Until the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis was perhaps the fundamental design problem of our Anthropocene era. The threat of climate change has forced us as designers to reevaluate how we realize designs at all scales. Eco-friendly interior finishes, net-zero energy skyscrapers, and strategies to prevent the rising sea levels from pushing residents in coastal cities more inland are just some of the innovative solutions that have come from the increased urgency to mitigate the effects of the climate on our world.

Realistic images and walk-throughs have become an integral part of project presentations. Designers are using cutting-edge softwares and constructing precise 3D models to showcase their work as authentically as possible. As for the world of video games, it is not just about the quality of the graphics or how accurate these graphics are, but rather the immersive experience of visual designs and how the players are communicating with the virtually-built environment.

In an exclusive interview with ArchDaily, Philip Klevestav, principle artist at Blizzard Entertainment, the gaming development company known for Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo, shares his insights on video game designs and the influence of architecture on the designing process.

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Zaha Hadid Architects has won a competition to design and build the new Shanghai headquarters of the China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group (CECEP). The 218,000 sqm project will be the ‘greenest’ building in the city with sustainability embedded into every aspect of its design and construction to achieve more than 90 credits in China’s exacting Three Star Green Building Rating system - the highest score for any building in Shanghai.

Videos

Architects around the world have put their knowledge to use in the fight against the coronavirus. While some designed alternative facilities to increase the capacity of hospitals, others imagined different types of face protection gears to help with the world-wide shortage of masks. Using 3d printing technology, easy to assemble techniques, and low-cost material, firms, universities, and individuals have mobilized their expertise to create face shields for citizens and medical staff.

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The Lithuanian capital Vilnius has decided to allocate its public spaces to bars and cafes, to encourage the reopening of restaurants under required physical distancing measures. Turning the outdoor space into one vast open-air café, the city is taking new safety measures to step into the next phase of the lockdown.

The final piece of the new Morandi Bridge decking in Genoa, Italy has been put in place. Designed by Renzo Piano, the structure is being built to address the tragic collapse of the original bridge that claimed 43 lives. In the aftermath of the disaster, Piano offered to donate the design of a bridge to replace the old one, having been deeply affected by the tragedy. The latest announcement comes from PERGENOVA, the company established to design and build the new bridge.

Fifty percent of landfill waste in New Zealand is construction and demolition waste. The demand for homes in the coming years and decades is rapidly outstripping any possible supply we could provide with our current construction methods. PhD student Ged Finch discusses the problems with the home building industry and practices in New Zealand and proposes an alternative to what he terms the "disposable model" of building. Today's homes are not built to last, and can make us sick in the time they are here. Finch's research focuses instead on a completely reimagined, zero waste model for construction. Utilizing today's digital fabrication technologies, we can create a set of building parts that are optimized and reusable from naturally durable materials. But the technical solution is only one part, states Finch. The real key is human ambition.

Although any architectural project must ensure the safety and well-being of its occupants, this goal is especially pertinent for healthcare spaces, whose primary occupants are those prone to getting sick or worsening their initial condition. For this reason, its design must not only support medical procedures in their optimal conditions, but also ensure that the environment is kept sterile and clean at all times.

How do materials that fight the growth of pathogenic bacteria work? Is it possible to improve the hygiene and healthiness of an environment without neglecting the aesthetics of the space? We address this question by reviewing the case of Krion® solid surfaces, widely used in the healthcare sector but also in residential, commercial and office projects.

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Transform your “New Tab” page into a useful, inspiring tool with ArchDaily’s New Tab Chrome Extension.

Every time you open a new tab in your Chrome browser, it’s an opportunity to be inspired with a randomly selected photograph of our +38,000 curated projects. If you want to learn more about the project featured, you can easily click to see more pictures, drawings, and information.

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It's no secret that concrete has one of the highest CO2 emissions of all building materials, making it a focal point for architects looking to innovate and experiment with it as a way to optimize its production and application in construction while decreasing its environmental impact. This exploration of elements such as concrete's thermal inertia, which could serve to make buildings more energy efficient, as well as its durability, which guarantees a long-lasting, zero- maintenance structure even in the most extreme of climates. The ultimate goal is to create luminous living spaces with natural ventilation while simultaneously exploring the possibility of reusing frameworks as a way of cutting costs and streamlining the building process.

