Architecture is about giving form to the places where people live. It is no easier, and no more complicated, than that. There are three key words here: “form,” “place,” and “life.” As soon as one reflects on these terms, one immediately comprehends that these things are not all that easy. - Alejandro Aravena
With this phrase in the foreword to ArchDaily’s Guide to Architecture, Alejandro Aravena reflects on the underlying complexity of architecture. Something that is essential to our life, but that with the ever growing complexities of our world, becomes a challenging task.
That is why for the 4th consecutive year we embark on a global survey, evaluating the work, ethos and mission behind innovative practices from all over the world. They represent the diversity that is reshaping our field, working across the spectrum between the essence of architecture and its blurry boundaries, ranging from studios to activists, startups and other forms of production, research, and thinking.
These 20 practices, half led by women or as a mix, coming from Europe, South America, North America, Asia and the Middle East, represent the diversity among those who are setting an example of the direction architecture should be heading. At the center of their mission there is a clear forward looking agenda that shapes their work, that reveal a practical consciousness towards the challenges of our world.
Meet ArchDaily’s 2024 Best New Practices: