20 Best Architecture Firms in France

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in France based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

• The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2022)
• The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2022)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2022)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2022)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2022)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of France architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 35 best architecture firms in France:

20. WY-TO Group

Guided by our philosophy, “Design with A Cause”, WY-TO Group goes beyond to create valued experiences through urban landscapes, visual communication, exhibition spaces, cultural curation and heritage conservation.
The fundamental basis to consciously design for The People and The Planet has propelled our full-service endeavours and inspired our Partners all over Europe and Asia. We design, innovate and pioneer solutions with the vision to influence behaviour and build an inclusive atmosphere for a resilient future. It is with this purpose that our Team is committed to advocating for transformative techniques that reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change. Dedicated to our cause, we frequently participate in opportunities on social initiatives and nurture the next generation of empathic designers.
The combined desire for a sustainable world has informed our methodologies and collaborative spirit.

Some of WY-TO Group’s most prominent projects include:

• LIGHT FOLDS, Paris, France
• Urban Beat, Paris, France
• GOOD FOOD, GOOD LIFE – C40 Reinventing Cities Winner, Singapore
• ARBORESCENCE – Winner of Imagine Angers, France
• CALLING FOR LIVEABILITY, Singapore

The following statistics helped WY-TO Group achieve 20th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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19. Atelier Stéphane Fernandez

L’atelier est basé à Aix en Provence dans le sud de la France non loin de Marseille.
Le travail de l’atelier est centré sur les questions du paysage.
Du paysage urbain au paysage historique, du paysage construit ou non construit, notre démarche étant le champ de l’architecture à une réalité beaucoup plus complexe.
Dans cette optique l’atelier travaille en collaboration avec diverses disciplines (paysagistes, designers, photographes et écrivains) de manière à produire une approche la plus complète possible mais surtout la plus sensible possible du projet.
Pour nous il nous semble évident qu’avant d’être un outil de transformation de la réalité, le projet…

Some of Atelier Stéphane Fernandez’s most prominent projects include:

• Ecole Communale Jacqueline de Romilly, Cannes, France
• International Accommodation Centre for the Oceanological Observatory, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
• Cour et Jardin, Vertou, France
• Espace Arbois Duranne, Aix-en-Provence, France
• Logements Monfleuri social housing, Carnoux-en-Provence, France

The following statistics helped Atelier Stéphane Fernandez achieve 19th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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18. Mikou Design Studio

Mikou Design Studio is a place of creation and experimentation in architecture and its inter-disciplinary cross-fertilisation. We work in a continuous workshop spirit with a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, graphic artists, scenographers and town planners from very different cultural backgrounds. Every project is an excuse for re-questioning and redefining the meaning of a brief, a function, and an urban, social and human context, in order to invent new ways of living, places for sharing and gathering that are more sensitive and more sensual, and which stimulate feelings.
Our aim is to get away from preconceptions of form and function in order to transmit more and better.

Some of Mikou Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Balsanéo Aquatics Centre, Châteauroux, France
• Swimming Pool Feng Shui , Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
• Olympic Swimming Pool Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France
• House of Art and Culture, Beirut, Lebanon
• High School Jean Lurçat, Saint-Denis, France

The following statistics helped Mikou Design Studio achieve 18th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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17. Nomade Architectes

Raphaël Chivot, Matthieu Laviolle and Vincent Le Garrec – open-neck shirts and no Rolexes – are self-made men. An early schoolboy encounter was important; a sail together across the Atlantic, decisive. An agency was born first from camaraderie, then friendship: Nomade… all clear on the horizon and open-mindedness at a maximum.
Which means, no borders. Between Paris and Vannes (its two locations) the agency specializes in all projects. And it works everywhere. Nomade moves and grows.
Ideas swarm in the inventive minds of some thirty faithful co-workers who have taken to organizing themselves around centers of interest, from design to the worksite via research, communication and even computer science.

