2021 was the year of a new reality, with humankind adapting to what is known as the second year of the pandemic. While some countries witnessed a return to alternative normality, opening up to the world through travel and events, others stayed in lockdown, expanding furthermore the inequality gaps. Nevertheless, this year also brought a lot of hope in all aspects, raising questions and building solutions for the near future. With a major focus on climate urgency, biomedical research as well as notions of hybridity, 2021 has triggered new understandings of the environment that surrounds us and of our place in this world.
Highlighting contextual topics, bringing both a local and global perspective, while shedding light on overlooked historical narratives, ArchDaily's diverse team of editors has been front and center, reacting to everything that has been happening. Always seeking "to empower everyone who makes architecture happen to create a better quality of life", the editorial content, generated across all sites, in our 4 languages, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese, provided tools, inspiration, and knowledge to widen horizons and help our users build a better future.
Read on to discover this year’s curated selection of ArchDaily’s most distinguished architecture articles for 2021.
Intersectional Design: Rethinking Architecture for the Future
The More You Understand How Materials Fit and Work, The Better Your Architecture Will Be
Locality, Legality, and Limiting Landscapes: The Story Behind Switzerland’s Villa Vals
“The Tree that Escaped the Crowded Forest”: Lessons from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower
Shipping Container Architecture: Debunking the Design Trend of the Decade
Construction and Design Trends of 2021: The Recurring, The Popular, The Relevant, and The Substantial
From Farm to Fork: How Architecture Can Contribute to Fresher Food Supply
Evolution of the House Plan in Europe: from the Industrial Revolution to the Interwar Period
Architectural Rendering and the Slippery Slope of the Uncanny Valley
Transparent Buildings and the Illusion of Democracy
The Urban Landscape of Soviet Monotowns
The Close Relationship Between Art and Architecture in Modernism
The Urban Remnants of Colonial Planning in Africa: Dar es Salaam and Nairobi
Equitable Cities Through the Lens of Environmental Neuroscience
The Contemporary Approach to Rebuilding Cities Post-Disaster: The Case of Beirut
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Living in Dakar, A Study of Senegalese Housing & Future Development
Zero Kilometer Materials: Preserving the Environment and Local Cultures
Cabrini-Green and Vele di Scampia: When Public Housing Projects Don’t Work Out
Should Architecture Be Static? The Possibilities of Kinetic Buildings
History, Public Space, and Urban Interventions Along the US-Mexican Border
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: Year in Review. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and projects. Learn more about our monthly topics. As always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
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