Federal Building Minister Verena Hubertz takes over the patronage of the Landbaukultur Prize 2025/26 - call for entries launched in March

Federal Building Minister Verena Hubertz is the new patron of the Landbaukultur Prize, which the Stiftung Landwirtschaftsverlag is currently awarding for the sixth time. The prize is awarded to exemplary buildings in rural areas and outdoor facilities on farms. Objects worthy of the award are special architectural solutions that enable contemporary use, are optimally integrated into the surrounding cultural landscape and take environmental and climate protection into account in building materials and construction.

Verena Hubertz, Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Construction: „Our villages and rural areas still need their own strong identity. The Landesbaukultur Award shines the spotlight on this important topic. This is a great and important signal. Rural areas form one of the foundations for the creation of new living space and new meeting places. Regional building materials and traditional construction methods are combined with modern ideas and innovative methods in new buildings and conversions. This results in award-winning buildings that not only enrich the landscape, but also respond specifically to local needs, promote local development and strengthen social interaction. As patron, I am very happy to support this.“

“This is a strong signal from the Federal Building Minister for rural areas,” says a delighted Hubertus Beringmeier, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Stiftung Landwirtschaftsverlag. „In the course of structural change in agriculture, many buildings have lost their original purpose. However, there are owners and architects who are developing wonderful concepts for new uses and new agricultural buildings with creativity and inspiration. This is already evident from the first applications that have been received.“

The competition's conceptual partners are the German Farmers' Association, the Association of German Architects BDA, the Association of German Landscape Architects bdla, the Board of Trustees for Technology and Construction in Agriculture KTBL and the Federal Foundation for Building Culture.

The jury is made up of renowned architects and experts from agriculture and rural areas. It is chaired by Susanne Wartzeck, President of the Association of German Architects (BDA).

The Landbaukultur Prize is endowed with a total of €30,000 and is awarded in the categories of new buildings and conversions. Both newly constructed and converted buildings, parts of buildings and outdoor facilities on farms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are eligible for the award.

To apply, the owners must be based in Germany, Austria or Switzerland and have built or converted their agricultural buildings, parts of buildings or outdoor facilities together with an architect or landscape architect.

Interested parties can apply until September 30, 2025 (date of receipt). Application documents and further information can be found at www.landbaukultur-preis.de.