Modulus matrix -85 social housing in Cornellà, Barcelonaby Peris + Toral Arquitectes. Image Courtesy of RIBA
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded its 2024 International Prize to Modulus Matrix, an 85-unit social housing development in Cornellà, near Barcelona. Designed by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, the six-story timber-framed building is a notable example of innovative social housing design. Its modular structure, based on a 3.6m x 3.6m grid inspired by traditional Japanese homes, creates a flexible and adaptable living space. The design prioritizes cross-ventilation, dual orientation, and a central communal courtyard, fostering social interaction and community building.
For some, the perfection of nature reveals the signature of a divine force, something that defies rational explanations. The result of millions of years of adaptation and evolution, natural structures and organisms operate with an efficiency that is hard not to admire. Every form seems to have a precise purpose, showcasing ingenuity where functionality and beauty harmoniously coexist. From leaves to the smallest organisms, nature follows an impeccable logic of economy and precision, eliminating waste. It demonstrates that simplicity is often the purest expression of sophistication. Trees, for instance, grow to maximize strength and stability while minimizing resource use. This structural efficiency is achieved by aligning fibers along paths of maximum tension and shaping trunks and branches to optimally distribute loads. It's a testament to the fact that nature, above all, is a masterful engineer.
The "Garden Futures" exhibition, currently showing at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam until April 13, 2025, explores the multifaceted history and future of the modern garden. Curated by Maria Heinrich and spatially designed by Frank Bruggeman, the exhibition presents the garden not only as a personal refuge, but also as a site reflecting broader political and commercial forces. The show's structure, divided into four thematic chapters, allows for a comprehensive exploration of the garden's evolution and its potential for future development.
KCAP has been chosen to design two new skyscrapers in Bratislava, Slovakia. Respectively standing at 260 meters and 180 meters tall, these towers will become key additions to the city's skyline and contribute significantly to its urban landscape by providing over 1,100 residential units with extensive city and landscape views. This district, once an industrial zone, has undergone substantial redevelopment, transforming into a mixed-use urban hub that combines residential, commercial, and leisure spaces. The new towers support this ongoing urban renewal, offering easy access to public transport and nearby cultural landmarks.
Two museums in Africa built in the mid-twentieth century carry the name 'National Museum.' They reflect the story of their respective nation's history and are tied to notions of national identity. Both are also examples of fine architecture built on the principles of Modernism, a movement associated with nation-building in Africa. However, their inception and purpose followed very different paths. This article explores the under-reported architecture of the National Museum of Ghana in Accra and the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum.
La Valiente Focaccería + Maíz / OHIO Estudio. Image Cortesía de OHIO Estudio
Creating spaces for social interaction involves design processes aimed at countering the individualization of people by fostering bonds and connections between them. While advancements in information and communication technologies provide new tools that optimize the development of certain activities and functions, their societal impact often tends to increase individual practices, such as remote work, virtual fitness activities through apps, or the digital consumption of goods, services, and events, among others. From architecture and interior design to urban planning, many emerging practices face the challenge of consolidating spaces for social interaction through design strategies, uses, and natural connections that prevent the replacement of physical space with virtual alternatives.
The world has lost 60 percent of animal populations since 1970. This staggering decline reflects the growing pressures on ecosystems, from habitat destruction to climate change. And 1 million species now face threats of extinction. As these problems continue to escalate, the importance of preserving biodiversity and restoring ecosystems becomes clearer.
Ancient Indian civilizations once thrived along the banks of the country's many rivers, solidifying a connection between water and culture that endures to the present. Rivers have been integral to India's diverse communities, serving as essential resources for daily life and spiritual practice. Historically, these water bodies experienced an entrenched sense of custodianship; being cared for collectively by the communities that depended on them. Today, responsibility for the rivers shifts between the hands of multiple stakeholders, calling for a joint endeavor that acknowledges their cultural significance.
