red and white curtains transform czech historic center’s pathways into christmas installation

Christmas Festival of Bad Habits by Peer Collective + Kateřina Šedá

The Christmas Festival of Bad Habits is a temporary public-space installation located on Římské náměstí in the historic center of Brno, Czech Republic. Developed by architectural studio Peer Collective in collaboration with artist Kateřina Šedá, the non-profit organization Renadi, and the Brno-střed Municipal District, the project reconsiders the spatial and social format of the traditional Christmas market. Instead of retail-driven programming, the installation introduces a structured environment for reflection, movement, and collective experience.

The project occupies a long-overlooked urban site adjacent to Františkánská Street, transforming the square into a calm, barrier-free environment during the holiday season. Its conceptual framework draws from Šedá’s long-term participatory project, The National Collection of Bad Habits, which examines everyday behaviors and shared social patterns. This material informs a guided spatial sequence designed as a path of self-reflection through the square.

Peer Collective’s architectural intervention consists of a lightweight, temporary structure made from modular truss systems commonly used in stage construction. From this framework, large red and white curtains are suspended, subdividing the square into eighteen open-air ‘rooms.’ These spaces create a sequence of thresholds, passages, and partial enclosures that encourage slow movement and individual engagement. The curtains operate as soft architectural elements, forming spatial boundaries without fully enclosing the space and maintaining visual continuity with the surrounding city.

all images by Matej Hakár unless stated otherwise

An Urban Interior for Reflection and Collective Experience

The installation covers approximately 2,478 sqm and functions as an urban interior within the public realm. During evening hours, the white curtain surfaces serve as projection screens for text-based testimonies derived from The National Collection of Bad Habits. These projections, combined with subdued lighting and ambient sound, transform the square into an open-air exhibition environment that blurs the distinction between public space and personal reflection. At the center of the spatial sequence is a freestanding ‘confessional’ structure composed of six individual booths. Replacing the conventional market stall, this element serves as the focal point of the installation. Visitors are invited to enter the booths to record or reflect on personal habits, contributing to a collective audiovisual system that aggregates individual input into a shared narrative. Circulation routes guide visitors back around the curtain perimeter, completing the spatial loop and returning them to the surrounding urban fabric.

Accessibility and inclusion form a key part of the project’s spatial strategy. The ground surface of the square was leveled with fine gravel to create a barrier-free environment suitable for wheelchair users, parents with strollers, and visitors with limited mobility. The installation operates without alcohol sales, reinforcing its role as a sober and inclusive public setting during the holiday period. Local residents also participated in preparing the site through a community event prior to the festival. Through temporary architecture, minimal material intervention, and participatory content, the Christmas Festival of Bad Habits demonstrates how seasonal urban installations can shift emphasis from consumption to spatial experience, reflection, and shared presence. The project positions architecture as a framework for social interaction, using adaptable construction systems and soft boundaries to reshape public space in the city center. Designed by architectural studio Peer Collective in collaboration with artist Kateřina Šedá, the installation is on view from December 9th to December 31st, 2025.

the temporary installation reinterprets the traditional Christmas market as a space for reflection

a long-overlooked urban square is reactivated as a calm public environment

the installation functions as an urban interior within the public realm

red and white curtains subdivide the square into eighteen open-air rooms

modular truss systems form the lightweight structural framework

the installation replaces retail stalls with a guided spatial sequence

a central confessional structure anchors the spatial sequence

temporary architecture frames social interaction without permanent intervention

circulation routes expand beyond the central installation before returning to the city

white curtain surfaces become projection screens after dark | image by Jan Urbášek

project info:

name: Christmas Festival of Bad Habits
architect: Peer Collective | @peer.archi

art concept: Kateřina Šedá | @katerinaseda.cz

location: Římské náměstí, Františkánská ulice, Brno, Czech Republic

dates: December 9th–December 31st, 2025

built-up area: 1784 sqm

client: Brno-střed Municipal District

lead designers: Daniel Struhařík, Georgi Dimitrov, Ondřej Válek [Peer Collective] + Kateřina Šedá

design team: Vojtěch Heralecký, Jakub Čevela, Jan Urbášek, Radim Koutný, Monika Matějkovičová, Aneta Báčová

idea initiator: Renadi | @renadibrno

graphic design: Kristína Drinková

editors: Lucie Faulerová, Petra Konečná

interactive concept: Zkrat kolektiv | @zkrat.kolektiv

production: Martin Ondruš, David Ondra, Lenka Holenda Jirků, Michal Ondráček, Petr Štika, Martina Pokorná, Radim Preuss

structure contractor: Kletch CZ

curtain supplier: Kubíček Factory

contractor of the confessional: Georgi Dimitrov

projector supplier: Jaroslav Zelina

photographer: Matej Hakár | @matejhakar

night photos: Jan Urbášek [Peer Collective]

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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BUREAU highlights lake geneva lighthouse’s lattice geometry with blue accents

BUREAU Redefines the Lighthouse in an Urban Harbor Context

PHARE YLLIAM is a lighthouse developed by BUREAU architecture firm for the waterfront of Geneva, Switzerland. Lighthouses carry a clear functional purpose and a distinct spatial presence. As singular vertical structures positioned at the edges of landmasses, they serve as navigational markers and contribute to the reading of the surrounding landscape. The project works within this typology while adapting it to the specific conditions of Geneva’s harbor.

