Editorial Statute.

Editorial Purpose and Principles

Pontal Awards is an editorial platform, accessible at www.pontalawards.com, dedicated to the recognition, coverage, and celebration of exceptional homes and residential design worldwide, addressed to an international audience of architects, designers, developers, and property owners.

Pontal Awards is an independent, rigorous, and impartial platform, committed to respecting the privacy of the individuals and organisations it features, refusing the disclosure of personal or family matters unrelated to the professional and creative merit of a submitted project, in accordance with applicable law and professional ethical standards.

Pontal Awards clearly distinguishes editorial content — including award results, jury commentary, and yearbook features — from opinion or promotional content, and reserves the right to comment editorially on matters relating to the awards, the industry, and its winners, in accordance with applicable legislation.

1. Judging Independence

The evaluation and selection of entries is carried out by an independent jury of professionals, based on published criteria. Decisions are made without interference from commercial departments, sponsors, or partners, and no payment or sponsorship influences the outcome of any submission's evaluation.

2. Reader and Entrant Participation

Pontal Awards encourages participation from architects, designers, developers, and homeowners through the submission process, and welcomes engagement from its readers and audience across its channels, in a manner that is free and responsible. Pontal Awards reserves the right to moderate or decline any submitted content, comment, or interaction where necessary to safeguard fundamental rights, legal and regulatory obligations, and the editorial principles that guide its activity.

3. Third-Party and Partner Content

Pontal Awards may act as a platform giving visibility to independent third-party projects, contributors, or partner initiatives. Such content is published without editorial intervention by Pontal Awards, which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or content. To ensure transparency, Pontal Awards clearly and visibly identifies third-party content, as well as any project supported by external brands or entities.

4. Commercial and Sponsored Content

Any commercial or sponsored content published on Pontal Awards — including sponsored features, partner spotlights, or promotional placements — is developed separately from the editorial and jury process, without the involvement of jurors or editorial staff, ensuring a clear separation between editorial recognition and commercial communication. Such content is visibly labelled as "Sponsored" or "Partner Content," together with a clear indication of the sponsoring or supporting entity, so that readers can readily identify its commercial nature.

5. Use of Artificial Intelligence

In the context of ongoing technological development, and in support of its mission to promote awareness of design excellence and media literacy, Pontal Awards may make use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools, always subject to appropriate human oversight. Pontal Awards ensures that the use of such technologies is critical, transparent, fair, and responsible, in respect of fundamental rights and the accuracy, independence, and impartiality of its editorial content. AI tools are never used to determine or influence jury decisions.

6. Commitment to Trust and Accuracy

Pontal Awards reaffirms its role as an active participant in promoting accurate, trustworthy information within its field, treating any technology it employs as a tool in service of editorial quality and the integrity of the platform, rather than a substitute for human editorial judgement.