This year the AA Athens Visiting School aims to challenge the phenomenon of perceptual constancy through the design of architectural prototypical families. In line with the basic Gestalt principles, a variety of models of different shapes and sizes will be designed through means of digital computation. Various morphologies will be derived through a bottom-up approach via various coding techniques. To bridge the gap between the digital and physical aspect of the design iterations, AA Athens will make use of digital fabricating machines to produce architectural prototypes and add mechanics to amplify their communicative characteristics. A complete 1:1 scale structure will be constructed, enabling interaction via sight, hearing and touch as a result of a series of initial testing models. These proposals will be formulated through the combination of different design software.

Held annually since 1998, the Arquine International Architecture Competition explores important and relevant topics for society as a whole, creating a space for dialogue and promoting active participation of both national and international architects. It has become one of the best architecture ideas competitions, with over 400 teams from more than 21 countries participating last year.

This year, Arquine is asking: What could be the vocation of the [future, ex] International Airport Benito Juarez of Mexico City? Following the announcement that Mexico City’s new international airport will be constructed in Texcoco, this competition aims to generate proposals for the [future] urban zone. Comprised of a total of 746 acres, the area has the potential to become a catalyst for development and growth of the eastern part of one of the most complex and populated cities in the world.

Determining the future use of the space now occupied by the International Airport Benito Juarez in Mexico City is one of the most interesting urban development challenges worldwide. The public competition offers a way to dig into the potential use of the area and explore the possibility of creating a large green area in the eastern part of Mexico City.

Last call for entries! LAMP Lighting Solutions is inviting lighting designers, architects, urban planners, interior designers, engineers, landscapers and students to submit their projects for the 2015 LAMP Awards. The LAMP Awards recognize projects that have successfully met the architectural lighting needs of an indoor or outdoor space, having created a positive synergy between architecture, interior design, landscaping and lighting. The awards value the creativity, innovation and sustainability of lighting projects, regardless of the manufacturer or the brand of lights used in the project. January 31st is the last day to submit projects.

Last year, 608 projects from 52 countries were submitted as part of the LAMP Awards, and this year the jury will be comprised of Mark Major, Kai Piippo, Douglas Leonard, Anne Bureau, Emma Cogswell, Anupama Kundoo, Juan Carlos Sancho and Ignasi Bonjoch.

AZURE Magazine is inviting architects, designers, students, clients and manufacturers to submit to the fifth annual AZ AWARDS competition (#azawards15) and get their exceptional work the recognition it deserves. Established in 2011, the AZ Awards is an international competition celebrating design excellence. The winners and finalists of the AZ Awards greatly benefit from the exposure offered by this widely recognized competition.

Entries are juried by a panel of international design experts at the forefront of their professions. Finalists and winners will be published in the 2015 AZ Awards Annual and recognized at the AZ Awards Gala in Toronto on June 19, 2015.

The competition is open to architects and designers from all disciplines, as well as students, manufacturers and clients for work completed by December 31, 2014.

Villeroy & Boch have kicked off their first North American Designer Bathroom Challenge, inviting architects and licensed designers to develop a concept for a contemporary and multisensory bathroom design for the chance to win a trip to Germany.

Bathrooms are an essential part of daily life from the moment you jump into the shower in the morning to brushing your teeth before hopping into bed at night. While well-designed bath and wellness products that are easy to use and maintain are essential for functionality, when they are enhanced with complementing textures, sounds, scents and lighting, the functional bathroom space is transformed into a true multisensory experience. Villeroy & Boch is challenging architects and designers to incorporate both of these elements into their design, creating a functional and a multisensory space.

It’s unavoidable. In today's world, in order to reach out to your target audience and promote your services, you need to have a website. And just any won’t do. Keep in mind that if you are an architect, people expect creativity out of you and from your website. An efficient, well-built, and good-looking website is the most convincing marketing tool you have at your disposal.

So, we’ve come up with five tips that explain (1) why a good website is so important; (2) what you should have in mind when creating your website (including what to avoid!); and (3) how to get started immediately, after the break... 

Videos

GRAPHISOFT’s latest iPhone and iPad App, a companion to ArchiCAD, has just been released. The heart of the technology, designed for easy BIM project viewing, is the “Hyper-model,” which enables the full integration of 2D and 3D plans. This makes navigation not only more intuitive, but a magnitude smoother and faster than most other construction-related model or documentation viewer mobile apps.

Get a more detailed look at the technology in action, after the break...