Floating House wins Silver A' Design Award for sustainable design

Floating House by Oliver Schutte has earned a Silver A' Design Award in the Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design category. The Costa Rican hillside home was recognized for passive design, renewable energy use and locally sourced materials, underscoring a broader shift toward regenerative architecture.

Why it matters: - The award spotlights a residential project that combines low-impact building methods with comfort-focused design. - Floating House offers a concrete example of how passive strategies, prefabrication and local materials can reduce environmental impact in housing. - The recognition also tracks with growing industry interest in regenerative development, not just conventional sustainability.

What happened: - The A' Design Award named Floating House by Oliver Schutte a Silver winner in the Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design category. - The project is located in Costa Rica's Central Valley. - The recognition was announced Sept. 14, 2026. - The project is part of the No Footprint House series.

The details: - Floating House uses passive design strategies, renewable energy and locally sourced materials. - The hillside home is organized into interrelated volumes and outdoor spaces that follow the sloped site. - Large roof overhangs protect spaces from rainwater and solar radiation. - Private rooms sit above a garden level, creating three stacked conditions that respond to the terrain. - Large glass doors and sliding walls change how the interior and exterior connect in the rainy and dry seasons. - Hanging gardens and balconies extend living space into adjacent exterior gardens. - Solar energy is harvested on the roof. - The project uses industrial and prefabricated building techniques described as the first of their kind in Central America. - The construction approach pairs those methods with renewable and locally sourced materials. - The award page is available here. - More about the broader competition is available here.

Between the lines: - The award frames Floating House as more than a single residence; it positions the project as a test case for regenerative building methods. - The focus on passive climate moderation, seasonal flexibility and local sourcing suggests the design is meant to reduce operational and material impacts at the same time. - The recognition also gives visibility to Costa Rican architecture in a field where low-carbon building practices are drawing more attention.

What's next: - The award is likely to support continued development of the No Footprint House series. - The recognition may help advance further experimentation with multistakeholder approaches in regenerative architecture. - The project's public award page will serve as the main reference point for readers seeking more design details.