Collective housing remains one of the most active areas for unbuilt architectural exploration, revealing how architects are rethinking domestic life, density, and shared living across different cultural and environmental contexts. In this curated Unbuilt edition, submitted by the ArchDaily community, the selected proposals investigate new forms of dwelling that span mobile units, vertical developments, adaptive reuse, and landscape-driven residential clusters. Rather than treating housing as a purely functional container, these projects position it as a social and spatial framework that shapes everyday life, community ties, and long-term urban resilience.

From the pavilions of Osaka and Venice, to the roundtables of Belém, another year comes to a close. December invites us to pause and look back at the moments that defined architecture and cities in 2025. Reflection is not only an act of memory, but of foresight — a way to understand where we’ve been in order to imagine where we might go next. From shifting cultural narratives to material and technological breakthroughs, this past year underscored the importance of experimentation and adaptation across the built environment.

The square in front of the Kunshan Municipal Government, together with its subway station, has underwent a comprehensive transformation since 2022. With the new retail and parking facilities introduced to the underground, the landscape above ground followed the original cross-axis structure of the city square, placing a water feature and a large grass slope along the central axis, dividing the site into four sections. Dazhou and Associates was commissioned for the design of the landscape architecture above ground.

What defines a space first when entering: the sound or the visual impression? Architecture is often communicated through structure and surfaces, yet one of its most essential components moves unseen through the air: sound. It shapes how a space feels long before a wall or ceiling is noticed. Computational design brings these dimensions together, allowing architects and designers to create unique structures where acoustics and aesthetics inform one another rather than exist in parallel. By leveraging advanced algorithms, complex design processes transform into intuitive, accessible solutions that shape bespoke acoustic and visual highlights for every project. This approach combines parametric logic with material innovation, balancing efficiency, sustainability, and expressive design in equal measure.

Located on a prominent north-facing corner allotment, with frontage to a primary road with tramlines and a quiet cul-de-sac, this inner southeastern site required a considered balance between creating street presence and scale commensurate with its position, whilst also establishing internal amenity and privacy for its occupants. 

MVRDV’s pixelated façade design brings variety and identity to prefabricated modular towers in Singapore. At Irwell Bank Road in Singapore, two 36-story residential towers have been completed, with a lively, pixelated façade design contributed by MVRDV. Taking as a base the highly efficient, prefabricated, modular building design by Singapore-based ADDP Architects, MVRDV’s variegated façade adds liveliness to the buildings’ external appearance and highlights the green communal spaces on the buildings’ 24th floor and roof. The design is the latest in MVRDV’s oeuvre to show that efficiency and cost-effectiveness can happily coexist with character and individuality.

Between the Andes, the coast, and the Amazon, Ecuador’s architecture has evolved as a reflection of its layered geography, a place where climate, topography, and culture unite. Throughout the territory, architecture has been an act of adaptation: from vernacular traditions rooted in collective labor and local materials to the colonial and modernist influences that reshaped its cities. This diversity has produced distinct constructive systems, from bamboo and cane structures along the coast to earth and stone constructions in the Andes, forming an archive of adaptive design that continues to influence contemporary practice.

The new Soldalhus Nursing Home in Northern Jutland provides 96 dementia-friendly residences, a central community building, and extensive shared and service areas. Designed by Cubo Arkitekter with a clear human focus, the project emphasizes dignity, independence, and connection for residents, staff, and visitors. The name Soldalhus, directly translated as “Sunvalley House,” reflects the design’s emphasis on light, openness, and integration with the surrounding landscape. Set on the edge of Northern Jutland’s characteristic hill formations, Soldalhus links the landscape with the nearby town of Sindal. Its placement strengthens local urban life, creating new pathways between the care center and the city while offering open views of meadows and wetlands. Subtle terracing and reshaping of the terrain create a sheltered microclimate, using landforms and planting to temper prevailing westerly winds and provide comfortable outdoor environments year-round.

Located on a steep slope in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Casa Ouro Velho folds and opens across multiple levels, establishing a continuous and respectful dialogue with the natural landscape and the exuberance of the Atlantic Forest. Designed as a direct response to the topography and surrounding forest, the project is organized into levels that embrace the terrain, establishing a continuous dialogue between architecture and nature, with precise cuts that ensure the preservation of the larger native trees on the lot.

When planning a commercial space, it is not easy to sacrifice usable space. This is especially true in areas with high unit prices, where most prefer to maximize the display space by ensuring more circulation space in narrow areas.