Public health and the built environment have a long-intertwined history—one that was catapulted into the limelight amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The global crisis made us all acutely aware of how design, whether for dedicated medical buildings or other building types, can affect our ability to respond to health emergencies as well as our daily well-being. Those most attuned to this connection are a niche group of architecture and design practitioners who also have medical experience.
While the United Nations has been continuously urging architects, engineers, and city shapers to put the 2030 agenda and the SDGs into action, and the IPCC report revealed intensifying climate change, sparking widespread discussion over insufficient action, the 83rd ongoing session of The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management taking place in San Marino, has just issued a special declaration on “how to build better, safer, more inclusive, and resilient" cities, ahead of COP27. This set of “Principles for Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Design and Architecture”, or the San Marino declaration has gathered the signatures of Norman Foster and Stefano Boeri.
After having explored the spaces of architectural offices in the cities of Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Munich, Germany, Marc Goodwin documents the facades of the same studios. Looking at what makes them similar and what makes them unique, the series of images showcases 25 buildings of German firms such as Schneider+Schumacher, Blocher Partners, Asp Architekten, Behnisch Architekten, Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, Henn, Auer Weber Assoziierte, FRANKEN Generalplaner, apd architektur+ingenieurbüro, Steimle Architekten and Max Dudler.
How does school design influence the process of teaching and learning? Understanding current educational design trends and methodologies is key to designing healthy spaces for students to develop their social and academic capacities.
If we look at the evolution of school design through time, we can see that each period has its own challenges and preferences. Today's main challenge in school design is to create spaces that can integrate open learning environments that incorporate diversity of learning spaces, social interaction and sustainability.
The architecture industry seems to constantly be on the lookout for new materials and methodologies that better incorporate sustainability. One material which has stood the test of time, while also finding space for innovation, is wood. In this context, British Columbia (Canada) stands out as one of the world's largest exporters of wood products, and has successfully applied a number of strategies to maximize its use in sustainable design. One notable example, which will be explored in this article, is the use of wood in schools.
NEWSUBSTANCE transforms an oil rig into a 35 meters tall public art installation in Weston-super-Mare, UK. The mega-platform features a 10- meter-high waterfall, a wild garden, and a 6,000-piece kinetic installation, including Ivan Black's work and Trevor Lee's art pieces. From 24 September to 5 November 2022, "SEE MONSTER" will welcome the public to inspire conversations about reuse, renewables, and the great British weather, as part of the festival UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.
A persuasive local advocacy and media campaign convinced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a new, expanded study for a $6 billion project to protect Miami from future hurricanes, coastal flooding, and climate impacts. Critics argued that the Army Corps’ initial draft plan for the project, which had proposed a series of sea walls and gates, would have negatively impacted the character of Miami, reduced property values, and cut-off access to important waterfront parks, exacerbating existing inequities in access to public space.
Architecture practice Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) has won the international competition to design a new nearly net zero operational carbon business center in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. The competition, organized by the Lithuanian Union of Architects and the Right Bank Development Fund, requested the design of a 19,200-square meters office space in the Central Business District of the city. One of the key ambitions of the project was the reduction of embodies carbon, achieved through a number of strategies, including the use of cross-laminated timber floor planks and locally sourced materials.
Handel Architects designed the third tallest in Los Angeles, a 63-story high-rise 265 meters high in the Historical Downtown L.A. Featuring a 150 meters second tower, affordable residential housing, and community spaces, the "Angels Landing" will be the largest and tallest development to be built by Black developers in the United States, marking a milestone in the real estate industry, as in L.A.'s skyline. In partnership with The Peebles Corporation and MacFarlane Partners, the complex is scheduled to open in 2027 and will create more than 8,300 new jobs during construction.
The first full-size London Design Festival (LDF) for three years, and the event’s 20th anniversary year, this was meant to be a celebration. But life, as the saying goes, had other plans. Rocked by the news of HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, the country, and indeed the world started the London Design Festival in a period of mourning. Having reigned over the densest period of design innovation in human history, however, her majesty was no stranger to change.
With long-running themes like sustainability, materials, economic crises, and digital futures never higher in the public’s consciousness, LDF ’22 wasn’t just a professional meet and greet, but a chance to share some much-needed positivity with design enthusiasts, as well as locals, just passing by. Here are the most interesting and talked-about installations and talks from nine days of reflection on the past and hope for the future.
The mystery of color intrigues us from a young age. Mixing paints to make new hues or watching sunbeams and crystals create rainbows becomes a fascinating part of our childhood long before we ever hear of chemistry and optics. As we grow, color continues to play a major role in how we experience the world, impacting mood, emotions, productivity and behavior. This explains why humans are naturally drawn to certain hues; it is hard-wired into their brains. There is a common perception, for example, that red, orange and yellow palettes create a feeling of warmth and cheerfulness, while browns, grays and blacks evoke sadness and melancholy. Of course, the same applies to design and the built environment, as together with texture, light and shadow, the spaces around us are defined by tones and nuances that shape what we see and how we feel. Hence, color ultimately transforms the way we perceive, feel and live architecture.
The first Monday of October of every year marks World Architecture Day and World Habitat Day. Celebrated simultaneously, they both seek to shed light on the built environment and its challenges, taking on a different theme with each new edition. This year, through its World Architecture Day, the UIA is focusing on “Architecture for well-being”, in line with the designation of 2022 as the UIA Year of Design for Health in buildings and cities. In parallel, the UN’s World Habitat Day, is centered on “Mind the Gap. Leave No One and Place Behind”, looking at the problem of growing inequality and challenges in cities and human settlements, due to the triple ‘C’ crises – COVID-19, climate and conflict.
