Rising demands for energy efficiency, technical functionality, and interior comfort in buildings necessitate the development of more efficient building envelope constructions. The building envelope serves as a mediator between a building's exterior and interior. In today's architectural landscape, it performs a multitude of functions to enhance the building's performance. These functions include building control systems, energy supply (such as gas and electricity), and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), among others. These elements primarily determine the functionality, efficiency, and safety of building spaces. Given that the nature of building envelopes heavily depends on these services, how can they serve as primary frameworks for building design development?
As we successfully launched our 15th Building of the Year Awards earlier this year, we want to thank you for being part of our community for over 10 years. Together we have been growing and contributing to the architectural scene, aiming for a better world. Now, we are proud to announce the 8th edition of The ArchDaily Building of the Year China, celebrating the best architecture in China, as chosen by you, the reader.
By nominating and voting, you form part of an interdependent, impartial, distributed network of jurors and peers that has consistently helped us celebrate architecture of every scale, purpose, and condition, and architects of all profiles. Over the coming weeks, your votes will result in 700 Chinese projects filtered down to just 10 best projects in China.
The 2024 Building of the Year Awards China is brought to you thanks to Dornbracht, renowned for leading designs for architecture, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.
https://www.archdaily.com/1014288/archdaily-chinas-2024-building-of-the-year-awards-are-now-open-for-nominations韩双羽 - HAN Shuangyu
The principles of the circular economy have been most influential and applicable to the construction industry. Emphasizing the efficient use of resources, models around reuse and recycling of components and materials are increasingly being pioneered by global architecture practices. The concept of "design for disassembly" has emerged as an innovative approach especially in the case of building facades. Striking a balance between the demands for new infrastructure and the transition towards sustainability requires a review of traditional facade design throughout its lifecycle.
LXK Office and Residential Campus. Image Courtesy of MVRDV
MVRDV has just begun construction on the LXK Office and Residential Campus in Berlin. Situated in Friedrichshain, near Berlin Ostbahnhof, the development spans approximately 61,200 sqm and boasts city center views from its green rooftops and terraces. Designed as two buildings, a horizontal band encircles the middle of either structure, serving as a distinctive landmark in Berlin.
This curated collection unfolds the narratives of some of the most compelling architectural projects by women from the Global South. From the unique streets of Dubai to the rural landscapes of Niger, each project serves as a testament to the power of architecture to transcend gender boundaries and create meaningful designs that connect people and their surroundings.
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.
https://www.archdaily.com/1013905/reframing-the-concept-of-building-envelope-through-minimalist-windowsEnrique Tovar
Architecture – once it moved out from under its cavernous beginnings – started off largely nomadic. For a long time, the shade of trees and moveable tents made from animal skin were utilized instead of more permanent dwellings to meet nomadic lifestyles and basic survival needs. These early portable structures were primarily supported by wooden frames and were used by various ancient civilizations, including the Bedouins in the Arabian Peninsula and the Native American tribes in North America. The advent of woven cloth some 40,000 years ago made the dwellings even lighter and easier to transport, a boon to nomadic cultures around the globe.
Though tents have remained popular since then in recreational contexts and as a staple of the architectural form, contemporary architecture has rediscovered the principle of draping fabric and taken its development further – not just for temporary structures, but for permanent buildings and installations, too. Advanced and durable materials have turned fabric into a facade and roof alternative that has sparked a highly specialized sector within the construction industry and created some of the most intriguing exteriors around the globe.
The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.
A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss whether or not architects are optimists. Many claim to be, but are they? The two cover in what ways architects are optimists, when architects are pessimists, how to be an optimist and how it impacts one’s work, being a realist, and more.
https://www.archdaily.com/1014329/the-second-studio-podcast-being-an-optimistic-architectThe Second Studio Podcast
Due to their aesthetic, sustainable, durable, and resistant qualities, stone materials have accompanied the disciplines of architecture and engineering since their origins. As is known, in Mexico, stone has been a fundamental element in pre-Hispanic constructions where experimentation was done with vaults, ashlars, masonry, etc.
However, the industrialization of this material, the perfection of techniques, and experimentation with its various applications have allowed buildings erected today to continue using it in different ways and various regions of the country, specifically in wooded areas. For this reason, we have compiled a selection of projects that include houses, haciendas, hotels, restaurants, and terraces to continue inspiring you.
Expanding beyond just March 8th, ArchDaily acknowledges and celebrates the ongoing contributions of women who influence the development of the built environment globally. The "Women in Architecture" theme is central to our content strategy, underscoring our daily commitment to highlight the vital role and impact of female architects.
The facade of a building often serves as a reflection of both the urban fabric it is set in, as well as what lies behind it. Beyond aesthetics, facades hold important functional, cultural, and sustainable significance, especially in relation to the interior design. Although natural light, views, and spatial organization are influenced by the facade, architects have been prioritizing the relationship between the building's envelope and the quality of the interior, keeping in mind current cultural, economical, and environmental changes influencing the way people design their living space. So responding to these ever-changing needs and habits, along with the focus on overall wellbeing, architects offset the facade and ceiling - and in some particular cases, floors - to create interiors within interiors; secondary envelopes that protect the interior space from the outside environment.
Around the globe, today’s architects face several rising challenges. The demand for affordable housing is increasing significantly, but so is the urgent need to save the planet’s resources and reduce carbon emissions. At first glance, these two goals might seem mutually exclusive. However, the history of architecture is one of great minds overcoming challenges through creativity and innovation.
