As educational institutions around the world adapt to shifting societal needs, the architecture of learning is also evolving. This curated selection brings together projects submitted by the global ArchDaily community, highlighting how architects are rethinking the future of schools and universities through design. These proposals reflect pressing global concerns: the importance of community-centerededucation, the revitalization of historical buildings and neighborhoods, the integration of natural systems, and the search for spatial expressions that accommodate both formal instruction and informal exchange. Whether situated in dense urban centers, rural villages, or coastal landscapes, these projects respond to specific cultural and environmental contexts while engaging with broader architectural questions about sustainability, access, and identity.
India today is a country of 1.4 billion people requiring every type of building imaginable—hospitals, colleges, housing, and more. Championing sensibility and practicality in design is Brinda Somaya, an internationally acclaimed architect, urban conservationist, and academician, recently named an honorary member of the 2025 class of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Her work demonstrates a careful response to cultural contexts enriched with a grounded understanding of functionality, transforming them into modern relics. A four-decade career has built her portfolio that spans architecture, master-planning, and historic preservation - a constantly unfolding legacy.
Through the post-war 20th century, the Global South saw much influence from foreign architects, often invited by local governments to bring their expertise and visionary thinking. Sought as a symbol of modernity, buildings designed by "starchitects" elevated the image of nations. Decades later, as local industries advance in capabilities, the desire for foreign talent continues to exist. Is this a natural result of globalization or is the continued presence of international architects in the Global South a persistent dependency?
The configuration of the mosque, the worshipping place for Muslims, traces its history to the courtyard of the religion's founder. The first mosques were, therefore, simple open spaces marked for ritual prayer use. Over the years and centuries, they would gain multiple standard, functional features, such as the mihrab, a niche that indicates the direction of prayer, and the minbar, a pulpit for the preacher to give the sermon. Other elements also became common, such as domes and minarets, which were historically used for the call to prayer. These had the additional purpose of signifying the function of the building as a mosque and were used by rulers and benefactors to elevate its grandeur.
In contemporary times, mosques are not immune from architectural debate. Elements that have no religious function are questioned, as is the relationship between a mosque and its context. The discussion is especially stark in parts of the world with relatively new Muslim communities, where some theorists have advocated for the removal of symbolic elements on the basis that they are 'pastiche,' while others are nostalgic about the sentimentality associated with historical forms. Nonetheless, contemporary architects have been successfully elevating mosque architecture, fulfilling its functional requirements creatively, while allowing the building's context to drive the form.
This year marked another milestone for Indian architects in pushing the boundaries of contemporary practice nationwide. A noticeable trend among the projects featured on ArchDaily has been the embrace of fluid forms, a subtle homage to vernacular practices that parallels a gradual departure from India's legacy of modernist design rhetoric. Indian architecture praxis has evolved to reflect a deeper engagement with local contexts alongside a willingness to experiment with global influences. This approach is likely to subsist in the coming years, opening the door for new architectural expressions in the country.
Where design moves beyond rigid geometries to celebrate fluidity, architects across the subcontinent reimagine spatial experiences with forms that flow, merge, and breathe. Challenging conventional architectural paradigms, these projects continue to draw inspiration and proliferate deeply rooted cultural narratives. In India's case, the embrace of fluidity in architecture reflects an interplay of themes: materiality, memory, craftsmanship, and the living context of space.
India's global identity has developed alongside its aspirations for a unique architectural future. Over time, the country's architectural landscape has evolved from vernacular traditions to foreign influences, from post-colonial revivals to modern digital expressions. Computational design has played an influential role in shaping contemporary styles, empowering homegrown architectural firms to experiment with form and structure.
In an interview with Louisiana Channel, Rafael Moneo, the celebrated Spanish architect and 1996 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate, reflected on his career and philosophy. Born in Tudela, Navarra, Spain, in 1937, Moneo described how his early academic interests and professional experiences shaped his approach to architecture, resulting in a distinguished body of work that integrates historical, cultural, and environmental contexts.
The 2024 Beta Architecture Biennial, in Timișoara, Romania, marks the tenth anniversary of this influential event. Curated by Oana Stănescu, this year's biennial, titled "cover me softly," explores the nuanced relationship between originality and influence, challenging conventional notions of copying, imitation, and appropriation. In addition to the Beta Awards, aiming to highlight significant contributions to architecture from across Romania, Hungary, and Serbia, the main exhibition offers a distinctive interpretation of recurring themes of the architectural field.
Buildings are deeply interconnected with their surroundings—the climate, culture, landscape, and the lives of their occupants. For Dorte Mandrup, a renowned Danish architect, context is more than a mere consideration; it is the driving force behind her designs. Her work demonstrates a profound curiosity about the people who will inhabit her buildings and the unique stories embedded within each site. Her buildings aren't just structures; they're thoughtful responses to their surroundings, without aiming to disappear within them.