Some of Nomade Architectes’s most prominent projects include:

• Janine Jambu Gymnasium, Bagneux, France
• Valerie Nicolas Gymnasium, Cancale, France
• “Maison air et lumière” an Active House by Nomade, Verrières-le-Buisson, France
• Delegation of the vineyard, Clisson, France
• St Brieuc’s Elderly Establishment, Saint-Brieuc, France

The following statistics helped Nomade Architectes achieve 17th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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16. STUDIOS Architecture

STUDIOS believes in the transformative power of design to lift the trajectories of individual lives and entire communities. We’ve seen it happen again and again since our founding, back when the first tech boom was just a spark. As those early innovators changed the way we all live, learn and work, we changed the way they thought about space—as a strategic resource for expressing their unique vision and fueling extraordinary success.
While our impact and expertise have expanded, our flexible approach to design remains fundamentally the same. We push boundaries, guided by the wisdom of close client partnerships and the confidence needed to take big and small steps forward together.

Some of STUDIOS Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Kearny Point Building 78 Annex, Kearny, NJ, United States
• Dow Jones, 1211, 6th Avenue, Manhattan, New York, NY, United States
• IAC Building, Interiors, 555, West 18th Street, Manhattan, New York, NY, United States
• 200 Fifth Avenue, 200, 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York, NY, United States
• Sanofi Headquarters, Paris, France

The following statistics helped STUDIOS Architecture achieve 16th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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15. LCR ARCHITECTES

LCR ARCHITECTES was created in 1992 by architects Philippe Lapeyre, Jean-Claude C oustillières and Xavier Ratynski.
It is now directed by the associated architects Xavier Ratynski (ENSA de Toulouse – 1985), Keyvan Esna, (ENSA de Toulouse – 1994), Denys Konikoff (ENSA de Marseille – 2001), and Alexandre Cohen-Aknine, (ENSAP de Lille – 2010).
Located in Toulouse and Montpellier, it has 18 employees.
The team is mainly made up of architects, but also graphic designers, draftsmen, a construction economist, works managers, an administrative and management manager and an administrative technical secretary.
Accustomed to carrying out major operations in fields such as culture, education, the tertiary sector, student housing, health, research, collective housing, transport, industry and banking for the most part, this multidisciplinary and expert team guarantees a contextual proposal as well as a real proximity with the contracting authority. It extends its activity to the national level particularly on the theme of student housing, schools and tertiary buildings.

Some of LCR ARCHITECTES’s most prominent projects include:

• SOUTHERN URBAN TELEPHERIC
• Public College of Labarthe-sur-Lèze, Labarthe-sur-Lèze, France
• Academy of Art Crafts (ESMA), Auzeville-Tolosane, France
• EURALIS Headquarters in Lescar, Lescar, France
• Jean Jaurès subway station, Toulouse, France

The following statistics helped LCR ARCHITECTES achieve 15th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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14. GMAA – GM Architectes Associés

GMAA – GM Architectes Associés
Founded in 1990, GM Architectes Associés (GMAA) is managed by five partners and has a highly motivated team of more than thirty architects based in Geneva, Paris and Rhône-Alpes.
GMAA is active in a wide range of fields, including new architectures, renovations, interior refurbishments and design, urban planning and landscape architecture.
Our team welcomes with enthusiasm every new challenge. For each specific project, great importance is given to a continued research of innovative solutions to allow the synthesis of environmental, legal, financial and technical requirements.
Furthermore, all of our projects take into account human relationships and the way in which residents and users will be able to grasp the building.
Throughout each project our clients (private, corporate or public institutions) are our partners.

Some of GMAA – GM Architectes Associés’s most prominent projects include:

• Meditation Pavilion & Garden, Geneva, Switzerland
• Geneva Wellness Center (Bain-Bleu Spa & Hammam), Cologny, Switzerland
• Villa LAC, Geneva, Switzerland
• Sequoia House, Geneva, Switzerland
• Fondation Carmignac, Hyères, France

The following statistics helped GMAA - GM Architectes Associés achieve 14th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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13. Coldefy

Thomas Coldefy and Isabel Van Haute are the duo of Coldefy & Associates Architects Urbanists, leading the diverse international team based in Lille, France. 
The firm is characterized by their dynamism and creativity, animated by an international tropism that drives them to participate regularly in professional events around the world as well as in large international competitions.  Their originality and resourcefulness have brought them success in a number of entries, including the Hong Kong Design Institute which they won in 2006 against 162 teams.

