BLDUS, Future Firm, D’Arcy Jones, French 2D among 2026 Emerging Voices winners

The Architectural League of New York just dropped this year’s Emerging Voices winners, spotlighting standout designers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico who are shaping the future of architecture, landscape, and urban design. 

Award laureates were selected through a two-stage jury process led by Isabel Abascal, Irene Cheng, Felecia Davis, David Godshall, Mae-ling Lokko, Ana Miljački, Miriam Peterson, Susan T. Rodriguez, and Kate Wagner.

The 2026 Emerging Voices are:

Jack Becker and Andrew Linn of BLDUS, Washington, DC

"Jack Becker and Andrew Linn founded B L D U S in Washington, DC, in 2013. The firm’s housing-focused portfolio includes renovating historic structures in southeast Washington, DC, and building infill housing in historically neglected areas of the federal district. Across projects, B L D U S  prioritizes the use of natural materials both local, like oak and black locust, and renewable, such as cork and bamboo, to create 'healthy domestic architecture fit for the Mid-Atlantic climate,' in their own words. This focus on unconventional building materials draws on the firm’s expertise across fields and trades, including architecture, development, and carpentry."

Discover Andrew Linn's favorite spots in DC in our recent Archinect City Guide: Washington DC.

Bobby Johnston and Ruth Mandl of CO Adaptive, New York, NY

"New York City–based design firm CO Adaptive’s work spans adaptive reuse and retrofits of residential, creative, and civic spaces with a focus on circularity—preserving and repurposing preexisting building materials in renovation projects. Founded in New York City in 2011 by Bobby Johnston and Ruth Mandl, the firm has progressively expanded its scope to include construction, deconstruction, and material salvage with the establishment of CO Adaptive Building and CO Adaptive Disassembly, reflecting their belief that 'bridging disciplines is essential to effecting change,' in their own words."

Isadora Hastings García, Gerson Huerta García, José Jesús Álvarez Gutierrez, Silvia Elis Martínez Hernández, and Lizet Zaldivar López of Cooperación Comunitaria, Mexico City, Mexico

"Cooperación Comunitaria works with rural Mexican communities to rebuild homes and communal facilities after natural disasters. Inviting community participation throughout the design process and integrating local ancestral knowledge with technical expertise, Cooperación Comunitaria’s practice is oriented toward 'recognizing inhabitants as rights-holders and prioritizing self-management of territory, housing, livelihoods, and natural common goods,' in the firm’s own words. Founded in 2012 by Isadora Hastings García and Gerson Huerta García, the practice today includes Silvia Elis Martínez Hernández, José Jesús Álvarez Gutiérrez, and Lizet Zaldivar López."

D’Arcy Jones of D’Arcy Jones Architects, Vancouver, Canada

"Led by D’Arcy Jones, design firm D’Arcy Jones Architects has developed an expansive portfolio ranging from single and multi-family residential projects and commercial spaces to arts and cultural projects across urban and rural areas of British Columbia. Jones founded the practice in 1999 in Vancouver, Canada. Distinguished by their formal invention and deep commitment to craft, the firm seeks to ask 'how habit, function, construction, beauty, and even chance shape the spaces we make,' in their own words."

Revisit our 2018 Studio Snapshot interview with D'Arcy Jones.

Anda French and Jenny French of French 2D, Boston, MA

"Founded in Boston by Anda French and Jenny French in 2012, French 2D’s work spans large-scale multi-family and micro-housing projects, public infrastructure, and cultural institutions. The firm employs what they call 'strange housing types' across residential developments and installations, which challenge familiar domestic ideas through radical organizations and typologies. In their own words, French 2D’s work is grounded in 'the pursuit of new forms of collective resilience, with a focus on the social consequences of material, thermal, and formal effects.'"

Don't miss our 2019 Studio Snapshot interview with Anda and Jenny French.

Ann Lui, Craig Reschke, and Linda Chávez Baca of Future Firm, Chicago, IL

"Ann Lui and Craig Reschke founded Future Firm in Chicago in 2015, and Linda Chavez Beca joined the firm as a principal in 2023. Working closely with mission-driven non-profits, community residents, and small-business owners, the firm’s portfolio includes residential projects, arts and culture venues, public installations, and makerspaces. Believing that, in the firm’s own words, 'architecture is both a tool for imagining and a means for building the world we want to live in,' Future Firm’s work seeks to expand the traditional scope of architectural practices, from raising capital and political will to proposing zoning amendments."

Check out our 2019 Studio Snapshot interview with Ann Lui and Craig Reschke, our Next Up: Exhibit Columbus conversation, and our Archinect City Guide: Chicago episode with Ann.

Juan Alfonso Garduño Jardon and María de los Ángeles Garduño Jardon of g3arquitectos, Querétaro, Mexico

"Founded in Querétaro in 1997 by Juan Alfonso Garduño Jardón and María de los Ángeles Garduño Jardón (with Armando González Medina, who later departed the practice), g3arquitectos has developed a significant portfolio of civic and residential projects in the central Mexican region. The firm states that architecture and urban design must 'actively contribute to the construction of a more humane and balanced living environment.' In addition to built projects, g3arquitectos has led urban strategy research to improve the quality of life in Querétaro’s marginalized communities and hosts Casa de Arquitectura, an architecture conference that connects Querétaro to the international design community."

Nick Hopson and Klara Rodstrom of Hopson Rodstrom Design Co., Los Angeles, CA

"Hopson Rodstrom Design Co. focuses on a wide range of housing typologies, including single-family, multi-family, transitional housing, and community spaces at a variety of scales. With each design, Hopson Rodstrom Design Co. aims to balance playfulness with sincerity through creative use of material, color, light, and texture. Founded in Los Angeles in 2015 by Nick Hopson and Klara Rodstrom and primarily working in Southern California, the firm’s work is shaped by local context and stakeholders and guided by the belief in 'the power of dialogue, collaboration, and respect for diverse experiences and perspectives,' in the firm’s own words."