In a rapidly evolving urban landscape, the new residential building redefines the concept of community living. Gardea Residencial stands in one of the city of Zaragoza's 15 neighborhoods, Miralbueno, an area where residential developments have been built. The project exemplifies functional, sustainable design, realized through two linear blocks, each optimizing available space with a basement level, a ground floor, and additional two storeys—two in one block and three in the other. With its sleek design, this building brought to life by Tash&Partners features a ventilated façade made of extruded porcelain tiles by Faveker. These tiles, in addition to being recyclable, enhance sustainability and efficiency.
Büro Ole Scheeren has revealed their design for an 800,000 sq ft development following the concept of live-work-lay in Hangzhou, China. Titled Urban Glen, the project situated between West Lake and the Qiantang River comprises two towers connected by a central plinth. This feature, inspired by Hangzhou's hilly landscapes, becomes a built topography of terraces and exterior environments, aimed at optimizing natural light and the quality of both indoor and outdoor spaces. The Glen will house a variety of amenities, including ballrooms, meeting spaces, restaurants, and retail, all interwoven with public art from New World Development's extensive collection.
London-based Woo Architects, in collaboration with Japanese contractor ES Global, has revealed its design for the UK Pavilion at the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Built on the principles of a circular economy, the pavilion features a modular, 10-by-10-meter gridded structure designed that prioritizes ease of assembly, disassembly, and relocation. Ultimately, the pavilion's design reflects the Expo's theme, "Come Build the Future," embodying sustainability and reuse.
Air rights transactions have become essential in urban development, allowing cities to grow vertically while preserving limited land resources. Typically defined as the right to use or sell the space above a property, air rights enable property owners to transfer unused floor area ratio (FAR) to neighboring parcels, creating increased density and financial gain opportunities. As urban centers face mounting pressures from limited land supply and population growth, air rights continue to offer a creative solution that fosters architectural innovation and economic efficiency.
Forestier collaborates with renowned designers to create lighting pieces that blend geometric and organic shapes, enhancing any interior space. Image Courtesy of Forestier
Read in a void, Maison Forestier's remit of an ongoing 'quest for perpetual originality and mastery of the delicate balance between nature and design' may sound a little abstract. But the Parisian lighting brand has – since its topiary-inspired inception by Bernard Forestier in 1992 – carved a beatific niche in its industry, uniting passion, freedom and discovery to fashion radiant wares that meld unique aesthetics with keen functionality, to suit a diverse range of settings.
We are thrilled to announce our upcoming December workshops in collaboration with our ArchDaily Plus partner, Parametric Architecture. These workshops have been thoughtfully curated to empower architects, designers, and enthusiasts by providing them with the latest insights and skills in the dynamic realm of parametric design. Guided by industry experts and visionaries, these immersive sessions will explore cutting-edge techniques, innovative tools, and practical applications, creating an inspiring and dynamic learning environment where participants can take their design expertise to unprecedented levels.
https://www.archdaily.com/1024033/parametric-architecture-december-workshopsArchDaily Team
Overprovision can be seen as an architecture strategy through the lens of resilience—making spaces adaptable to changes, reinterpretations, and future needs. However, could overprovision also offer a productive lens for rethinking spatial design? Are there parallels in architectural theory or practice that align with this concept, as explored by notable figures in the discourse on space?
This question becomes particularly relevant in residential design, especially in regions like Hong Kong or Tokyo, where the demand to maximize space is a cultural and practical norm. Designers are frequently tasked with "making use of every inch" for storage or function, reflecting a tendency among residents to accumulate belongings disproportionate to their living spaces.
IR Arquitectura is not just a studio; it defines itself as a platform for exploration that integrates architectural practice with tangential topics such as the city, landscape, technology, and sustainability. Founded by Luciano Intile and Enrico Cavaglià, and based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, IR Arquitectura is an interdisciplinary collective comprising architects, designers, and professionals from various fields. Together, they tackle projects of varying scales and natures, seizing each opportunity to explore new solutions and strategies for contemporary living, particularly in urban contexts and in close connection with the environment.
