"A bathroom is a place where everyone is equal—there is no rich or poor, no old or young; everyone is part of humanity." This reflection was shared by Wim Wenders, exponent of New German Cinema and director of the filmPerfect Days (2023) when asked about the striking sets of his most recent work. Wenders selected Tokyo's public restrooms to craft a narrative that deeply explores themes of solitude, simplicity, and the beauty of everyday life.
The story follows Hirayama, a middle-aged man working as a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo. His life is simple and routine, yet filled with small pleasures and moments of reflection. This modest lifestyle contrasts with the technological, colorful, and innovative designs of the public restrooms he cleans every day.
Accurate surveys are essential for an architectural project and subsequent construction to run as smoothly as possible. They provide detailed information on the physical characteristics of a site, existing structures, environmental conditions and possible obstacles, which will serve as prerequisites for the design stage, ensuring that all relevant factors are considered before construction begins. This information is vital for making informed decisions that harmonize with the environment and comply with local zoning regulations, building codes and environmental standards. Traditionally, these surveys have relied on manual measurements with tape measures, basic photographs, and, more recently, expensive laser scanning. All of these are susceptible to human error and can be extremely time-consuming, especially in large or complex areas. Laser scanning, despite being more accurate and comprehensive, involves expensive equipment and specialized technicians, increasing project costs and often extending the time needed to carry out the survey.
Located in Mexico City, the municipality of Iztapalapa has some of the most densely populated areas within the metropole. Serving a population of 1,800,000 people, many of them with lower incomes, the municipality struggles to provide sufficient public spaces and amenities. In an effort to correct this, the administration set out to take underutilized and abandoned plots of land and transform them for public use. Utopia Estrella is one of these initiatives. Located near Mexico City’s largest water treatment plant, the project combines a socially engaging architectural program with a pedagogical approach to the role of water infrastructures in the larger ecosystem. Designed by Cano Vera Arquitectura, the project has been recognized as the Gold Prize Winner of the Holcim Awards 2023 for Latin America. In a video interview for ArchDaily, Juan Carlos Cano of Cano Vera Arquitectura discusses the impact of this project, its goals, and the unique conditions that led to its development.
Huvila by Jenni Reuter Architects, Finland. Image Courtesy of UIA 2030 Awards
The UIA, in collaboration with UN-Habitat, has revealed the finalists for the first stage of the second edition of the UIA 2030 Award. Celebrating architecture that contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, this biennial award honors built projects that demonstrate design quality and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The regional finalists will now proceed to Stage 2, where they will submit a three-minute video demonstrating their projects in action and explaining in detail how they align with the relevant SDGs and meet the eligibility criteria. During stage 1, the finalists were evaluated regionally, representing the five UIA regions: Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and Africa. Winners in each of the six will be awarded a medal. The awards ceremony will be taking place in Cairo, Egypt, at the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum from November 4-8, 2024.
Ladder Street Cultural Space. Image Courtesy of Francesco Rossini
As we near its 100th anniversary, expanded polystyrene (EPS) has become widely used in various industries and applications, especially in construction. Since 1970, EPS has been used in building construction due to its thermal insulation properties, lightweight closed-cell structure, durable strength, and long-term integrity. However, while these qualities make it highly useful and easy to recycle, they have also sparked debate due to recurring discussions about its degradation processes and environmental impact from various perspectives.
While the debate rages on, many improvements and alternative approaches have emerged around this material, highlighting that achieving sustainable construction involves using the right material for the right job from the outset. Thus, over time, innovations have brought new options for the recycling and use of EPS beyond traditional building applications such as infill blocks or partition panels. This demonstrates that rather than stigmatizing it as a problematic or “simple” material, it is essential to consider its qualities through design, technology, and developing methods for responsible and sustainable management.
https://www.archdaily.com/1018325/how-are-innovations-changing-expanded-polystyrene-epsEnrique Tovar
Singapore Pavilion - Designed by DP Architects group in collaboration with Kingsmen Exhibits. Image Courtesy of Singapore Pavilion
DP Architects group, in collaboration with Kingsmen Exhibits, unveiled the Singapore Pavilion design for the Expo Osaka 2025. The concept centers around the tagline ”Where dreams take shape,” aiming to offer an insight into the country’s culture and impactful innovations. The pavilion, taking the shape of a 17-meter-high sphere clad in recycled disks, creates a multi-sensorial exhibition showcasing actions and innovations that encourage a more sustainable future.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) has just announced Thandi Loewenson as the winner of the 2024 Wheelwright Prize. The prestigious $100,000 grant is dedicated to supporting innovative research in contemporary architecture with a global perspective. Loewenson’s project, “Black Papers: Beyond the Politics of Land, Towards African Policies of Earth & Air,” explores the social and spatial dynamics in modern Africa.
