1. ArchDaily
  2. Articles

Articles

The Second Studio Podcast on The Architecture & Building Process

The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.

A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.

This week David and Marina discuss the typical architecture and building process, covering the phases and steps in most building/construction projects—what can be expected during each step, why the different phases exist, their typical processes, the documents completed at the end of each phase, and the outcome of each phase.

Architectural Vocabulary Defined A to Z

This video introduces and defines common architecture terms from A to Z. It is no secret that architecture is full of jargon. This can be the subject of jokes and memes but it can also lead to confusion and frustration. The reliance on jargon is somewhat forgivable — the task of translating complex spatial, geometric, and compositional principles into verbal language is difficult. However, it means that one must invest in learning the language to fully grasp written and verbal communication about buildings. This video helps by providing definitions for 26 common architectural terms in alphabetical order. Terms include aesthetic, buttress, circulation, diagrammatic, enfilade, fenestration, geodesic, hierarchy, iconic, jamb, kitsch, legibility, morphology, node, ornament, program, quoin, rustication, stereotomy, tectonics, urbanism, yurt, and zeitgeist. Armed with this fundamental vocabulary, you’ll be able to keep up with any architectural conversation.  

Modernizing the Sacred: Gottfried Böhm's Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo in Brazil

In the hilly landscape of Blumenau, a city located in the state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, stands a gem of modern religious architecture by Gottfried Böhm, who recently passed away at the age of 101: the Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo, built from 1953 to 1963.

The São Paulo Apóstolo Church was built before the São Luiz Gonzaga Church in Brusque - two religious temples designed by Böhm with the office he inherited from his father, the architect Dominikus Böhm (1880-1955).

Modernizing the Sacred: Gottfried Böhm's Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo in Brazil - Image 1 of 4Modernizing the Sacred: Gottfried Böhm's Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo in Brazil - Image 2 of 4Modernizing the Sacred: Gottfried Böhm's Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo in Brazil - Image 3 of 4Modernizing the Sacred: Gottfried Böhm's Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo in Brazil - Featured ImageModernizing the Sacred: Gottfried Böhm's Mother Church of São Paulo Apóstolo in Brazil - More Images+ 28

We Already Have Viable Models for Quality Affordable Housing

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

In this week's reprint, author Walter Jaegerhaus explores the U.S. housing challenge, drawing a timeline of the evolution of different architectural solutions, from around the world. Seeking to "inspire designers today to create new housing options", and hoping "that the U.S can again embrace its experimental origins and try out new ideas and methods", the article highlights examples from Europe and the Americas.

We Already Have Viable Models for Quality Affordable Housing - Image 1 of 4We Already Have Viable Models for Quality Affordable Housing - Image 2 of 4We Already Have Viable Models for Quality Affordable Housing - Image 3 of 4We Already Have Viable Models for Quality Affordable Housing - Image 4 of 4We Already Have Viable Models for Quality Affordable Housing - More Images+ 12

Argentine Axonometries: 30 Works of Architecture Put Into Perspective

Argentine Axonometries: 30 Works of Architecture Put Into Perspective - Featured ImageArgentine Axonometries: 30 Works of Architecture Put Into Perspective - Image 1 of 4Argentine Axonometries: 30 Works of Architecture Put Into Perspective - Image 2 of 4Argentine Axonometries: 30 Works of Architecture Put Into Perspective - Image 3 of 4Argentine Axonometries: 30 Works of Architecture Put Into Perspective - More Images+ 26

As Francis D. K. Ching explains in his book Architectural Graphics, unlike the traditional, two-dimensional orthographic drawings used to represent layouts, sections, and floorplans, which only allow a project to be glimpsed through a series of fragmented images, axonometries, or axonometric projections, offer unique, simultaneous three-dimensional views of a project with all the depth and spatiality of tried and true technical illustrations.  

Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts

Automation is everywhere around us - our homes, furniture, offices, cars, and even our clothing; we have become so accustomed to being surrounded by automated systems that we have forgotten what life was like without them. And while automation has noticeably improved the quality of interior spaces with solutions like purified air and temperature control, nothing compares to the natural cool breeze of mother nature.

But just like everything else in architecture, there is no one size fits all; what works in Tanzania cannot work in Switzerland or Colombia. This is due to several reasons, such as the difference in wind direction, average temperature, spatial needs, and environmental restrictions (or lack thereof). In this article, we take a look at natural ventilation in all its forms, and how architects have employed this passive solution in different contexts. 

Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts  - Image 1 of 4Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts  - Image 2 of 4Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts  - Image 3 of 4Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts  - Image 4 of 4Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts  - More Images+ 25

How an Insulated Metal Panel Envelope Can Meet Fire Safety Codes

 | Sponsored Content

The way in which a fire evolves largely depends on the materials that constitute the building, as well as how it is designed. For this reason, there exist a number of fire safety requirements in building codes that must be followed during the initial design stages, as well as the physical construction of a building. In addition to these building codes, there are other considerations that must be taken into account such as thermal comfort, acoustics, and accessibility. When specifying a material or product for part of a building, the architect or design professional must pay close attention to meeting these demands. An example of a suitable material choice is the Insulated Metal Panel (IMP), which can have superior thermal properties, various appearance possibilities and good fire resistance.

Open Assembly: Spanish Town Halls Shaping Community and Place

Town halls and civic architecture are defined by spaces for gathering and focused work. Located in urban centers, they bring systems and people together. As one of the most diverse nations in the world, Spain balances a respect for history with an optimism for the future. Exploring environmental, social and economic impact, town halls represent emerging Spanish design culture and local values.

Open Assembly: Spanish Town Halls Shaping Community and Place - Image 1 of 4Open Assembly: Spanish Town Halls Shaping Community and Place - Image 2 of 4Open Assembly: Spanish Town Halls Shaping Community and Place - Image 3 of 4Open Assembly: Spanish Town Halls Shaping Community and Place - Image 4 of 4Open Assembly: Spanish Town Halls Shaping Community and Place - More Images+ 9

Trend Setting with Custom Wood-Based Interior Finishes

 | Sponsored Content

Wood-based materials manufacturer EGGER combines decor from furniture and interior design, as well as flooring, to create something entirely new.

Castle in France Built in the 21st Century Using Only Medieval Techniques

The building site is perhaps one of the most meaningful spaces for architects, as it is where the project comes to life, where techniques are actually applied, putting the project and the designer to the test. Many building sites are affected by work alienation, but they were once a place where craftsmen could learn and pass on knowledge. Today, with the evolution of construction techniques, centuries-old methods are in danger of being forgotten. This brings us to Guédelon Castle, located near the French village of Treigny.

Castle in France Built in the 21st Century Using Only Medieval Techniques - Image 1 of 4Castle in France Built in the 21st Century Using Only Medieval Techniques - Image 2 of 4Castle in France Built in the 21st Century Using Only Medieval Techniques - Image 4 of 4Castle in France Built in the 21st Century Using Only Medieval Techniques - Image 5 of 4Castle in France Built in the 21st Century Using Only Medieval Techniques - More Images+ 5

The Architecture of North Caucasus

The little-known and remote area of North Caucasus is an intricate assemblage of territories, ethnicities, languages, religions, and, consequently, architectures, from Tsarist-era buildings to mosques, traditional bas-reliefs, and Soviet Modernism. The setting of controversial events and a heterogeneous cultural environment, in many ways, North Caucasus is a borderland between Europe and Asia, the former USSR and the Middle East, Christianity and Islam. Photographs by Gianluca Pardelli, Thomas Paul Mayer and Nikolai Vassiliev provide an introduction to the architectural landscape of the region.

The Architecture of North Caucasus - Image 1 of 4The Architecture of North Caucasus - Image 2 of 4The Architecture of North Caucasus - Image 3 of 4The Architecture of North Caucasus - Image 4 of 4The Architecture of North Caucasus - More Images+ 6

The Architecture of Cantilevers

As a design feature, cantilevers can exist for any number of reasons, as rational results of form-making, impressive feats of engineering, or just unnecessary spectacles. Either way, they often result in buildings that appear both heavy and light at the same time and they present safely precarious situations for their inhabitants. The video describes what cantilevers are as well as some of the structural principles which govern their design like tension, compression, moment, and shear. It also goes over some great examples by architects like MVRDV, Rem Koolhaas, Ensemble Studio, and Richard Rogers. Finally, it concludes with appreciation for structural engineers and lists a few of the ones responsible for some of the most daring of delicate dangles.

Queer Looks On Architecture: From Challenging Identity-Based Approaches To Spatial Thinking

A growing number of theorists and practitioners have been discussing the impact of gender and race on the profession and theory of architecture. Issues linked to the relationship between the built environment, sexual orientation, and gender identity, however, remain particularly understudied, perhaps because of their relative invisibility and less clearly identifiable discriminatory consequences. Moreover, they are also completely neglected by design theory in the Francophone world. This article partially remedies the situation.

Design with Digital Technology: 3D Printing Opens New Possibilities in China

3D printing (as known as three-dimensional printing) is a type of rapid prototyping technology. It is a technology that uses powdered metal or plastic and other bondable materials to construct objects by printing layer by layer based on digital model files.

Can Architecture Firms Become Truly Carbon Neutral?

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Martin C. Pedersen talks with Ron Rochon, managing partner at Miller Hull, about Carbon and the role of architectural firms in eliminating emissions. Discussing the EMissions Zero initiative, the current shortcomings of carbon offsets, and the way forward, the piece also questions the possibility of setting goals with the absence of an internationally, agreed-upon carbon cap.

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.