Exterior Photographer of the Year winner Rafael Gamo. Photo: Rafael Gamo. Read the story on Archinect: School designs, museum interiors, and urban interventions are among the 2021 Architecture MasterPrize winners

This year has been filled with a mix of exciting, thought-provoking, inspiring, and head-shaking news. As the industry focuses on rebounding from the heavy-hitting months of 2020, the team at Archinect has watched, listened, connected, and learned from the community. During the year, our editorial team has grown both literally and figuratively. So as we kept watch and reported on the moments of triumph, mishaps, and progress within the industry, we took a moment to reflect and express gratitude.

With the holidays approaching and the year coming to a close, we would like to express our thanks by sharing a few things we are grateful for in 2021.

Josh Niland

To the spirit of collaboration

I always told myself if I were an architect I would make like Josep Lluís Sert and start forming groups and working with artists and other designers in order to arrogate ourselves into the avant-garde. To wit, I would (at least in theory) produce a literature and then seek out the kinds of international partnerships that culminate in illustrious new museums, thought-provoking interventions into the everyday, and visionary temples to human decency that we still see being created today. The spirit of architecture is collaboration. It is what sets it apart from the other creative disciplines, which are by nature more individualistic. Such projects form the basis for nearly everything we write about here and are so the basis for my own lens of understanding an endeavor that I am dually thankful for being able to learn about each day in these pages. Collaboration is the key to solving our pressing environmental needs and fundamental social ills on the way to enacting any kind of meaningful change. I am thankful in 2021 to see this spirit still alive and prospering in our community as we chart a course through perilous and uncertain times. 

Nathan Bahadursingh

To the Archinect leadership 

As a writer at Archinect, I’m driven by the challenge of infusing my personality, opinions, and interests with the subject of architecture. Identifying where the field intersects with outside spheres, such as entertainment, fashion, politics, social movements, and more, reveals to me just how ingrained and all-encompassing architecture and design is in the world. Making these connections is deeply satisfying for me, so I appreciate being given the green light to do so. While I’ve only worked remotely while at Archinect, the leadership team of Katherine, Alex, and Paul have fostered an environment that gives me and fellow contributors Niall and Josh the freedom to carve out our own niches and tell the stories that we want to tell. Being encouraged to do this makes writing here constantly engaging. Whether it’s Katherine, for organizing and leading our weekly team meetings, or Alex, for his patience and attention to detail, or Paul for bringing us all together and providing this platform to connect with the architecture community, I’m grateful for their combined effort in pushing and inspiring me to be a stronger writer.

Niall Patrick Walsh

To the architects and creatives who have helped us shape informative content

When I joined Archinect this year, a core mission of mine was to give a platform to those with deep knowledge and perspectives on some of the most pressing issues facing the profession, and the built environment. Throughout 2021, I have been heartened by the enthusiasm with which architects and creatives across the world have offered their thoughts and insights to us during the editorial process. These range from organizations such as the Future Architects Front and The Architecture Lobby speaking to us about unpaid overtime, to the many firms who shared their thoughts on designing everything from climate software to energy infrastructure. They include thinkers, dreamers, and doers such as Refik Anadol speaking to us about artificial intelligence, David Wallance speaking to us about modular architecture, and Ole Bouman speaking to us about Shenzhen. Your commitment to sharing your knowledge, expertise, and advice has been invaluable, and irreplicable. I am deeply thankful to all of you for taking our calls, answering our emails, and opening your minds to both our editorial team and our community.

Katherine Guimapang

To contributing writers and the voices of architecture media aiming to challenge the narrative

Since I joined Archinect back in 2018, I was always intrigued by the writers and outside voices collaborating with us. The strength of a publication, whether digital or print, comes from a strong editorial team but also outside contributing voices. Architectural media and journalism have changed significantly over the years. As an editor, our job falls into the category of managing and organizing the direction of a publication. However, we also have a responsibility to open doors for others by providing spaces for them to share. Archinect has become many things to many people. For me, Archinect is a place where writers can share perspectives and help re-write narratives. This year we've had over 20 contributing writers work with us. Each contributing writer has helped make our editorial coverage far more robust and eclectic, from interviews to op-eds, industry insights, personal narratives, and historical dives. The number of talented writers aiming to share their thoughts, perspectives, and voice on issues within the industry is often met with roadblocks. However, I'm thankful for the tireless work and views of those who have written with us and those we hope to work with us in the future. I'm grateful for the rising voices in architecture media who represent groups and demographics that have been left out and excluded. To the voices in architecture who are challenging the narrative and forcing us to "taste the realities of architecture today," I send my sincerest thanks. Architecture's narrative hasn't always been correct, and I thank you, the writer, the journalist, the critic, for keeping us on our toes. You keep us from staying complacent. You keep us informed. You challenge us to think. 

Alexander Walter

To green innovators tipping the needle towards a better future (hear me out)

From the wide array of stories we got to tell on Archinect this year, one recurring theme continued to give me hope amid a steady onslaught of despair and gloom: technological innovations and breakthroughs in the fight against the climate crisis. While global efforts on a policy level, like the recent COP26 climate summit, can appear to progress at a glacial pace, it was stories about 3D-printing technology converting wood waste into building materials, composite concrete made from recycled cement and waste materials, ultra-white paint and recycled paper that could cool buildings, smart glazing and heat-blocking windows, and architects designing software to reduce carbon emissions that showed me that the architecture, design, and engineering community was increasingly trying to be part of the solution following decades of neglect. Sure, none of these contributions can single-handedly undo more than a century of environmental destruction, but if giving these ideas a highly visible platform on Archinect could spark an increased awareness, continued innovation, and expedited implementation, we might be on the right track. 

Paul Petrunia

To the architects that are standing up for what’s right and pushing for positive change

One of the biggest stories of late - one of those rare architecture stories that bursts out of the architectural media bubble and leaks into the mainstream - was about a university dormitory designed by a billionaire hobby architect for financially strapped college students. The mostly windowless design was justifiably compared to a prison design. The story is a perfect symbol of the disconnection between the widening class divide. 

Strangely, this billionaire had previously designed a similar dormitory, without stirring up much critical backlash. This time, however, an architect stood his ground and abandoned the project with a letter that leaked to the press and across social media. It was a single architect, standing up for what he believed was right, that lead to countless discussions around the ethics of architecture. 

Architecture is far from perfect. While our society generally considers architecture a noble and respectable endeavor, we're aware of the industry problems surrounding pay, value, diversity, equality, our role in climate change, and quality of life. On this day, I would like to express my gratitude to those architectural workers that recognize the work we need to do, making the sacrifices necessary to change the industry for future generations.