Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026
Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026

Design sustainability

An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about design sustainability

Project • By Pac StudioPrivate Houses

Under Rimu

Set within one of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s oldest suburbs, Under Rimu is an alteration and addition to a heritage villa for a family of five. The original house retains its familiar street presence—albeit with significant restoration and a new colour scheme—while contemporary forms unfold behind it around established native trees. The addition reworks the geometry of the villa through a series of angled roofs and clerestory windows, drawing sunlight deep into the plan. A realigned central hallway now runs from the original porch to the rear garden, opening long views through the house. To the east, a restored breakfast porch reconnects bedrooms, living spaces and the study with morning sun and views towards the maunga.... More

Project • By Yemail ArquitecturaUrban Green Spaces

Huertas Help Age

The project consists of a small-scale system of productive and accessible infrastructure for community urban gardens. The intervention includes raised cultivation beds, widened and leveled circulation paths, resting benches, shaded areas, signage elements and support surfaces for gardening activities. BE STUDIO 2025 BE STUDIO 2025 BE STUDIO 2025 BE STUDIO 2025 BE STUDIO 2025 The raised beds were designed to improve ergonomic access for older adults, reducing the need to bend down during planting, maintenance and harvesting. Circulation paths were widened and stabilized to allow safer movement through the garden, while benches with appropriate seating height and arm support were incorporated as resting points along... More

NewsNews • 25 Jun 2026

Top Five Multi-Residence Buildings with Paris-Proof principles and Low-Carbon Design Strategies

As the building industry steps up to fight climate change, more residential buildings are being designed to meet performance levels compatible with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreements. This involves improving energy efficiency with better insulation and green energy, as well as choosing materials with a lower carbon footprint. Despite varying grading systems across countries, the main objective remains the same: reducing daily energy use and construction emissions. As we build more housing globally, these projects prove that hitting climate targets is actually doable. The following residential projects illustrate how these sustainable principles are being applied across scales, from single-family homes to large-scale housing develop... More

Project • By SNOB ArchitectsHotels

CONSTRUCTIVIST HOTEL COMPLEX

Located in St. Petersburg, this hotel complex is conceived as a low-impact intervention embedded within a forested landscape. The project prioritises integration with its natural surroundings, using spatial organisation, material selection, and passive design strategies to minimise visual and environmental impact. SNOB Architects SNOB Architects The masterplan is composed of several detached volumes with restrained geometries, connected by a continuous glased axis that functions as the main circulation and viewing spine. This configuration preserves permeability across the site while allowing for both open communal areas and more private zones. The ground level remains porous, with interior spaces extending directly into terraces... More

Product • By OLI - Sistemas Sanitários S.A.VORONOI

VORONOI

The VORONOI flush plate stands out for its sculptural design inspired by the Voronoi geometric pattern. Its faceted, contemporary aesthetic elevates the bathroom space, turning it into a distinctive design feature.Developed with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, it is manufactured in Bio-ABS, with 50% of the raw material from renewable sources, and uses 20% less plastic*, reducing environmental impact without compromising performance.The matt finish adds a refined touch to the space and is also easy to clean. VORONOI is the ideal choice for projects that value design, differentiation, environmental responsibility and innovation.   *Compared with the majority of flush plates produced in ABS. More

Project • By STRÅCommunity Centres

Flishuset

Flishuset is a story of breathing new life into an old, dilapidated woodchip house. Completing the transformation of an old sawmill into museum and event grounds, Flishuset will complement the current facilities with two open and flexible spaces for art exhibitions, events, meetings, and educational purposes.The project carefully balances preservation, reinterpretation, and sustainability within a historically sensitive context. Thurston Empson The building is characterized by its exposed structural system, which is an interpretation of the traditional barn construction employed in the original woodchip house. Connected through traditional joinery techniques, the structural members communicate a history of craftsmanship while contribu... More

Project • By Pardini Hall ArchitectureResidential Landscape

Casa al Pozzo

At Casa al Pozzo, we set out to create more than just a house, we envisioned a living space that would exist in quiet harmony with the Tuscan landscape. From the start, our goal was to design a home that felt like a natural extension of its surroundings, both respectful and deeply connected to the land. Caption We followed the contours of the site to shape a building that nestles gently into the hillside, allowing the architecture to adapt to the terrain rather than impose upon it. This approach fostered a strong sense of flow between indoors and out, where every space opens out to the landscape and draws the eye to nature. Caption Sustainability was a driving force behind our choices. We integrated photovoltaic panels subtly in... More

