As the World Architecture Festival (WAF) approaches in November, this year's shortlist reveals a clear trend: architects are increasingly looking to nature not just for inspiration, but as an active partner in design. From the Yucatán Peninsula to the Icelandic highlands, these projects prioritize blending into their surroundings, using local materials, and minimizing environmental impact.
Living roofs and terrain-hugging forms
In the hill village of Sholayur in Kerala, India, the boutique resort Ayalam by Aslam Sham Architects is carved into the grasslands. Its semi-underground rooms follow the contours of terraced plateaus, preserving views of distant mountains. A waterproofed living roof, reclaimed by endemic vegetation, acts as a thermal buffer, significantly reducing cooling needs during tropical summers.
Similarly, The Mountain Fold, a community and visitor centre by Lacime Architects, cascades down the foothills of China's sacred Mount Emei, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The design minimizes earthwork and embeds public spaces that connect locals and tourists within the mountainous landscape, echoing the terrain's rolling troughs and sharp peaks.
Natural materials, modern techniques
At Ashoka University in Delhi, India, the Hungry Caterpillar shades students dining from food trucks. The swooping bamboo structure uses natural materials alongside 3D-printed modular walls, avoiding the waste and high energy use of conventional construction. This fusion of traditional and cutting-edge methods is a hallmark of several shortlisted entries.
In Mexico, AIDIA Studio's Mercado Nicolas Bravo empowers a remote Yucatán village by providing a space for craftspeople and farmers to showcase their heritage. The market's roof, a sea of inverted-umbrella structures, forms a hyperbolic paraboloid system designed to collect rainwater for irrigation—a practical nod to sustainability.
Preserving heritage, embracing the future
In Iceland's Þjórsárdalur valley, the Stöng project by SP(R)INT STUDIO offers a new shelter for 11th-century Viking-era ruins. The original timber frame is reinforced with chemical-free untreated larch wood, topped with a recyclable, lightweight polycarbonate roof. Permeable gravel and shallow planted channels manage stormwater passively, and the structure is designed for complete disassembly, ensuring minimal long-term impact.
Across the Atlantic, the Chatham Residence by Desai Chia Architects sits on 80 acres of second-growth forest in Columbia County, New York. Its curved roofline mimics native oak leaves and the light patterns they cast. Rainwater runoff feeds rain gardens planted with native species, supporting pollinators and controlling erosion on the steep site.
These projects reflect a broader shift in architecture towards regenerative design, a theme that resonates with European efforts to integrate nature into urban planning. As EU capitals face a September deadline to fund nature restoration plans, the WAF shortlist offers a glimpse of what such integration can look like in practice.
The festival, which brings together architects from across the globe, will see these and other projects compete for top honours. The emphasis on nature-led design suggests that the future of architecture lies not in dominating landscapes, but in learning from them.
