The dramatic improvement in recent decades in our understanding of sustainable design has shown that designing sustainably doesn't have to be a compromise—it can instead be a benefit. When done correctly, sustainable design results in higher-performing, healthier buildings which contribute to their inhabitants' physical and mental well-being.

The benefits of incorporating vegetation in façades and in roofs, as well as materials and construction systems that take energy use and pollution into account, demonstrate that sustainable design has the potential to create buildings that improve living conditions and respect the natural environment.

Below we have compiled 30 plans, sections and construction details of projects that stand out for their approach to sustainability.

In early March, students, architects, and designers gathered to bring their wooden projects to life for the third edition of Hello Wood Argentina.

The theme chosen for 2019 was “a space of containment, a space with-tension”:

Pushing our capabilities to the limit necessarily implies achieving the tension needed for our skills to emerge and be put into crisis.

Discover the projects built during this edition below. 

Fifty years after its last participation, Cuba returns to the Milan Triennial for the XXII International Exhibition, titled "Broken Nature: Design Takes on Human Survival."

Addressing the relationship between humanity and nature, the Cuban Pavilion showcases unconventional examples of organic architecture: the National Art Schools of Havana, born of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara's desire to offer art education to all developing nations.

To showcase the valuable output of Argentine universities, for the third consecutive year we launched an open call inviting our Argentine readers to submit their final thesis projects, sharing the work that launched their careers as newly minted architects.

After receiving more than 60 submissions from various Argentine architecture schools and cities, our editorial team selected nine projects, focusing on those that demonstrated critical thinking toward contemporary issues, formal resolution, and representation. The selection not only recognizes those projects that delivered the best possible architecture through simple design suited to their context, program, and users, but also highlights those showing a strong commitment to human scale, mediation, transition, and new ways of approaching urban architecture. This edition's jury was composed of Fabian Dejtiar, Managing Editor of ArchDaily en Español; Mónica Arellano, Editor of ArchDaily México; and Delia Bayona, Editor of ArchDaily Perú.

Read on to explore the selected projects in detail.

"The opportunity to recognize, commemorate, and not forget the harmfulness of violence and intolerance"

Through the Urban Development Corporation (EDU) and the Colombian Association of Architects (SCA), Medellín launched an international competition to design a space of memory and reflection on the period between 1983 and 1994, one of the most violent eras in the Colombian city. The competition jury awarded first prize to the design team of Taller Alterno, Pequeña Escala Arquitectura, and Luis Felipe Zapata Flórez.

Read more about the project below, in the words of its designers.

The functional distribution plays a fundamental role in the contemporary design of offices and places for work. The study of the architecture plan shows an interesting form of approach; not only allows for proper logistics and circulation but find efficient variations and innovations that will enable better workspaces that adapt to the current needs.

We have selected more than 50 plans of projects that will inspire you, recognizing the different ways in which architects have faced the challenge to design offices, in all different scale ranges.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has revealed it's ranking of the world’s top universities for the study of Architecture / Built Environment for 2019, based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact.

On this edition, the Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL (University College London) has been named the best university for studying architecture, taking MIT's place, which has topped the rankings for the past four years .

Keep reading and check out the complete ranking.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the 2019 edition of its annual ranking of the world's top universities in the field of architecture. This year, UCL (University College London) took the lead, a position held by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States for the past four editions.

In Latin America, institutions from Chile, Brazil, and Mexico occupy the top three spots, respectively. See the top 10 below: 

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) presented the 2019 edition of its annual ranking of the world's best universities in the field of architecture, in which UCL (University College London) dethroned the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, which had led the list for four consecutive years.

Within the Ibero-American region, the list has not changed significantly compared to 2018: Spain maintains a strong presence, while Chile leads Latin America. Discover the top-ranked institutions below!

Addressing the design of housing units for rural areas south of Bogota, the Colombian Society of Architects launched a public ideas competition. The call sought technological and spatial solutions that not only enable the development of productive activities and viable growth, but also apply sustainability criteria to ensure spatial efficiency and comfort.

