You Picked Them: 2025 People’s Choice Project Winners
What Readers Loved in 2025
- Community-chosen excellence: These 5 projects reflect what you found most inspiring this year.
- Spaces that elevate people + planet: Design that lifts experience, connection, and sustainability came out on top.
- Adaptive, inclusive environments: From learning hubs to hospitals, these spaces reshape function with heart.
- Authentic stories behind the work: Each winner blends material craft, cultural resonance, and human insight.
We asked our i+s community to help us spotlight the projects that stood out most this year—and you certainly showed up. After three weeks of voting, we’re excited to reveal your People’s Choice picks for the Top 5 Projects of the Year, selected from all 30 we featured in 2025.
So how did these projects catch our editors’ attention in the first place? When we build each issue’s lineup, we start with the focus of that edition, whether it’s workplace, education, hospitality, or healthcare. From there, we look closely at how a design approach truly supports the people who use the space or the community around it. The story behind the work—the who, why, and how—plays a huge role in helping us decide what rises to the top.
Across 2025, we saw thoughtful reinventions of underused spaces, projects shaped by trauma-informed thinking, and creative expressions of sustainable design. The result: immersive hospitality experiences, uplifting education environments, adaptable and inclusive workplaces, and facilities built to support healing. Here’s a closer look at the five spaces that resonated most with you.
1. Adaptive Reuse for Future-Focused Learning
Texas City ISD Marathon STEM and Robotics Center—covered by Janelle Penny
Pfluger Architects transformed a former church gym and storage building into a dynamic STEM and robotics hub for Texas City Independent School District. The “dual processor” layout places a central robotics arena at the heart of flexible, multipurpose classrooms, makerspaces, and breakout areas. Durable finishes, exposed industrial infrastructure, and modular design support hands-on learning for pre-K through 12th grade across the district. Community partnerships, including a $1 million contribution from Marathon Petroleum, helped realize a cutting-edge educational facility that champions collaboration, innovation, and equitable access to STEM opportunities.
What Our Editors Are Saying
Pfluger took the challenge of transforming a building that wasn’t engineered for academics and went above and beyond, balancing function and flow with durability, modularity, and cost efficiencies. A++! — Carrie Meadows, Editor-in-Chief
“I have a soft spot for adaptive reuse projects, not only because are they inherently sustainable, but also because they re-imagine the past and infuse it with possibilities. That’s exactly what Pfluger Architects accomplished by taking an abandoned storage building and turning it into a vibrant STEM center that embodies the school district’s belief that every student deserves the opportunity to ‘dream big, build boldly.’
–Robert Nieminen, Market Content Director
2. A Nature-Inspired Sanctuary in Frisco
HALL Park Hotel—covered by Lauren Brant
B2 Design Co and Merriman Anderson Architects crafted a 13-story sanctuary at HALL Park Hotel in Frisco, Texas, blending modern craftsmanship with biophilic design and warm, layered materials. Hotel amenities take their cues from a blend of residential decor, furnishings, and fixtures leveled up to greater sophistication to deliver a cozy and hospitable atmosphere. Natural stone, wood, leather, and soft curves create a restorative experience, while expansive windows maximize daylight and connect guests to Frisco’s park and cityscape. From stylishly appointed guestrooms to curated art-filled public spaces and rooftop amenities, the hotel balances elegance with softness for a place of respite and ease.
What Our Editors Are Saying
The hotel demonstrates how biophilic principles can elevate both guest experience and environmental responsibility, proving that comfort and climate-consciousness can coexist effortlessly. In an era when sustainable design is the minimum entry point, not an add-on, HALL Park sets a forward-thinking standard. The thoughtful outdoor spaces and park adjacency underscore how landscapes strengthen community connection and long-term resilience. — Lauren Brant, Editor
“This hotel was my top choice among the projects we featured this year because of how beautifully and seamlessly the interiors work to soften and balance the building’s angular architectural form that bring it down to a human scale with connections to nature. Curvilinear shapes, a warm palette of materials inspired by its location, and a robust art program help create an authentic sense of place that’s a welcoming retreat for guests.” – Robert Nieminen
3. Reshaping Hospital Experiences Through Emotional Intelligence
University Health Women’s & Children’s Hospital—covered by Vasia Rigou for IIDA
ZGF and Marmon Mok redefined healthcare design in San Antonio with the 14-story, 300-bed University Health Women’s & Children’s Hospital. Prioritizing natural light, earthy palettes, and warm materials, the hospital fosters comfort, healing, and emotional well-being. Innovative features like couplet care, expanded family lounges, and creative Child Life interventions support patients and families while setting a new Texas standard. Integrated artwork, community input, and thoughtful spatial planning combine clinical precision with heartfelt care, creating a transformative hospital environment that exceeded birth rate goals within nine months.
