Creating a model for rendering does have its own set of rules. To get you up and rendering as quickly as possible, here are SketchUp's top five tips for prepping your SketchUp model for rendering.
Architecture News
SketchUp to V-Ray Rendering Tips
| Sponsored Content
https://www.archdaily.comhttps://www.archdaily.com/catalog/us/products/29162/five-tips-for-rendering-in-sketchup-sketchup
Le Corbusier's Enduring Spirit: Celebrating 100 Years of Architectural Influence
One hundred years ago, in 1923, Le Corbusier’s “Vers une Architecture” was published in the magazine “L’Esprit Nouveau.” The controversial collection of essays authored by the Modernist master served as a manifesto for the development of modern architecture, influencing generations of architects and sparking polemics on the proposed principles of architectural design. The book advocates for the beauty of streamlined industrial designs, like those of airplanes, automobiles or ocean liners; it proposes a completely different way of building cities, favoring tall and slender towers surrounded by abundant greenery, and introduces Le Corbusier’s 5 principles for modern design.
Now, a century later, these theories have become part of every architect’s education, but they are also highly contested. Some critics argue that the rigid approach, especially in relation to urban planning principles, fails to engage the cultural and contextual nuances of different communities, leading to alienating urban environments. Still, the legacy of Le Corbusier is significant, serving as a constant point of reference for architects when exploring the balance between functionality, aesthetics, symbolism and the social impact of their designs.
https://www.archdaily.com/1003039/le-corbusiers-enduring-spirit-celebrating-100-years-of-architectural-influenceMaria-Cristina Florian
Oulu City Council Grants Permission for Aalto’s Silos Restoration Project in Finland
Oulu City Council has approved the AALTOSIILO restoration proposal by Skene Catling de la Peña. The concrete structure will be restored and reimagined as a multi-media performance, exhibition space, and “Tar Bar.” The 525 sqm Silo used to be used for storing woodchips and will now become a digitized communication point to connect the building with its surroundings. Now nearing its 100th anniversary, the proposal aims to at least double its lifespan.
https://www.archdaily.com/1003028/oulu-city-council-grants-permission-for-aaltosiilo-restoration-project-in-finlandNour Fakharany
How to Integrate Water into the Design of a House? Ponds, Pools, and Rainwater Treatment
Water and architecture are closely related in habitat design, encompassing both functional and aesthetic aspects. The best option is to take this into account from the beginning of the design process, as implementing appropriate technologies and systems will determine water consumption. Currently, it is our responsibility as professionals to think about how we can reduce and recycle water consumption within our own homes. There are various ways to address these needs, such as installing low-flow devices in faucets and showers, dual-flush toilets, and efficient irrigation systems for landscaping. In addition, rainwater collection and reuse systems can be implemented for irrigation or house cleaning, which contributes to its conservation.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002693/how-to-integrate-water-into-the-design-of-a-house-ponds-pools-and-rainwater-treatmentMónica Arellano
In Conversation with Joar Nango, James Taylor-Foster and Carlos Mínguez Carrasco, the Architect and Curators of the Nordic Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale
The Nordic Countries Pavilion for the 18th International Architecture Exhibition “Girjegumpi”, is a collaborative library archive of Sámi architecture. While exploring La Biennale di Venezia onsite in Venice, ArchDaily had the chance to speak with the architect Joar Nango and also with the curators James Taylor-Foster and Carlos Mínguez Carrasco about the pavilion and its depths.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002956/in-conversation-with-joar-nango-james-taylor-foster-and-carlos-minguez-carrasco-the-architect-and-curators-of-the-nordic-pavilion-at-the-2023-venice-biennaleNour Fakharany
Mecanoo, Meng, and LOLA Landscape Architects Win Competition for the Design of the Guangming Scientist Valley in Shenzhen
Mecanoo, in collaboration with Meng Architects and LOLA Landscape Architects, has been selected as the winner of the international design competition for the design of the Shenzhen Guangming Scientist Valley. The aim of the project is to create a facility for research and innovation that is also engaging for a larger public while also being integrated and coexisting with the surrounding natural environment. The project includes an area of approximately 1.2 square kilometers located in a strategic place to serve the larger scientific community, from Guangdong, to Hong Kong, and Macao.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002958/mecanoo-meng-and-lola-landscape-win-competition-for-the-design-of-the-guangming-scientist-valley-in-shenzhenMaria-Cristina Florian
Efficient Water Management and Collection as Seen in 3 Indian Residential Projects
Water scarcity is one of the most stressful situations that one could ever endure. And yet, in India, a country that holds 18% of the total world population with only 4% of its water resources, this is a recurring struggle with notable numbers of Indian households having to manage water scarcity on a daily basis.
