PLEA 2026 – Reflexions from the Board
What an inspiring week at #PLEA2026 in San José, Costa Rica!
On behalf of the PLEA Board – Heide Schuster (President), Joana Goncalves (Vice-President), Rajat Gupta (Secretary), Jorge Rodríguez Álvarez, Pablo La Roche and Susel Biondi – we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the University of Costa Rica, Conference Co-chairs (Mike Smith and Emily Vargas), the Local Organising Committee, volunteers, sponsors, keynote speakers, reviewers, session chairs, students and all participants for making the 38th PLEA Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design such a memorable and successful event.
Over five inspiring days (27-31 July 2026), researchers, architects, engineers, planners, landscape architects, educators and students from more than 40 countries came together to exchange ideas, build collaborations and explore this year’s theme, “Common Sense Architecture.” As highlighted during the opening ceremony, the conference reaffirmed that the most effective responses to climate change are those that work with nature rather than against it – combining climate-responsive design, passive environmental strategies and evidence-based innovation to create healthier, more resilient and more sustainable communities.
The programme featured inspiring keynote lectures from internationally recognised leaders, engaging plenary discussions, high-quality parallel research sessions, workshops, technical tours and vibrant networking events. Together, they demonstrated that sustainable architecture is not only about reducing carbon emissions, but also about improving health, resilience, equity and quality of life for communities around the world.
A particular highlight of the conference was recognising two outstanding pioneers whose work has shaped climate-responsive architecture across the world:
PLEA Lifetime Achievement Award – Waldo Bustamante, in recognition of his exceptional lifetime contribution to bioclimatic architecture, research, education and the global PLEA community.
PLEA Award – Bruno Stagno, for his visionary leadership and pioneering contributions to sustainable tropical architecture and climate-responsive design.
Congratulations to both recipients on these richly deserved honours.
As we reflected during the closing session, the conference reminded us that PLEA’s mission is more important and urgent than ever. We must continue to design with climate, embrace passive-first solutions, collaborate with nature, share knowledge generously, educate the next generation and work collectively to create buildings and cities that are resilient, healthy and responsive to both people and place.
Thank you to everyone who helped make #PLEA2026 such a success. We leave Costa Rica inspired by the research, innovation, friendships and collaborations that will continue to shape the future of sustainable architecture.
We look forward to continuing this global conversation at the next PLEA Conference in Seville in July 2028.