Sun Tower by OPEN Architecture, completed this year in Yantai, China. Photo: Jonathan Leijonhufvud

As we bid farewell to 2024, the Archinect editorial team reflects on a year filled with pivotal moments, challenges, and milestones. Through it all, we've been privileged to observe, document, and engage with the ever-evolving world of architecture and design. The incredible work, voices, and contributions of our community have shaped this year.

With the holiday season upon us and the year drawing to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude. Join us as we celebrate and share what we're most thankful for in 2024.

Josh Niland — Architecture at all

Near the end of World War II, Henry Miller wrote: “A new world is not made simply by trying to forget the old. A new world is made with a new spirit, with new values. Our world may have begun that way, but today it is caricatural.” He was right. I am thankful in this time of uncertainty for these virtues as they appear in our pages and in public spheres, made by anyone who is willing to risk it; who takes umbrage at bad architecture and politics, and intervenes in everything else we seethe at, and who, most of all, is willing to challenge the vapid mindsets that are so enshrined in our present culture and daily lives.

Niall Patrick Walsh — To the many architecture firms that offered us and the community expert business advice

Throughout 2024, our editorial published a series of feature articles aimed at offering business advice for architecture firms. In doing so, we reached out to firms across the United States and internationally for their own expert insights on what makes a successful, resilient architecture firm. Safdie Architects, Steven Holl Architects, and Mecanoo offered advice on how to pursue international work, while Assembledge+ and EC3 offered insights into how they adhere to project timelines. Former HOK CEO Patrick MacLeamy gave our community ten tips for surviving economic downturns, while Fogarty Finger, FXCollaborative, Marmol Radziner, and Marvel offered their thoughts on when architecture firms should start hiring. Thank you to all of you for offering Archinect and your peers advice on how all architects can improve and reaffirm their firm’s business health. 

Nathan Bahaduringh — To the architects that prioritize a harmonious relationship between design and nature

When looking back at my contributions to Archinect over the past year, what I appreciated the most and what most excited me were stories about projects that exhibited a strong balance with the natural environment. Beautiful contemporary architecture that stands out through restraint and an adaptability to the environment is something I’m happy to see more of. Projects, such as Snøhetta’s upcoming low-impact mountain refuge in the Pyrenees, which seems to naturally curl up from the landscape, Sotamaa’s pebble-shaped, mass timber sauna that sits delicately atop a small rock formation within the Finnish archipelago, and this sleek, minimalistic home by Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados that invites the site’s foliage into its spaces, were refreshing to see. I believe that continuing to develop a culture that promotes a more thoughtful and modest approach to design through limited scales and locations, the use of locally sourced materials, or minimized construction impact on the environment can play a major role in the achievement of the AEC industry’s sustainability goals. These constraints also make for more interesting architecture.

Alexander Walter — To the building professionals who give a damn

To say that 2024 was an exhausting year — and an indication of far more exhaustion yet to come — would be an understatement. In times of increasing divisiveness in the U.S. and democracies around the world, unfathomable suffering from armed conflicts, and seemingly unstoppable ecological devastation, I am thankful for the members of our building design community who are refusing to give up hope: The architects who continue to push for the highest levels of sustainability in every project, the city planners who work to reverse car dependency, the interior design experts who advocate for the thoughtful implementation of accessibility, the landscape specialists whose work is fueled by concrete climate action, the construction professionals who ensure expanded safety and wellbeing standards for all workers, the preservationists who fight back corporate short-term interests, the developers who have the actual needs of the community at heart, the technologists who make innovative carbon calculation software commonplace, the activists who expand the horizon of what seems possible, the publishers and critics who hold the powerful accountable, the trade organizations who see vastly expanded industry diversity as a core mission, the educators who protect academic freedom from politically motivated assaults, and the students who choose to enter the profession with boundless potential and fresh perspectives. And to everyone who joins us in keeping building an act of hope.

Paul Petrunia — To our community who supports the power of independent platforms

As we reflect on 2024, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible community—architects, designers, educators, students, and enthusiasts—who continue to support platforms like Archinect. This year marks Archinect’s 27th year, a milestone that fills me with immense pride, maintaining our title of the first and longest-running online architecture platform. Even more significant is that we have chosen to remain independently owned and operated, under the same leadership and direction since our founding in 1997.

In an era where the nature of commerce and online interaction is increasingly dominated by tech giants and conglomerates, supporting independent platforms like Archinect is a meaningful choice. It’s a choice that sustains creativity, diversity of thought, and a commitment to serving the needs of a specialized community over corporate interests.

Your engagement, whether through reading, sharing, contributing, or partnering with us, allows Archinect to remain a vibrant and unfiltered space for critical discourse, authentic storytelling, and shared passion for architecture. Independent platforms like ours foster a unique sense of connection and creativity, unencumbered by algorithms or shareholder demands. Together, we prove that there is still immense value in preserving spaces that are run by and for the communities they serve.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to continuing to build a future shaped by thoughtful dialogue, innovative design, and collective support for the things that matter most.