The yearly water cycle is a tough one, ranging from one extreme to another. Harsh monsoons and flood seasons turn into insufferable droughts, making it increasingly difficult to control and retain water resources. While most large-scale actions focus on consequences to agricultural and production sectors, the result is also recognizable at an individual household level. Therefore cumulative small-scale actions are relevant gateways for citizens (? people, designers) to mitigate the issue.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002867/efficient-water-management-and-collection-as-seen-in-3-indian-residential-projectsHana Abdel
Opening Up / Authenticity Revealed: The Journey of Hotel Gerl
| Sponsored Content
In part six of Opening Up, the viewer is immersed in the story of Hotel Gerl, an Austrian retreat that beautifully combines tradition and modernity.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002694/opening-up-authenticity-revealed-the-journey-of-hotel-gerlRene Submissions
Copenhagen Architecture City Guide: 20 Projects to Discover in the 2023 UNESCO World Capital of Architecture
For most architecture enthusiasts, mentions of the city of Copenhagen will prompt images of pedestrian-friendly streets, suspended bike lanes, quaint water canals, and overall happy residents. The capital of Denmark has many accomplishments to boast: over 60 percent of its residents commute to work by bike, it was among the first cities to set up a strategic plan to achieve carbon neutrality, resulting in an 80% decrease since 2009, and it has become of the most cited study cases for its urban planning and infrastructure. To add to the list, UNESCO has named Copenhagen the 2023 World Capital of Architecture, prompting an array of architecture-focused events and festivals. The title further emphasizes the city’s position as a laboratory for innovative contemporary architecture and people-centered urban planning.
The city of Copenhagen has had a somewhat unusual evolution. After becoming a highly industrialized city by the end of the 19th century, the city began adopting the English concept of the “garden city” in an effort to sanitize and decentralize its neighborhoods. In 1947, the “Five Finger Plan” was developed to guide urban development and expand the city along five main arteries. This led to a transit-oriented infrastructure with small clusters or urbanity along the transportation routes. The major shift appeared in the 1960s. Spearheaded by Jan Gehl’s initiative for Strøget, Copenhagen started transforming its car-heavy areas into pedestrian-friendly zones. What followed was a period of urban development that prioritized the well-being of its residents while encouraging architects to experiment with innovative human-centered designs.
https://www.archdaily.com/146702/architecture-city-guide-copenhagenMaria-Cristina Florian
Before and After: the Tropicarium of the Bogotá Botanical Garden
Almost a decade ago, news flooded Colombian media: the announcement of the winning project for the Tropicario of the Bogotá Botanical Garden. Today, we want to bring you all the information we have compiled since then, both about the competition won by DARP and the construction process - up to its inauguration in 2021 and its evolution in recent times.
We hope this architectural journey helps you to know every step, every decision, and every detail that contributed to its realization. Understanding that its true legacy lies in how it transforms lives, inspires communities, and endures over time.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002635/before-and-after-the-tropicarium-of-the-bogota-botanical-gardenFabian Dejtiar
Integrating Water Into Architecture and Landscaping Consciously and Creatively
Integrating water into landscaping in unique and sustainable ways has become an increasingly relevant approach to recent projects. Proper use of this natural resource adds aesthetic value to green spaces and can also promote ecologically positive responses to the work. Looking for different perspectives and innovative solutions, we look for projects with different approaches that integrate water and landscape.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002666/integrating-water-into-architecture-and-landscaping-consciously-and-creativelyVictor Delaqua
A Central Square in Greece and a Giant Clock in Germany: 8 Unbuilt Public Spaces Submitted by the ArchDaily Community
Public spaces are the beating heart of our cities. They act as the hubs of social and cultural activity where people congregate, interact, and escape the clamor of the city. These areas are crucial in determining a city's identity, character, and citizens' well-being and standard of living. Public spaces can define our communities and significantly impact how we live, work, and interact with one another through their architectural designs, facilities, and activities. Furthermore, they provide leisure, exercise, and recreation opportunities, allowing individuals to escape the confines of their daily routines and connect with nature.