Some of Coldefy’s most prominent projects include:

• Tropicalia, Lille, France
• Hong Kong Design Institute, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Rue des Rogations Apartments, Hellemmes, Lille, France
• Lucie Aubrac School, Tourcoing, France
• Rigot Stalars, Dunkirk, France

The following statistics helped Coldefy achieve 13th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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12. Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes

Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes is an architectural studio based in Paris and in Vienna. Founded in 1993, the studio has built a strong reputation for exploring the dynamics between architecture and engineering.

Some of Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes’s most prominent projects include:

• Financial and commercial department of Voest Alpine Stahl, Linz, Austria
• Foot and Cyclebridge over the Rhein, Huningue, France
• Logistic Centre, Gennevilliers, France
• Sport Centre Ladoumègue, Paris, France
• LMH Headquarters, 425, Boulevard Gambetta, Tourcoing, France

The following statistics helped Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes achieve 12th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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11. LAN Architecture

LAN Architecture was founded by Benoit Jallon and Umberto Napolitano in 2002. The agency’s name echoes the partners’ intentions directly.  LAN is precisely the acronym of Local Architecture Network and it refers to the local design network applied and developed through specific field skills, experts and authors attending on the projects.The double nationality of LAN enables to bridge different European countries. In 2004 LAN architecture work was selected by the French Culture Minister for the “Nouveaux Albums des Jeunes Architectes” for its potential and talent. In six years time, the agency has earned a reputation and won competitions both in France and abroad.

Some of LAN Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Hotel Residence in Atacama, Atacama Region, Chile
• Children’s Toy Library, 14, Rue Michel Goutier, Bonneuil-sur-Marne, France
• COMPANY HEADQUARTERS MARCHESINI FRANCE – SAINT MESMES, Rue Royale, Saint-Mesmes, France
• Sprengel Museum extension
• 30 passive housing units, Paris, France

The following statistics helped LAN Architecture achieve 11th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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10. Hamonic+Masson & Associés

Hamonic+Masson & Associés is Gaëlle Hamonic, Jean-Christophe Masson and, since 2014, Marie-Agnès de Bailliencourt. The practice was founded in 1997, was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe prize in 2001, and in 2002 was awarded the Nouveaux Albums de la Jeune Architecture (NAJA).
The firm became recognised by the general public in 2003 by designing the Maison Métal in Paris’ Parc de la Villette. It was an event that placed Hamonic+Masson at the crossroads of art and architecture, a flexible place that allows for some adventurous undertakings. We have since staged events such as co-curating the French Pavilion at the 2008 Venice Biennial, and opened a series of exhibitions at venues such as the Cité de l’architecture & du patrimoine.

Some of Hamonic+Masson & Associés’s most prominent projects include:

• HOME , Paris, France
• New’R, Nantes, France
• The Docks Dombasles: 25 apartments and offices, Le Havre, Le Havre, France
• Centre des Archives Contemporaines, Fontainebleau, France
• Urban Dock, Bordeaux, France

The following statistics helped Hamonic+Masson & Associés achieve 10th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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9. PPA architectures

Jean-Manuel Puig & Guillaume Pujol, founded in 1999 Puig Pujol Architectures
Olivier Companyo & Charles Séguier, founded in 2006 Ping Pong Architectures
PPA Architectures was found in 2011 by those four architects who work now with more than 20 persons in the studio in Toulouse, South of France.