Unlike traditional coastal sites often associated with dramatic cliffs or exposed terrain, the Geneva waterfront presents a calm, controlled environment. The project responds by reinforcing its infrastructural identity rather than replicating the familiar aesthetic of conventional lighthouse silhouettes. Set against a landscape of riprap, the structure emphasizes its role as part of a broader system rather than a symbolic standalone figure.

all images by Dylan Perrenoud

Layered Vertical Sequence defines PHARE YLLIAM Lighthouse

The design references the hyperboloid structures developed by early 20th-century Soviet engineer Vladimir Shukhov, particularly their efficiency, transparency, and structural lightness. This approach results in a lattice form that visually shifts with changing light and atmospheric conditions, allowing the lighthouse to appear and recede depending on the viewpoint. Its vertical structure is anchored by a solid mineral base, a reinterpretation of the stone blocks that line the harbor.

The project also introduces a new spatial sequence along this extension into the lake. The interior program spans three levels, each offering distinct spatial conditions. The base level forms a sheltered interior with a panoramic opening toward the water. Above it, a compact cabin-like space provides an elevated 360-degree view across the lake. At the top, a movable lantern constitutes the project’s key functional element. Integrated within the structural pillars, the lantern can be raised or lowered to accommodate operational and environmental needs.

PHARE YLLIAM by BUREAU design studio integrates structural experimentation, infrastructural clarity, and site-specific landscape considerations. Through its form, material strategy, and operational features, the project proposes a contemporary interpretation of the lighthouse as both a working element of the harbor and an architectural structure shaped by its immediate context.

PHARE YLLIAM introduces a new lighthouse structure to the Geneva waterfront

positioned on riprap, the lighthouse integrates with the existing shoreline landscape

the project reinterprets the traditional lighthouse typology for an urban harbor context

the vertical form acts as a navigational marker along the edge of Lake Geneva

the middle level resembles a compact cabin with a full 360-degree view

the lattice geometry responds to light, atmosphere, and changing viewpoints

the uppermost section houses a lantern integrated within the structural pillars

the lightweight framework creates shifting visual transparency throughout the day

project info:

name: PHARE YLLIAM

architect: BUREAU

lead designers: Daniel Zamarbide | @daniel_zamarbide, Carine Pimenta, Galliane Zamarbide

location: Geneva Lake, Switzerland

area: 160 sqm

photographer: Dylan Perrenoud

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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designing for artists, wittman estes builds a home with integrated creative studios

french creek workshop house: living in washington wetlands

Washington-based architecture studio Wittman Estes completes its French Creek Workshops House among the sprawling, forested area of Snohomish. The a four-and-a-half-acre site is located alongside a wetland once used as an animal sanctuary. Conceived as a year-round retreat for a newly retired couple, the project balances shelter during the long, wet season with openness during warmer months.

The single-level home is arranged for aging-in-place and multigenerational use, with a plan that follows the gentle slope of the land through subtle terracing. Wide doorways, flush thresholds, and sandblasted concrete floors support steady movement throughout the 2,471-square-foot residence, while the building’s low stance allows it to settle into the landscape without becoming an obstruction.

images © Andrew Pogue

Wittman Estes’ interiors balance craft and durability

The design team at Wittman Estes curates the interior palette of its French Creek Workshop House to express a dialogue between durability and craft. Locally-sourced fir and cedar bring warmth to spaces shaped by concrete and terrazzo, while reddish-brown soffits and a vivid blue kitchen wall introduce moments of color that register against the muted palette. Cast-in-place concrete floors with hydronic radiant heating continue onto exterior patios and paths, extending the sense of continuity across thresholds.

Personal fabrication plays a visible role throughout the house. Slatted wood screens made by the owners filter daylight in the living room and enclose the exterior loading dock, while hand-blown glass works animate shelves in the dining area. ‘They wanted the home to be an expression of who they are,’ says Matt Wittman. ‘Now, they can live and create side by side — gracefully and seamlessly.’

the house sits beside a wetland on a former animal sanctuary in Snohomish, Washington

workshops and living areas encircle a courtyard pond

An essential component of the Wittman Estes-designed French Creek Workshop compound are its creative studios. Spaces for woodworking, metalworking, and glass art connect to the main house through sheltered walkways and gardens. The workshops are separated from the living spaces to prevent noise and dust, while the zone between the built spaces becomes a lush, gardened courtyard. The primary 1,471-square-foot studio rises beneath a shed roof oriented toward north-facing clerestory windows, delivering even, diffused light suited to detailed work.

The courtyard draws from the Roman impluvium, a system of collecting rainwater from surrounding roofs and into a reflecting pool. During storms, water sheets from roof edges into planted basins, turning rainfall into a daily, observable event. Gardens radiate outward from this center and transition gradually from cultivated ground to more natural growth, all maintained by the owners themselves.

