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Asymptote Architecture has designed a new Space Center to house educational, scientific, art and entertainment programs for space exploration. Launched as part of the Galaktika Foundation’s initiative to create the first city in space, the project was made by architects Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture. Dubbed the Cosmos Center, the design aims to become an inspiring landmark for interstellar space enthusiasts.

In a study recently published by AIA, less than 13% of architectural firms have incorporated building performance as part of their practice. With buildings contributing 40% of total carbon emissions leading to climate change, just 25 projects are roughly equivalent to planting 1 million trees each year. In addition to that, teams that are able to showcase data-driven and performance-driven decision-making and feature an energy analysis in every pursuit are able to increase fees and generate more revenue. Although integrating building performance sounds like a no-brainer, it proves to be difficult at many firms, because in addition to the practical changes, it requires a culture shift. That culture shift can only happen if the tools are easy to use, accurate, and mesh well with current workflows. Right now is the perfect time to tackle these culture changes due to a few reasons:

The American Society of Landscape Architects has published a new Guide to Universal Design. According to the ASLA, one billion people, or 15 percent of the global population, experience some form of disability. The new guide explores the ways in how Universal Design means that everyone, regardless of ability or age, can access and participate in public life.

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The Chongqing Gaoke Group Ltd Office building designed by Aedas has reached new heights as construction progresses, and the project is taking form in the urban fabric and the city center’s skyline. Standing tall at the north of Xingfu Plaza, in Jiangbei District of Chongqing, in the southwest of China, the high rise introduces a vibrant and dynamic movement in the surrounding.

The internationally renowned Palestinian-Jordanian architect Rasem Badran is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Tamayouz Lifetime Achievement Award for Architecture, the most coveted honor from the Tamayouz Excellence Award program.

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The University of Technology Sydney has announced that the new UTS Central hub by FJMT has opened to the public in Australia. As the final building in the 10-year campus redevelopment program, the project was made to embody the university's strategy and approach to education while redefining the southern gateway to the city's CBD. UTS Central was designed to set a new standard for contemporary education in Sydney.

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Danish practice Henning Larsen has been selected as this year’s Laureate of the European Prize for Architecture, one of Europe’s most prestigious architectural awards. Jointly presented by The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and the Chicago Athenaeum, the prize has been awarded annually since 2010, recognizing architects whose work embodies vision, commitment, and a profound respect for humanity and for the social and physical environment. The award committee recognized Henning Larsen’s commitment to sustainability, livability and artistry.

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Pixel, the latest project from Dutch firm MVRDV, is now under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The community based mixed-used development is the first project in Abu Dhabi’s Makers District, an innovative and cosmopolitan new area, on the Reem Island.

U-M architect and an associate professor at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Sean Ahlquist with MSU playwright Dionne O'Dell created a sensory theater experience for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) challenges. Ahlquist has sought out solutions to help initially his daughter with her autism, by learning more about her specific needs, and the way that she interacts with the world around her.

Designer Astin John has created a proposal for a new hyperloop terminal in Mumbai, India. The project is intended to celebrate the new age of hyperloop transportation technology through architecture for the state approved Mumbai – Pune hyperloop in Maharastra. The terminal acts as a transportation hub that connects other modes of transport in Mumbai to the hyperloop, and is inspired from the aerodynamic free flow of air.

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Greek design practice Petrās Architecture have created a new proposal for an archaeological museum in Sparta. Designed for the Peloponnese Municipality, the project integrates an existing listed building with a new museum building and the surroundings archaeological finds. The project aims to bring together architecture, history and landscape into a single narrative and museum experience for Sparta.

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"Sounding Forest” is a finalist proposal for the Latvian Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by Malitis Architects. The project was granted the 1st prize in the first phase of a national competition in Latvia. The interactive installation puts in place an artificial forest made of piano strings, generating a playful dialogue between the installation and the visitors.

Concrete, an essential building material, has for decades offered us the possibility of shaping our cities quickly and effectively, allowing them to rapidly expand into urban peripheries and reach heights previously unimagined by mankind. Today, new timber technologies are beginning to deliver similar opportunities – and even superior ones – through materials like Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT).

To better understand the properties and benefits of CLT, we talked with Jorge Calderón, Industrial Designer and CRULAMM Manager. He discusses some of the promising opportunities that CLT could provide architecture in the future.

Videos

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PLANE—SITE has released a new film showcasing the work and ideas of Bogotá-based architect Giancarlo Mazzanti, founder of El Equipo de Mazzanti. In this video interview, Mazzanti elaborates on his experimental approach to design research and explores several of his spaces for learning. His firm is behind numerous schools and educational centers, designed to encourage playful and exploratory movement and social relations. As the video explore, Mazzanti creates scenarios for play in daily life.

Anna Saint Pierre's Granito project is harvesting the ingredients for new architectural building blocks from demolished structures.

Rapid urban change comes and goes without many even noticing it. Entire slices of a city’s history disappear overnight: What was once a wall of hewn stone is now fritted glass and buffed metal. The building site is always, first, a demolition site.

This is the thread that runs through Granito, a project by the young French designer and doctoral researcher Anna Saint Pierre. Developed in response to a late-20th-century Paris office block due for a major retrofit, one involving disassembly, it hinges on a method of material preservation Saint Pierre calls “in situ recycling.” Her proposal posits that harvesting the individual granite panels of the building’s somber gray facade could form the basis of a circular economy. “No longer in fashion,” this glum stone—all 182 tons of it—would be dislodged, pulverized, and sorted on-site, then incorporated into terrazzo flooring in the building update.

Design trends are often the result of foreign cultural influences, avant-garde creations, and innovative solutions for people's ever-evolving needs. Although the design world seems like one big mood board, some cities have managed to outshine the rest with their recent projects.

As part of their annual Design Cities Listing, Metropolis Magazine has highlighted 10 cities across 5 continents with intriguing projects that have harmonized contemporary urbanism with traditional and faraway influences.

Videos

Over the past two decades, the role of representation and rendering has changed dramatically in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. New rendering technologies, techniques, and programs, such as Lumion, have been contributing to this change. By including 3D rendering tools, architects and designers can take advantage of easy-to-use, multifunctional visualization technology that serves to strengthen creativity rather than stifle it.