In the evolving landscape of workplace design and office architecture, the boundaries of creativity and functionality are constantly being pushed. From futuristic skyscrapers to co-working spaces, the future of work environments respond to the dynamic needs of modern businesses and their employees. This week's curated selection of Unbuilt Architecture focuses on office, workplace, and administrative buildings submitted by the ArchDaily Community.
The realm of office architecture is a chance for designers to innovate and influence work cultures. From the Sinuating Flow High-Rise in Chongqing, China, drawing inspiration from the surrounding mountains and valleys to the Parisian GRDF Headquarters reimagining urban offices as small city districts. The ABS Workspace integrates maritime elements into its workplace design, while the FUTURA tower in Kyiv breaks conventional norms with artistic and sculptural forms and the use of black. Together, these projects showcase the diversity in office architecture, each working within a context to offer unique solutions to sustainable work environments.
Picture by Elias Daaboul. Image Courtesy of ArchDaily
ArchDaily, part of DAAily platforms, is thrilled to announce an exciting transition. After nearly two decades of pioneering leadership, ArchDaily’s esteemed founder and current Editor-in-Chief, David Basulto, will be stepping down. Born and raised in Chile, David founded ArchDaily in 2005 and has been instrumental in shaping it into the globally recognized platform it is today.
Christele Harrouk, who has been an integral part of our team since 2019 and has served as Managing Editor since 2020, will step up as the new Editor-in-Chief of ArchDaily starting August 2024. Having worked closely with David over the years, Christele brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective that will guide ArchDaily’s editorial team into an exciting future.
ArchDaily’s teams look forward to the editorial vision Christele will bring and invite you to join in welcoming her to her new role.
Beyond aesthetics, the design of our workplaces directly impacts our health. Studies reveal a clear link between poor light quality and limited access to natural views with increased sick leave. Smoke-free policies have been demonstrably effective, reducing smoking prevalence by 3.8% and lowering tobacco consumption by a significant 3.1 cigarettes per day for continuing smokers. Workplaces can either support wellbeing or be a detriment to it. Conscious office design can blend aspects of health in spaces to cultivate physical, mental, and social well-being.
Terraco EIFS offers a cost-effective method to achieve thermally efficient external walls, significantly reducing energy consumption and operational costs. Image Courtesy of Terraco
In today's construction industry, achieving energy efficiency, sustainability and safety along with aesthetics are essential goals for architects and consultants. Exterior Insulation and Finishing Systems (EIFS) are versatile, high-performance solutions that meet these requirements for both new builds and renovations. These multi-layered exterior insulation systems significantly enhance thermal performance and offer energy savings of up to 50% while providing flexibility in design.
According to the Markets and Markets report on "Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) Market - Global Forecast To 2028," the growth of the EIFS market is mainly driven by the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and rising development of green buildings, mandated through the introduction of stringent building energy codes in some countries. Therefore, the importance of using certified EIFS systems as per local energy codes is highly advocated.
At the initiative of the Surf Ghana Collective, architects Glenn DeRoché and Jurgen Strohmayer, the co-founders of DeRoché Strohmayer, set out to transform a small waterfront plot in Busua, a surfing hotspot on Ghana’s western coast. The result is a dynamic community hub, complete with amenities for local surfers, but also providing spaces for the entire community to gather in and off-season. The project has been recognized as the winner of the Gold Prize of Holcim Awards 2023 for the Middle East and Africa commended for the profound local impact and the resourceful approach to construction techniques.In a video interview for ArchDaily, architects Glenn DeRoché and Jurgen Strohmayer discuss the development of this initiative and the innovations that shaped it.
Rafael Viñoly Architects’ Tokyo International Forum has been honored with the prestigious AIA Twenty-five Year Award. Celebrating its “distinctive transparent character and capacity to engage with the public in the largest metropolitan area in the world.” Rafael Viñoly Architects was first selected to design the structure through Japan’s first international design competition facilitated by Kenzo Tange, the architect of Tokyo’s City Hall and the first Japanese laureate of the Pritzker Prize.
