Last week, organizers of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) College of Architectures Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) announced five finalists for the 2025 award. The five projects come from Argentina, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The 2025 MCHAP finalists are: Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO; adamo-faiden; Colectivo C733; 5468796 Architecture; and Eskew Dumez Ripple, Marlon Blackwell Architects, and Andropogon Associates.The submission by Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIOan aquarium in Mazatln, Mexicomay already be familiar to AN readers: the concrete masterpiece was reviewed by Suleman Anaya last year. Meanwhile, adamo-faiden recently appeared in AN Interior, and projects by Eskew Dumez Ripple and Marlon Blackwell Architects regularly appear in AN in print and online.Below are the five finalists, coupled with excerpts from the architects project statements. A winner will be named on May 5. Centro de Investigacin Mar de CortsTatiana Bilbao ESTUDIOMazatlan, MexicoFor us, the building had to transmit to those who enter it the idea that we are part of nature and make explicit howarchitecture can become a means to reintegrate us into our ecosystem, allowing us, as a species, to remain on this planet. We started by imagining that the aquarium was a ruin and that the ecosystems of the Sea of Cortez had taken over. The aquarium offers an educational tour of the marine and coastal ecosystems of the Sea of Cortez through educational programs, exhibits, laboratory, auditorium, public plazas, administrative areas, and conservation zones for endemic species. Innovatively designed to merge marine and terrestrial elements, the Aquarium departs from traditional architectural norms. Large marine tanks display diverse species, encouraging visitor interaction and observation, while a conservation program focuses on the rehabilitation of marine species.Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIOClnica Veterinaria Guayaquil by adamo-faiden (Javier Agustin Rojas)Clnica Veterinaria Guayaquiladamo-faidenBuenos Aires, ArgentinaSuch is the case of the Guayaquil Veterinary Clinic, built from the recycling of an urban house from the beginning of the 20th century. The demolition of its central baywhere the circulatory system was originally locatedgave way to the creation of a new semi-covered passage that connects the street with a garden open to the community. A concrete floor with exposed stone designed for pets crosses this space where the vegetation and the outside climate are determining elements. The side bays organized on two levels open onto the central passage. On the lower floor they organize the store and the veterinary clinics while on the upper floor they arrange the laboratory, the X-ray room and the operating room.adamo-faiden Ecoparque Bacalar by Colectivo C733 (Rafael Gamo)Ecoparque BacalarColectivo C733Bacalar, MexicoThe projects main strategy is to reduce the requested program and minimize the impact of human activity on the sites rich flora and fauna. To achieve this, the design is based on precision and lightness, with a focus on maintaining the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem. The centerpiece of the project, a squared 800-meter long pier, was designed with varying heights to avoid disturbing the mangroves while still providing visitors with an elevated view of the lagoon. The solid parts of the pier house facilities such as a research laboratory and services area, while the shade of tall trees covers an open plain. One of the projects innovative aspects is the use of certified local wood for the structural system.Colectivo C733Pumphouse by 5468796 Architecture (James Brittain)Pumphouse5468796 ArchitectureWinnipeg, CanadaTwo interventions made the project viable: repurposing the capacity of the original gantry crane rails to suspend a floating floor above the equipment below; and proposing an ultra-thin residential block on the 40-foot sliver of land between the pumphouse and street. Unlocking these two potentials, along with a larger residential building on the opposite end of the pumphouse, altogether made the project financially feasible and socially meaningful.5468796 Architecture Thaden School (Timothy Hursley)Thaden SchoolEskew Dumez Ripple | Marlon Blackwell Architects | Andropogon Associates Bentonville, ArkansasThe Thaden School project emerges from a comprehensive understanding of its needs and aspirations, encapsulating a visionary spatial program that seamlessly integrates both interior and exterior spaces. The spatial layout is meticulously crafted to adhere to the vision that the school might provide a learning environment beyond benchmarks and standards, a place where landscape and buildings might work together in a closed loop of production and consumptionthe goal being not to just outperformcomparable buildings but rather to tell a story about building performance that would invite users to understand systems in play at every scale.Eskew Dumez Ripple, Marlon Blackwell Architects, Andropogon Associates