Whether it’s a guilt-driven effort to reduce one’s own carbon footprint, an economy-inspired reduction in energy bills or simply taking advantage of a government incentive scheme, sustainable construction, and design choices are not only being made by the most eco-aware amongst us, but now by anyone with an eye on both the current cost of energy and the future cost of its obsolescence.
Whatever the motivation, as we desperately attempt to reduce our self-destructive reliance on fossil fuels, our homes and buildings are gradually turning their backs on gas – one of the final hurdles standing between us and a carbon-neutral home. These alternative systems and appliances run on renewable electricity instead, breaking our reliance on emission-causing gas-dependant products and using innovative electrical technology to improve them too.
A quick glance today at the cities of the African continent reveals a rich diversity of urban settlements, ranging in type from rural enclaves to sprawling metropolises. That quick glance also reveals a larger picture of cities that are continuously adapting and evolving as we enter the decade of the 2020s – yet this evolution in many places is taking place at the expense of those who are less fortunate. This is not happening in a vacuum, as the reason why a lot of African cities look as they do today is a result of a segregated organization during colonial rule.
Courtesy of Raymond Neutra and the Neutra Institute, Photo by Julius Shulman | VDL Research House
It was, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright who set up the ground for modern architecture to happen in Los Angeles. Then came the Viennese, Rudolph Schindler in 1920 and Richard Neutra in 1925 at the invitation of Schindler. Both worked for Wright choosing to learn from him what they saw as essential—by focusing on spatial and formal clarity, transformability, restrained materiality, and the living environment to achieve a desirable quality of life within. Neutra and Schindler collaborated at first, and then each built a rich portfolio, mainly comprising houses and apartment blocks. Universal in principle, these abstract robust structures defined and led the development of a local building vernacular. These buildings, of which there are several hundred, are now strongly associated with the two architects’ adopted city.
One way to employ color is through monochrome, a design technique that involves using a single tone or color in a space. In architecture, monochrome is a powerful tool where different shades can be created through the play of lights and shadows, generating spaces that offer unique experiences to their inhabitants.
EQ Dekor Fiber Glass. Image Courtesy of Inkiostro Bianco
With its range of colors, patterns, textures, and materials, integrating wallpapers can enhance the design strategy of a space. It accentuates walls, adding depth to a room, while also elevating its aesthetics and character.
With this in mind, Inkiostro Bianco experiments and develops new and versatile wallpaper material solutions suitable for interior and exterior areas. Ranging from nature-inspired to contemporary geometric shapes, these wallpapers transform abstract ideas into reality, adapting to both modern and classic interior designs. Pushing the boundaries of traditional materials, EQ Dekor fiberglass wallpapers integrate durability, moisture resistance, and aesthetic characteristics to reach new standards for wallcoverings. But how to incorporate this solution into the design of kitchens, bathrooms, and floors?
Friday, September 8th, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco’s High Atlas Mountain range. The epicenter was located just 72 kilometers southwest of Marrakech, the country’s fourth-largest city and a popular tourist destination. The quake is the strongest to hit the nation’s center in more than a century. Estimates put the number of victims at over 2,000 and more injured, but as several towns and villages remain inaccessible high in the mountains, the number is expected to increase. In addition to the human toll, several historical landmarks, including UNESCO World Heritage sites, have been affected, while eyewitnesses in the foothills of the mountains report that several remote towns have been completely destroyed, according to CNN.
However, sexism doesn't end there. In addition to the discrimination experienced in professional contexts, one can observe the objectification of women in architectural images and concepts.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable surge in the pursuit of sustainability and eco-conscious practices across diverse domains, including interior architecture projects. Bamboo has garnered significant attention among various elements thanks to its remarkable versatility. It presents a wide array of creative opportunities for crafting environmentally conscious and elegant spaces.
Beit Rumman Hotel, Damascus. Image via Tumblr Account syrian-courtyard
We have seen in recent residential projects the need for bringing the outdoors inside, whether it's through green walls, biophilic designs, or interior courtyards, especially in countries with dry and hot climates. When it comes to countries of the Arab world, creating these outdoor-inspired inner spaces is a lot more than just bringing in some sunlight and fresh air, it is an architectural expression of a rich culture that transcended generations and inspired nations beyond their borders. In this article, we will explore how cultural and social norms influenced the creation of traditional courtyard houses in Arabian countries and how their unique architectural features were reimagined in modern contexts.