Project • By pablocorrotopradillo.Private Houses

Mediterranean House

Nestled in the Mediterranean town of Premià de Dalt, Spain, this family contemporary residence epitomizes architectural simplicity refinement.  delriobani delriobani A sculptural monolith, emerges from the natural backdrop of tall pines and coastal rugged terrain. The carved endemic figure is provided with a harmonious and dynamic rhythm by its voids, reclaiming the essence of Mediterranean architecture, but offering pioneering innovations in vernacular techniques and materials, making the project not just a place to live but a space to experience.  delriobani delriobani Articulated through segments which intertwine and connect creating a flexible living programme; with each space a new narrative unfol... More

Project • By The Hive ArchitectsPrivate Houses

CARAVAN HOUSE

The holiday home ‘’Caravan House’’, located in Vathy, Aegina Island has northerly views towards the Argosaronic Sea and southerly views towards a rocky Mediterranean landscape and was designed to accommodate a family of four travelers. Their main criterion was the connection with nature which determined the architectural composition. Caption THE HIVE ARCHITECTS The challenge was to limit the building’ footprint and keep the plot as free as possible, minimally altering the natural landscape. The existing wild pistachio, olive and almond trees are preserved and guide the outdoor life of the family. The dry-stone walls that run through the plot, perhaps the most important anthropogenic intervention for... More

Project • By OPN ArchitectsCommunity Centres

Johnson County Emergency Services

As a public building in a transitional urban area, the goal for the Ambulance Service and Medical Examiner Facility was to create a highly functional, sustainable, and pragmatic building that is also a space where employees in high-stress jobs can relax, socialize, and connect with nature. Surrounded by a railroad, convenience store, and a storage facility on three of the sides and a mundane parking ramp across the street, the challenge was to create an oasis in a banal context. Main Street Studio Main Street Studio The two-story, 34,000-square-foot facility needed to efficiently house multiple user groups — the medical examiner, county facilities personnel, EMTs, and six ambulances — in a way that clearly demonstrate... More

Project • By Schweiss DoorsOffices

Under Armour Headquarters - Baltimore, MD

29' x 14' 6" Schweiss Hydraulic Door installed on Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore, MD. This Hydraulic Door is clad in corrigated metal and features Under Armour's logo for optimal viewing in both the open and closed position.  Amy Barkow / Barkow Photos Amy Barkow / Barkow Photos Amy Barkow / Barkow Photos More

Project • By UnispaceOffices

Allens

An upcoming lease expiry was the catalyst for Allens’ new Perth office. After relocating, the resulting reduction in floor space meant they needed to make bigger changes to their working style than they had first envisioned. Dion Robeson With this in mind, Unispace held a series of co-creation workshops with a cross-section of staff to determine their needs. The workshops were so well attended that Allens asked us to open the sessions up to all employees, resulting in 80% of Perth staff in attendance. These comprehensive responses formed the basis for all strategy, design and construction decisions for the project. The leading law firm’s objectives for the new space included attraction and retention of top talent, improve... More

Project • By KAAF I Kitriniaris Associates Architecture FirmSports Centres

Kyathos Mass Timber Arena

The architectural design plans for the mass timber basketball arena with a composite timber load bearing system were developed after being directly commissioned by the Cultural and Athletic Organisation of Galatsi Municipality as a special building requiring specialised technical know-how and related research in timber construction. The construction schedule for the timber arena includes the main basketball court with spectator stands, an inbuilt mezzanine/gallery around the perimeter, changing rooms for athletes and referees, sanitary spaces, administration offices, club offices, and auxiliary spaces with a total surface area of 4000 sq.m.  The new building will replace the existing timber gymnasium in the same location, and now marke... More

Project • By Baixo Impacto ArquiteturaPrivate Houses

casa abacateiro

The “Casa Abacateiro” emerges from the desire of a couple to create a spacious and welcoming environment to host their family, where the boundaries between interior and exterior, house and garden, seamlessly merge, providing a sense of connectivity and spaciousness. With this proposal in mind, the house is divided into two distinct blocks. oolhar.co oolhar.co The Southwest block houses the bedrooms, bathrooms, and service area. It is more reserved and solid, composed of two levels and structured in concrete. On the other hand, the Northeast social block is more expansive and defined by a robust structure made from reclaimed wood, whose marks tell a story. This structure rests upon two metal beams, allowing for the cre... More

Project • By STUDIO DLUXPrimary Schools

Manav Village

Designing the Manav Village Academy is to provide new opportunities for theeducation of many children and teenagers, through plural and planned environments that encourage independence and coexistence among students, parents, teachers, and the community.The school project located in the village of Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, wasbrought to us through Manav, an Indian citizen from Delhi who created a Foundation with a mission to improve the conditions of education and the environment where children in some remote villages of the country live. The school’s founder's main idea was to combine open space for outdoor learning with an L-shaped educational block with two floors - enough to house every child who studies there. Stu... More