In 2004, wienerberger, a leading provider of innovative and ecological solutions for the entire building envelope in the areas of new construction and renovation, as well as infrastructure for water and energy management, launched the biennial Brick Award to recognize and, more importantly, support such innovative solutions and the people who create them. In June 2024, for its 11th iteration, the prize will once again be awarded to extraordinary feats of brick architecture from around the world.
Brooklyn-based firm SO-IL has revealed the design for a new campus art museum at Williams College in Massachusetts, created to become a primary teaching resource for the institution renowned for its art history program. Since its inauguration in 1926, the Williams College Museum of Art has gathered an expansive collection of over 15,000 works. Through the design of SO-IL, the museum will be able to move into its first freestanding purpose-built home. In May 2024, the museum will present an exhibition on SO-IL’s design.
São Paulo. Image by joao batista Shimoto licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Considered the fifth most populous city in the world as of 2022, São Paulo is confronted with a multitude of challenges befitting its over 22 million inhabitants. Among the numerous urban issues faced, the depopulation of the city's historic center has been a recurring topic for at least four decades, with governments announcing measures that could potentially reverse the situation. In the meantime, the same center has witnessed a rise in housing occupations in abandoned buildings, highlighting the importance of its redefinition and residential potential.
Even within the world of design media, it was easy to miss the news: In late January, Notre Dame’s School of Architecture announced that Peter Pennoyer, a New York–based architect and author, had won the 2024 Richard H. Driehaus Prize. The Driehaus is architecture’s traditional/classical design version of the Pritzker Prize. Although it comes with a hefty $200,000 check—twice the size of the Pritzker’s honorarium—and previous winners include such luminaries as Robert A.M. Stern, Michael Graves, Leon Kier, and Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, the award still exists in a sort of media vacuum.
The Sacred Grove Burning Man Temple / DIALOG. Image Courtesy of DIALOG
In the world of architecture, competitions serve as catalysts for innovation and creativity. By promoting the architectural community to contemplate a given theme and intervene in well-defined spaces, they provide some of the best platforms for experimentation, allowing architects and designers to explore new concepts, challenge conventions, and address pressing societal needs, all while comparing the wide variety of emerging solutions. This week's curated roundup gathers examples of worldwide competition proposals submitted by the ArchDaily Community.
The selected projects vary in size and program, from world-renowned competitions such as those hosted for the national pavilions at the next World Expo in Osaka, or the Temple at the center of Black Rock City at Burning Man, to local interventions that highlight unique spaces such as the creative reimagining of a popular market space in the historic center of Sibiu, Romania, or the subtle presence of a villa in the Mediterranean wilderness.
The Norman Foster Institute is now accepting applications for its Programme on Sustainable Cities, taking place in Madrid from January to December 2025.
The Programme on Sustainable Cities blends hands-on experience with academic insights from the Norman Foster Foundation’s global network of experts, led by Co-Directors Norman Foster and Kent Larson. Each year, participants will immerse themselves in three pilot cities, engaging directly with local planners and managers. The 2025 academic year will focus on African cities, one of the most challenging territories that also presents one of the greatest opportunities for urban development.
BIG and HNTB have just won the competition to design an Athletics ballpark in Las Vegas. Situated along the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the ballpark for the Athletics Major League Baseball team promises to uphold the values of the “Entertainment Capital of the World.” Nestled between Tropicana Avenue and Reno Avenue on Las Vegas Boulevard, the ballpark boasts 33,000 seats in an open-air stadium sprawling across nine acres.
Throughout history, numerous cities worldwide have been settled and built on hillsides, where one can observe the myriad urban challenges they face due to their topographical conditions. However, beyond issues related to their urban infrastructure or transportation systems, which can become more complex due to the geography, hillside urban occupation typically involves various intersections of social, environmental, and economic issues.
These settlements are often inhabited by vulnerable and low-income communities, driven by a variety of motivations. Frequently, the lack of information about certain hazards, coupled with the scarcity of adequate housing policies, leads to decisions and actions that place these communities in high-risk situations, especially during the rainy season, resulting in a cycle that disproportionately affects the most marginalized residents.
Future University of Hakodate (2005). Image Courtesy of Isao Aihara
Transparency, integration and boundaries are key words for understanding the work of Riken Yamamoto. Winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2024, the Japanese architect's work can be recognized for its ability to establish and challenge conventional spatial concepts of materiality, creating spaces that promote interactions and connections between people and their surroundings. Transparency, whether in the physical configuration of the buildings, the choice of materials used or the underlying philosophy applied to all his works, emerges as a central element throughout his career.
Comuna 13 of Medellín_via Shutterstock. Image Courtesy of CityMakers
CityMakers, The Global Community of Architects Learning from Model Cities and Their Makers is working with Archdaily to publish a series of articles about Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam. The authors are the architects, urban planners, and/or strategists behind the projects that have transformed these three cities and are known in the "Schools of Cities" and "Documentary Courses" made by CityMakers.
There is currently a broad consensus on the importance of public space in the city. Although it may seem quite logical, its significance is not as old as human settlements, which have existed for millennia. The Athens Charter, written just 91 years ago, did not speak so much about the city as a place to live but as a functional machine. Almost a century later, the paradigm has shifted: the city is, above all, its public space. But what happens when public space is threatened by car proliferation, insecurity, or even water?
Last Monday I got on a Berlin to Doha flight, a usual route given how Qatar has positioned itself as an effective hub connecting east and west. But this time Doha was not the connection, it was the destination.
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.
