPECIAL PRIZE
Starting from the fifth edition, the Fassa Bortolo Special Prize has been introduced. An award conferred to those who, while adhering to the principles of conservation, sustainability, and architectural quality, have demonstrated exemplary use of the solutions belonging to the Fassa Bortolo Integrated System or to its main related systems.
It is possible to apply specifically for the Special Prize and thus be included in the list of eligible projects by submitting the required documentation (see Art. 6, point h).
The prize fund allocated to the winning project amounts to €3,000.00.
Art. 4 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
For the year 2025, applications for the Award in the “Built Projects” section (and, where applicable, for the Special Prize, provided that the relevant requirements are met) may be submitted by individual professionals or temporary associations, architectural or engineering firms, and construction companies that have carried out the restoration works.
Each individual applicant, company, or group may only submit one entry to take part to the competition.
The work must have been completed within 10 years from the publication date of this competition notice.
Art. 5 - APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications for the Award can be submitted by filling out the electronic form available on the website www.premiorestauro.it before December 16th, 2025. UPDATED DEADLINE January 14th 2026
Art. 6 - SUBMISSION MATERIALS
To participate in the competition, candidates must submit exclusively in digital format the following three types of documents:
• two A1 boards (vertical format) containing the information and materials listed below, saved as *.pdf and *.jpg files at 300 dpi resolution (as the template available on the website);
• one 100x70 cm board (horizontal format) saved as *.pdf and *.jpg files at 300 dpi resolution (as the downloadable website template), in which the two A1 panels mentioned above must be adapted and included;
• all files used to compose the two A1 boards, organized into folders.
Applicants for the “Built projects” section must submit the following materials, organized into folders identified by alphanumeric codes (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i):
Folder a) short curriculum of the entrant(s), maximum 2,000 characters including spaces, in Italian or English, specifying the location of the design studio, and including a portrait photo of the candidate or design team in JPEG format (300 dpi resolution, minimum short side 5 cm).
Folder b) name of the main construction company involved in the works and, if available, a company portfolio in Italian or English (the portfolio must not be included on the boards).
Folder c) project identification sheet in Italian or English, including: project title, location (country and city), client, project authorship, collaborators, and timeline of the intervention.
Folder d) summary report describing the restoration approach and the results achieved (maximum 2,000 characters including spaces, in Italian or English).
Folder e) technical and descriptive report of the project and intervention (maximum 15,000 characters including spaces, in Italian or English), clearly outlining the project’s guiding principles and the methodologies adopted for the intervention (this report must not be included on the boards).
Folder f) graphic documents of the work before and after the restoration (plans, elevations, sections, design sketches, conceptual diagrams, photos of models, renderings, etc.), submitted as separate files in PDF format for vector files and JPEG format for raster files.
Folder g) minimum 12 significant photographs (JPEG format, 300 dpi resolution, minimum short side 15 cm): minimum 3 images of the project before the work; minimum 6 images after the restoration work and minimum 3 images of the most significant construction phases.
Folder h) ONLY FOR APPLICANTS ALSO COMPETING FOR THE FASSA BORTOLO SPECIAL PRIZE
A signed declaration by the project manager certifying the use, during the construction process, of solutions belonging to the Fassa Bortolo Integrated System or its main related systems (Plasterboard, Application Systems, Plasters and Rehabilitation Works, Color System, Coatings etc. see www.fassabortolo.com), mentioning the company that applied the system on construction site and related photographic documentation. It will be necessary to add minimum 3 photos of technical details (300 dpi, 15 cm minimum short side) and minimum 3 significant photos of the construction site (300 dpi, 15 cm minimum short side).
Folder i)
• Two A1 boards (vertical format) with texts in Italian or English, composed using materials from folders a), b), c), d), f), and g), and saved as *.pdf and *.jpg files at 300 dpi (see the A1 template available on the competition website).
• One 100x70 cm board (horizontal format), saved as *.pdf and *.jpg at 300 dpi, including the two A1 boards adapted within the downloadable website template.
