Comfort: The Latest Architecture and News

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The first air conditioning systems were created by electrical engineer Willis Carrier in 1902 to solve a problem for a printing press in Brooklyn, New York, where humidity threatened to ruin the paper. Since then, air conditioning has evolved from a revolutionary thermal comfort system into an essential element of homes and workplaces. Initially, the units were large and centralized, hidden away due to their ducted system nature. However, this approach is rapidly changing as more energy-efficient efficient ductless air conditioners become more integrated into contemporary interiors.

According to Norman Foster, "as an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past." In this sense, present-day architecture, interiors, and furniture have undergone a radical evolution in recent years, driven by a paradigm shift in the conception of space and our interaction with it. This contemporary approach has steered us towards less constrained, more collaborative, and multi-purpose spaces, which can also provide privacy and functionality. In addition, they must serve as temporary workspaces in specific contexts, adapting to the dynamism of contemporary needs and activities.

From this new approach, architects and designers are reshaping interior environments to accommodate new behaviors, facilitating the discovery of renewed ergonomics in human activities. Today, architectural thinking is merging to create spaces that enable conducting our lives in motion, a trend particularly evident in dynamic environments such as airports, encompassing intimate and social moments with people on the move. Consequently, a new kind of furniture has re-emerged, becoming commonplace in airport settings and other shared spaces: the booth.

Throughout history, the undeniable interrelationship between sound and architecture has shaped users' experiences. From auditoriums to offices, cultural centers, and schools, acoustics in architecture can manifest itself in two ways: as a determining element of a structure's shape and as a material. When discussing aesthetics, the latter aspect is particularly relevant, as any material that forms part of a composition aims to have a cohesive design with the rest.

Integrating acoustics through materials presents a significant challenge, as certain attributes such as color, texture, or dimensions may hinder harmonization with the overall design of the space. This can unbalance the experience of the environment, since, although the acoustics are improved, the interior atmosphere is negatively affected. This situation highlights the importance of selecting the right material that can enhance acoustics while maintaining the coherence of the design.

Within a city, various factors are taken into account when it comes to housing, such as location, proximity to services, mobility, access to natural light, view, and noise levels. These considerations are particularly crucial in densely populated areas, with a stronger relevance to apartments in high-rise buildings. In contrast, when designing a house, specific factors are inherently addressed. It is assumed that a single-family residence is situated away from busy city centers, leading to longer commutes for services. The availability of natural light is influenced by the location of the building on the land, and noise is minimized because residential areas are usually away from bustling urban environments.

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Smart homes leverage technology to provide residents with increased convenience, savings, comfort, and security. With automated environments, household routines are streamlined. What once seemed like a distant future is now within reach as smart devices have become more accessible. They enable a new level of interaction between the home and its inhabitants through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.

The earliest vestiges of furniture in society can be traced back to the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt when the armchair of Queen Hetepheres I (ca. 2600 BC) was discovered. This armchair marked a significant milestone in the history of furniture. It is not surprising, therefore, that the chronology of furniture is intertwined with architectural, pictorial, and sculptural expressions of the time, where these elements often act as witnesses and, in exceptional cases, as central objects in the history of art and design.

Furniture consists of everyday objects designed to meet specific needs in our daily lives. However, sometimes they transcend their practical function and take on an autonomous presence. A piece of furniture has no nobler purpose than its interaction with human beings, therefore, separating these objects from their utilitarian dimension becomes an act of disruption. As a result, designers such as Francesco Binfaré have described sofas as “The most mysterious object amongst the furniture populating the interior design universe”. In this context, Edra creates unique objects that blend art and industrial production, reflecting contemporary domestic landscapes and experimenting with new shapes and materials.

Shade refers to a region or state where sunlight is partially obstructed by objects or structures. This concept plays a crucial role in architectural design, as it significantly impacts comfort and functionality. It offers relief from direct sunlight, helps regulate temperature, and reduces glare. For these reasons, architects strategically incorporate shading elements to enhance the quality and utility of spaces, especially in outdoor residential areas. In this context, ShadeFX are manufacturers of innovative sun, rain and privacy solutions that are customized for every project regardless of size or complexity.

The skin absorbs matter, and the world is contemplated, touched, heard, and measured through our bodily existence. Juhani Pallasmaa, a Finnish architect known for propagating sensory architecture, defends the notion that, unlike vision, touch is the sense of proximity, becoming a main axis by covering the entire body. It is a fact that, when speaking of touch, the first image that comes to mind is usually contact with hands. However, there are other ways to feel architecture that can be developed in projects, such as the touch of bare feet on a particular surface.

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At the Four Seasons restaurant in New York, designed by Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe in the iconic Seagram Building, a rectangular pool played the leading role in the space, highlighted by four trees planted in pots at each of the vertices. The soft noise made by the water became consecrated. In addition to giving the hall some personality, it served to absorb the sounds of conversations (often secret) among tables. Just as the way that light enters a space, or how interior landscapes are perceived, sound is one more characteristic of an environment, though it is generally overlooked by architects. This goes beyond providing it with efficient acoustics, but creating a sound atmosphere for a space. This is the concept of soundscape.