World Architecture Fair 2016: “Housing for Everyone”

The World Architecture Fair 2016 is to be held in Berlin this autumn and is set to be the biggest event to date with a record 785 entries. The fair itself is “where the world’s architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired” as well as competing for prestigious awards such as World Building of the Year.

The theme of this year’s award ceremony is “Housing for Everyone” – How can we all live in the world sustainably? That is the question the World Architecture Fair 2016 seeks to explore. Jo Palma, an architect and designer as well as a judge as this year’s Fair, summarises the aim nicely: “It’s not about how expensive or large or grand the house is. That doesn’t reflect sustainable architecture. Rather the house should simply reflect a lifestyle that we all want to be living — plenty of daylight, inside-outside borderless spaces, inheriting attributes that are local, passively able to be energy efficient, universal to all generations and having easy access.”

World famous architecture firms rub shoulders with relative unknowns and entries include everything from houses using space innovatively in central London to entirely wooden structures deep in the Sao Paulo rainforest to a concrete “ark” in the Polish hills. One thing which connects all entries, no matter how diverse they are, is that they are each unique and they each push the boundaries of what can be done with space, materials, sustainability and visual grandeur.

The final results will be announced in November and they are sure to be a fascinating watch for any fans of architecture and design.