Timber trusses are wooden structural frameworks used to support roofs or other heavy structures. Fabricated from a series of triangles linked by a ridge beam and purlins, wooden trusses are structurally advantageous due to their high strength-to-weight ratios and corresponding ability to support long spans. However, these structural components can also be used for aesthetic ends, and when left exposed, can complexify, beautify, and open an interior space.
The Beauty of Exposed Wooden Trusses
Houses with Side Patios: Bountiful Natural Light and Ventilation
Patios and gardens play a crucial role in a project's planning and layout. In some instances, they serve as organizing elements while in others, they improve the quality of life in a space by providing light, ventilation, and a connection to the outdoors while maintaining the privacy of the inhabitants.
Refugia Hotel / Mobil Arquitectos
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Architects: Mobil Arquitectos
- Area: 1250 m²
- Year: 2011
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Manufacturers: Añihue
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Professionals: Mónica Pérez & Asociados, VMB Ingeniería Estructural
Brick in Latin American Architecture: Hospitals and Health Centers
The focus of buildings should ultimately be the well-being of the people using them. When we think of our experiences in hospitals, clinics, the dentist's office, and other medical facilities, the feeling is rarely pleasant. Perhaps it's the smells, the dull, monotone colors, or the sound of medical gadgets working away on some unlucky patient.
Improving the Educational Environment with the Reggio Emilia Approach
The Reggio Emilia Approach was created in the post-WWII period at the initiative of widowed mothers and under the coordination of journalist and educator Loris Malaguzzi. In a time of postwar urban reconstruction, the group's primary concern was the formation of new schools, where they wanted to create a peaceful, welcoming, and cheerful environment, with a domestic atmosphere where children could stay while their mothers worked. Understanding the children's interests and providing a suitable environment for exploration and experimentation is one of the focal points of this pedagogy. The creation of a safe and stimulating environment is so fundamental that, in much literature, it appears as a third teacher.
El Arrayan House / Oficina Bravo
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Architects: Oficina Bravo
- Area: 190 m²
- Year: 2018
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Manufacturers: Eco Pinturas, Timbercret
Spotlight: Toyo Ito
As one of the leading architects of Japan's increasingly highly-regarded architecture culture, 2013 Pritzker Laureate Toyo Ito (born June 1, 1941) has defined his career by combining elements of minimalism with an embrace of technology, in a way that merges both traditional and contemporary elements of Japanese culture.
PI House / Benjamin Goñi Arquitectos + Claro + Westendarp Arquitectos
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Architects: Benjamin Goñi Arquitectos, Claro + Westendarp Arquitectos
- Area: 420 m²
- Year: 2020
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Google, Hunter Douglas
Casa Los Algarrobos / MasFernandez Arquitectos + Claudio Tapia
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Architects: Claudio Tapia, MasFernandez Arquitectos
- Area: 368 m²
- Year: 2014
Origami House / Mas Fernandez Arquitectos + OR Arquitectos
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Architects: Mas Fernandez Arquitectos, OR Arquitectos
- Area: 182 m²
- Year: 2018
6 Eye-Catching Corten Steel Construction Details
The characteristics of Corten steel has been respected by all architects, both for its strength and for its particular color. It corresponds to a type of steel manufactured with a chemical composition that provides an oxidation that protects the piece, practically without altering its mechanical characteristics. The architectural details of Corten steel present a diversity of situations and connections, not only the obvious constructive factor but it also gives an aesthetic value to any architectural project.
We have compiled this list of 6 eye-catching Corten steel construction details that stand out the most.
Temporary Plazas: 13 Public Spaces that Activate the City
Normally the efforts of the construction industry are aimed to design permanent and durable spaces. However, on some occasions creating temporary spaces can be of great help, not only when providing fast assembly infrastructure after the effects of a natural disaster, but also when activating residual or abandoned spaces in our cities. To exemplify the potential of these interventions, we present thirteen successful temporary public spaces.
Spotlight: Eduardo Souto de Moura
Eduardo Souto de Moura (born 25 July 1952), the Portuguese architect that won the 2011 Pritzker Prize, is known for designs that are formally simple yet serious and at times, dramatic, created through his thoughtful use of colors and materials. His architecture is both versatile and consistent, contextual yet universal, and rarely affected by current trends or styles.
Bridge House / Aranguiz-Bunster Arquitectos
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Architects: Aranguiz-Bunster Arquitectos
- Year: 2010
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Manufacturers: Onduline
Hats House / SAA arquitectura + territorio
San Francisco Chapel / PARALELA
Spotlight: Álvaro Siza
One of the most highly regarded architects of his generation, Portugese architect Álvaro Siza (born 25 June 1933) is known for his sculptural works that have been described as "poetic modernism." When he was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1992, Siza was credited as being a successor of early modernists: the jury citation describes how "his shapes, molded by light, have a deceptive simplicity about them; they are honest."