Introducing Urban October, 31 days to promote a better urban future, World Architecture Day and World Habitat Day push forward the debates on urban sustainability. Joining the conversation every year, ArchDaily takes part in this occasion by promoting content that tackles the main objectives of this day, raising awareness, presenting solutions, engaging the international community, and “empowering everyone who makes architecture happen to create a better quality of life”.
Windows are usually one of the most striking elements on a building and can be completely transformed depending on how they are detailed and installed. However, with the increased consciousness on thermal insulation, the detailing of windows and their installation has become progressively more complicated.
Below we will explore a typical masonry cavity wall, the different elements required to install a modern window and how these all come together on site.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to download the comprehensive Window Detailing Guide PDF complete with full CAD details from the Detail Library.
The Women Bauhaus is a new art collective of five female artists led by mentor Sabine Marcelis, who are taking inspiration from the legacy of women in the Bauhaus movement. The project was commissioned by luxury skincare brand La Prairie as part of its ongoing patronage of the arts. The projects developed are taking inspiration from Bauhaus icons such as textile artists Otti Berger, Benita Koch-Otte, and sculptor, metalsmith, and designer Marianne Brandt. The initiative also hopes to bring attention to the often-overlooked legacy of women who joined the Bauhaus movement, and whose struggles to affirm themselves as artists and designers are rarely recognized.
High-Rise Award (IHA) selected five buildings from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America from 34 nominated high-rise buildings from 13 countries. Vancouver House by BIG, TrIIIple Towers in Vienna by Henke Schreieck Architekten, The Bryant in New York by David Chipperfield Architects, Singapore State Courts by Serie Architects+ Multiply Architects, and Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney by 3XN, are the 2022/23 finalist for exemplifying sustainability, and social aspects in a high-rise building.
The IHA has aimed at architects and developers whose buildings are at least 100 meters high and have been completed in the past two years. Previous recipients include Norra Tornen by OMA (2020), Torre Reforma by LBR&A Arquitectos (2018), and Torre Agbar by Ateliers Jean Nouvel (2006).
Urban October is an initiative that was born with the aim of raising awareness, promoting participation, generating knowledge, and engaging the international community in creating a better urban future. Each year, UN-Habitat and its partners organize a month of activities, events, and debates around urban sustainability.
Bob Dylan's “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” is about arriving to heaven, but it also speaks of the element of the door, which allows one to enter paradise (or not). There is a lot of symbolism related to this constructive component, such as opening, limits, transitions and transformations. Doors have been around since the time of the Egyptian tombs and we can hardly think of architecture without them. While doors play a prominent role and have an unquestionable function, they can also be seen as visual obstructions in certain interior projects, which can be at odds in some spaces, without really fitting in aesthetically.
Outdoor spaces and balconies have gained much more importance after the social isolation period the world went through. In contact with the outside, these areas bring light and ventilation to the apartment primarily; and when improved or used in a different way, they can bring more comfort to the living environment.
With the scarcity of open spaces, the high concentration of empty buildings in areas already consolidated in cities, and an awareness of the impact of new constructions on the environment, refurbishments are increasingly part of both the architect's work routine and the client's choice. At the same time, they are often synonymous with unexpected surprises and problems, causing delays and discomfort. This text presents four pre-work strategies that can help you better prepare for this moment.
Architectural photography has historically been a male-dominated genre, as has architecture itself and the construction industry in general. But this scene is changing fast. Some of the most relevant names in architectural photography in the world are now women, and Brazil is no different. When facing gender barriers – one of the main difficulties being exposure to public space at unusual times, carrying valuable equipment, as photographer Ana Mello has already stated in an interview – these professionals are breaking paradigms and immortalizing the works with their sharp and sensitive eyes.
The kitchen emerges as an environment that permeates several issues within domesticity. Ranging from a workspace to a welcome meeting table, this area has evolved a lot over time: more functional designs and different materials and textures that have improved the gastronomic experience. and, more than that, it stopped being an indoor environment to open itself to the outside, exploring through permeability a better quality of light and bringing greater pleasure to those who occupy it.
If the pavement of a sidewalk is a key element for the flow organization, the urban furniture chosen to compose the public space is responsible for the qualification of the place, creating more friendly spaces. Dumpsters, flowerbeds, signposts, benches, lighting, bike racks and so many others help transform a space that, despite being just a pass-through, is also the only public space in most cities.
In a new show at Kunst Haus Wien in Vienna, the Austrian artist continues his investigation of architecture where few civilians tread.
Gregor Sailer’s quest for unusual structures and buildings takes him to some of the most extreme reaches of human civilization — from military field exercise centers in the USA and Europe to a mining center near Chuquicamata in the Atacama Desert to Arctic snow fields.
It’s About Time, the 10th edition of the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale, is a seven-week-long manifestation showing realistic courses toward a livable future at a time when the consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. Half a century ago, the consequences of climate change were predicted in The Limits of Growth report from 1972. This outlines the possible consequences of an exponential increase in population, agricultural production, and resource extraction. The report is viewed by many as the beginning of environmental awareness. The Rotterdam Architecture Biennale aims to bring these changes into perspective by looking both at the past and the possible future.
Snøhetta+Hassell were selected by competition to redesign Harbourside in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Expected to kick off in 2023, the 42-story residential tower and the 13500 square meters of public spaces will extend along the over 240 meters of water frontage within Sydney's iconic Darling Harbor area. Property developer Mirvac target to achieve 5 and 6 Star Green Star and WELL ratings, making the project one of Australia's most sustainable districts.