Videos

Architects, not Architecture decided to open their archive to help us cope with the current situation of not being able to go out as usual and create a source of inspiration and entertainment through sharing one of the unique talks from their previous 35 events, which have never been published before – including those of architects like Daniel Libeskind, Tatiana Bilbao, Peter Cook, Richard Rogers, Massimiliano Fuksas, Kim Herforth Nielsen, Ben van Berkel, Benedetta Tagliabue, Anupama Kundoo, Sadie Morgan, Dan Stubbergaard, Manuelle Gautrand and Kjetil Thorsen,

Every week, Archdaily will be sharing one of the Architects, not Architecture. talks which they are currently publishing online in the form of daily full-length video uploads as part of their event: Home Edition 2020 (www.architectsnotarchitecture.com).

Almost two months have passed since the quarantine regime started in several countries as a strategy to reduce the transmission rate of the coronavirus. Since then, a considerable part of the architecture professionals has started to adopt telework or home office, keeping up with the projects that have already started, supported by a number of new online meeting tools, document storage in the cloud and BIM models.

HUA HUA Architects has imagined a proposal that can reconcile people and public spaces, post Covid-19. The Gastro Safe Zone program aims to awaken stagnant gastronomic businesses by regulating outside eating and ensuring the required social distancing measures. The first prototype has been already installed in the streets of Brno in the Czech Republic.

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The Finland Pavilion for Expo Dubai 2020 draws inspiration from Finnish nature, design, and innovation. Imagined by JKMM Architects, the project also takes on elements from the local context, with tent-like features.

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Videos

The Louisiana Channel recently released a new interview with Peter Eisenman on the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. Sharing his thoughts on what went into building the memorial, he touches on the desire to move away from Jewish symbolism. The video explores the larger idea and feeling of being lost in space and time, a concept that Eisenman describes as a "field of otherness."

Videos

Memory is unique to the individual. Physical places are often strong triggers for memories, or else can be the focus of the memory itself. In AXOR's personal new campaign, "AXOR Places", design partners of the brand share their "Place of Memory". Complemented by aerial landscape photography by Tom Hegen, the designers' stories showcase their individual experiences of place. The photography connects the personal "Places of Memory" with the individualization possibilities offered by the AXOR MyEdition faucet collection.

While opting for still images seems to be the most utilized means of presenting a project, some architects choose to invite viewers into the architecture itself, allowing them to experience the building and its surroundings immersively. Since 2006, architecture filmography studio Spirit of Space has engaged viewers with over 200 short films of projects built by world-renowned architects such as Peter Zumthor, Steven Holl, Daniel Libeskind, and Jeanne Gang. The studio’s multidisciplinary team has combined visuals with customized soundtracks, elevating the journey and turning it into a multi-sensory experience.

The disruption caused by the coronavirus may have opened doors that many have been waiting for. Preliminary studies support that we experienced a faster technological revolution during the last three months than ever before. Forced to adapt, and to ensure the liveability of urban fabrics, policymakers are reviewing data protocols and legislations, giving way to tech-powered urban health solutions. However, many of those amendments will stay post virus. The precedence gained as a legacy will offer cause for both wonder and worry for our urban future. 

The Citizens’ Brigade to Save LACMA, had organized a competition entitled “LACMA Not LackMA”, in order to collect ideas “that could contribute to an alternate design for a new Los Angeles County Museum of Art”. The selected six designs are from renowned international firms: Barkow Leibinger, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Kaya Design, Paul Murdoch Architects, Reiser + Umemoto, and TheeAe.

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The Victorian State Government has given official approval for the Southbank project, in Melbourne, with construction scheduled for next year. Set to become Australia’s tallest tower, the building is conceived by Dutch firm UNStudio and local firm Cox Architecture.

Parramatta City Council has approved the new Aquatic and Leisure Center project by Grimshaw, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall. Located in New South Wales, Australia, the project was reviewed via a development application that outlined the project's vision since its inception in June 2018. The aquatic center will replace the Parramatta Memorial Pool and will integrate with the surrounding park setting.