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Does Size Really Matter? Debunking the Obsession with Super Tall Buildings

The future Saudi tower designed by Foster + Partners is expected to reach a staggering height of two kilometers. This multibillion-dollar project, towering twice as high as the current record holder, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, will dominate the skyline of Riyadh, accommodating offices, residences, and entertainment spaces. It forms part of a development program led by Saudi Arabia, driven by the vision of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to establish the country's presence through ambitious, large-scale projects. While these super-tall towers symbolize visibility and global recognition, they face criticism for their extravagant construction costs and environmental impact.

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MVRDV Announces New Residential Complex for Tencent’s Campus in Shenzhen, China

MVRDV has revealed a large-scale residential complex to take shape as part of a new smart city campus built by technology company Tencent in Qianhai Bay, Shenzhen, China. MVRDV’s intervention, named Tencent P5, is comprised of 11 apartment towers arranged around four courtyards. The project also includes amenities such as an adjacent kindergarten, to offer all the necessary facilities for the company’s employees. Construction began in early 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2024.

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How AI Can Help Us End Design Education Anachronisms

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

The rise of generative AI has given every design educator sufficient reason to reconsider both what to teach and how to teach it. Training an architect is a long process, and mapping it onto an uncertain future is a daunting task. Researchers at OpenAI, DeepMind, Meta, and similar companies seem constantly surprised by the rapid development and sometimes unforeseen capabilities of their AI creations. If even the creators don’t know how fast the future will arrive, it would be hubristic for any of us to claim that AI will do X or AI won’t be able to do Y in the next decade, which is about how long it takes to really train an architect.

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ICON Unveils Groundbreaking Construction Innovations at SXSW: Revolutionizing Building with Robotics, AI, and Sustainable Materials

Pioneering advanced construction and large-scale 3D Printing, ICON was selected as ArchDaily’s Best New Practices of 2021 due to its boundary-breaking technology that is advancing capability in the built environment. The Texas-based startup has just unveiled various toolkits and products to modernize construction processes further. Dubbed “Domus Ex Machina,” the event showcased a range of innovations, such as an AI Architect created for home design and construction, a digital library containing over 60 pre-designed home plans, a new eco-friendly building material, and a robotic printed facilitating multi-story construction. Together, these developments aim to offer a quicker, more environmentally friendly way to build high-quality, affordable housing globally.

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The Metaverse Unleashed: The Rise of Human-Scale Digital Venues

This article is the eighth in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints. In this feature, architect John Marx interviews Heather Gallagher, an international expert in transformative events and the experience economy and former Head of Technology at Burning Man.

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Rationalise: Elements and Assemblies at Fabricate 2024

On April 4 – 6, the international conference FABRICATE 2024 will be held at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. Since its inception in 2011, FABRICATE has established itself as a global forum for new radical possibilities for architecture and welcomed thousands of participants from practice, industry, and research.

In this third article we meet architect Zhu Pei who is the founding Director of Studio Zhu Pei and Dean of the School of Architecture at Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. The text is an excerpt from the upcoming FABRICATE 2024 book and is based on an interview conversation led by Co-chair Phil Ayres between Zhu Pei and architect Cristiano Ceccato, Director of Zaha Hadid Architects. The book will be published on the opening night of the FABRICATE 2024 conference.

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Reframing the Concept of Building Envelope Through Minimalist Windows

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When we talk about the building envelope, we often make the analogy of a skin that protects and wraps the structure, creating a transition in the physical environment. This concept is interesting as it identifies that, similar to its function in humans, the skin plays a role in protecting and regulating the interior setting, besides contributing to the aesthetics of the building. In this way, both the human skin and the building envelope act as elements that respond to the stimuli of the surroundings and the life that develops within them. More than just protective barriers, they are experienced as means of active interaction with the context.

While envelopes evolve within diverse contexts, materials, and systems, minimalist windows distinguish themselves through their aesthetic qualities by being transparent and fluid skins. These windows excel with their functionality and visual lightness, standing out in the architectural landscape. In addition, they are noteworthy thanks to their versatility across different systems that connect life within the interior and exterior. Considering Swiss and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor's statement that "architecture is exposed to life,” windows play a vital role in expressing that connection, becoming a significant part of the building's identity and essence.

