How To: The Latest Architecture and News

How we perceive space is a crucial aspect of architecture and interior design, profoundly influencing our interaction with the environment. Consequently, spatial perception is shaped by elements such as furniture arrangement, lighting, color choices, and materials. The latter is particularly significant, as the same material can be employed in various ways, resulting in atmospheres with unique characteristics.

Fluted cladding is a good example of the potential for variations in material use. These are milled MDF surfaces with a linear pattern designed to decorate interior walls and ceilings. They can be applied to a variety of surfaces, though they should only be used in areas not exposed to humidity. The system is notable for its ability to accentuate space through different configurations. Depending on their arrangement and type of fluting, these configurations can modify the spatial experience by highlighting, directing, enveloping, and achieving visual balance in homes, offices, commercial spaces, and more.

A correctly sized kitchen island is more than just a functional architectural element—it's a key component of kitchen design. Beyond its primary functions, a well-sized kitchen island can serve as a versatile space adaptable to various household needs by enhancing workflow efficiency, providing additional storage, fostering social interaction, and contributing to the overall space aesthetics.

Whether utilized as a breakfast bar for quick meals, a study area for children's homework, or a hub for entertaining guests, its flexibility enhances the functionality and livability of any kitchen environment. Determining the appropriate size for a kitchen island, however, demands a meticulous approach, blending spatial considerations, workflow requirements, and design sensibilities.

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As true spatial orchestrators, architects’ expertise extends beyond the mere construction of buildings, often transcending the physical realm of design. They possess the unique ability to craft spaces that are not only visually appealing, but that also feel welcoming, harmonious, and, above all, functional. Embracing this vital role involves careful consideration of all the bits and pieces that make up a project; from a building’s foundations to a sofa, architects must ensure that all the elements, in every scale, tie together in a way that is cohesive and positively influences our everyday lives.

Once popular in Victorian architecture, pocket doors fell out of fashion in the mid-1920s and hinged doors soon became the norm. In recent years, however, a renewed interest in space-saving and design-forward solutions has brought pocket doors back into the limelight. What used to be an overlooked architectural feature is now becoming increasingly common in modern interiors, along with its creative flair and countless functions. These sleek, sliding doors can efficiently divide rooms, create seamless transitions, save space and contribute to a unique, sophisticated and stylish look. All of this while adding a slight touch of poetry to the home; sliding silently into the wall, pocket doors invite users to step through and explore what lies beyond, creating a strong sense of mystery and intrigue.

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In the majority of family homes, it’s common for children to be given the smallest rooms. They are, after all, the smallest people. But where grown-ups have the rest of the house to fill with their accrued material wealth, children’s only freedom to decide what they do and where things go, is in that one small room.

Learning about the world can be frustrating, and quickly lead to misdiagnosed ‘bad’ behavior. So creating a safe, welcoming, comfortable space where children can feel calm, loved, and protected while enjoying their independence and individuality, is essential for a happy, healthy childhood. Children’s bedroom design, therefore, has more in common with open-plan living than simple sleeping quarters.

The Midnight Charette is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by architectural designers David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features a variety of creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions. A wide array of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes provide useful tips for designers, while others are project reviews, interviews, or explorations of everyday life and design. The Midnight Charette is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.

This week David and Marina discuss tips and tactics for creating a design presentation. The two cover the different scenarios to prepare for, the three most important components of any design presentation, how to include research and data, balancing beauty and clarity, tips if you’re struggling to make a presentation look good, presentation process strategies, and traps to avoid, and more. Enjoy!

The Midnight Charette is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by architectural designers David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features a variety of creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions. A wide array of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes provide useful tips for designers, while others are project reviews, interviews, or explorations of everyday life and design. The Midnight Charette is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.

This week David and Marina discuss strategies for giving a convincing design/architecture presentation. The two cover the different outcomes of a presentation, the pros and cons of different formats (slideshow and boards) and how they can best be used, key words that should not be used, dealing with questions, how to be convincing, how to sell a key point, what content should come first, understanding the audience, preparation, and more. Enjoy!

Of the varying aspects of architectural and interior design, lighting is one element that can visually enhance or destroy a space. This influence stems from the wide range of artificial lighting designed for the most widely differing tasks, environments, and purposes, including internal and even external spaces such as facades and landscape projects. Think of two environments with the same dimensions and layout. Suppose that in the first, only one point of light was applied - a general, unspecified point of light in this case - while in the second a light project was performed considering the use of space and valuing certain aspects of the architectural design. Undoubtedly, the second option is a more pleasant space. In the same way, poor lighting design can ruin an environment. But how is it possible to achieve these different results?

In a previous article, we already showed how to calculate the correct light intensity required for each environment. Here, we compile a list of some of the key types of lighting systems.

The Midnight Charette is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by architectural designers David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features a variety of creative professionals in unscripted and long-format conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and more personal discussions. Honesty and humor are used to cover a wide array of subjects: some episodes provide useful tips for designers, while others are project reviews, interviews, or simply explorations of everyday life and design. The Midnight Charette is available for free on iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, and all other podcast directories.

On this episode of The Midnight Charette podcast, hosts David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet discuss six career questions regarding office and employee reputation in Architecture from the Archinect forum thread, The Issue of Reputation in Architecture. If you have any questions or advice about portfolios or any other design-related topics, leave a voicemail at The Midnight Charette hotline: 213-222-6950.

We already know that the ramp, aside from its different design possibilities, allows—without forgetting the notion of promenade architecturale—its users to overcome physical barriers in the urban and architectural context.

Although it basically consists of a continuous surface with a particular angle of slope, it is necessary to point out the many constructive specifications, which of course may vary due based on the standards of different governing bodies. The following clarifications are intended to assist and determine the appropriate dimensions for comfortable and efficient ramps for all, based on the concept of universal accessibility.

To what extent can the slope of a ramp be modified? How can we determine its width and the space needed for maneuvering? What considerations exist regarding the handrails? Here we review some calculations and design examples for different ramps, below.