Some of PPA architectures’s most prominent projects include:

• Salle des fêtes de Pratgraussals, Albi, France
• 50 Modular Timber, Toulouse, France
• Martel House, Toulouse, France
• Barn in Pyrenees, Hautes-Pyrénées, Midi-Pyrénées, France
• Square Maïmat North, Muret, France
• Pavilion M, Seilh, France

The following statistics helped PPA architectures achieve 9th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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8. Arquitectonica

Arquitectonica is an architecture, interior design and planning firm that began in Miami in 1977 as an experimental studio.  Lead by Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear, the studio has evolved into a worldwide practice, combining the creative spirit with the efficiency of delivery
and reliability of a major architectural firm.
Office Locations: Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paolo, Lima, Manila, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Paris, Madrid.
Website: www.arquitectonica.com
Affiliate Companies: Arquitectonica Interiors, ArquitectonicaGEO

Some of Arquitectonica’s most prominent projects include:

• University of Miami School of Architecture Thomas P. Murphy Design Studio Building, Coral Gables, FL, United States
• Hobhouse, London, United Kingdom
• Canyon Ranch Living, 6801, Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL, United States
• Revel Resort and Casino, Oriental Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ, United States
• Aria and Solaria, Milan, Italy

The following statistics helped Arquitectonica achieve 8th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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7. H2O Architectes

h2o architectes is an office of creative architectural design also specializing in the restoration of ancient monuments. It is lead by three architects: Charlotte Hubert architect dipl. DPLG and historical preservation architect, Jean-Jacques Hubert architect dipl. DPLG founder of the office and Antoine Santiard architect dipl. EPFL who joined in 2008.
Established as a firm in 2005, the leading architects have had multiple collaborations since 2000. They have executed projects and won international competitions both as independent architects as well as for other major architects (Bruno Decaris, Jakob+MacFarlane, Bernard
Tschumi).
h2o works on a wide scope of projects and scales including historical
monuments and sites, urban planning, architecture and design.

Some of H2O Architectes’s most prominent projects include:

• Chatou, Chatou, France
• The Cabin French Alps, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France
• “Front and back” Apartment, Paris, France
• Eva’s Bed
• 20 social housing and 3 commercial spaces, Paris, France
• Arsenal Flat, Paris, France

The following statistics helped H2O Architectes achieve 7th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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6. NBJ architects

Created in 2000 by Elodie Nourrigat and Jacques Brion, N+B architects became NBJ Architectes in 2013. Both are graduated of ENSAM and obtained in 2002 a Master of Philosophy degree. They are also professors at the ENSAM (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Montpellier).

Some of NBJ architects’s most prominent projects include:

• House NB, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
• Urban Space and Parking in Carros, Avenue des Cigales, Carros, France
• higth school in Morieres Les Avignon, Rue du Docteur Fleming, Morières-lès-Avignon, France
• Office of Technical Center, La Grande-Motte, France
• Lycée Paul Valéry, 2, Avenue Saint-Jacques, Menton, France

The following statistics helped NBJ architects achieve 6th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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5. FREAKS freearchitects

FREAKS
freearchitects is a Paris-based architecture firm lead by three architects favouring prospection, research and experimentation
through projects and building process practices from small scale art
installations to large scale architecture competitions.
Although nowadays their built projects are mostly located in France, FREAKS’s
partners have lived and experienced a wide range of abroad working contexts such as San Francisco, Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin, Mumbai, Singapore, Istanbul…

Some of FREAKS freearchitects’s most prominent projects include:

• SAMMODE research & development center, Lamotte-Beuvron, France
• Refurbishment of the historical Strasbourg zoo’s pedagogical farm and new visitor center, Strasbourg, France
• SUR MESURE, Paris, France
• Pavillion in a garden, Ruelle du Moulin, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
• Tribal Act Historical Tattoo and Piercing Parlor in Paris, Paris, France

The following statistics helped FREAKS freearchitects achieve 5th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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4. Atelier Zündel Cristea

Officially established in January of 2001, today AZC includes around thirty people organized into four areas: design, research, construction, and administration of projects. Our teams are made up of young architects from all over the world, as the diversity of our own respective Swiss-American and Romanian origins has brought us to an understanding of the interest in crossing cultures and transgressing boundaries. Consequently, the efficiency and creativity of our firm are bolstered by a constant effort in observing what’s going on elsewhere, in striving to work outside our country, in taking an interest in differences.
Each of our projects are embodied by a strategy of qualitatively occupying sites, without preconceptions regarding their geographic location, their programmatic requirements, or their scale.

