The 13th annual Leading European Architecture Forum (LEAF) Awards were recently announced at a gala dinner in South Kensington, London. This year's winners included Spanish starchitect Santiago Calatrava , who was honored for lifetime achievement, as well as celebrated firms across the globe. The awards recognize innovative design projects, receiving more than 200 entries each year. Judges on the panel included representatives from Zaha Hadid Architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Gensler. On the winners’ list were projects from California to Qatar, in categories from single-occupancy residential buildings to future buildings—both on the drawing board and under construction. Local firm Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd., designer of University College London’s Sainsbury Wellcome Center for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, took home the prestigious Overall Winner prize.

Winner of Residential Building – Multiple Occupancy

David Chipperfield Architects’ Xixi Wetland Estate in Hangzhou, China, developed a national wetland park into a landscape that now hosts a residential complex. The natural environment has been integrated into the project, with water gardens surrounding the apartment buildings.

Winner of Hospitality Building

Chicago firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture designed Beijing’s Waldorf Astoria to reference the neighborhood’s history. The striking bronze façade is symmetrical, in the style of traditional Chinese architecture, and glamorous, in a nod to the luxury hotel chain.

Winner of Sustainable Development

Palo Alto, California’s Hanover Page Mill, designed by San Francisco’s Form4 Architecture, boasts LEED Platinum status. The two-story office building is 136,000 square feet and includes 49,000 square feet of basement parking.

Second Winner of Residential Building – Single Occupancy

Truckee, California’s Benvenuto House was built by Faulkner Architects for a New York–based client. The property, which sits on the edge of an evergreen forest, includes two Zen gardens. In August the home was also distinguished with an AIA California Council Residential Honor award.

Winner of Public Building of the Year

The Faculty of Fine Arts University of La Laguna’s whirling new building in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, was built by local firm GPY Arquitectos. The curved concrete structure, designed with open space and social exchanges in mind, surrounds the campus’s public plaza.