Four large, bold letter P’s in alternating green and orange stand out against purple and pastel backgrounds. Text reads: “Metropolis 2026 Planet Positive Awards.”.

Announcing the Winners of the 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Awards

METROPOLIS’s Planet Positive Award winners represent excellence in sustainable, healthy, just design at every scale in the built environment.

View past winners of the METROPOLIS awards program

PROJECTS

Civic
Cultural
Healthcare
Higher Education
Hospitality
Infrastructure
K-12 Education
Landscape
Mixed-Use
Multifamily
Pavilion or Installation
Retrofit or Repositioning
Single Family
Unbuilt Project
Workplace
Workplace Interiors

PRODUCTS

Acoustics
Architectural Lighting
Architectural Systems
Ceilings
Decorative Lighting
Facade Systems
Hard Flooring
Kitchen and Bath
Office Furniture
Outdoor Furniture
Residential Furniture
Soft Flooring
Surfaces, Tiles, Materials
Technology
Textiles
Timber
Wallcoverings
Windows and Doors

INNOVATION

Adaptive Reuse
Circularity Initiative in Products
Community Engagement
Corporate Sustainability Initiative
Design for Resilience
Embodied Carbon Reduction
Historical Preservation
Impact on Health and Wellness
Innovation in Material Use in Products
Overall Decarbonization
Research & Development
Social Impact
Tools and Frameworks
Use of Biobased or Biogenic Materials

PEOPLE

Visionary Award
Rising Star
Sustainability Leader
Sustainability Educator
Editor in Chief Award
Firm of the Year

PROJECTS

Judges:

Melissa Berardi
CBRE / Project Management Director

Kelly Moynihan
AIA Chicago / President

Ken Potts
Mayo Clinic / Architect and Senior Project Manager

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Civic

Modern library interior with a central black staircase, wooden ceiling, bookshelves, and children reading on green benches under geometric lighting.

Civic Winner

Redmond Library
The Miller Hull Partnership

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Modern two-story building with large illuminated windows, dark exterior panels, and a snowy landscape in front.

Civic Honorable Mention

FortWhyte Alive Buffalo Crossing Paul Albrechtsen Visitor Centre
Stantec

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Cultural

A modern, low-rise building sits in a wide grassy field under a dramatic sky with wispy clouds.

Cultural Winner

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
Snøhetta

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Healthcare

A modern, multi-story brick hospital building with large windows, glass entrance, and landscaped grounds under a clear blue sky.

Healthcare Winner

Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health
HOK

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Higher Education

Modern glass-fronted Virginia Tech Academic Building One at dusk, illuminated indoors and outdoors, with people walking by and the sky showing evening colors.

Higher Education Winner

Virginia Tech Academic Building One
SmithGroup

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Hospitality

Aerial view of a modern building surrounded by green fields and hills, with a city in the distance under a cloudy sky at sunrise or sunset.

Hospitality Winner

Kona Farm Distillery
WRNS Studio

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Modern black treehouse with geometric design, suspended among tall trees, featuring a spiral staircase and large glass window, set in a dense forest.

Hospitality Honorable Mention

Hårtwood Treehouse Hotel
studio ksa

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Infrastructure

Aerial view of a waterfront park with a rocky beach, walking paths, greenery, and nearby buildings on a sunny day.

Infrastructure Winner

Seattle Waterfront Park
Field Operations

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K-12 Education

Children play on a colorful outdoor playground with foam blocks, surrounded by safety barriers and a netted enclosure, next to a brick building.

K-12 Education Winner

Khalil Gibran International Academy and P.S. 456: The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers
Architecture Research Office

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Children sit in groups playing and listening to an adult read in a spacious, wood-paneled room with large windows and natural light.

K-12 Education Honorable Mention

Environmental Education Building
Leers Weinzapfel Associates

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Landscape

Landscape Winner

TMC Helix Park
Mikyoung Kim Design

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Mixed-Use

Modern glass skyscrapers stand behind older brick buildings on a sunny day, with a few trees and cars in the foreground and a clear blue sky overhead.