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art's "Living Structures" exhibition, running from November 8th, 2024, to March 23rd, 2025, features Deep Forest, a new installation by Prof Claudia Pasquero and Dr. Marco Poletto founders of architecture and design innovation firm ecoLogicStudio, together with academic partner Innsbruck University. This immersive work challenges traditional architectural paradigms by embracing the naturalization of architecture and technology, a direct counterpoint to modernist attempts to mechanize nature. The exhibition represents the culmination of twenty years of research in bio-digital design, showcasing the potential of symbiotic relationships between technology and the natural world within built environments.
The Getty Foundation's Conserving Black Modernism initiative, launched in 2022, represents a pivotal effort to preserve and celebrate the architectural contributions of African American architects in the Modernist movement. This initiative, a partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, aims to address historical oversight and ensure the legacy of these trailblazing architects is protected for future generations. Over three funding cycles from 2023 to 2025, the program supports conservation planning, professional training, and storytelling to highlight the cultural and architectural significance of these sites.
A few months ago, French architect Renée Gailhoustet was awarded the 2022 Royal Academy Architecture Prize. As housing challenges continue to embattle Paris and other French cities today, Gailhoustet was a timely choice, her body of work in the Paris suburbs – stretching back to the 1960s – still functioning today as compelling case studies to a social housing approach that concurrently embraces community and has a uniqueness of form.
Student housing has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last century. Once seen as a utilitarian necessity, providing shelter and basic amenities for students, this architectural typology has evolved to address increasingly complex societal, cultural, and urban demands. Starting with Le Corbusier's modernist approach at the Cité Universitaire in Paris, student housing has reflected broader trends in architecture, urbanism, and social change.
Today, these buildings must cater to a highly diverse and transient population, navigating the pressures of affordability, density, and the evolving living standards of young adults. With rapid urbanization and increasing student mobility, universities now face the challenge of designing housing that is not only functional but also adaptable to different cultural and social contexts. This has led to more flexible, innovative solutions that promote both privacy and community living.
Buildings are deeply interconnected with their surroundings—the climate, culture, landscape, and the lives of their occupants. For Dorte Mandrup, a renowned Danish architect, context is more than a mere consideration; it is the driving force behind her designs. Her work demonstrates a profound curiosity about the people who will inhabit her buildings and the unique stories embedded within each site. Her buildings aren't just structures; they're thoughtful responses to their surroundings, without aiming to disappear within them.
Dorte Mandrup is featured, alongside Tosin Oshinowo, in the second installment of the documentary Women in Architecture, released November 12, 2024. Produced by Sky-Frame in collaboration with ArchDaily and directed by Boris Noir, the film builds upon the first episode, which highlighted Toshiko Mori, Gabriela Carrillo, and Johanna Meyer-Grohbrügge, offering a continued exploration of diverse perspectives within architecture.
It's been four years since the VELUX Group, together with partners EFFEKT architects and Artelia engineers, first embarked on Living Places. The experimental housing project demonstrated that building more sustainable homes using readily available products, materials and technologies is possible. Putting the ultra-low carbon housing concept to the test, VELUX conducted a study with 98 live-in guests to evaluate whether sustainable homes can also provide indoor comfort. Using a combination of environmental sensors and guest questionnaires, the findings reveal that the homes maintain a comfortable indoor climate in line with European Standards and had a positive effect on the well-being of guests, showing that building for planet can also greatly benefit people.
The Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, celebrated its bicentennial this year with the inauguration of its redesigned Gallery of the Kings. This renovation, designed by OMA architects David Gianotten and Andreas Karavanas in collaboration with Andrea Tabocchini Architecture, marks a significant enhancement to the museum's exhibition spaces. The project, commissioned following a 2023 competition win, forms a key component of a larger Museo Egizio revitalization scheduled for completion in 2025. This larger project also includes a new covered courtyard and interconnected public spaces.
