The Building of the Year award reaches its 16th edition in 2025. In light of the efforts of architecture professionals from around the world during the year 2024, the award granted by the website
ArchDaily encourages the
exchange of ideas among creatives from different fields by
stimulating the public to elect their favorite project of the year in 15 categories.
The 15 winners will be announced on February 20, with one winner per category. Among the finalists are projects published in the last six years selected from a list of 4,000 constructions. Among them, six Brazilians excel in representing the power of national architecture abroad. Next, learn more about them and vote for your favorites.
1. Village of Staff of the Canuanã Farm School – Rosenbaum + Terra e Tuma Associated Architects
The
Canuanã Farm School is located in the interior of the state of Tocantins, in the municipality of Formoso do Araguaia, on the banks of the Javaés River. It was founded in 1973 and offers
free education from elementary to technical education,
housing and educating approximately 800 children and teenagers between the ages of 6 and 18. The housing complex consists of
32 housing units, along with parking for cars and boats.
Its implementation was based on
the use of wind as the main component for thermal comfort and the issue of privacy for window placement. The walls were built with
soil-cement bricks molded on the farm's construction site, a material that, due to its greater inertia, has a
high efficiency for thermal comfort. Between the houses,
streets and plazas were proposed that prioritize pedestrian and bicycle circulation among the units, with car flow directed around the village.
2. Seedling Nursery - Fazendinha Occupation – PFLEX - School of Architecture - UFMG
(Sofia Vasconcelos/Divulgação)
The
seedling nursery built in the Fazendinha Occupation located in the Calafate neighborhood in Belo Horizonte, is the result of an extension academic practice promoted by the Department of Projects of the School of Architecture of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. The activity included
the conception, manufacture, and assembly of a small wooden structure, carried out collectively by students, technicians, supporters, and community residents.
(Sofia Vasconcelos/Divulgação)
The project aims to contribute to the care and organization of local production and, above all,
support the collaborative work carried out in the community garden, which stands out as a fundamental aspect in the discussion about self-management of infrastructure in this occupation. The construction consists of a
covered area of approximately 18 m2 that allows access to the vegetable beds and has shelves and tables for the production, maintenance, and storage of seedlings.
3. Rita Lee Park - Legacy of the Olympic Park – Ecomimesis Ecological Solutions
(Rafael Salim/Divulgação)
The
Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca, RJ, was the main venue for the 2016 Olympic Games. The park's project, during the games, contained various sports facilities, such as the Tennis Center, the Carioca Arenas, and the Live Site that were built around the Olympic Avenue. The initial conception of the project foreseen an
adaptation of this entire structure for new uses after the end of the Olympics. The development of this new project for the Olympic Park, later renamed
Rita Lee Park as a tribute to the artist, was bid by the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro in 2022. Ecomimesis, the winning company of the bid, then became responsible for the urbanization of the Olympic Avenue space and its immediate surroundings, totaling
140,000 m² of designed area.
(Rafael Salim/Divulgação)
In total, the proposed program includes two multi-sport courts, two 3x3 basketball courts, an event area, a children's area with various toys, a children's aquatic area, a game area (table tennis and futmesa), a picnic area, a gym for seniors, a climbing wall, a skate park, bicycle parking, leisure areas, rest areas, and public restrooms. The program also encompasses urban furniture, creation of over 800 m² of Atlantic Forest grove, planting of 1,100 new seedlings of native trees, and the increase of over 8,000 m² of permeable green area throughout the park.
4. Onça Warehouse – Estudio Pedro Haruf
The
Onça Warehouse is a commercial and service space located in the small town of Onça do Pitangui, in Minas Gerais. It offers
products from agroforestry and handicrafts from small producers in the region, in addition to serving coffee and snacks for locals and tourists. The project occupies a small building from the early years of the 20th century.
The renovation project sought to
enhance the historical architecture. Thus, a PVC ceiling was demolished to reveal the trusses and colonial roof. The walls were stripped to highlight the solid brick used in the construction, and all the woodwork was restored, including frames, flooring, and trusses. On the front and back facades, the original ornaments were restored, the frames that had been sealed were re-opened, and the painting was recovered using traditional plastering techniques.
5. Ágora UNI – Módulo Studio
The project of
Ágora UNI combines office and restaurant spaces at Ágora Tech Park in Joinville, integrating with its surroundings while providing
healthy environments through natural ventilation and lighting. The strategic location allows for a
direct connection with the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) through a awning that connects the buildings in the complex. The central atrium leads to a grove for leisure and picnicking, providing an experience that fosters
welfare and
quality of life.
With modern infrastructure for laboratories and coworking, Ágora UNI has
adaptable spaces, allowing research areas to transform as needed. The flexibility of these spaces was designed to promote
continuous innovation, with architecture that adjusts to the demands of research and development. In addition to functionality, Ágora UNI seeks to offer visitors, students, and employees a
visual connection with the surrounding landscape, including the Serra do Mar and the Atlantic Forest.
6. Guapuruvu Patio House – Piloti Architecture Studio
The project of the
Guapuruvu Patio House is located at an altitude of 1,250 meters in the Mantiqueira mountain range in the municipality of Camanducaia, on a plot of 20,000 m². The house program is organized in
three blocks around a central patio: the main house, the barn, and the guest house with two units.
The access to each volume is independent, providing flexibility for various possible activities. The constructive system was designed for
quick and low-cost construction, in addition to facilitating the understanding of the project by local builders. The
rammed earth walls were executed by a specialized company and are supported by the exposed concrete foundation.
The entire project was designed to
reduce landscape impact - whether through the utilization of soil from excavation to raise the rammed earth walls or through the choice of wood from reforestation. The simplicity of the materials, left in their raw state, seeks this resource conservation while allowing reconnection with the matter that composes the space.
