For the Google headquarters in Silicon Valley, BIG and Heatherwick Studio designed a scaly skin made of solar cells. They were voted the winner in the “Roof” category by Detail readers for this design. © Iwan Baan

For 65 years, Detail has been synonymous with in-depth reporting on building construction. The Detail Construction Award, a new architecture prize launched last year, upholds the same standards: it honours the best building constructions in the fields of facades, roofs, renovation, structural engineering and interiors. More than 330 projects were submitted for the award. An internal editorial pre-jury selected 52 of these for the online vote. With over 15,000 participants, the vote received an enormous response. Ultimately, the readers' prizes were awarded to projects in the USA, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, which is further proof of the international relevance of the Detail Construction Award.

Google Bay View by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick StudioGoogle Bay View is Google’s first campus to be built from the ground up. On the 17 ha site in Silicon Valley, two new office buildings, an event centre with capacity for 1,000 people, and 240 staff apartments have been constructed. The first floor comprises modular “neighbourhoods” designed to encourage collaboration, while the ground floor primarily serves as a meeting area. Around 50,000 solar panels on the roofs of the buildings generate almost 7 MW of electricity per year. Thanks to their overlapping structure, the modules remain flexible when exposed to heat, while a prismatic coating increases energy yield and reduces glare. The laminated roof surface is accessible. Inside, opaque sections improve sound insulation whilst glazed areas provide glare-free daylight. The roof rests on just a few cross-braces, and its large spans allow for flexible use of the interior spaces. 

Tejería 9 in Pamplona by Ruizesquiroz ArquitectosIn the heart of Pamplona, the architects at Ruizesquiroz have designed a residential building for four households on a plot measuring 4.6 by 18 m. Addressing the central challenges of daylight and cross-ventilation, the design team incorporated two elements: load-bearing glass blocks alternating with ceramic bricks that allude to the medieval brickworks on Calle Tejería. Glazed galleries made of wrought iron offer a contemporary take on the 19th-century originals. Three of these galleries are located in front of the semi-transparent brick facade. Behind them, a second glazed layer creates an effective thermal and acoustic buffer zone. To ensure the stability of neighbouring buildings, the firewalls were retained and their palimpsest of stone, brick and timber was exposed and stabilised with lime mortar. 

Conversion of the Christuskirche in Neumarkt, Upper Palatinate, by Brückner & Brückner ArchitectsThe redesign of the former Capuchin monastery church has transformed it into an open space for encounters. Brückner & Brückner have integrated a “light vessel of faith” into the historically significant building: minimalist, warm and luminous. The chancel has been transformed into a walk-in altarpiece, with its edges dissolved. The space appears dematerialised and bathed in light, the source of which cannot be precisely determined. At the same time, the interior of the church becomes flexible in its use: the nave can host services, communal meals, dances or exhibitions, while the choir offers a place for quiet prayer or children's services. Clay plaster, oak and burnished steel define the atmosphere, creating a bridge between tradition and the present 

Le Cabanon in Rotterdam by STAR Strategies + Architecture and BOARDSTAR Strategies + Architecture and BOARD have transformed a 1950s attic storage space into a luxurious micro-apartment. Within just 6.89 m², they have designed a precisely composed sequence of spaces. Different heights organise the layout: a living area measuring approximately 3 m in height, a sleeping alcove measuring 1.14 m in height, and a compactly integrated spa. Every element of the interior fit-out was handcrafted, and in some cases designed on site in collaboration with the joiners, as no part of it is prefabricated. This real-time design process has resulted in simple yet sophisticated solutions: handles are integrated directly into wooden and tiled surfaces to save valuable space, and the kitchen table and bathroom door are flush-fitting yet fold out.  

Moabiter Kinderhof by Kersten Kopp ArchitectsThe Moabiter Kinderhof comes very close to the ideal of an entire house made from a single material. The new building, which covers around 340 m², comprises rooms of various heights, ranging from intimate retreats to a large hall that can be divided into two by a movable partition. Kersten Kopp Architects predominantly used laminated veneer lumber panels for the structural shell and interior fit-out. Reinforcing panels, which are 400 mm deep, have been attached to the roof and wall elements, which are 27 mm thick. Depending on their position, these panels serve as either roof beams, columns, shelving or table tops. The shelving-like wall and ceiling elements were delivered to the site as prefabricated components. They remain visible even after installation, enabling the children to understand the building’s structural design.

At the end of January, a seven-member jury of architects and engineers examined the submitted projects. Five winners were selected, as well as a winner in the student category. The final results will be announced in the anniversary edition of Detail in June. The jury award ceremony will take place alongside this year's UIA World Congress in Barcelona at the end of June.