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 have a discussion about how schools can better prepare students for their careers and to tackle issues of equity, social justice, and climate change. The questions are from EQiA’s (Equity in Architecture) 2023 Forum panel which took place in Georgia Institute of Technology. The EQiA is a student organization at the Georgia Institute of Technology, College of Design. It is dedicated to unity and equity in architecture.
https://www.archdaily.com/1005957/the-second-studio-podcast-preparing-students-for-their-careers-and-global-challengesThe Second Studio Podcast
No building stands in isolation. Engaging environmental and cultural networks, architecture is an inherently grounded art. As such, limits, constraints, and restrictions drive the design process forward, engendering solutions that celebrate the world as we find it. Embodying this dynamic, renovations and adaptive reuse projects embrace challenging problems and existing conditions. This is especially true when working with industrial buildings, places where machinery, manufacturing, and power combine.
Timber has been a popular source of construction material for thousands of years. Through sawing, milling, and other engineered wood conversion processes, various wood forms have been created and applied in products, furniture, and architecture. However, these processes can sometimes alter the basic lines of wood structure. The stems can be split, grain patterns changed, and some woods, such as oak and cedar, are easily reduced while others can become intractable. This led to the exploration of whole timber forms in ancient structures, such as log cabins, which layered timber in different cross-sections to form home profiles. Through design, the use of trunks or branches of trees in their entirety can accentuate their innate mechanical properties for structural sustainability. Although these practices are fairly absent in contemporary building techniques, new technological innovations expand the prospects of timber construction in architecture.
UNStudio has been selected as the winner of the international competition for the design of a mixed-use development in Düsseldorf, Germany, surpassing other internationally recognized participant offices, including 3XN, BIG, David Chipperfield Architect, and finalists Hadi Teherani Architects, HPP Architekten, and Ingenhoven. UNStudio’s proposal features two mixed-use towers measuring up to 120 meters, surrounded by a low-rise community pavilion. In addition to the office and residential spaces, the scheme also includes multifunctional uses and services such as sports, fitness, medical facilities, gastronomy spaces, a mobility hub, a daycare center, and opportunities for cultural events.
Shelves are incredibly versatile furniture items that are vital in organizing, decorating, and maximizing efficiency in various spaces, including homes, businesses, and industries. Crafted from a wide range of materials and available in numerous designs, shelves enhance compact environments by adding flexibility and easy access. With this in mind, we've compiled suggestions to elevate these ubiquitous solutions — temporary additions or integrated architectural features — into prominent elements within interior design.
Auction houses, secondhand furniture stores, and realtors make small fortunes from a nomenclature that, despite the fuzziness surrounding its indeterminate span and whether everything made during its indefinite duration ought to be stamped with the same label, continues to demand attention. Years from now, serious collectors of architectural magazines may search for that single issue of the 21st century magazine Dwell, absent a major spread of a house designed in the midcentury modern (MCM) manner or a restoration of a building from that era. MCM is the very blood that pulses through the publication’s arteries, promulgating a view of a squeaky-clean and well-lighted lives lived almost invariably by (often childless) ectomorphic couples, blissfully happy under a flat roof with floor-to-ceiling windows affording fine views of distant landscapes best enjoyed behind insulated glass in an ambient temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit. But what are we to make of this term, this period—some even call it a “movement”—so well-known globally it goes by initials?
When Kisho Kurokawa designed his now iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower in 1972, the structure was meant to represent the core principles of Metabolism, experimenting with ideas of growth and change borrowed from biological processes. The emerging style in postwar Japan aimed to create buildings and megastructures that emulate living organisms that can evolve, expand, contract, and adapt to their changing conditions. Following this concept, the Nakagin tower was composed of 140 identical cell-like capsule units, each individually bolted to the two central shafts. The capsules were intended to be replaced and upgraded every 25 years, allowing for flexibility and mutation. The innovation proved to be impractical, however. Almost 50 years after its construction, the tower was demolished, but not in its entirety. A total of 23 capsules were saved and removed from the building to be given a new life. Now, the capsules are scattered around the world, continuing to represent Metabolist ideals in unexpected ways.
