When the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) announced its winners of the 2022 edition, 20 projects were selected for their excellence in the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community development, and preservation and improvement of the environment. Among them, one project in Jhenaidah, Bangladesh, managed to capitalize on the strength of the local community to reverse the ecological degradation of its riverscape and create a functional and socially inclusive public space along the riverbanks. ArchDaily’s Managing Editor, Christele Harrouk, had the chance to interview Suhailey Farzana, and Khondaker Hasibul Kabir co-founders of Co.Creation.Architects, and Rubaiya Nasrin from Platform of Community Action and Architecture, POCAA, part of the team behind the Co-creation of Urban Spaces by the Nobogonga River, in Bangladesh. The project also won the 5th category of the UIA 2030 Award for the Access to Green and Public Spaces.

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MVRDV and GRAS announced the completion of five of the seven buildings of Project Gomila in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The residential complex was originally comprised of four existing buildings, adding three new ones for a total of 60 new dwellings and new commercial spaces. The project aligns with revamping the historic neighborhood "El Terreno" as a vibrant and sustainable residential site, home of bohemian nightclubs that hosted iconic musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, and Tom Jones.

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CityMakers is working with Archdaily to publish a series of articles, conversations and interviews with the different actors of city co-production behind CityMakers Barcelona Lab 2022, an event that will take place from 14-18 November. On this occasion, Camilo Osorio, Architect and Master in Urban and Territorial Development at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia - Barcelona Tech, presents his article "Barcelona: Joy and Order. The natural and artificial endowments of an exemplary city".

Earth architecture is built on a far-reaching history. Its story continues to be told through aged structures that have stood the test of time. Across the world, indigenous earth construction techniques have been pioneered by many ancient civilizations. Communities originally built shelters from earth - the most readily available material to them - and have passed on their construction techniques through generations. Earth architecture evolved with a careful understanding of land and location. With practices perfected decades ago, it is fascinating to see earth architecture remaining resilient through adversities 

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CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, together with architect Italo Rota and urbanist Richard Burdett, unveiled the master plan for Rome’s bid to host the World Expo in 2030. The project proposes a joint effort from every participating country to contribute to a solar farm that could power the exhibition site and help decarbonize the surrounding neighborhoods. The Expo is proposed to take place in Tor Vergata, a vast area in Rome and home to the eponymous university and a densely inhabited residential district. All the pavilions are designed to be fully reusable, as the area is proposed to be transformed into an innovation district after the event in the hope of revitalizing the somewhat neglected neighborhood. The master plan was developed with several partners, including ARUP for sustainability, infrastructure, and costing, LAND for landscape design, and Systematica for mobility strategy.

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Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2022: "Edible; Or, The Architecture of Metabolism" announced record numbers in its 6th edition after 3 months of exhibitions in Estonia's capital. From installations and a symposium to satellite events, the biennale received in its opening week a record of circa 3000 visitors between architects, planners, designers, and students from more than 20 countries. Due to the successful outcome, the Installation "Fungible Non-Fungible" will be installed until 2024 marking the beginning of the 7th TAB.

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Videos

Multifarious experiences of cities are brought forward in Copenhagen Architecture Festival (CAFx)’s impressive Film Mosaic—from life-affirming experiences of cities as potential, if not real, spaces of play, dance, social exchange and community-building, to claustrophobic experiences of trapped, suffocating life. To the authors of this short reflection essay, a series of films depicting the latter kind, have made a powerful impact. Filmmakers from countries as diverse as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Canada, Uruguay, Tunisia, United Kingdom and Spain offer artistic expressions of how persons in today’s urban life may be unable to thrive, to differentiate themselves, to find rootedness, calmness, sanity or safety.

We are looking for a highly-motivated, writing-loving architect to join our editorial team in Chile or Mexico, working on the development and publication of both sponsored and original content on ArchDaily, specifically related to materials, products, and building systems.

Your challenge will be to present the latest innovations and trends in relation to the world of construction in a useful and attractive way, prioritizing technical and educational content.

A 2022 United Nations report claims that the negative impacts of the climate crisis are mounting much faster than scientists predicted less than a decade ago. Rising greenhouse-gas emissions could soon outstrip the ability of many communities to adapt, and the consequences will continue to hit the world’s most vulnerable populations. As climate scientist Maarten van Aalst suggests, “Any further delay in global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all.” The data is clear: to protect our planet, we need to prevent a 1.5°C rise in global temperatures this century. To do so, the world must achieve a 45% reduction in global carbon emissions from 2010 levels to 2030, to then reach a net-zero state by 2050. It is evident, however, that we are on track to miss this goal by a substantial amount. The clock is ticking, and every industry should act fast (and drastically) to even dream of greener cities.

Denver-based architecture office Tres Birds announced that Denver’s tallest mass timber building is planned to break ground in July 2023. The 12-story building named “Return to Form” will be located in the River North Arts District in Denver, US. Its structural system uses mass timber, a new technology that utilizes small-diameter trees from sustainably managed forests. Through continuous planting and responsible harvesting, these forests are becoming a source of renewable and low-impact building materials. The mass timber structure is comprised of wood panels that are glued and laminated together. This provides not only strength and stability but also fire resistance.