There is an increasing character of abandoned buildings in many African cities and Limbo Accra; a spatial design practice, roots itself in the experimentation of their repair, reuse, and transformation. The practice views these buildings as a unique architectural typology that includes key city landmarks, from the abandoned Independence house in Lagos to the incomplete airport tower in Accra, amongst others. They see them as major opportunities for modern public space and as symbolic sites for spatial justice. Through techniques such as photogrammetry, Limbo Accra has been creating a digital archive of these buildings and collaborating with artists and designers to propose new prospects for them. ArchDaily had the opportunity to speak with Dominique Petit-Frère, the co-founder of Limbo Accra, about the collective character of these buildings, Limbo Accra’s approach to their transformation, and navigating challenges in the adaptive reuse of these structures.
Within the framework of implementing green infrastructure projects for water management in the Basin of Mexico, utilizing existing public spaces, La Quebradora Water Park emerges as the first proposal for hydro-urban acupuncture. The project, developed by the team from the Institute of Social Research at UNAM, coordinated by Manuel Perló Cohen and Loreta Castro Reguera Mancera, aims to transform the site's infiltration into a landmark of good water management, public space creation, and strengthening of the social fabric through four levels: infrastructure, park, city, and viewpoint. Addressing part of the water and social issues facing the area, the proposal transforms urban infrastructure into a public and recreational space for the community in a densely populated area with scarce public spaces.
Cities constantly undergo infinite changes, leaving many spaces within the urban fabric forgotten and unused. Historic buildings are refurbished, and adaptive reuse explores new possibilities, but what happens with public spaces? Small interventions using simple resources and innovative solutions are the perfect way to bring these neglected alleys, plazas, and highways back to life and reincorporate them into the city.
The International VELUX Award jury has selected ten regional winners from the 468 submitted projects, from 220 schools of architecture around the world. The renowned jury, consisting of, Song Yehao (CN), Jenni Reuter (FI), Ewa Kurylowicz (PL) and Kent Holm from VELUX A/S (DK), met for the jury meeting in Copenhagen.
LAVA Architects has just revealed their design for The German Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. Highlighting the theme of the circular economy, the pavilion is titled “Wa! Doitsu,” translating to “Wow! Germany.” Conveying enthusiasm, The Pavilion explores concepts around circularity, showcasing the “terminological culmination of the sustainability discussion.” Focusing on returning all consumable goods to the cycle of the economy, achieving zero waste, and minimizing resource consumption, the theme is visible throughout the entire design.
Christopher Alexander (1936–2022) and Joseph Rykwert (b. 1926) were two giants of 20th century architectural theory who began their work in England and eventually created lasting legacies at two great American architectural schools: the University of California at Berkeley (Alexander) and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (Rykwert). Their careers not only coincided with a critical period of social and cultural research among designers and urbanists, but in many ways continue to inspire the current generation of committed critics of late capitalist development on our imperiled planet. Yet to many they are too little known.
Architectural competitions are valuable learning tools, offering architects a unique opportunity to experiment and expand their creative boundaries. By engaging with real-world challenges and receiving critical feedback, participants gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of the profession. Whether conceptual or not, competitions foster innovation, encouraging design professionals to think outside the. This week's curated selection showcases winning competition entriessubmitted by the ArchDaily community, providing architects and architecture students with new perspectives and inspiration for their own practice, be it diploma projects, professional licensing, or commissions.
From an immersive urban park in Seoul, South Korea, to a rural education campus in the Amazon, or a reimagined port in Corsica, this selection highlights projects that have stood out in competitions from around the world. While some of the proposals have been developed by established firms, including KAAN Architecten, ArchiWorkshop, Studio Akkerhuis, or Richez Associés, these competitions have also proven to be an opportunity for emerging designers to showcase their creativity and problem-solving abilities
In the competitive fields of architecture and design, mastering the art of visualization is as crucial as generating innovative ideas. Whether you harness 3D models from SketchUp, use AI-generated images with Diffusion [Labs], or employ external rendering programs like V-Ray, selecting the right visualization technique can significantly advance your professional journey.
Here’s a closer look at the top ten benefits of architectural visualization, illustrated by real-world success stories from the industry.