This week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights projects submitted by the ArchDaily community showcasing different proposals made to enhance public space. Ranging from reimagining central squares to placing massive land art in the urban epicenter, these public spaces enhance the quality of life for the city's locals. In Germany, the redesign of the entire Memorium Nürnberger Trials reimagines this as a place to come together, grounded in its history, while in Havana, the new Cuban Square reimagines the metaphor of unity in the city center. The design and accessibility of public spaces significantly impact our well-being and quality of life. Thoughtfully planned and inclusive spaces with seating, greenery, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure can promote physical activity, mental health, and community engagement in a city.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002950/a-central-square-in-greece-and-a-giant-clock-in-germany-8-unbuilt-public-spaces-submitted-by-the-archdaily-communityNour Fakharany
Shipping Container Architecture: Debunking the Design Trend of the Decade
Almost 500,000 buildings have arrived at the Port of Los Angeles in 2021. Well- not exactly. Over 490,000 shipping containers have arrived, though. If there’s a design trend that has caught the world by storm over the past decade, it’s been the rise in transforming shipping containers into buildings as a form of architecture. But are shipping container buildings just a fad that was used to propel ideas about taking every day or is there more substance to creating giant Jenga-inspired structures?
https://www.archdaily.com/962476/shipping-container-architecture-debunking-the-design-trend-of-the-decadeKaley Overstreet
Taming Exterior Greenery: Landscape Design for Houses in Natural Environments
A healthy environment that is also visually appealing in our homes has become increasingly sought when it comes to designing houses and residential spaces, especially during the world’s current context. One of the most successful ways of achieving this is through a thoughtful design of the landscape that complements the built project. The art of landscaping is the arrangement of nature’s raw material elements, like vegetation and planting, combined with nonliving elements, such as exterior structures, paving, and decking, in order to create site-specific solutions that enhance the exterior spaces of a project.
_Frans_Parthesius__-_02_Villa_Fifty-Fifty_Design_Studioninedots_Photography_Frans_Parthesius.jpg?1620679031 "© Frans Parthesius")
_Jeremias_Thomas_MeMo_House_IMG_2037_01.jpg?1620678960 "© Jeremias Thomas")
_Peter_Eckert_01_-_04_Hood_River_Residence.jpg?1620679227 "© Peter Eckert")
https://www.archdaily.com/961430/13-house-projects-enhanced-by-landscape-designPaula Pintos
Unbuild Together: In Conversation with Studio KO, the Curators of the Uzbekistan National Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale
Studio KO’s curation of the Uzbekistan Pavilion for the Venice Biennale is based on research, curiosity, workshopping, and experimenting with the senses. For over two years, the studio has worked alongside the Arts and Cultural Development Foundation, designing the Center for Contemporary Arts and their initiatives to restore and rehabilitate vernacular houses, transforming them into artist residencies. While exploring the 18th International Architecture Exhibition onsite in Venice, ArchDaily had the chance to speak with the founders of Studio KO, Karl Fournier, and Olivier Marty, curators of Uzbekistan National Pavilion. Their exhibition for this year’s theme, “The Laboratory of the Future,” focuses on the country’s rich heritage as a potential tool and inspiration for developing a more sustainable future.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002365/unbuild-together-in-conversation-with-studio-ko-the-curators-of-the-uzbekistan-national-pavilion-at-the-2023-venice-biennaleNour Fakharany
Water in Interior Design: 18 Projects that Include Water Fixtures in their Spaces
Architecture has always had a complementary - occasionally codependent - relationship with water. The Roman Domus, the Baths of Diocletian and Caracalla in Rome, and Villa Adriana in Tivoli are some prominent historical examples of how water influenced the design of compositional architecture. In a more modern context, Frank Llyod Wright designed a residential retreat in which water is its protagonist, redefining the relationship between man, architecture, and nature. Nowadays, as architects shifts their focus towards a more contextual, sustainable, and user-oriented practice, the use of water in architecture has become indisputable; cooling interior spaces, providing natural air conditioning when combined with plants, exuding a sense of tranquility, and serving as an organic decorative element.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002786/water-in-interior-design-18-projects-that-include-water-fixtures-in-their-spacesDima Stouhi
What is the Future Role of Architects in the Age of AI and Data?
| Sponsored Content
The complexity of our world is constantly increasing, and with it, the pressure and demands placed upon our built environment. Architects are faced with a monumental task: to translate society’s ever-changing needs into tangible, effective and sustainable solutions. Pressing issues such as the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, population density and housing shortages call for a new architecture –one that isn’t afraid to question the traditional way of working and is prepared to take on the challenge. Today the industry must adapt, evolve and innovate to cope with these challenges. The availability of data is changing the game, and as technology continues to advance, it will open new ways of thinking, creating and engaging with the built environment.
