The jury is deliberating... stay tuned for the winners of Architizer's A+Product Awards! Register for the A+Product Awards Newsletter to receive future program updates.
Usually, when referring to new, groundbreaking architectural products, architects imagine utilizing them for the next million-dollar masterplan or the new flagship building, waiting to be developed on a blank site. Still, the real demand facing the 21st-century construction industry is for products that can be applied to existing buildings. Structures that are already standing, some of them occupied, others deserted — all, however, in need of renovation.
By 2050, an estimated $3.9 trillion will be spent globally on retrofit. Especially in Europe, where a large part of the urban fabric predates contemporary building standards, 35 million buildings are expected to be renovated. This, in addition to architects promoting non-demolition and conservation practices, reveals a shift in the market where the fastest-growing product categories are not for new builds at all; they are for fixing the buildings that already exist.
Consequently, these types of products follow completely different rules. Instead of operating within ideal realities, they must work around messy sites, irregular geometries or outdated systems. They act more as negotiators between existing structures and current regulatory and performance requirements, leading to innovations that prioritize compatibility over pizazz. Daylight systems that bring light to windowless basements, façade layers that upgrade exterior skins and even new HVAC units are all specifically designed to be integrated into buildings.
The SolaMaster 750 Tubular Daylighting Device by Solatube International, Inc., Jury Winner, Best of Year – Positive Impact, 2025 A+Product Awards
One example is the SolaMaster 750 Tubular Daylighting Device by Solatube International, Inc. Specifically designed for tornado and hurricane storm shelters such as schools and community centers, the product offers an affordable and easy-to-install option for storm-resistant design. It can be installed in open-ceiling spaces like gyms or large atriums as well as closed-ceiling environments such as classrooms and offices, providing natural daylight without having to puncture extensively through the structure.
Specifically, the product takes the form of a tube that can be arranged dynamically on top of any roof, creating discrete and airtight apertures of light. What is more, apart from emergency-type spaces, the product can also be used in existing workspace environments to boost mood and well-being. In other words, it is able to transform existing shelters, gyms and offices into multifunctional spaces that support daily use, while remaining prepared for moments of emergency, such as unpredictable weather challenges.
The SunGuard™ SNX 70+ by Guardian Glass, Popular Choice Winner, Facades & Openings – Glass & Glazing, 2025 A+Product Awards
The SunGuard™ SNX 70+ by Guardian Glass is another product that explores a different way of working with light in existing buildings. It is essentially a new triple silver-coated glass that maintains true-to-life color and clear, vivid views, thus establishing strong connections between inside and outside. Its ability to sustain a consistent reflective color from any angle makes it a unique product, as it allows the aesthetic of the building to remain true to the original design vision.
Additionally, it can be paired with various substrates and thicknesses to suit diverse architectural needs and be applied to any surface 2 of a standard insulating glass unit. Apart from its aesthetic properties, however, the glass provides thermal comfort and solar performance, becoming an excellent choice for buildings that wish to decrease their energy consumption.
The Marvin Connected Home by Marvin, Popular Choice Winner – Technology – Smart Design & Technology
Finally, sitting somewhat in between the two previous products, the Marvin Connected Home by Marvin is the first integrated automated window, skylight and door solution in the United States. Its motorized technology and convenient control settings can regulate air circulation, natural daylight, and views automatically. The design is sleek, hiding the advanced motorized system and allowing the product to be installed in an array of different building typologies. Additionally, the technology is highly responsive and includes personalized schedules and scenes for different times of day as well as windows and skylights that can react to outdoor conditions such as temperature, humidity and moisture. The product is ideal for existing buildings that require performance upgrades without invasive structural intervention.
In truth, these three products are evidence that the architecture industry is in need of solutions that extend building life rather than accelerate the cycle of demolition to new construction. All three opt for structural maintenance, enhancement in energy performance and an overall upgrade in interior space that promotes wellbeing, through a smooth integration process. What is emerging is a new product ethos that shapes the new retrofit economy and is based on architectural responsibility rather than authorship.
By 2050, there should be no more space left to build — not as a dystopian prediction, but as a disciplinary shift. The architectural default should ask not what should be built anew, but how we can work with what already exists. Products, in turn, should embrace this logic of adaptation. Returning to the present, those who operate within constraints rather than ignoring them will have a clear head start on what lies ahead.
The jury is deliberating... stay tuned for the winners of Architizer's A+Product Awards! Register for the A+Product Awards Newsletter to receive future program updates.
Featured Image: The SunGuard™ SNX 70+ by Guardian Glass, Popular Choice Winner, Facades & Openings – Glass & Glazing