a single level plan supports aging in place and multigenerational living

the home surrounds a landscaped pond which collects rainwater

gentle terracing allows the building to follow the natural slope of the site

concrete floors with radiant heating extend from interior rooms to outdoor patios

project info:

name: French Creek Workshop House

architect: Wittman Estes | @wittman_estes

location: Snohomish, Washington

completion: 2025

photography: © Andrew Pogue | @poguephoto

design team: Matt Wittman, Jody Estes, Ashton Wesely

interiors, landscape: Wittman Estes

structural engineer: Josh Welch Engineering

builder: MRA Builders

civil engineer: Jennifer Argraves, LPD Engineering

geotechnical engineer: Adam Gaston, Geo Group Northwest

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ARK architects build bio-villa in southern spain from unprocessed materials

bio-villa geneve designed by ark architects

Perched in the exclusive landscape of La Zagaleta in the hills of Benahavís, near Marbella, Spain, Villa Geneve is a benchmark for contemporary bio-architecture, designed by Manuel Ruiz Moriche of ARK Architects. This design balances natural beauty, sophisticated architecture and contemporary sustainability to create a residence that exists in perfect harmony with its surroundings. The home is guided by ARK’s unique philosophy of bio-architecture, a transformative approach that uses architecture as a mediator between humans and nature to enhance well-being.

the home is located in the exclusive landscape of La Zagaleta in the hills of Benahavís, near Marbella
all images courtesy of ARK Architects

luxury yet sustainable architecture

The Villa Geneve’s clean, modern lines blend organically into the lush landscape of La Zagaleta, with open views across the Benahavís mountains, the Mediterranean Sea and Africa. ARK Architects’ design celebrates the connection between interior and exterior, creating a home that breathes and adapts to the rhythm of life. Contemporary luxury here is defined by authenticity and a connection with the environment, symbolizing a shift toward a quiet, conscious, and sustainable lifestyle.

the design balances natural beauty, sophisticated architecture and contemporary sustainability

A firm commitment to sustainability is evident in the materials chosen. In keeping with the ARK philosophy, the project exclusively uses natural, unprocessed materials such as stone, chemically unprocessed wood, and unadulterated finishes. Even the paints are lime-based, promoting healthy living within the villa. These materials are expressed in their purest form possible, reinforcing the project’s dedication to sustainability and achieving a raw yet refined aesthetic.

the bio-architecture achieve a raw yet refined aesthetic

The architecture and interior design are seamlessly combined. The spaces have been furnished with pieces from Flexform and the exclusive ARK Collection, reflecting timeless design, real comfort, and the highest quality materials. Every detail is carefully considered to complement natural light and the surrounding landscape, ensuring that style, functionality, and personality coexist in perfect harmony. Villa Geneve welcomes occupants to luxury living rooted in nature and well-being.

the interior features a timeless design, real comfort, and the highest quality materials

every detail ensures that style, functionality, and personality coexist in perfect harmony

the home welcomes occupants to luxury living rooted in nature and well-being

inside, even the pool and gym complement natural light with the surrounding landscape

Villa Geneve is a benchmark for contemporary bio-architecture

the project exclusively uses natural, unprocessed materials such as stone, wood, and finishes

project info:

name: Villa Geneve
studio: ARK Architects

architect: Manuel Ruiz Moriche

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zaha hadid architects to design garden-infused malpensa hospital in italy

healthcare space design by ZAHA HADID architects

A consortium led by Zaha Hadid Architects has been selected to design the new Malpensa Hospital in Lombardy, Italy. The project will unite the existing hospitals of Gallarate and Busto Arsizio into a single medical campus serving the area between Milan and Varese. Commissioned by the Lombardy Regional Health Authority, the project is conceived as a contemporary healthcare environment for a population approaching one million residents.

The winning team led by Zaha Hadid Architects with RINA, Studio Plicchi, WSP, STI Engineering, and BC Building Consulting brings together architectural design with engineering and healthcare planning. The proposal responds to the evolving demands of the Olona Valley, with an emphasis on adaptability, operational efficiency, and long-term public service.

visualizations © X Universe

navigating the malpensa hospital

Malpensa Hospital is planned by Zaha Hadid Architects and its partners as a compact structure with five levels above ground and a single basement, encompassing around 90,000 square meters. Its organization follows a clear gradient of care intensity, which allows critical functions to operate with precision while maintaining legible movement for patients and staff. Clinical spaces are arranged to support change over time, with layouts capable of adjustment as medical practices and technologies advance.

Circulation plays a defining role in the project’s spatial logic. Distinct routes for visitors and healthcare professionals reduce overlap and support hygiene protocols, while dedicated logistical paths handle materials, goods, and waste. An automated delivery system further streamlines daily operations for a more efficient campus.

Zaha Hadid Architects will design the new Malpensa Hospital in Lombardy

sunlit timber interiors

At ground level, a central internal street links the entrance plaza with landscaped outdoor areas, establishing a civic threshold between the hospital and its surrounding communities. This public axis supports wayfinding and introduces daylight deep into the plan, shaping an environment that feels open and measured rather than institutional.

Interior spaces prioritize comfort through proportion, light control, and acoustic consideration. Privacy is addressed through spatial sequencing and the placement of quieter zones for rest and recovery. Materials such as wood surfaces and textile elements contribute to a calm atmosphere suited to long hospital stays and demanding working conditions.

the new hospital is organized as a compact five story structure

a landscape of forests

The Malpensa Hospital site sits within a landscape of forests and agricultural land connected to the Regional Ecological Network and the Parco Regionale della Valle del Ticino. The design preserves existing woodland while introducing new wetlands and water-management features that support biodiversity and responsible stormwater use.

