Symbiosis, a Prototype for Living and Working. Image Courtesy of contexo
The future of urban life is increasingly being imagined as collective, layered, and adaptable. As cities grow denser and the boundaries between work, home, and leisure blur, architects are rethinking the traditional notion of residential living, shifting from isolated units to integrated, community-driven environments. This collection of unbuilt projects, submitted by the ArchDaily community, reflects this shift: a global exploration into how design can shape more resilient, inclusive, and connected ways of living.
The pursuit of an ideal city has long been a topic of debate among architects and urban planners. In addition to aesthetic identity and cultural heritage, the quality of life in every city represents perhaps the most important marker in this pursuit. This year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist, has released its Global Liveability Index 2024, highlighting the cities that excel in this ongoing quest. For the third consecutive year, Vienna ranked as the most liveable city in the world. European cities Copenhagen, Zurich, and Geneva also rank high, attributed to their smaller populations, which contribute to lower crime rates and less congestion. In comparison with the 2023 ranking, the numbers for North American and Australian cities have been dragged down by the ongoing housing crisis.
The assessment ranks 173 cities from around the world. Each city is scored based on 30 qualitative and quantitative factors evaluating 5 categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The scores are based on external data points, in-house analysts, and in-city contributors. The category of stability has registered the biggest decline, as protests and armed conflicts increased in incidence. At the bottom of the cist, the city of Damascus, Syria, continues to be ranked as the least liveable city in the survey, followed by Tripoli, Libya, reflecting severe instability.
In the evolving landscape of workplace design and office architecture, the boundaries of creativity and functionality are constantly being pushed. From futuristic skyscrapers to co-working spaces, the future of work environments respond to the dynamic needs of modern businesses and their employees. This week's curated selection of Unbuilt Architecture focuses on office, workplace, and administrative buildings submitted by the ArchDaily Community.
The realm of office architecture is a chance for designers to innovate and influence work cultures. From the Sinuating Flow High-Rise in Chongqing, China, drawing inspiration from the surrounding mountains and valleys to the Parisian GRDF Headquarters reimagining urban offices as small city districts. The ABS Workspace integrates maritime elements into its workplace design, while the FUTURA tower in Kyiv breaks conventional norms with artistic and sculptural forms and the use of black. Together, these projects showcase the diversity in office architecture, each working within a context to offer unique solutions to sustainable work environments.
During the last years, Kyiv became one of Europe’s most active and trending cities. A bustling scene of creative industries and tech startups, created a fertile ground for architectural and interior design experimentation in a fast growing hospitality and residential industry: hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, offices, housing projects, that set a new benchmark in creativity and brough new views towards East. Among the practices that shaped a new architectural identity is Balbek Bureau, a young yet prolific studio that crafted a unique style, always ahead of trends.
While the full scale invasion of Ukraine is having a deep impact on economy and development, Ukrainians don’t resign, and their resilience pushes them to find opportunities in the country and abroad. Balbek Bureau has a diverse and creative portfolio, working with Ukraine’s top tech companies, fashion and beauty brands, and the coolest new bars and cafes, among others. Their projects are not just found in Kyiv, Lviv or Odesa, but also across Central and Western Europe, Canada, the US, Mexico, China and even Antarctica.
MVRDV and Orange Architects collaborate on the NUVO project, a new mixed-use complex to be built in Ukraine’s capital, the team of architects has revealed their design for three of the buildings that will become part of NOVO. Commissioned by Kovalska, the project is now restarting after work was put on hold due to the active conflict in Ukraine. The two firms are collaborating to refine the master plan initiated by APA Wojcehowski Architects.
