HOW THE INDEX WORKS
Trust starts with context.
Our approach to selection, sources, rankings, corrections and commercial independence.
Selection and scope
We select practices and projects to represent a range of geographies, building types and design approaches. Inclusion is editorial, not a certification, procurement recommendation or exhaustive survey. A profile’s number of linked projects reflects this library’s coverage, not the firm’s complete portfolio.
Primary sources and original summaries
Profiles reference official practice, project and award pages wherever available. GAD writes concise summaries and links readers back to the source. Completion and opening dates may differ; a project year is labelled accordingly. Each entry includes a review date, not a promise of real-time accuracy.
Rankings with a defined metric
The first ranking reference is an attributed top-ten excerpt from Building Design’s WA100 2026. It measures the number of fee-earning architects at participating practices. GAD does not translate that headcount into a universal assessment of quality. Award guides and editorial selections remain distinct from this ranking.
GAD’s own indices
The GAD Study Index is a separately scored, ten-practice editorial pilot about comparative reading value. It is not a global design-quality table. Our broader annual framework publishes weights and evidence requirements for practices, individuals and Chinese-architecture specialisms; annual positions have not yet been awarded. Sponsorship cannot change either editorial scores or eligibility. Read GAD’s scoring rules
Photography and attribution
Published photographs carry creator and licence references. Image transformations such as resizing and display cropping are disclosed in the credits. Images retain their own licences; a photograph’s licence does not transfer ownership of the featured architecture. Full image credits
Corrections and submissions
Send the page URL, proposed correction and an original source to contact@gad.design. For a project suggestion, include the practice name, project location, completion date, official project page and image permissions. An email submission is not a guarantee of publication.
Commercial independence
Advertising and sponsored profiles, when published, are clearly marked. Paid placement cannot change a published third-party ranking, award result or factual correction. We do not sell positive editorial conclusions.
Edition reviewed · 2026-09-30