In Nieuw Delft, a newly developed city area next to the historic city center of Delft and in close proximity to the central train station, Common City is developing the winning LeeuwenPart plan in collaboration with Space&Matter. The project includes a residential building located on the edge of the future Van Leeuwenhoek Park. The project is developed as a co-commissioning, a process where the future residents are included in the design process, resulting in a well-adapted building and a close-knit community.
via Shutterstock | mariakray, Boca Raton Aerial View
The Center for Arts and Innovation has just selected Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano to design its new creative campus. The campus is situated in the heart of downtown Boca Raton in Florida and aims to become a global hub for creative excellence. Ultimately, The Center is on a mission to transform Boca Raton into an internationally recognized destination for culture, arts, innovation, and technology.
Color plays a significant role in the world. Partly because of the significance attached to each hue, the use of color in architecture – especially in interiors – changes the ambiance of each project. In commercial establishments, color has a considerable influence on highlighting a given brand, and in homes, it can reflect the resident’s personality and complement the language adopted in the project. This exploration can take place directly in the tectonic object (architecture) through the surfaces that constitute the building, or it can take advantage of mobile elements, easily changeable.
Agrivoltaic Pavilion prototype & designs in 'Sustainable Architecture & Aesthetics.' Transforming BIPVs with custom 3D-printed filters and panels for site-specific solar collection. Courtesy Sabin Design Lab at Cornell College of Architecture, Art, and Planning and the DEfECT Lab at Arizona State University. Image Courtesy of Jenny E. Sabin
Why research and innovate in architecture? In a conversation with architectural designer Jenny E. Sabin, we delve into the critical link between research and practice in architecture. Seeking the development of a new model, her team incorporates an interdisciplinary approach that introduces connections between these areas, fostering collaboration with both scientists and engineers.
Observing nature’s behavior, the proposed method integrates biological and mathematical discoveries into the design process. After undergoing a systematic testing process, these insights are applied in the project’s generative design phase to create adaptive and responsive material solutions. Analyzing her research and design strategies, we showcase how she translates research into architectural practice.
Most biennales and architecture events, especially the recent ones, have influenced and shaped the dialogue of the ones that followed. In fact, during a conversation earlier this year with Lesley Lokko, the curator of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, she explained and affirmed that “all exhibitions […] take sustenance from those that came before”, further noting that “if I look back at the dozen or so Architecture Exhibitions over the past twenty years, each one has contributed in some way to the discourse of the next.”
In the realm of architectural design and interior furnishings, achieving a balance between form and function is a daily challenge that designers encounter. This interplay between utility and aesthetics has not only evolved over time but also involves a constant exchange of styles and production methods. Frequently, this interchange leads to standardization and generic designs, potentially causing a depletion of authenticity in the design process.
For this reason, in the contemporary era, designers are revisiting the fundamentals, rediscovering manual design processes that range from sketching to model making, all while embracing pure forms. Designers and manufacturers alike are embracing conscientious approaches to develop proposals that maintain simplicity in design while retaining a distinctive identity. In response to this, Bette, in collaboration with the British design studio Barber Osgerby, proposes the creation of minimalist-style bathrooms through the BetteSuno bathroom collection, stripping away complex shapes and seeking a light visual design.
https://www.archdaily.com/1005100/handcrafted-design-for-minimalist-washbasins-and-bathsEnrique Tovar
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the six projects selected for the shortlist of the 2023 RIBA Stirling Prize. The annual award is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious recognitions in the field of architecture, judging projects on a range of criteria, including design vision, innovation, originality, and the capacity to engage and delight the occupants and visitors. Sustainability and accessibility are also crucial conditions for the selection. This edition’s shortlist includes projects by architects such as Apparata, Sergison Bates Architects, and Adam Khan Architects, featuring for the first time at the Stirling Awards Shortlist, as well as practices that have previously won, Witherford Watson Mann Architects and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.
_(14783070935).jpg?1628520318 "Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)")
.jpg?1628520094 "Iwan . Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)")
