It’s that time of year again, folks, when our pals sift through the world’s best building designs to pinpoint the year’s most impressive feats of architecture.
Now, after a whopping 3,500 nominations for projects around the globe, the Building Designs of the Year Awards is open to the public. Readers can vote for their favorite design spanning categories like commercial, educational and religious architecture, not to mention housing, offices, refurbishment, and more. The entire list of contenders can be seen here, but we’ve compiled a list of our 15 favorites for your viewing pleasure.
Behold 15 of the world’s best new buildings:
01. The Blue Planet by 3XN (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Picture by: Adam Mõrk
02. Alcácer do Sal Residences by Aires Mateus (Alcacer do Sal, Portugal) By FG+SG – Fernando Guerra, Sergio Guerra
03. PARKROYAL on Pickering by WOHA (Singapore)
Photo by: Patrick Bingham-Hall
04. House of the Arts by Future Architecture Thinking (Miranda do Corvo, Portugal)
Photo by: João Morgado
05. Red Pepper House by Urko Sanchez Architects (Lamu, Kenya)
Photo by: Alberto Heras
06. Two Hulls by Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects (Canada)
Photo by: Greg Richardson
07. Social Housing in Madrid by Iñaqui Carnicero Architecture Office (Madrid, Spain)
08. Hotchkiss Biomass Power Plant by Centerbrook Architects and Planners (Connecticut, US)
Photo by: David Sundberg/Esto
09. Wanangkura Stadium by ARM Architecture (South Hedland, Australia)
Photo by: Peter Bennetts
10. Luna Apartments by Elenberg Fraser (Australia)
Photo by: Peter Clarke
11. Lille Modern Art Museum by Manuelle Gautrand Architecture (Villeneuve d’Ascq, France)
Photo by: Max Lerouge – LMCU
12. 48 North Canal Road by WOHA (Singapore)
Photo by: Patrick Bingham-Hall
13. Hoogvliet by VMX Architects (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Photo by: Christian Richters
14. Tree Snake Houses by Luís Rebelo de Andrade + Tiago Rebelo de Andrade (Bornes de Aguiar, Portugal)
Photo by: Ricardo Oliveira Alves
15. Mercat Encants by b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos (Barcelona, Spain)
Photo by: Rafael Vargas
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![Project of the Week: Designed by @espacio18 [IG], La Ventana is a small hotel in Baja California Sur, in Mexico. The extreme climate of the desert, its sunsets, the clarity of the sea and the colors of the earth inspired us to resume the form of the cactus and as they emerge from the stones, this is the idea of La Ventana.
The project tells the story for the user who inhabits it, constructions in the form of a circle house integrate amenities and rooms, where through the landscaping you discover hidden elements such as fire pits or swimming pools. La Ventana is destined to be a place of rest, a spot to practice yoga, kite surfing, biking, visit nearby villages and beaches or just chill. The buildings of the project respond to the views of the sea, to the privacy, to the sunshine and especially to the strong winter winds. La Ventana is the start of several exclusive projects that are approaching.](https://scontent-ams4-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/318724600_3066252263530008_5258259638467618078_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=w8i8fXSuhpkAX8HWd5m&_nc_ht=scontent-ams4-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfABAeN5kcUgQeeEN2GuNQyxbOG5tq0w9y6JPo1j6Zd2rA&oe=6395026E "Project of the Week: Designed by @espacio18 [IG], La Ventana is a small hotel in Baja California Sur, in Mexico. The extreme climate of the desert, its sunsets, the clarity of the sea and the colors of the earth inspired us to resume the form of the cactus and as they emerge from the stones, this is the idea of La Ventana.
The project tells the story for the user who inhabits it, constructions in the form of a circle house integrate amenities and rooms, where through the landscaping you discover hidden elements such as fire pits or swimming pools. La Ventana is destined to be a place of rest, a spot to practice yoga, kite surfing, biking, visit nearby villages and beaches or just chill. The buildings of the project respond to the views of the sea, to the privacy, to the sunshine and especially to the strong winter winds. La Ventana is the start of several exclusive projects that are approaching.")
![Forced Perspective Art by @citylivesketch [IG] 🔥 😍](https://scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/318215703_3066278830194018_1361201359553835005_n.jpg?_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=Et-hTHj-NOoAX9y86cv&_nc_ht=scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfBLqKnZO-mgBcQ8Q-bpWl0EZWes1WNspSGNdxYci9e_mQ&oe=6395D4BC "Forced Perspective Art by @citylivesketch [IG] 🔥 😍")
![Tropical Paradise Maldives 💙
Photo by @thetravelpro [IG]](https://scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/318435680_3066285320193369_6730819183530373721_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=ow0EvkcY2xkAX-_SEHk&_nc_ht=scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfDchS_d03BaoiccsT0Uu0D0ZdltxPWAi5g7gGfy1qbVNQ&oe=6395BCCA "Tropical Paradise Maldives 💙
Photo by @thetravelpro [IG]")
![Superhero Bookshelves by @budosdesign [IG]
Behance: www.behance.net/burakdgan](https://scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/318719728_3066341873521047_5787644778267645687_n.jpg?_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=EMFnjz2sscQAX-LZcyB&_nc_ht=scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfA_PT-KHim5iEyhAb-YvpxALlA_b3iZVyNW7fJMJkUn8Q&oe=6394AF73 "Superhero Bookshelves by @budosdesign [IG]
Behance: www.behance.net/burakdgan")
![With a magical ambiance of relaxation, Casa de Silva in Malabe, Sri Lanka by @iconcast.lk [IG] perfectly combines privacy and the enjoyment of the outdoors. Through the predominant idea of a courtyard house, the double-height internal volume plays with multiple levels, giving the young family a range of spacious, connected spaces.
Website: www.iconcast.lk
Photos by @ganidubalasuriya [IG]](https://scontent-ams4-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/318246029_3065450210276880_9170791133498654655_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=KbEdcAib10oAX9qSX3w&_nc_ht=scontent-ams4-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfCwIuhKP2QhcfCphmbwgGedZJKauNzQbqdca9V8b7UanQ&oe=6395D5FE "With a magical ambiance of relaxation, Casa de Silva in Malabe, Sri Lanka by @iconcast.lk [IG] perfectly combines privacy and the enjoyment of the outdoors. Through the predominant idea of a courtyard house, the double-height internal volume plays with multiple levels, giving the young family a range of spacious, connected spaces.
Website: www.iconcast.lk
Photos by @ganidubalasuriya [IG]")
![Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Lapland, Finland
Photo by @belaya.lena [IG]](https://scontent-ams4-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/318533063_3065421703613064_4054231085171342596_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=oIE5SgE-e4IAX96KwAA&_nc_ht=scontent-ams4-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfCK5XugR7ykZQGJrNBdtUjczkaFSNPfTRf6RmbQTV_7XQ&oe=6394C20A "Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Lapland, Finland
Photo by @belaya.lena [IG]")
![Inspiring Kitchen by @the.first.floor [IG] 😍](https://scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/318330348_3065412180280683_1599943723357521792_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=ROagj1V3ePoAX__Bobw&_nc_ht=scontent-ams2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfCdAmacE4a5i3k35wbykL4hhaRSrEoISMAn59ReRNhq8Q&oe=6395AA8D "Inspiring Kitchen by @the.first.floor [IG] 😍")
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