The Jury decision will be mainly based on the evaluation of these panels.
Art. 7 - SUBMISSION DEADLINE
To eliminate the environmental burdens associated with the packaging and transportation of participation materials and to avoid complications (especially during customs transit with non-European countries and Switzerland), which have frequently led to high shipping costs, the digital submission of all required documents mentioned in Article 6 is mandatory from this edition onwards. Submissions must be sent via large-format email systems by and no later than January 14th, 2026, to the address premiorestauro@unife.it. Failure to comply with the submission deadlines, the absence of the required eligibility criteria, or any discrepancy between the submitted materials and the specifications set forth in Article 6 of this call for entries shall constitute grounds for exclusion from the selection process by the Jury.
Participation in the award requires the payment of a registration fee, intended to cover the technical costs related to file management and high-resolution photographic printing, as well as the mounting of the boards on rigid supports for both national and international exhibitions. The registration fee is set at €120.00. Payment must be made by January 14th, 2026, through the link that will be sent via email to each candidate after the registration deadline. This link will redirect to the computer system of the Consorzio Futuro in Ricerca, which is responsible for collecting the fee. In the case of group applications, the payment of a single fee is sufficient.
Art. 8 - JURY
The 2025-2026 jury will consist of:
- Prof. Marco Mulazzani (chairman);
- Arch. Gonzalo Byrne;
- Arch. Werner Tscholl;
- Arch. Renata Codello;
- Prof. Marcello Balzani (segretary).
The jury's decision is final and cannot be contested.
Art. 9 - RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT
The outcomes of the selection with the identification of the winners and the assignment of Honorable mentions during the tenth edition, year 2025-2026, will be communicated to all participants by March 2026; the award proceedings and the reasons for the award and the honorable mentions will also be published by means of the official Award website (www.premiorestauro.it) and Fassa S.r.l. website (www.fassabortolo.com), as well as in the specialized press. The promoters of the award also undertake to enhance the results of the award and to disseminate the projects selected and presented with the widest spectrum of conference and editorial initiatives to confirm the importance of debate and the comparison of ideas and methodologies.
Art. 10 - PUBLICATION OF AWARDED WORKS
The prize-winning projects along with those deemed worthy of mention will be published in a booklet dedicated to this edition of the Award; the descriptions and drawings accompanying them, together with the projects in the prospective shortlist, will also be available to see on the Award website.
Art. 11 - PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
By submitting the documentation required for admission to the competition, participants in the Award:
- declare, under their own responsibility, that they are the sole holders of the copyright of the projects submitted;
- accept and agree to comply with all the rules and conditions set forth in this call for entries;
- acknowledge and consent that the submitted materials will not be returned;
- authorize the Department of Architecture of the University of Ferrara and Fassa S.r.l., promoters of the Award, to use and disseminate the documentation referred to in Article 6 (including boards, lists of materials used, and all contents of folders a) to h) related to the submitted projects) for total or partial publication, in print or digital form, for any purpose — including uses independent of the present Award — as well as for promotional and advertising purposes, while ensuring that the author is duly credited.
It is expressly understood that no financial compensation shall be due for such authorization, and therefore participants waive any claim or right of any kind, including copyright fees, in connection with any use that the University of Ferrara and/or Fassa S.r.l. may make of the above-mentioned materials. Participants further agree to hold harmless the Department of Architecture of the University of Ferrara and Fassa S.r.l. from any claims, demands, or legal actions concerning the content of the projects used and disseminated for the publications referred to above.
The Award Management reserves the right to make any modifications deemed necessary for the proper execution of the competition, as well as to request any additional material or documentation considered useful.
Art. 12 - AWARD SECRETARIAT
For information and clarifications, please contact:
University of Ferrara
Department of Architecture
Via Quartieri 8, 44121 Ferrara
Email: premiorestauro@unife.it
SPONSORED BY
Fassa Bortolo