An important cultural dimension emerges through the integration of Cascina dei Poveri, a rural complex dating from the medieval period. Incorporated into the campus, this historic structure becomes a shared place for community activity, reinforcing continuity between the region’s past and its contemporary healthcare infrastructure.

a central internal street connects the entrance plaza with landscaped public areas

a sustainable design, ready for the future

The building envelope comprises modular aluminum rainscreen panels with integrated planting and solar control, chosen for durability and reduced embodied carbon. Prefabricated construction methods shorten build time and limit material waste, while a high-performance facade lowers cooling demand and improves energy efficiency.

Renewable energy systems form a central part of the strategy, including a photovoltaic installation exceeding one megawatt and a hybrid heating system prepared for future hydrogen use. Digital building management tools and virtual modeling support predictive maintenance and long-term performance optimization, positioning Malpensa Hospital as a flexible and climate-responsive medical campus designed for decades of use.

interiors emphasize daylight, acoustic comfort, and material warmth

project info:

name: Grande Ospedale della Malpensa (Malpensa Hospital)

architect: Zaha Hadid Architects | @zahahadidarchitects

location: Malpensa, Lombardy, Italy

ZHA principal: Patrik Schumacher
ZHA project director: Paolo Zilli
ZHA competition project director: Paolo Zilli
ZHA competition associates: Tommaso Casucci and Johannes Elias
ZHA competition team: Valentina Cerrone; Daniel Coley; Daniele Ferrentino; Alex He; Yooyeon Noh; Prashant Phirke; Angelica Videla Cardenas
ZHA environmental & sustainability team: Bahaa Alnassrallah; Carlos Bausa Martinez; Jing Xu

consortium:
lead architect, coordination, wellbeing: Zaha Hadid Architects
team lead, civil engineering, safety: RINA
hospital specialist, local architect: STUDIO PLICCHI
environment, landscape, sustainability: WSP
MEP, fire strategy: STI ENGINEERING
quantity surveyor, maintenance: BC – BUILDING CONSULTING

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SANAA’s taichung art museum opens in taiwan with translucent dual-layer metal facade

Taichung Art Museum by SANAA opens to the public

SANAA’s Taichung Art Museum, part of the newly completed Taichung Green Museumbrary, opens today, December 13th, 2025 in Taiwan. The project integrates the city’s central library with a metropolitan art museum, establishing a combined cultural facility that presents a new institutional model.

The Taichung Green Museumbrary sits on the northern edge of Central Park, a 67-hectare green space within the 254-hectare Shuinan Trade and Economic Park, formerly a military airport decommissioned in 2004. Positioned at the heart of this redevelopment area, the project has been described as Taiwan’s most significant cultural initiative of 2025. SANAA’s design follows the guiding idea of creating ‘a library in a park and an art museum in a forest.’ The building is lifted above ground level, allowing natural light and park breezes to move freely through shaded plazas that provide open, permeable access from all sides.

Its inaugural exhibition, A Call of All Beings, brings together more than 70 artists and collectives from 20 countries. The show unfolds across galleries and public spaces through video, painting, sculpture, installation, archival material, artists’ books, and 24 newly commissioned, site-specific works, accompanied by performances, workshops, and talks exploring human and multispecies coexistence.

SANAA unveils the Taichung Art Museum as part of the Green Museumbrary | all images by YHLAA – Yi Hsien Lee

An Open Plan Connecting Culture and Nature

The plan dissolves traditional divisions between museum and library spaces within an open and inclusive interior. Reading areas and exhibition zones are designed to overlap, encouraging cross-programming and interaction. The library will house over one million physical and digital resources. On the rooftop, the design team at SANAA organizes an outdoor garden that offers views of Central Park and the Taichung skyline. Conceived as both a public landscape and a cultural extension of the building, the rooftop enhances the continuity between built and natural environments.

The dual-layer facade combines high-performance glass or metal cladding with an outer layer of aluminum expanded metal mesh. This silvery veil produces a sense of transparency while improving environmental performance. The facade and lifted volume emphasize lightness, openness, and integration with the surrounding park. At ground level, shaded plazas act as public thresholds where the city meets the museum and library.

the dual-layer facade combines glass or metal cladding with expanded aluminum mesh

the mesh screen improves environmental performance while shaping the building’s identity

the outdoor garden functions as both a public space and cultural extension

the cultural complex combines a metropolitan art museum with the city’s central library

the building volume is lifted above the ground to allow light and breeze to pass through

reading areas and exhibition zones are arranged to overlap and encourage interaction

the library is planned to hold over one million physical and digital resources

shaded plazas beneath the structure create open and permeable public access

the design concept is described as ‘a library in a park and an art museum in a forest’

project info:

name: Taichung Art Museum

architect: SANAA | @sanaa_jimusho

location: Taichung, Taiwan

photographer: YHLAA – Yi Hsien Lee | @nevermind1107

retoucher: YHLAA – Kane Liou

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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MVRDV perches arched, earth-covered timber pavilion among the hills of chengdu, china

MVRDV embeds a civic pavilion within the hills of Pujiang

MVRDV completes Pujiang Platform, a timber event pavilion and viewing structure embedded into the hills east of Pujiang, southwest of Chengdu, China. Conceived as an architectural extension of the terrain itself, the 414-square-meter pavilion uses earth-covered timber arches to reconstruct the silhouette of a hill that was previously flattened, while framing panoramic views toward the growing town below and the Qionglai Mountains beyond.