Mixed-Use Winner

The Well
Hariri Pontarini Architects

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Modern, bright living and dining area with large windows, neutral furnishings, indoor plants, light wood floors, and city views—perfect for announcing the Winners of the 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Awards.

Mixed-Use Honorable Mention

505 State Street
Alloy LLC

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Multifamily

Two-story wooden apartment building with green trim; a person stands on the balcony above while another sits below with a dog. Potted plants and various items are on the patio and balcony.

Multifamily Winner

Moos Euterpe
concrete amsterdam

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Pavilion or Installation

Modern reception area with high ceilings; a receptionist sits at a desk behind a white counter as a woman stands, and a person walks by in the foreground.

Pavilion or Installation Winner

River Hub at Graco Park
Snow Kreilich Architects

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Retrofit or Repositioning

Three-story red brick building with large arched windows, black trim, and corner entrance, situated on a quiet street with trees and neighboring houses visible.

Retrofit or Repositioning Winner

The Bank Lofts
River Architects

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Single Family

Modern kitchen and dining area with light wood cabinetry, a large island, a wooden dining table with white chairs, and a decorative white chandelier overhead.

Single Family Winner

The Healthy Green House Project
Ken Wilson Architecture and Interior Design

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Modern two-story house with large glass windows, wooden accents, and an outdoor patio illuminated at dusk. The interior shows a living area, dining table, and staircase.

Single Family Honorable Mention

Lightwell House
Design Draw Build Architects & Builders

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Unbuilt Project

Children and adults gather and interact outside a modern two-story building surrounded by gardens and greenery on a cloudy day.

Unbuilt Project Winner

Henrico County Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability
Perkins&Will

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Workplace

Open office space with exposed wooden beams, desks, bookshelves, and people working or meeting at tables and on a couch. Large windows provide natural light.

Workplace Winner

Studio at Volta
Bora Architecture & Interiors

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Workplace Interiors

Modern open office space with a glass ceiling, two people standing at a mobile desk in the center, others working at tables and walking along the aisles.

Workplace Interiors Winner

Gensler San Francisco
Gensler

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PRODUCTS

Judges:

Verda Alexander
Studio O+A / Co-founder

Katie Bowman
HOK / Sustainable Design Leader

Lona Rerick
Perkins&Will / Director of Regenerative Design Materials

Jonsara Ruth
Healthy Materials Lab / Co-founder and Design Director

Avinash Rajagopal
Editor in Chief, METROPOLIS

______

Acoustics

A wooden desk with an open book, a glass of water, and a dark chair, set against a textured brown wall with rectangular patterns.

Acoustics Winner

Søuld Fragments
Spinneybeck

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Architectural Lighting

Three green armchairs surround a wooden coffee table with books and glasses, beneath modern pendant lights in a warm, orange-toned room with a small potted tree.

Architectural Lighting Winner

Somari
LightArt

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Architectural Systems

A modern black house on stilts is surrounded by tall trees on a grassy slope, with a large deck and clear blue sky above.

Architectural Systems Winner

Aluminum Framing
TimberTech

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Ceilings

Colorful children’s library area with bookshelves, small tables and chairs, wall labels for book genres, and a green rug in the center under bright ceiling lights.

Ceilings Winner

Templok® Energy Saving Ceilings
Armstrong World Industries

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Decorative Lighting

Three modern rectangular pendant lights hang above stacked, weathered wooden beams on casters, against a dark background and distressed wooden floor.

Decorative Lighting Winner

PLEAT
Stickbulb

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Facade Systems

Students gather and relax on the grass and walkways outside a modern, two-story school building with green exterior panels and large windows under a partly cloudy sky.

Facade Systems Winner

Thermaframe 4
GlasCurtain Inc.

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Hard Flooring

White tiles with thin grout lines are arranged diagonally. Small white baby’s breath flowers are placed in the lower left corner.

Hard Flooring Winner

The Shoreline Flooring Collection
Flora Materials

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Kitchen and Bath

Modern bathroom with a glass shower, large window showing desert landscape, cactus plant, floating wood vanity with mirror, and pendant lights.

