Reception Pavilion / Busch & Takasaki Architekten + gmp Architects

To draw attention to the entrance of the operations yard within the complex and fast-moving streetscape of Bramfelder Chaussee, a simple yet sculptural element is needed—one that is highly visible from afar and therefore easy to locate.

On November 21, 2025, the closing day of the 30th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP) took place, the yearly gathering of United Nations member states to negotiate international climate agreements and assess global progress toward emissions reduction. This year, the event was held in Belém, Brazil, a port city of fewer than 1.5 million people, widely known as a gateway to Brazil's lower Amazon region. First convened in 1992, UN Climate Change Conferences (or COPs) are an international multilateral decision-making forum on climate change involving 198 "Parties" (197 countries, nearly all of them, depending on definitions of country, and the European Union). Their purpose is to assess global efforts toward the central Paris Agreement aim of limiting global warming to as close as possible to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. The event brings together leaders and negotiators from member states, business figures, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society around issues considered essential to that climate goal. This year, COP30 was marked by strong criticism of its ties to the fossil fuel industry, descriptions of agreements as fragile and insubstantial, and the struggle to move climate finance "from pledge to lifeline."

Set in the warm landscape of Ahmedabad, this home, designed and inhabited by the architect and his famil,y is an intimate experiment in how architecture can be both deeply grounded and joyfully alive. Built with locally sourced stone and finished with traditional lime plaster, the house draws from vernacular wisdom to stay naturally cool through the city's harsh summers. The lime finish lends a soft, breathing quality to the walls as they age gracefully, holding traces of sunlight, shadow, and time. Every stone surface, both inside and out, tells a story through its changing texture as daylight moves across it.