Set within a landscape that is rapidly transforming as Pujiang develops into a new sustainable town, the project aims to offer residents and visitors a place for gatherings, ceremonies, and civic use, and to do so with minimal visual and environmental impact. MVRDV shapes the building as a telescopic form that appears almost geological when seen from afar, while becoming legible as a civic structure through its large viewing window and projecting balcony. At night, light spilling from this opening turns the pavilion into a landmark, visible from the plains below without dominating the landscape.‘The hills of this region are truly a spectacular sight, so one of the challenges we faced was to make the most of those views while reducing the impact on the landscape. By adding a hill-shaped pavilion with a green roof we not only minimise our own impact, but we recreated the hill that was there before,’ MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs notes. ‘This act of preserving and respecting nature is the essence of the design, which is continued in the construction approach, using bio-based materials such as wood that are more sustainable and thus have less impact on natural environments such as this one.’

all images © Arch-Exist

rebuilding a flattened hill in Chengdu, China

MVRDV’s design originates from a site-specific observation. The original viewpoint had required cutting into the hill, erasing part of its natural profile. The architects’ response was to reverse that by recreating the missing mass as architecture. An arched timber structure is wrapped in an earth berm and planted roof, restoring the hill while housing an interior space beneath. The pavilion is entered discreetly through a glazed facade embedded into the berm, leading into an interior that slopes with the terrain. The floor descends as the ceiling rises, forming a stepped tribune oriented toward a 10-meter-tall glass facade. Oversized sliding doors allow the interior to open fully onto the balcony, enabling the space to shift between enclosed events and open-air gatherings.

Circulation and landscape are treated as integral parts of the architectural experience. The team retains and extends existing paths on the site, forming a loop that leads visitors through multiple approaches to the viewpoint. A twisting staircase connects these routes and culminates in a secondary circular viewing platform, offering 360-degree views across both the distant mountain range and the immediate hillside environment. Planting strategies reinforce continuity with the surrounding ecology, using species that reflect the existing biodiversity.

MVRDV completes Pujiang Platform in China

timber construction and passive environmental strategies

The green roof, with a soil depth of approximately 10 centimeters, supports grasses, flowers, and small shrubs, while existing waterways are incorporated into rainwater collection and irrigation systems. Material choice plays a critical role in both the environmental and cultural positioning of the project. The timber structure is intended to reduce embodied carbon and also to act as a built demonstration within a context where wood construction remains underutilized. Operational performance is supported through a combination of passive and active strategies. The earth berm provides insulation and thermal mass, layered ceilings enable natural ventilation, and the north-facing orientation of the main façade minimizes unwanted solar gain. Additional energy demands are partially met by a geothermal heat pump, contributing to the project’s China Green Building Label 2-star certification.

a timber event pavilion and viewing structure

embedded into the hills east of Pujiang, southwest of Chengdu

conceived as an architectural extension of the terrain itself

uses earth-covered timber arches form the pavilion

reconstructing the silhouette of a hill that was previously flattened

set within a landscape that is rapidly transforming

the project aims to offer residents and visitors a place for gathering

MVRDV shapes the building as a telescopic form that appears almost geological when seen from afar

a twisting staircase connects routes and culminates in a secondary circular viewing platform

offering 360-degree views

the team retains and extends existing paths on the site

planting strategies reinforce continuity with the surrounding ecology

oversized sliding doors allow the interior to open fully onto the balcony

project info:

name: Pujiang Platform

architect: MVRDV | @mvrdv

co-architect: Sichuan Provincial Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd. – SADI

location: Pujiang, China

area: 414 sqm

client: Pujiang County Planning and Resources Bureau

sustainability certification: China Green Building Label – 2 Stars

contractor: Chengdu Third Construction Engineering of CDCEG

founding partner in charge: Jacob van Rijs

partner: Wenchian Shi

director MVRDV Shanghai: Peter Chang

design team: Kyo Suk Lee, Olga Marelja, Geert Folmer, Guido Boeters, Cai Zheli, Shanshan Wu, Alexander Forsch, Ilaria Furbetta, Yihong Chen, Jiamen Li, Shing Yat Tam, Yifei Zhang, Cai Huang, Seunghan Yeum, Gioele Colombo, Xinyuan Zhang

MVRDV climate: Alexander Forsch

photographer: © Arch-Exist| @archexist

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design as impact: ADF 2026 honors architecture that drives change

NPO Aoyama Design Forum (ADF), a non-profit organization, has announced the ADF Design Award 2026, celebrating architecture that does more than please the eye—it aims to make a meaningful impact on society, culture, and the environment. The award aims to recognize outstanding works that challenge existing conventions, demonstrate innovative thinking, and enrich people’s lives through visionary, responsible design. Architects and designers around the world are invited to submit their proposals on a unique platform that fosters connections, promotes the exchange of ideas, and encourages meaningful cross-cultural collaboration.

In the world of architecture, numerous international competitions, events, and awards take place across a wide range of contexts and circumstances. These initiatives, which highlight the work of professionals, collectives, institutions, and other organizations, aim to recognize practices committed to addressing today’s most urgent social, climatic, and economic challenges by pursuing architectural solutions and strategies that improve the living conditions of millions of people. Award ceremonies represent the culmination of the effort and dedication of countless professionals who, regardless of their background or career path, show a strong commitment to contributing to the development of the built environment.