Kitchen and Bath Winner

Anthem™ EvoCycle™
Kohler

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Office Furniture

Eight office chairs in various colors including black, light blue, beige, red, white, dark blue, and green are arranged in a row against a plain light gray background.

Office Furniture Winner

Blink
Teknion

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Outdoor Furniture

A modern café interior features blue and white chairs, wooden tables, a green-tiled wall, and a long counter with red stools. Sunlight streams in through large windows with sheer curtains.

Outdoor Furniture Winner

Kynd
Division Twelve

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Residential Furniture

A green sofa sits on a beige rug in front of large windows. A small side table with a vase of flowers and a framed picture on a wall shelf are visible.

Residential Furniture Winner

Elevate Natural Collection
Sabai

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Soft Flooring

Two wicker chairs with black metal legs sit on a light gray, patterned carpet in a room with a concrete floor.

Soft Flooring Winner

Land/Mark
Bentley Mills

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Surfaces, Tiles, Materials

A wooden table with an open notebook, pencil, sticky notes, and a closed bag on a bench seat with vertical upholstery.

Surfaces, Tiles, Materials Winner

FENIX NTX
Formica

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Technology

A blue industrial machine with a control panel and wheels labeled “epicleantec” stands outdoors on a paved surface.

Technology Winner

OneWater™ Rain System
Epic Cleantec

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Textiles

Close-up of cream-colored fabric with embroidered starburst patterns in various colors, including blue, orange, and green. The fabric is draped in soft folds.

Textiles Winner

Xorel Aperture Embroider
Carnegie

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Timber

Close-up of several parallel wooden planks with a grooved texture, likely used for decking or flooring.

Timber Winner

Clear Vertical Grain Sugi
Nakamoto Forestry

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Wallcoverings

Fan-shaped colored paper strips arranged in a circular pattern on a white background, showing a gradient from red to green to blue.

Wallcoverings Winner

Ekoa ColorBurst Collection
Ekoa by Lingrove

Learn More

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Windows and Doors

Three large vertical windows in a brick building; two are closed, and one is partially open. Shadows and outdoor scenery are reflected in the glass. A stone walkway runs alongside the building.

Windows and Doors Winner

OptiQ® Offset Fixed/Projected Series Window
Kawneer

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INNOVATION

Judges:

Yakuh Askew
Y.A. studio / Architect and Principal

Kristen Dotson
Amazon / Principal, Worldwide Sustainability, Sustainable Buildings

Felix Heisel
Circular Construction Lab at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning / Director

Kyle Pickett
USGBC California / Senior Project Manager, Community Initiatives

______

Adaptive Reuse

Three sailboats are on the water near a large red ship labeled “Frying Pan,” with modern high-rise buildings and offices in the background on a clear day.

Adaptive Reuse Winner

Terminal Warehouse
COOKFOX Architects

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Circularity Initiative in Products

Three rectangular sheets of recycled composite material in white, green, and blue, each with a speckled, multicolored pattern, stacked in a corner on a white background.

Circularity Initiative in Products Winner

Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind
Mohawk Group

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Community Engagement

Modern coastal homes with minimalist design line a sunny street; text explains architect-led, builder-supported, and community-initiated disaster recovery efforts to reduce rebuilding costs.

Community Engagement Winner

Seaview Homes Community Rebuild
Clive Wilkinson Architects

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Corporate Sustainability Initiative

Person using a drum carder machine to process green wool fibers, preparing them for spinning; the machine aligns and blends the fibers for textile work.

Corporate Sustainability Initiative Winner

Sustainability Specifications Documentation for Healthy Materials
Designtex

Learn More

Modern hallway with blue wall panels, light-colored floor tiles, and a ceiling with linear recessed lighting. Elevator doors are visible on the left side of the hallway.

Corporate Sustainability Initiative Honorable Mention

Building a Clear Future
Bendheim

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Announcing the Winners of the 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Awards: A person holds a small sapling in a plastic bag over a green field, with trees and plants in the background.