Norman Foster Foundation and Arup office in Berlin schemed a master plan for Kharkiv, Ukraine, to guide future urban regulations and prepare professionals for the city's reconstruction. In collaboration with a local advisory board, the outline is defined by a series of pilot projects to develop aspects such as heritage, infrastructure, and rivers. The initiative follows a request from the Kharkiv Mayor to the Foster Foundation through the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, weeks after the Ukraine War started in February 2022.

Sanmartín Guix, an architectural firm based in Barcelona, aims to enhance the value of the built heritage through rehabilitation and adaptation according to the needs of new generations, providing comprehensive architectural services as well as real estate advice. In this way, the conditions and aesthetics of the buildings are improved, seeking to adapt them to the requirements of all those who wish to visit or inhabit these spaces.

Once popular in Victorian architecture, pocket doors fell out of fashion in the mid-1920s and hinged doors soon became the norm. In recent years, however, a renewed interest in space-saving and design-forward solutions has brought pocket doors back into the limelight. What used to be an overlooked architectural feature is now becoming increasingly common in modern interiors, along with its creative flair and countless functions. These sleek, sliding doors can efficiently divide rooms, create seamless transitions, save space and contribute to a unique, sophisticated and stylish look. All of this while adding a slight touch of poetry to the home; sliding silently into the wall, pocket doors invite users to step through and explore what lies beyond, creating a strong sense of mystery and intrigue.

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In our current context of ecological crisis, global warming, biodiversity loss, human population growth, and urban sprawl, we need to rethink the way we build and live in our city. We have observed the consequence of uncontrolled urban planning and construction driven only by a capitalist and productivist vision of the city, packing as many humans as possible in the cheapest constructions available, without consideration for the impact on our planet, our fellow animals &  plants inhabitants, and our own wellbeing. The concrete jungles we have been building for the past century have proven to be disrupting our climate (Global Warming, Local heat island effect), our ecosystems (loss of biodiversity, and recess of animals & plants population), and our economy (the food and product industry have been displaced far away, replaced by the only service industry, and the generation of the huge amount of waste in the city).

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Architecture has always been considered a fixed entity in contrast to the ever-shifting appearance of Nature. Photography has dutifully followed this concept of immobility by trying to fix the ‘eternal’ presence of architecture as a memorable icon. In historical terms then, architecture and landscape coexisted in the humanistic continuum of inside and outside space to which Modernism aspired, as "extensions of man", in incidental and uncanny relationships of adjacency and reflectivity. My intention through my photography has been  to change this perception.

Videos

Staged stories on community and identity, ephemeral architecture showed that in 2022 it doesn't have to be permanent to be powerful. A direct and popped-up public installation can shift from preparation to action, reclaiming and defining what makes a community unique. Highlighting installations to acknowledge linguistic diversity in NYC, a giant table to celebrate culinary in Barcelona, and a large-scale net in Dubai to represent the local culture, among others, these initiatives seek to understand ways in which local and regional expressions can help cities to be more equal and diverse.

Globalization has connected the world boundaryless. While it has also made information more accessible, it has led to homogeneity and identity crisis at melding unique societies and cultural expressions. Cultural differences are undeniable as globalization grows. Hence, as architecture produces common living standards, it can also highlight singularities. Festivals, installations, and pavilions, 2022 was the year to express local memories to be recognized and celebrated, setting Community and identity as central topics in ephemeral architecture throughout the year.

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The International Organization of Migration (IOM) and the Qatar Red Crescent are set to receive 27 tents designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) to serve and support displaced populations. The donation is made by the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, and its human and social legacy program, Generation Amazing Foundation. The news was announced during the opening of a ZHA-EAA tent inside the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha, and it represents part of the country’s effort to ensure that the World Cup has a positive lasting effect after the closing of the tournament.

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Snøhetta, the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), and the New York Public Library (NYPL) unveiled designs for a new 12,000-square-foot branch library in the Westchester Square neighborhood of The Bronx, NYC. Inspired by the surrounding greenery, the energy-efficient building will be wrapped in pastoral print fritted glass, defining the new structure as an important economic and educational node within the neighborhood. Construction on the new Library is anticipated to start during mid-to-late 2023.

The Government of Mexico City, UNESCO and Airbnb announced an alliance "to position the city as the capital of creative tourism and remote workers in Latin America". The announcement was made known through the Mexico City Government's social networks and Airbnb's news section. However, on August 9th, 2021, UNESCO unveiled the strategy with the intention of "contributing to the reactivation of tourism in a responsible and sustainable way in Mexico, and extending the benefits of cultural and creative tourism to more communities, Airbnb will promote, with the accompaniment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ("UNESCO"), destinations and experiences outside the traditional tourist circuit."

If street culture is the glue that holds together an urban environment, what happens when its denizens no longer need to go outside? This is one of the fundamental questions faced by architects today, decades after the New Urbanist movement first popularized, or rather brought back, the concept of mixed-use streetscapes—and more than sixty years since Jane Jacobs famously championed walkable streets as essential to building vibrant urban communities.

Long gone, of course, are the days when city streets were our only outlet or option for access to retail and other services. Now, the internet gives us all that and more: remote shopping, banking, education, and even healthcare. Meanwhile, social media has transformed the way we communicate with friends and neighbors. All of which is to say: we no longer need to go out for social interaction or to procure services, we choose to.

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