5468796 Architecture’s Veil House, an experimental residence in Winnipeg, was the winner of the World Architecture Festival Completed Project – House & Villa category, selected from 18 shortlisted houses from around the globe.

The Veil House was designed by 5468796 with a high degree of airiness and privacy in mind. The house is arranged in a nine-square grid around a central courtyard and features a series of free-flowing communal spaces framed by solid utility blocks. An interior ramp creates a passage inside and out while allowing natural light to filter into the basement. A weathered steel “veil” wraps around the building, perforating over windows and peels off over balconies and entrance points, which provides a sense of heaviness or lightness depending on the position of the viewer.

The residence is situated at grade — rare for a city that receives large amounts of snowfall — with an interior ramp that enables universal access across two floors. This floating feature ascends from the main level, allowing natural light into the basement while providing emergency egress. Firmly planting the main floor at grade results in a seamless extension of the interior spaces to the courtyard and surrounding yard.

Veil House functions as both architecture and sculpture, drawing connections between architecture and industry, structure and decoration, retreat, and expression.

In November, Veil House was also honoured with The Plan Award 2023 in the Villa of the Completed category.

Other Canadian WAF winners include KPMB Architects and Dialog. The Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University, by Toronto-based KPMB Architects,  won the top award for Education Interior of the year.

The Glenbow Revitalization, Calgary project by Dialog won a Highly Commended citation in the Future Projects: Culture category.