Andrade Morettin Architects are inspired by modernism and strongly influenced by the social, environmental and technical context of Brazil. Today, the country deals with fast expansion of urbanized areas, often in environmental protection areas, areas with natural resource shortages and social inequality. Andrade Morettin projects seek to valorise the public domain and common spaces. They emphasize human occupation in rural areas while respecting the natural terrain, for example, through a lifted platform. In an urban context improved ground-level public pedestrian access and connections between fragmented urban spaces are sought. The firm believes in sustainable building through industrialization of construction: The use of modular light weight structures of affordable high-quality materials, such as steel. They believe this stimulates the sophistication and innovation of the more traditional Brazilian construction sector, leading to better education and social conditions for construction workers. www.andrademorettin.com.br

Today as we are facing mega-urbanism and urban migration with mixed cultures and faiths, Knafo Klimor Architects believes that architects should play a historical role in suggesting new forms of living, dwelling, and consuming urban spaces. Materials such as stones, bricks or tiles are, in general, associated to a certain landscape and cultural background. The firm believes that steel represents a neutral material, uncommitted to a certain tradition or landscape and represents modernity and technology in an international context. As practioners in the Middle East, Knafo Klimor Architects upholds the hope of reconciliation, and in a region of constant conflicts, tries to portray this hope through architecture. In building for mixed-culture communities, the firm visualizes architecture as a discipline that should incorporate human values and tolerance, as well as celebrate the presence of nature in the urban environment by embracing natural light, landscape and sky. www.knafoklimor.co.il

Cartwright Pickard has an international reputation for innovation and the use of Modern methods of construction and has pioneered the use of steel modular construction in the UK. The firm's approach to architecture incorporates the fundamental belief that the best and most appropriate design solutions should have a clear inevitability. Critical to this process is a collaborative team approach and the rigorous analysis of a site and brief. Cartwright Pickard's commitment to environmentally friendly design has been recognised by both the government and the construction industry, having developed innovative and affordable design solutions that minimise the impact of buildings on the environment. The firm's architects believe that architecture should create beautiful and enjoyable places for people to carry out their daily lives and strive to create memorable buildings that will stir the senses and impart a feeling of delight, well-being and optimism. www.cartwrightpickard.com