What Our Editors Are Saying
Spending extended time in hospitals with my sons has shown me that a patient’s healing is inseparable from their family’s well-being. At University Health, the thoughtful integration of natural elements, abundant daylight, warm materials, and vibrant, playful wall coverings and interior graphics creates a nurturing environment that supports women’s and children’s recoveries while also sustaining the mental health and comfort of spouses, parents, and siblings during long hospital stays. — Lauren Brant
“Creating a high-tech healthcare space with incredibly stringent performance requirements that needs to be sterile but also welcoming and calming is no easy task, but it’s exactly what ZGF and Marmon Mok were able to accomplish with this project. Supporting patients, families, and staff by reducing stress through the built environment proves that design has the power to positively affect outcomes and redefine the delivery of care.” – Robert Nieminen
4. Rich Visual Storytelling Intertwines with Courtly Drama
Wyndham Grand Shanxi Xiaohe Xincheng—covered by Vasia Rigou for IIDA
Wanda Hotel Design Institute reimagined the rich heritage of China’s Shanxi province at the Wyndham Grand Shanxi Xiaohe Xincheng. The grand atrium—dubbed the “Dragon Court”—anchors the hotel with skylit drama, while dragon scale-inspired walls trace cultural narratives throughout the space. Luxurious materials and contemporary comforts honor tradition while providing leading-edge hospitality. The result is a seamless fusion of past and present, offering guests a stay that celebrates China’s storied legacy in an elegant, high-design environment.
What Our Editors Are Saying
I love the lattice, wood sculpture in the ‘Dragon Court’ of the Wyndham Grand Shanxi Xiaohe Xincheng which, for me, evokes memories of walking through Steelcase’s WorkLife showroom in The MART in Chicago that contains a similar wooden sculptural feature. The playful dragon scale-inspired walls that blend past with the present make for an incredibly eye-catching space. –Robert Nieminen
“What a stunning sense of movement you get from the grand atrium. The way the team at Wanda Hotel Design Institute was able to bring together a sumptuous hospitality aesthetic and richly symbolic cultural inspiration is so compelling.” – Carrie Meadows
5. Serene Views and Sophisticated Amenities
The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai—covered by Vasia Rigou for IIDA
Set along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai is a collaboration between Ian Schrager Company, Rockwell Group, and Edmonds International that tempers opulence with natural surroundings. A triple-height lobby draped in greenery welcomes guests, while a honed marble bar and a Mayan glyph-inspired feature wall create dramatic focal points. Beachside dining, a skylit spa, and seamless integration with mangroves and ocean views offer an immersive experience where contemporary design and lush landscapes combine to evoke serenity and indulgence.
What Our Editors Are Saying
Blurring the lines between indoors and out by celebrating nature’s beauty is one of the reasons I found The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai so striking. In these chaotic times, we’re all looking for respite, and one can imagine the calm guests experience when they step into this dramatic, lush environment that celebrates its surroundings. –Robert Nieminen
“This luxury hotel establishes a clear sense of place, integrating ancient Mayan influences, modern Mexican culture, and breathtaking natural surroundings, without losing its serenity to stereotyped design references.” – Carrie Meadows
About the Author
Lauren Brant
Editor, i+s and BUILDINGS
Lauren Brant is the editor at both i+s and Buildings. She is an award-winning editor and reporter whose work appeared in daily and weekly newspapers. In 2020, the weekly newspaper won the Rhoades Family Weekly Print Sweepstakes—the division winner across the state's weekly newspapers. Lauren was also awarded the top feature photo across Class A papers. She holds a B.A. in journalism and media communications from Colorado State University-Fort Collins and a M.S. in organizational management from Chadron State College.
Carrie Meadows
Editor-in-Chief
Carrie Meadows is Editor-in-Chief of interiors+sources (i+s), where she leads editorial strategy, content development, and brand storytelling focused on the people, projects, and innovations shaping the design industry. With more than two decades of experience in B2B media, she has built a career connecting technical expertise with creative insight—translating complex topics into meaningful stories for professional audiences. Before joining i+s in 2024, Carrie served as Editor-in-Chief of LEDs Magazine within Endeavor Business Media’s Digital Infrastructure & Lighting Group, guiding coverage of emerging lighting technologies, sustainability, and human-centric design. Her earlier editorial experience spans across Laser Focus World, Vision Systems Design, Lightwave, and CleanRooms, where she managed print and digital publications serving the optics, photonics, and semiconductor sectors.
An advocate for clear communication and thoughtful storytelling, Carrie combines her editorial management, SEO, and content strategy expertise to help brands and readers stay informed in a rapidly evolving media landscape. When she’s not crafting content, Carrie can be found volunteering at a local animal shelter, diving into a good crime novel, or spending time outdoors with family, friends, and her favorite four-legged friends.
Robert Nieminen
Chief Content Director
Chief Content Director, Architectural Products, BUILDINGS, and interiors+sources
Robert Nieminen is the Chief Content Director of three leading B2B publications serving the commercial architecture and design industries: Architectural Products, BUILDINGS, and interiors+sources. With a career rooted in editorial excellence and a passion for storytelling, Robert oversees a diverse content portfolio that spans award-winning feature articles, strategic podcast programming, and digital media initiatives aimed at empowering design professionals, facility managers, and commercial building stakeholders.
He is the host of the I Hear Design podcast and curates the Smart Buildings Technology Report, bringing thought leadership to the forefront of innovation in built environments. Robert leads editorial and creative direction for multiple industry award programs—including the Elev8 Design Awards and Product Innovation Awards—and is a recognized voice in sustainability, smart technology integration, and forward-thinking design.
Known for his sharp editorial vision and data-informed strategies, Robert focuses on audience growth, engagement, and content monetization, leveraging AI tools and SEO-driven insights to future-proof B2B publishing.