Wood is among architecture's oldest and most familiar materials, yet its contemporary use raises complex questions about environmental impact, resource availability, material provenance, and circularity in relation to local economies. At the same time, advances in computational design, CNC machining, and robotic fabrication are also reshaping how timber is designed and assembled, opening new possibilities for structural innovation and formal expression while redefining the balance between automation, labor, and efficiency.

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Ten years ago, ArchDaily Brasil launched the inaugural edition of the Obra do Ano Award. Over the past decade, hundreds of architectural projects have been recognized as the best in the Portuguese-speaking world, thanks to the collective intelligence of ArchDaily Brasil's readers.

Today marks the start of the 2026 Obra do Ano Award, and once again we are relying on the ArchDaily Brasil community to select the best built projects in Portuguese-speaking territories. Over the next three weeks, you will be responsible for choosing the 15 finalists and the 3 winners of this edition.

All projects published during 2025 from the following countries are eligible: Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Macau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe. In this first phase, readers can nominate one project per day to advance to the finalist stage, which will be announced on April 8.

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