The Holy Redeemer Church and Community Center of Las Chumberas / Fernando Menis. Image © Hisao Suzuki

THE ADF DESIGN AWARD GOES BEYOND RECOGNITION. IT INSPIRES BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND EMERGING ARCHITECTS TO REFLECT MORE DEEPLY ON THE SPACES THAT SHAPE OUR LIVES, WHILE HELPING SOCIETY BECOME MORE CONSCIOUS AND SELECTIVE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTS WE BUILD. THIS CONTRIBUTION IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE OF OUR CITIES. — FERNANDO MENIS, EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER

By emphasizing how each design was created and the ideas behind it, the awards seek entries that challenge conventional thinking, break new ground, and offer innovative, environmentally conscious solutions that enrich people’s lives. The award categories include Hospitality Architecture, Commercial and Office Architecture, Housing Complex, Education and Sports Facilities, Cultural Buildings, and Public Architecture. The jury evaluates submissions for artistic value—including form, color, detailing, and material selection; the project’s response to social change, use of new materials, construction processes, and pioneering design within constrained conditions; sustainability and benefits to users and the environment; and the project’s harmony with its region while expressing a contemporary cultural identity.

Maatulli School and Kindergarten in Finland / Fors Arkitekter. Image Courtesy of Garde

Past winners illustrate the award’s vision. In 2025, Boris Bežan (BAX Studio), Mara Partida and Héctor Mendoza (Mendoza Partida Studio), and Maria Mestres and Magnus Wåge (Mestres Wåge Architects) received the Grand Prize, while Sofia Fors (Fors Arkitekter) and Fernando Menis received the Excellence Award. Fors Arkitekter, based in Copenhagen, is known for projects that integrate buildings and landscapes while respecting planetary boundaries, such as the Maatulli School and Kindergarten in Finland. Their work spans a wide range of scales and typologies—from private residences to large public projects—with a focus on creating architecture that has a lasting, positive impact on both people and the environment.

The Holy Redeemer Church and Community Center of Las Chumberas / Fernando Menis. Image © Roland Halbe

On the other hand, Fernando Menis brings more than 40 years of experience and is renowned for his innovative variable acoustics system in Poland’s CKK Jordanki. Among his many notable works are the Church of the Holy Redeemer, El Tanque Art Center, Magma Art & Congress, the Spree Floating Pool in Berlin, and the headquarters of the Canary Islands Government in Tenerife. The Holy Redeemer Church and Community Center of Las Chumberas includes a church, a community center, and a public plaza. Built over the course of fifteen years, it reflects the transformation of its neighborhood during the 1970s, serving as a catalyst for urban renewal and as a landmark within a fragmented urban landscape. Inspired by the volcanic terrain, the project features massive, rugged forms with narrow fissures between structures that filter natural light. Concrete, chosen for its versatility, functions as structure, form, texture, and acoustic control. The granulated concrete mixed with volcanic stones absorbs sound, and together with smooth or rough exposed concrete surfaces, achieves sound performance comparable to that of an opera house.

Explore a list of projects recognized in past editions of the ADF Design Award.

KUNSTSILO / BAX STUDIO + MENDOZA PARTIDA STUDIO + MESTRES WÅGE ARCHITECTS

The Kunstsilo proposal, designed by three architecture studios based in Barcelona, is built upon the expressive power of the silo itself. The project strikes a balanced harmony by combining respect for the original building’s qualities with an imaginative approach to the inherently sculptural and spatial experiences it offers. Through a series of interior cuts in the silo, a sober, monumental volume opens up, illuminated by controlled overhead lighting that gives the future museum a strong and distinctive character.

ADF Design Award 2025 – Kunstsilo / BAX studio + Mendoza Partida studio + Mestres Wåge architects. Image Courtesy of Garde

LA CARBONERÍA RENOVATION / OFFICE FOR STRATEGIC SPACES

The rehabilitation of La Carbonería owes its form to the diverse, intersecting histories that have unfolded over a century and a half. Its design integrates both an intangible legacy and special attention to its structure, spatial qualities, and energy efficiency. Originally a modest residential building constructed in 1864, it gained notoriety in 2008 when it was occupied and two large murals were painted on its façade. In 2014, its forced evacuation made headlines, and La Carbonería became a graphic and political icon of Barcelona. Later, in 2015, the Barcelona City Council declared it a protected heritage site as the oldest surviving building in the Eixample district.

ADF Design Award 2024 – La Carbonería Renovation / Office for Strategic Spaces. Image © Simona Rota

TONAMI PUBLIC LIBRARY / KAZUHIKO MASUKO & MIKAMI ARCHITECTS & OSHIDA ARCHITECTS

With the image of the Tonami Plain in mind, the concept of an “open-plan library under a big roof” was envisioned along the main street that runs through the city. Through its scale and gentle curvature, the roof was designed to become a new symbol of Tonami. It also serves as a modern interpretation of the traditional Azumadachi style and as a symbol of public liberal arts. The building was designed to open toward the street from the west, allowing people to view the interior from beneath the eaves—a continuous space rising from the inverted curve of the large roof. Within this forest of books, the roof’s slope gradually shifts to either stimulate energy or create a sense of calm. From children to the elderly, all visitors are embraced by the warmth of the wood and the soft natural light streaming in through the windows.

