The nominated projects, which include both new builds and heritage rehabilitation, were completed between 2020 and 2024 and are located in Denmark, Spain, France, Kenya, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Somalia, Switzerland, and Tanzania. Furthermore, most of these projects were developed by European architectural firms. The expert jury assessed each project based on its contextual integration, formal resolution, spatial use, and the application of passive systems and organic materials such as wood, earth, and stone. These features promote decarbonization, sustainable rehabilitation, and circular economy principles. The promotion of physical and mental well-being, as well as a biophilic connection to nature, was also recognized.
Spanish projects nominated for the Construmat 2025 Awards include the “Casas de Tierra” (Earth Houses) by Peris + Toral Arquitectes and the Platja d’En Bossa housing complex by 08014 Arquitectura, both located in Ibiza and promoted by the Balearic Institute of Housing (IBAVI). Also nominated are the rehabilitation of a 17th-century farmhouse in Monroyo (Teruel), transformed into the five-star “Torre del Marqués” hotel by Edra Arquitectura km0, and the OUM wellness center in Monterrey (Mexico) by Catalan studio Picharchitects-Pich Aguilera.
Context and Building Usage
In this edition, the selected works are primarily grouped by their intended use, allowing for comparisons of how the same functional demands are addressed with different or similar sustainable criteria, adapted to the location, climate, and culture, all while ensuring a healthy architecture for its occupants.
Among the residential projects using bioconstruction techniques competing for the awards are the ‘Casas de Tierra’ (Peris + Toral Arquitectes) and Platja d’En Bossa housing complex (08014 Arquitectura) in Ibiza. Both projects stand out for their use of compacted earth walls, ceramics, wood, and posidonia, among other materials, as well as the incorporation of traditional courtyards for natural light and ventilation. Another nominated project is the ‘Quatre Cheminées’ building in the outskirts of Paris, designed by Déchelette Architecture, which features a wooden structure and a facade made of prefabricated compressed earth blocks.
As for heritage rehabilitation, the three nominated projects stand out for their use of local construction techniques and materials, the reuse of structural components, and their environmental preservation. These include the 17th-century farmhouse in Monroyo (Teruel), restored and adapted to function as the five-star “Torre del Marqués” hotel; the ‘House Gässli’ in the Swiss region of Werdenberg, where the 350-year-old wooden structure was dismantled, relocated, and expanded with compacted earth walls by Swiss studio Allen + Crippa; and the ‘Casa Peñitas’ in Valle de Bravo (Mexico), a modest building blending with nature, made from stone, adobe, and wood, designed by Mexican architects Mariana Ávila Flynn and Roberto Michelsen Engell.
Schools, Hospitals, and Other Community Spaces
Three schools from France, Denmark, and Tanzania are competing for the award, each distinguished by their technical innovation, use of local resources, comfort, and healthy interior environments. The Aber Benoît school in Brittany, France, designed by Guinée*Potin, draws inspiration from the traditional architecture of the region, featuring wood, gabled roofs, and large windows. The expansion of the Feldballe school in Denmark, by Henning Larsen Architects, uses biological materials such as wood, straw, and sea grass, with a design intended for future disassembly and reuse. Meanwhile, the WayAir Foundation school in Tanzania, designed by Polish studios Jeju Studio and Arh, is composed of interconnected buildings made of handmade bricks and equipped with cross-ventilation systems.
The gradual humanization of healthcare architecture and the creation of transitional spaces between indoors and outdoors, as well as the connection of patient rooms with nature, are common features in the three nominated hospitals. These buildings focus on light regulation, visual quality, thermal comfort, and promoting mental well-being, with spaces designed for tranquility. The nominated hospitals include the Kinderspital, the new pediatric university hospital in Zurich, designed by Herzog & de Meuron; the ‘House for Julia,’ a pediatric palliative care center in Brno (Czech Republic), designed by ČTYŘSTĚN; and the Brutinle Hospital in Somalia, designed by Swiss studio Architectural Pioneering Consultants.
Lastly, the other nominated community buildings are distinguished by their integration into the environment, the use of recycled materials, and innovative systems for ventilation, solar protection, and insulation. The agricultural cooperative project Ferme des Possibles in Stains (France) by ArchipelZero incorporates the Trombe wall and biomaterials, while the OUM wellness center in Monterrey (Picharchitects-Pich Aguilera) features a cooling facade and expansive gardens. The Startup Lions Campus in Kenya (Keré Architecture) is notable for its ventilation chimney towers, which stand out as distinctive features in the arid landscape.
Expert Committee and Jury
The expert committee that nominated these projects is composed of representatives from Architecture d’Aujourd’hui (A’A’), the Architecture and Sustainability Group (AuS-COAC), the Sustainability and Architecture Association (ASA), the German Bauhaus-Earth center, and the Green Building Council Spain (GBCe).
The winner will be selected by a jury of three renowned members in the fields of sustainable and healthy architecture: Ann Marie Aguilar, environmental architect and Senior Vice President of the International Wellness Building Institute (IWBM, WELL AP); Rosa Clotet, architect at Llongeras-Clotet Arquitectes, specializing in the humanization of healthcare architecture and sustainable buildings; and Eduardo Prieto, PhD architect, professor at the Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAM-UPM), author of Environmental History of Architecture, and critic for specialized media outlets.
Additionally, the Construmat Public Award will be decided through a public vote, which will be open online from April 10 to 22, with the opportunity to win invitations to visit the exhibition. Finalist projects can be viewed and voted on via this link.
The awards ceremony will take place on the afternoon of May 21 at the Construmat exhibition, curated by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and sponsored by Würth España S.A. A special exhibition of the awarded and nominated projects will also be held at stand B34, Pavilion 2, at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue during the trade fair.
Barcelona, April 10, 2025
Maria Dolores Herranz
Tel. +34 93 233 2541
mdherranz@firabarcelona.com