Some of Atelier Zündel Cristea’s most prominent projects include:

• Bouncing Bridge
• Grenelle tower
• Office building in Vevey, Vevey, Switzerland
• Treasury office, Muntzenheim, France
• Medical care center Limay, Rue des Coquelicots, Limay, France

The following statistics helped Atelier Zündel Cristea achieve 4th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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3. archi5

archi5 was founded in 2003, the fruit of its founders’ common agency experience and the approach they share to architecture.
A context-based approach to projects is key : the site, the programme, the social and cultural challenges are all examined, analyzed and compared. These data are then transformed into questions.
The projects offer a dynamic and comprehensive response to those issues to the highest standard that has come to be archi5’s trademark. This approach is visible, legible in every building. It confers meaning and form and is perceptible in the projects’ applications, spaces and environmental impact. It is the essence of our confidence in architecture, its capacity to enhance humankinds’ environment.
The agency uses its acumen and know-how to instill this ethos throughout and to guarantee its continuity.

Some of archi5’s most prominent projects include:

• The Marcel Sembat High School, Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France
• Jean Louis Étienne school, Coupvray, France
• Angela Davis school, Bezons, France
• Louise Michel High School, Gisors, France
• Mont de Marsan Mediatheque, Mont-de-Marsan, France

The following statistics helped archi5 achieve 3rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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2. Dominique Coulon & Associés

Located in the heart of Strasbourg, Dominique Coulon & Associés is a firm of architects of national and international renown.
For more than 25 years, the agency has earned a reputation for the quality of the public facilities it designs. It has worked on a wide and varied range of programmes, including a media library, music school, auditorium, school complex, swimming pool, sports facilities, a residential home for the dependent elderly, and housing.
Dominique Coulon and his associate Steve Lethos Duclos allow their intuition to lead the way as they seek to develop contextual projects that combine contrast and complexity, where the outer envelope hints at inner richness.

Some of Dominique Coulon & Associés’s most prominent projects include:

• Housing for elderly people, Huningue, France
• ‘Pierre Bottero’ media library and park in Pélissanne, Pélissanne, France
• Multicultural centre in Isbergues, Isbergues, France
• Regional Court and Industrial Tribunal in Montmorency, Montmorency, France
• Inter-Generation Centre in Venarey-Les Laumes, Venarey-les-Laumes, France
• ‘Moulon’ school group in Gif-sur-Yvette, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
• ‘Théodore Gouvy’ Theatre, Freyming-Merlebach, France
• Inter-Generation Centre in Venarey-Les Laumes, Venarey-les-Laumes, France

The following statistics helped Dominique Coulon & Associés achieve 2nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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1. Studio Gang

Founded by MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang in 1997, Studio Gang Architects is a collective of architects, designers, and thinkers whose work engages pressing contemporary issues and their impact on human experience. Honored with the 2013 National Design Award for Architecture from the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, the Studio acts as a laboratory—testing ideas on various scales, from cities and environments to material and physical properties. Cross-field research, collaboration, and iterative experimentation using both digital and analog technologies are integral to the Studio’s process. Each project is designed to resonate with its specific site and culture while addressing global themes such as reuse and sustainability.

Some of Studio Gang’s most prominent projects include:

• Writers Theatre, Glencoe, IL, United States
• Solar Carve (40 Tenth Ave), New York, NY, United States
• Beloit College Powerhouse, Beloit, WI, United States
• WMS Boathouse at Clark Park, Chicago, IL, United States
• One Hundred, St. Louis, MO, United States
• Assemble Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
• Rescue Company 2, New York, NY, United States
• Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, 79th St, Manhattan, New York, NY, United States
• MIRA, San Francisco, CA, United States
• Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, Kalamazoo, MI, United States
• City Hyde Park, Chicago, IL, United States

The following statistics helped Studio Gang achieve 1st place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in France:

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Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “”+”” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

• Project completed within the last 3 years
• A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
• Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
• High quality, in focus photographs
• At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
• Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
• Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

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We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.