The 16th annual international design award, organized by ADF, will accept submissions from Friday, August 15, 2025, to Friday, December 19, 2025 (JST). A Grand Prize of US$10,000 and two Excellence Awards of US$5,000 each will be granted across all categories, totaling approximately US$20,000. As a supplementary prize, the Grand Prize winner and the Excellence Award winners will have the opportunity to exhibit their work at the ADF venue in Fuori Salone during the Milano Salone Internazionale del Mobile, scheduled for April 2026. In addition, winners will be given the chance to exhibit their work at “COCO WARP,” the Metaverse Museum operated by ADF, and will receive one year of PR support.

project info: 

name: ADF Design Award 2026
application period: August 15, 2025 to December 19, 2025 (JST)
application fee: Free
language: English
submission URL: https://10561.evalato.com/

Guest Feature by Agustina Iñiguez / Archdaily

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atrey and associates’ brutalist home pairs climatic intelligence with material honesty

Atrey and Associates’ Delhi Residence: Climatic Intelligence and Sculptural Form

The Nadhyavart Residence in Delhi, designed by Atrey and Associates, mixes climatic intelligence, material honesty, and spatial refinement within brutalist architecture. The home integrates passive design strategies, calibrated geometries, and craft-driven detailings all packaged within a sweeping, curvilinear concrete mass. This bold, texturally raw and strong form is contrasted by a terracotta brick screen, which introduces warmth and rhythm. Designed with a perforated jaali-inspired pattern, this screen functions as a breathable skin, modulating sunlight and casting dynamic shadows to balance high performance with crafted, sensory experience.

the Nadhyavart Residence in Delhi, India, designed by Atrey and Associates

All images courtes of Atrey and Associates

Studio Philosophy and Architectural Intent

Atrey and Associates, led by Ar. Arun Sharma, creates spatial experiences by treating architecture as a dialogue between people, nature, and structure. Every project is considers their philosophies: human-centered design, intelligent luxury, sustainability as a mindset, nature-positive architecture, detail-driven precision, creative boldness, and commitment to quality. The Nadhyavart Residence exemplifies this approach by balancing sensitivity, innovation, and craft, resulting in architecture that is purposeful, ecologically conscious, and deeply connected to the users’ experience.

the bold, texturally raw and strong material is shaped as a sweeping, curvilinear concrete mass

The home’s exterior design is defined by a rigorous material dialogue. The smooth, cool solidity of the curvilinear concrete is juxtaposed against the tactile vibrancy of the patterned brickwork and the industrial refinement of ribbed metal cladding. This textural palette balances rough and polished, warm and cool to spatially create tension and controlled dynamism. From the top, the cantilevered upper curve appears structurally bold and almost weightless. Then, at closer inspection, the perforated brick screen and the dramatic shadows, cast by the sculptural surfaces, reveal the architecture’s layered geometry. This highlights the project’s consistent commitment to material honesty and dynamic forms.

the interior is centered around an open-to-sky void, a vertical shaft that draws natural daylight deep inside

Inside, the design prioritizes spatial expression through light, curvature, and crafted materiality. The layout is centered around an open-to-sky void, a vertical shaft that draws natural daylight deep into the interiors. This void animates the space and makes the passage of time perceptible for inhabitants. Circulation is treated sculpturally, notably with a gracefully curved staircase ascending through the space, softened by timber detailing against the surrounding concrete. Internal glass openings are used throughout, creating a visual continuity and vertical layering that ensures different levels engage with one another. The result is minimalist luxury, pairing dark marble and warm timber with subtle, concealed lighting to maintain an understated yet premium atmosphere.

a minimalist luxury is realized by pairing dark marble and warm timber with subtle, concealed lighting

The studio continues the design’s language of quiet luxury and material harmony into the private areas. The bathrooms embrace an introspective and calm tone, defined by soft curves, stone surfaces, and framed views of nature. Similarly, the bedrooms feature large windows to bring in garden views and daylight. A semicircular backlit feature wall functions as both sculpture and an ambient light source. The spaces create a feeling of a private retreat, promoting restfulness from the fast-paced city life in Delhi.

the design’s language of quiet luxury and material harmony into the private areas

In the living areas, the design seamlessly merges interior and exterior. Long wooden ceiling panels visually extend onto the terrace, dissolving the boundary and enhancing horizontal flow. Materials like dark marble, sculptural furniture, and warm timber create a cohesive palette that echoes the adjoining garden, while large sliding glass partitions draw daylight inward. On the rooftop, the architecture turns outward. Circular pergola frames create rhythmic portals, defining the rooftop garden as a serene oasis where greenery softens the urban backdrop, completing the home’s biophilic integration and experiential richness.

the bathrooms embrace an introspective, calm tone defined by soft curves, stone surfaces, and views of nature

a semicircular backlit feature wall functions as both sculpture and an ambient light source

the spaces create a feeling of a private retreat, promoting restfulness from the fast-paced city life in Delhi

Atrey and Associates, led by Ar. Arun Sharma (pictured here), was established in 1997

project info:

project name: Nadhyavart Residence

project size: 11250 sq. ft.

location: Delhi, India

site area: 11250 Sq. Ft.

design studio: Atrey and Associates

design team: Ar. Arun Sharma, Neetu, Kamini, Jitendra, Vertika, Bijender

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TOP 10 private houses of 2025

designboom’s top 10 private spaces of 2025

In 2025, architects around the world continue to expand the possibilities of domestic design, presenting a diverse collection of private houses that reconsider how we inhabit landscape, community, and climate. This year’s selection ranges from net-positive, off-grid experimentation in rural Japan to rammed-earth dwellings carved into the terrain of Crete, revealing a field increasingly attuned to resourcefulness, site specificity, and the choreography of indoor–outdoor living.

