In 2025, we celebrate the sixteenth edition of our Obra del Año award, the ultimate recognition in the architectural world across Latin America and Spain, where the winners are chosen by our readers. Starting today, Tuesday, March 18, you and our entire readership will be responsible for determining which projects completed during 2024 inspired us and now faithfully represent the identity of our local contexts.

Over the next three weeks, the collective intelligence of our readers will filter through hundreds of projects built in Spanish-speaking countries—Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Uruguay.

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Two primary building approaches are commonly identified in architecture and design: solid versus hollow construction. These methods vary significantly across different cultures and regions, specifically for interior partitioning systems, when they appear interchangeable. Each has its own established practices influenced by local materials, labor preferences, climatic conditions, and cultural traditions. When architects and designers focus on their local context, it is easy to overlook the broader construction assumptions, limiting design flexibility and methodology. This raises an important question: How do these two building approaches differ?

Focusing mainly on interior systems, the distinctions between solid and hollow construction largely stem from the availability of materials and workforce preferences. For example, in the United States and Japan, stud walls, both wood and metal, are frequently used for partitioning. Conversely, brick remains the predominant material for partition walls in regions such as Hong Kong and southern China. Why do we build differently, and what are the benefits and challenges of each building methodology?

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How is it possible to open educational spaces to the outdoors, and what are the appropriate conditions for their development? What bioclimatic strategies can be implemented to contribute to environmental comfort and the cultural preservation of communities? By conceiving outdoor learning spaces and blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, the educational infrastructures projected by the Semillas association in the Peruvian jungle invite reflection on the opportunities for gathering, meeting, and community participation among students, families, and local residents. Linked to the site's uses and customs, this conception of space represents a way of living where the implementation of bioclimatic strategies, along with the use of local materials and construction techniques, come together to create an architecture connected to its environment and history.

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The ArchDaily projects library is managed by our curators who constantly seek to populate our stream with the most interesting global works, showcasing evolving focuses and criteria. While we usually share our reader’s top 100 favorites, this year, we also decided to initiate our editor’s picks on the ArchDaily Instagram account, where our curators highlight some projects that include interesting themes and unique traits. 

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For architects, schools are often complex structures to design. They must provide a variety of spaces for education, and also consider sports and recreational activities. But beyond its size or surface, the greatest challenge is to design an area that fosters a positive pedagogical environment for children. Below, a selection of +70 school projects with their drawings to inspire your proposals for learning campuses.

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Out of a total of 576 submissions, the 2023 FAD Awards have announced the list of finalist and selected projects, which will be on display from October 5, 2023, to January 7, 2024, during the exhibition "The Best Design of the Year" at the Disseny Hub Barcelona. 

The nine winning projects of the second edition of the ARQUITECTURA Awards, organized by the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE), have been announced. Showcasing fundamental values of architecture and urbanism—such as social responsibility, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability—the awards received a total of 429 submissions. In the first stage, the Official Colleges of Architects and Regional Councils selected 177 proposals, which were narrowed down to just 21 finalists.

The XVI Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU) has presented the 50 finalist proposals from its ‘Works’ call. Organized by the MITMA through the Directorate-General for Urban Agenda and Architecture, in collaboration with CSCAE and Fundación Arquia, the upcoming event seeks to reflect on how architecture can transform the future under the theme ‘Me–dio Pla–zo’ (Medium Term).

On January 24th, the fifth edition of the 'International Education Day' was celebrated under the slogan "Invest in people, prioritize education". Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, it promotes a strong political mobilization seeking to chart the way and accelerate progress towards the 4th Sustainable Development Goal: Quality Education.

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The Diversity in Architecture Prize (DIVIA) was awarded to Italian architect Marta Maccaglia, founder of Semillas, for her commitment to educational construction in Peru. This international recognition of 20,000 euros aims to promote the visibility of women in the architecture industry. Among the five finalists of this edition were Tosin Oshinowo (Nigeria), May al-Ibrashy (Egypt), Noella Nibakuze (Rwanda), and Katherine Clarke and Liza Fior (United Kingdom).

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Videos

Talking to architect Marta Maccaglia about her work is not just talking about architecture. Each of her projects derives from a participatory way of working, based on the approach and deep understanding of its users in their social and local context, their needs, the territory and the available resources, resulting in works that acquire a meaning beyond that of the function itself.

Many of us agree with Roman Mars of 99% Invisible when he says that we "tend to not notice things that are well-designed"—yet we also agree that design is often considered a privilege for the few. Consequently, we must ask ourselves what truly constitutes democratic design, using this reflection to help define and contribute our vision toward a more equitable society.

From the perspective of architecture and design, democratization can be examined from several angles, ranging from debates on addressing everyday needs to strategies for inclusive design. At the core of these discussions lies a shared goal: finding ways to improve accessibility and livability in our daily lives.

Is it truly possible to design for everyone? And if so, how do we achieve it? We posed this question to you, our readers, in an open call. After reviewing the vast number of responses from industry professionals, students, and architecture enthusiasts, we were struck by a common thread: we not only experience design directly or indirectly in our daily lives, but we also need it to dismantle stereotypes and paradigms. Read a selection of these perspectives below.

French architect Renée Gailhoustet has been awarded the 2022 Royal Academy Architecture Award for her pioneering work designing public housing and neighborhoods in and around Paris. The award is given annually by London's Royal Academy to individuals or practices whose idea or body of work has positively contributed to the public.

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