With growing concerns about the construction industry's contribution to climate change, sustainable design is more important than ever. As the year comes to a close, we toast the best, most interesting, and most innovative examples of sustainable architecture that caught our eye in 2022.
This year's selection of green buildings focuses on projects that are actually completed, and features builds from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, and North America.
Renewable energy and sustainably sourced building materials like bamboo and timber feature heavily, as you'd expect, however in the interests of variety we've mixed things up and included a remarkable skyscraper renovation, the repurposing of a WWII-era naval bunker, and a greenery filled high-rise too. Though they vary in style, each of the projects showcases a genuine commitment to promoting green design.
In no particular order, here's our look at 2022's best sustainable architecture.
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![The Art Gallery of New South Wales' Sydney Modern extension cost AUD 344 million (roughly US$230 million) to build and is now open to the public]()
December 07, 2022The Art Gallery of New South Wales has received an ambitious new extension by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA. The project incorporates significant sustainable design and makes use of a decommissioned World War II fuel bunker. -
![The SuperHub's supporting structure is made from cross-laminated timber beams and has been designed to withstand local seismic activity]()
November 29, 2022The SuperHub, by De Zwarte Hond, offers an excellent example of sustainable timber design. The Dutch market hall is topped by a "cathedral-like" ceiling and features a flexible interior layout that should ensure continued use for decades to come. -
![The Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney, Australia, was named the world's best new building during the 2022 World Architecture Festival]()
December 05, 2022The winner of the World Building of the Year has been named at the close of the World Architecture Festival. Quay Quarter Tower, by 3XN Architects, won for its innovative design, which involved radically renovating an existing skyscraper. -
![The Panyaden Secondary School Library cost a total of US$300,000 to build]()
September 22, 2022Back in 2017, Chiangmai Life Architects used bamboo to create a breezy sports hall at the Panyaden International School in Thailand. The firm has now returned to the same school to add a beautiful new library that's mostly constructed from bamboo. -
![The Ascent consists of 25 floors. The lower floors include retail and amenity spaces, while the upper floors host a total of 259 apartments]()
August 09, 2022The Ascent, by Korb + Associates Architects, has officially been recognized as the new world's tallest timber tower. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the residential high-rise reaches an impressive maximum height of 86.6 meters. -
![Now that the project is complete, the PAE Living Building's energy performance will continue to be monitored over the next 12 months]()
August 25, 2022Designed to withstand earthquakes and last for 500 years, the PAE Living Building is an impressively green project that has been constructed largely from timber and minimizes its energy usage with tech like solar panels. -
![The Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Center reaches a total height of 14.8 meters (48.5 ft) and it's overall design is inspired by traditional Vietnamese culture]()
April 08, 2022Vietnamese firm VTN Architects showcases its skill with bamboo with its Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Center. The building wows visitors with an intricate structure that's made from over 42,000 individual pieces of bamboo. -
![According to Stefano Boeri Architetti, the Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex absorbs 22 tons of CO2 per year, as well as producing 11 tons of oxygen annually]()
January 31, 2022Stefano Boeri Architetti's Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex in central China includes two residential towers covered in thousands of trees and plants. The firm claims that the greenery absorbs significant amounts of CO2 from the air. -
![The Plus has significant sustainability features and has been constructed to meet the stringent Passive House green building standard]()
May 30, 2022BIG is often at its most interesting when mixing contrasting ideas. The Plus furniture factory in Norway boasts impressive sustainable design and also hosts hiking and camping facilities – even welcoming visitors onto its green roof. -
![The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has been designed to blend in with the existing lush volcanic landscape]()
June 23, 2022The recently completed Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda has been designed to vanish within the existing lush volcanic landscape, and sets a new standard for ecological preservation and responsible design.
