SHCA won the second place prize for its entry into the international design competition for the new NATO Headquarters. This represents a major achievement for the practice, as it was competing against the world's leading architectural teams.
NATO and the Union of Architects Internationale organized the competition. The brief articulated key objectives for the future: the importance of consultation in resolving conflict, the need for flexibility to respond to changing world circumstances, and NATO's expanding membership.
Initially selected as one of the 64 teams pre-qualified for the competition, SHCA was then among 21 entrants chosen for the first stage of design and then honored as one of six finalists.