Dorte Mandrup is featured, alongside Tosin Oshinowo, in the second installment of the documentary Women in Architecture, released November 12, 2024. Produced by Sky-Frame in collaboration with ArchDaily and directed by Boris Noir, the film builds upon the first episode, which highlighted Toshiko Mori, Gabriela Carrillo, and Johanna Meyer-Grohbrügge, offering a continued exploration of diverse perspectives within architecture.
In a nation as diverse as India, the healthcare landscape presents wicked problems and plentiful opportunities. The country's hospital infrastructure has been increasingly strained in the areas of accessibility, quality, and equity, especially with a snowballing population growth. While urban development expands amidst these constraints, architects have been able to position innovative design solutions as mediators, also sealing the gap between urban and rural healthcare quality and accessibility in India.
The 3rd edition of Shaping the City, a forum on sustainable urban development, took place in Venice between November 24-25, following successful events in Chicago and New Orleans. Organized by the European Cultural Centre, this forum was running in parallel to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennial exhibition, Time Space Existence. The event, hosted at Palazzo Michiel del Brusà in Cannaregio, brings together global urban planners, architects, academics, and politicians. Notably, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma was among the experts invited to explore the intersection of nature and the built environment in Japanese architecture.
Over two days, the conference set out to explore crucial themes such as education, urban commons, displacement, nature integration, and the future of architecture media, a subject discussed during a panel talk attended by ArchDaily’s managing editor, Christele Harrouk. While on-site in Venice, the ArchDaily team sat down with Kengo Kuma to discuss his unique approach to nature-inspired and site-specific designs.
The Feynan Ecolodge project. Image Courtesy of Dongola DAS 01 | Notes on Formation and Ammar Khammash
Ammar Khammash is a Jordanian architect, designer, and artist best known for his approach that focuses on the preservation of cultural and natural heritage while crafting an architecture that engages with its surroundings. With deep admiration for nature and its ecosystems, Khammash trusts that "the site is the architect”, a statement for which he is renowned that underscores the profound influence of context on his architectural design. With over three decades of experience spanning various disciplines and across several Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, and the UAE, Ammar Khammash has consistently attempted to preserve and enhance the symbiosis between human constructions and the natural environment. His contributions include the Royal Academy for Nature Conservation, the Wild Jordan Center, and the restoration of the Church of Apostles.
In 2022, he was featured in the first edition of the Dongola Architecture Series, a biannual publication that offers unique perspectives into Arab culture by highlighting prominent contemporary architects. The issue, titled “Notes on Formation: Ammar Khammash,” written by Raafat Majzoub, explores "architecture as a transdisciplinary tool of expression, and as a method of imagining and reimagining the future," encapsulating the ethos of the publication. ArchDaily had the opportunity to talk to Ammar Khammash and Sarah Chalabi, founder of Dongola Limited Editions, to delve into the architect’s perspectives on site, materiality, and culture, along with his philosophy, notions on academia, and insights into the future of the profession.
Architecture is the design of spaces for human occupation. Despite architects’ skill in designing spaces to influence human behavior there often is a shortfall in anticipating and reacting to occupants’ behavior. To create environments that boost well-being, productivity, and social engagement, a symbiotic relationship between buildings and human behavior must be fostered. The intersection of architectural and anthropological studies forms an insightful framework for the design of physical spaces informed by human behavior and cultural context.
In recent years, India has emerged as a focal point for architects and urban designers from around the world. From the rich legacy of masters and emerging firms to smart city initiates being established across the peninsula, the acts of decolonization in architecture design to the evolution of a modernized vernacular, India has been demonstrating the power of supporting good architecture and urban design. This year, ArchDaily launched ArchDaily Building for Billions, a column that discusses the effects of population rise, urbanization, and economic growth on India’s built environment. Building for Billions was fueled by the recognition of changes and innovative projects washing over the country.
The ArchDaily projects library is managed by our curators who constantly seek to populate our stream with the most interesting global works, showcasing evolving focuses and criteria. While we usually share our reader’s top 100 favorites, this year, we also decided to initiate our editor’s picks on the ArchDaily Instagram account, where our curators highlight some projects that include interesting themes and unique traits.
Exploring materiality, contextuality, and approach, our editors developed thought-provoking articles seeking to question and describe some of the aspects that make any Architecture, a good one.
Discover in this piece a selection of editorial writings that aim to answer this interrogation, grouped under the themes of cities, materials, history, context, and Interior Spaces. Moreover, find at the end an excerpt from the ArchDaily book.
For the Indian subcontinent, the mid-1900s marked a transformative period, brimming with turmoil and hope. Leaving a century of British rule, India and the newly formed countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh held onto an optimistic vision of a transformed society. The newfound independence invited the international Modernist movement to envision a fresh identity for the nations. Spearheading the movement in Bangladesh was the architect Muzharul Islam whose work continues to influence contemporary Bangladeshi architecture.