Navigating 3D Scanning and Point Clouds: Theory, Practice, and Real-world Applications

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In the coming decades, it seems inevitable that architects will increasingly focus on renovations and rehabilitations –especially in established urban centers–, whether to modernize outdated structures or adapt to new uses and demands by contemporary society. A main challenge when executing these types of projects is obtaining a truly reliable working base, including accurate and true-to-life 3D models. Conducting surveys can be a herculean task, requiring extensive hours or days of on-site work and considerable effort to organize and interpret the collected information, often resulting in data that lacks adequate precision.

To simplify these processes, technological advancements have provided a solution: site surveys based on point clouds and 3D scanning, which have the potential to revolutionize the design process. Point clouds are collections of millions or billions of individual measurement points on the surface of objects, which can be obtained through laser scanners, drones, or 3D cameras. Each measurement point contains X, Y, and Z coordinates, as well as other optical properties (reflectance, color). Multiple scanning positions are registered (stitched) to create point clouds of an entire scene, which can be loaded into virtually any CAD platform for standard fieldwork.

Localize: Sourcing and Performance at Fabricate 2024

On April 4 – 6, the international conference FABRICATE 2024 will be held at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. Since its inception in 2011, FABRICATE has established itself as a global forum for new radical possibilities for architecture and welcomed thousands of participants from practice, industry, and research.

In this second article, we meet architect Indy Johar who is the director of WikiHouse Foundation and CEO and founder of Dark Matters Lab working with institutions around the world, from UNDP, the European Commission on Net Zero Cities, the European Environmental Agency, and various national agencies and cities. The text is an excerpt from the upcoming FABRICATE 2024 book and is based on an interview conversation led by Co-chair Phil Ayres between Indy Johar and Professor Philippe Block, Head of the Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA), ETH Zürich. The book will be published on the opening night of the FABRICATE 2024 conference.

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How to Pre-Size a Gutter

As commonly understood, gutters are elements installed along the edges of roofs and balconies to channel rainwater. Their primary function is to collect water flowing over the roof's surface and direct it to the appropriate downspouts. Proper sizing is crucial regardless of the material—whether aluminum, PVC, concrete, galvanized steel, or others. Depending on the climate in which the project is situated, the damages caused by incorrect application can be considerable.

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Thom Mayne Presents "Constructing the Spontaneous" in Vancouver, Canada

The Pritzker-winning architect Thom Mayne is presenting his display “Constructing the Spontaneous” in the Paul Kyle Gallery in Vancouver, Canada. Known for his contributions to architecture and design, the architect founded Morphosis in 1972, embodying his philosophy of architecture as an ever-evolving, dynamic process. Mayne’s latest display features his artworks, diving into the intricate relationship between cutting-edge technology and timeless human expression.

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From Wood, Stone, Steel, and Uni Colors: A Decorative Collection for Fast-Moving Trends

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Nowadays, the cycles of change around society and architecture have generated new urban models, emerging technologies, and design trends that underline the need for constant adaptability in all areas. In this context, aspects such as flexibility, reliability, and simplicity emerge as distinctive elements, both in architecture and in the components that constitute it, including materials. This is why lines such as the EGGER Decorative Collection 24+, crafted from wood-derived materials, seek to redefine concepts through a rolling series, updated at most every two years. This dynamic enables a more agile response to new trends, influences, and product innovations that arise in the built environment.

Artificial Intelligence and Urban Planning: Technology as a Tool for City Design

The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and urban planning holds significant promise for creating more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable cities. This fusion entails the integration of cutting-edge technologies that can guide decision-making, enhance resource allocation, predict trends, engage citizens, and more. In this framework, where AI is seen as a tool for advancing various urban aspects, there has been a surge in the development of applications, software, and other technological systems tailored to support urban planning. Below, we have highlighted some global studies and technologies applied from urban morphology to community involvement.