Considering the architectural adaptability of the unit to plots located across three terrains with varying slopes and characteristics typical of the Andean mountain landscape, the jury awarded first place to the team from FP Arquitectura.

Learn more about the project below, in the words of its designers.

Videos

If you are creating architectural visualizations through Lumion, the following tutorial can be of great use to you. These tutorials will maximize your output and teach you easy-to-master practical and technical tips.

Learn how to add objects, use lights, modify materials, and also create panoramic and 360° images, movies, and more.

We hope you enjoy the following videos.

We believe the output from Argentine universities is vast and valuable; therefore, we are once again launching an open call to showcase the best final degree projects produced by these institutions.

Academic proposals can serve as significant intellectual and critical works. The goal of this call is to ensure these projects do not remain tucked away, gathering dust on shelves, and losing their potential to drive real change in our cities and in how we inhabit and perceive our world.

If you believe your 2018 final degree project is compelling enough to be featured on our site and that your hard work deserves recognition from the wider community, please submit it using the form at the end of this article.

Developed by the Architecture, Technology, and Processes Laboratory (LAT) of the University of Azuay's School of Architecture, the "Structural Wood Catalog of Ecuador" identifies, classifies, and establishes criteria for the most commonly used structural woods in the country.

Awarded first place in the National Award (Category E: Theory, History, and Criticism of Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape) at the 2018 Pan-American Architecture Biennial of Quito (BAQ 2018), the publication "is not focused solely on generating an inventory or technical manual; rather, it seeks to become a practical reference tool so that architecture students and professionals involved in the construction industry can make informed decisions regarding the selection of a specific type of wood for a given project."

From La Candelaria to Teusaquillo and Santa Fe, Bogotá's modern architecture not only stands in stark contrast to the historical legacy of local forms, but also served as a call to rethink the modernization of the Colombian state around 1930.   

The featured city sites serve as a starting point—an invitation to explore the capital and discover an architectural heritage that is distinct, yet remains an integral part of the urban fabric and the daily lives of Colombian citizens. 

In January, more than 10,000 citizens in Chile voted to select the first, second, and third places of the Paseo del Mar ideas competition in Valparaíso, a new public space at the Barón Pier that will transform the coastal city's waterfront. "This area was the engine of the country's railway industry during a significant part of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, however, these grounds lack the vitality of yesteryear and have been abandoned over time," the competition guidelines state.

Videos

If you're looking to upgrade your standard architecture presentation, SENTIO VR's tutorials can be very useful. They allow you to accurately use Revit, SketchUp, V-ray, 3Ds Max, Lumion and Cinema4D to create 360 renders and perform virtual reality experiences, with both technical and visual advice.

Below, we've compiled a list of useful videos. 

This guide is not a catalog. It is an open invitation to walk around the city and learn more about the architecture in Guatemala City.

The Guide to Modern Architecture in Guatemala City was written by Raúl Monterroso, Gemma Gil, and photographed by Andrés Asturias. In partnership with The Cultural Center of Spain in Guatemala, the guide addresses a descriptive analysis of 35 buildings, structured in five different routes, with the aim of not only synthesizing a series of physical characteristics but to provoke a reflexive, analytical and critical observation of the environment.

As Raúl Monterroso points out, while he shares five sites that every architect must visit, the goal is to introduce people to Guatemala's modern movement. It is an invitation to walk through the city and identify it with a different built heritage, however one that also shapes the landscape and fits into the urban context. Learn more about modern architecture in Latin America, below.

It's a new year, and as we inch closer to February speculation has begun to swirl around who will be named next laureate(s) of the Pritzker Prize. What used to be a somewhat predictable award has become less so in recent years, and if you look at who has won you will realize that anything is possible. Will the jury honor a member of the "old guard," as when they awarded the late Frei Otto? Or will they recognize a young architect, as when they selected Alejandro Aravena?

We want to hear from our readers - not just about who probably will win the prize, but about who should win the prize, and why.

Cast your vote in the poll below  - or add in the dark horses you think deserve the honor in 2019.