Corporate Sustainability Initiative Honorable Mention

Tikagreen CSR Strategy
tikamoon

Learn More

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Design for Resilience

Aerial view of a modern campus with a swimming pool, solar panel-covered parking, athletic field, and surrounding trees under a clear sky.

Design for Resilience Winner

Belle Haven Community Campus
Hart Howerton

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Embodied Carbon Reduction

A modern glass office tower with red vertical accents, surrounded by trees and older buildings, stands above a busy city street at dusk.

Embodied Carbon Reduction Winner

One Post Office Square
Gensler

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Historical Preservation

Spacious hotel lobby with modern seating, marble pillars, a central bar area, large windows, and chandeliers.

Historical Preservation Winner

Book Tower
ODA

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Impact on Health and Wellness

Modern three-story apartment complex with landscaped gardens, pathways, and an adjacent parking lot, photographed under clear skies.

Impact on Health and Wellness Winner

Burnet Place
Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

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Innovation in Material Use in Products

A modern armchair with a curved back and textured mustard-yellow upholstery sits on a ribbed wooden base against a neutral and peach-toned background.

Innovation in Material Use in Products Winner

BIO Thermopolymer
Andreu World

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Overall Decarbonization

Aerial view of the Washington State Capitol campus with government buildings, trees, parking lots, and a river in the background.

Overall Decarbonization Winner

Newhouse Replacement Building
The Miller Hull Partnership

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Research & Development

A digital material library interface displays various material options with images, names, certifications, and filtering options on the left sidebar.

Research & Development Winner

Healthy Materials Initiative
BA

Learn More

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Social Impact

Aerial view of a modern building complex with solar panels, surrounded by dense forest and several cars parked near the structures.

Social Impact Winner

Parrott Creek
Adre

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Tools and Frameworks

Modern open office with people working at desks and collaborating by shelves; large windows provide natural light, shelves display books and materials, and computer monitors show various projects.

Tools and Frameworks Winner

Gensler Product Sustainability Standards
Gensler

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Use of Biobased or Biogenic Materials

A modern white house with a covered porch sits on a dirt road at sunset; a person walks a dog in the foreground, with mountains and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Use of Biobased or Biogenic Materials Winner

Aska’s Animal Haus
Love Schack Architecture

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A small house with steep, asymmetrical thatched roof and wooden-framed windows, set outdoors under a partly cloudy sky.

Use of Biobased or Biogenic Materials Honorable Mention

All Straw House
LTL Architects

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Smiling man sits in a vehicle, holding large architectural blueprints across his lap and looking out the window—perhaps reflecting on innovative designs inspired by Announcing the Winners of the 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Awards.

Visionary Award Winner

Michael Green
Michael Green Architecture

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Man with glasses and a beard wearing a blue suit jacket and white shirt, standing in front of a wooden wall.

Rising Star Winner

Erik Barth
Gensler

Learn More

Woman with long straight brown hair, smiling, wearing a dark floral blouse with blue and purple flowers, posing in front of a plain light background.

Rising Star Winner

Elizabeth Baxter
HOK

Learn More

A man with short black hair, glasses, and a white button-down shirt looks at the camera against a plain light background.

Sustainability Leader Winner

Luke Leung
SOM

Learn More

Smiling man with gray hair wearing a gray blazer and dark shirt stands against a plain white background, hands clasped in front.

Sustainability Leader Winner

Eric Corey Freed
CannonDesign

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Man with gray hair and beard wearing glasses, a blue blazer, and jeans sits with arms crossed in front of a teal chalkboard with handwritten notes.

Sustainability Educator Winner

Sanjive Vaidya
New York City College of Technology Department of Architecture/CUNY

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An older man with gray hair, wearing a black button-up shirt, sits in front of a light-colored fabric backdrop, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

Editor in Chief Award Winner

Dan Rockhill
Studio 804/University of Kansas

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A modern four-story apartment building with rust-colored metal panels and parked cars along a sunny street.

Firm of the Year Winner

David Baker Architects

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