In this article, we delve into the effects of the digital transformation, how it is reshaping the industry and the questions it raises about the future role of architects.
https://www.archdaily.com/995781/what-is-the-future-role-of-architects-in-the-age-of-ai-and-dataValeria Montjoy
The Israel Pavilion Explores the Technological Cloud of Data Centers at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale
The National Pavilion of Israel presents “Cloud-to-ground,” an immersive installation exploring the nature of modern communication networks at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, curated by Arch. Oren Eldar, Arch. Edith Kofsky, and Hadas Maor, aims to initiate a multifaceted discussion regarding the physical aspects of virtual networks: the data centers and telephone exchanges commonly referred to as “black boxes.” The chosen theme is relevant for Israel due to its strategic location set at the intersection of continents and cultures. The pavilion in the Giardini will remain open for visitors until November 26, 2023.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002907/the-israel-pavilion-explores-the-technological-cloud-of-data-centers-at-the-2023-venice-architecture-biennaleMaria-Cristina Florian
"Building Simply" with Søren Pihlmann: Exploring the Values and Fascinations of Architecture
Pihlmann Architects is a young Copenhagen-based architectural run by Søren Pihlmann. In this interview with Louisiana Channel, the rising architect elaborates on his unique practice, the values he holds, and what he finds fascinating about architecture. Most notably, Pihlmann explains that his view on the practice has transformed from being an architect into becoming a type of curator, selecting very few things with great sensitivity.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002824/building-simply-with-soren-pihlmann-exploring-the-values-and-fascinations-of-architectureNour Fakharany
The Painted Houses of Tiébélé: A Model for Communal Collaboration
In the south of Burkina Faso, sharing borders with the northern environs of Ghana is Tiébélé; a small village exhibiting fractal patterns of circular and rectangular buildings, housing one of the oldest ethnic groups in West Africa; the Kassena tribe. With vernacular houses dating back to the 15th century, the village’s buildings strike a distinctive character through its symbol-laden painted walls. It is an architecture of wall decoration where the community uses their building envelope as a canvas for geometric shapes and symbols of local folklore, expressing the culture’s history and unique heritage. This architecture is the product of a unique form of communal collaboration, where all men and women in the community are tasked with contributing to the construction and finishing of any new house. This practice serves as a transmission point for Kassena culture across generations.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002826/the-painted-houses-of-tiebele-a-model-for-communal-collaborationPaul Yakubu
Santa Clara's Lack of Housing: A Missed Opportunity for Equity and Sustainability
This article was originally published on Common Edge.
One of the principles of comedy is that you “punch up.” If you have to make fun of someone or something, make sure it’s more prominent than you, and deserving. You can’t get much higher than Santa Clara, California, and you can’t get much more deserving. Santa Clara is, arguably, the city at the heart of Silicon Valley, a globally famous urban region that is so ill-defined as to deny its own existence. Those ranch houses and corporate headquarters represent a distinctly 21st-century brand of power. And a distinctly 20th-century brand of urbanism.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002856/is-santa-clara-the-heart-of-silicon-valley-soulless-and-banal-by-intentJosh Stephens
Emotional Architecture: How Contextual Solutions Can Fight against the "Epidemic of Boringness"
In his latest TED Talk, Thomas Heatherwick decries a condition affecting areas of the city defined by monotonous buildings, or what he calls “an epidemic of boringness.” While recognizing the functionality which drove these designs, he states that functionality alone cannot ensure that the structures become active parts of urban life, as they often fail to provoke an emotional response from passers-by. Heatherwick explains that, in his view, this emotional function, or the ability of buildings to mean something to their users and visitors, is essential. When it succeeds, architecture can positively contribute to the quality of life and well-being of its residents, promote social cohesion and contribute to a sense of identity. So how can architecture provoke a positive emotional connection and provide an enjoyable backdrop to the communities it serves?
https://www.archdaily.com/1002817/emotional-architecture-how-contextual-solutions-can-fight-against-the-epidemic-of-boringnessMaria-Cristina Florian
RIBA Announces the 30 Winners of the 2023 National Awards
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 30 winners of the 2023 RIBA National Awards for Architecture, providing an insight into the country’s architecture, design, and social trends. Among the key themes observed this year, the need to rebuild communities and to find sustainable ways of practicing stand out as the main concerns of the participant architects. The response to these themes is varied, ranging from buildings that aim to offer opportunities for collaboration for students to creating stimulating social spaces for the elderly or providing creative programs at a neighborhood scale. All the projects selected have been in use for at least one year and have provided data regarding their environmental performance. Examples of sustainable design include both new buildings, following the Passivhaus certification, and renovation of existing structures.
https://www.archdaily.com/1002825/riba-announces-the-30-winners-of-the-2023-national-awardsMaria-Cristina Florian