Shared themes emerge across these works — some occupying their natural context gently, others defined by a bold sculptural form. Florian Busch Architects pioneers an energy-generating modular residence amid agricultural fields in Hokkaido, while Wallmakers suspends a thatched, occupiable bridge over a gorge in India. Social frameworks also come to the fore, with TEN’s collaborative housing for women in Bosnia-Herzegovina proposing new models of care-based living. Explore designboom’s top 10 private houses of 2025 below!

arthur casas builds his own house in the forest of brazil

Hidden within the dense greenery of Brazil’s Atlantic forest, the Iporanga House stands as architect Arthur Casas’s own retreat. Conceived as a place to ‘recharge his energies,’ the home sits lightly in a protected natural reserve along the São Paulo coast. Its design is guided by a desire for harmony with the surrounding vegetation, a goal demonstrated by wood cladding that blends with the forest’s shifting tones and textures.

The plan takes the form of two symmetrical cubes framing a lofty central volume. Inside, lofty ceilings rise 11 meters (36 feet), and continuous glass panels draw in light and views, creating a breezy and fluid connection to the trees beyond. ‘The shape is simple, symmetrical, easy,’ Casas notes. He contrasts the home’s subdued form with with the ‘entropic, messy profile’ of the forest that surrounds it.

image © Fernando Guerra

florian busch architects’ modular ‘house W’ generates more energy than it consumes

mykonos architects embeds wedge-shaped n’arrow house into terrain of crete

Set to be carved into the olive-dotted hills of Crete, Mykonos Architects designs a home titled N’Arrow to respond directly to the steep topography and slender dimensions of its site. The underground, rammed-earth project is designed to avoid imposition, and instead works with the natural contours of the land, inviting the surrounding environment to shape its form. Olive groves and rolling terrain are not backdrops but rooftops, and but co-authors in the architectural narrative, pushing the residential space toward harmony rather than dominance.

A fifteen-meter setback regulation, typically a limiting factor, sparked the defining concept behind N’Arrow. Mykonos Architects saw not a constraint but a creative opportunity, transforming the elongated form of the plot into a narrow, wedge-like structure that nestles into the hillside. This bold, linear geometry sets the tone for the home’s identity, drawing attention to the power of architectural adaptation when guided by site-specific conditions.

wallmakers wraps its suspended ‘bridge house’ in skin of thatched scales

ring-shaped home by alexis dornier encircles central garden in bali

fran silvestre-designed villa zig-zags across the southern spanish landscape

Fran Silvestre Arquitectos designs Villa 95 as part of the real estate developer Cork Oak Mansion project in Sotogrande, crafting a residence that appears to glide across the southern Spanish landscape. Defined by a continuous architectural gesture, the three-story villa unfurls along a sharp diagonal, its elongated form maximizing the buildable area of the 2,317 square meter plot while framing views of Altos de Valderrama area. Developed by DUS Desarrollos Inmobiliarios, the house is part of an exclusive collection of six high-end villas.

curved green roof shields wiki world’s wooden ‘cabin of palette’ in wuhan

nendo weaves six cottages together with ‘hand-holding’ roofs in japanese forest house

arquitectura-G embeds blue concrete core with spiraling staircase in portuguese residence

In Sintra, Portugal, Arquitectura-G completes House II, the latest intervention within a long-abandoned quinta de recreio, a rural estate historically devoted to agriculture and leisure. The project forms part of an ongoing sequence of works by the studio’s team, which seeks to conserve and rehabilitate the site’s buildings and reactivate the broader territory.

Strict regulations limited any change to the building’s external profile, facades, or roof, so Arquitectura-G responded by hollowing out the existing interior, retaining only the perimeter walls, and inserting a new structural body of blue-pigmented concrete. Rising from the basement cellar, this inserted core incorporates a helical staircase and extends upward to form the slabs of the upper levels. It culminates beneath a skylight on the first floor, where daylight streams into the central void and organizes the surrounding rooms.

vivid rippled panels envelop TEN’s care-based housing for women in bosnia-herzegovina

On the outskirts of Gradačac, a town in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, stands The House for Five Women, a vibrant residence by architecture studio TEN. The project rises from the countryside to defy conventional housing models through an architecture of care, resilience, and collective authorship.

Designed with local activist Hazima Smajlović, NGO Naš Izvor, Engineers Without Borders, and the Gradačac municipality, the project provides a permanent home for five single women who have survived war, displacement, and systemic neglect. It’s positioned between privacy and solidarity to propose a new paradigm for cohabitation with five individual living units clustered around communal spaces for gathering, working, and growing food.

Artist Shirana Shahbazi sculpts the facade of the building, composing a vibrant arrangement of large, colored aluminum panels in shades of pink, red, green, and deep blue. Though seemingly spontaneous, the composition is specially calibrated, with each panel being custom-made in a local car painter’s workshop. Their rippled, high-gloss surfaces catch and distort reflections, and transform the shell into a shifting, almost liquid canvas that responds to light and movement.

image by Maxime Delvaux, Adrien de Hemptinne

see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2024 — 2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019

2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

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