The Museum of Temporal Delight. This image was created, in Midjourney, using 5 language prompts and a few small refinements. Image Courtesy of John Marx/ Form4 Architecture
This article is the seventh in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints.
In so many ways the introduction of AI software has created a sense that we live in a world predicted by science fiction novels. We commonly have rested on the assumption that computers will never be capable of designing. That time has now arrived, and with it comes an opportunity to confront the positives and negatives these new technologies offer.
Contemporary cities and urban settlements manifest as intricate structures that demand deep reflection and a careful approach. The social models and spatial layouts within them are in constant evolution, transforming over time. In this context, a crucial question arises: What is the predominant model for cities today? Many contemporary cities result from a paradigm that reached its apogee in the 19th century, characterized by intensive densification and urbanization in response to needs that weren't always reflective of its inhabitants.
In some cases, due to the transformations experienced by large cities, certain urban sectors have fallen into disuse, becoming residual spaces or moving away from purposes oriented to community development. Recognizing that people are the driving force behind the dynamics of cities and human settlements, it is imperative to reclaim these spaces. To this end, theoretical approaches such as the one proposed by Henri Lefebvre's right to the city and the 15-minute city are presented as alternatives. In these cases, people regain the focus, becoming key elements in the design, and allowing for the re-establishment of a community-person-space bond.
https://www.archdaily.com/1012450/reactivating-residual-public-spaces-with-community-led-designEnrique Tovar
Solar Facades on Bornholm Hospital. Image Courtesy of SolarLab
Environmental degradation has shed light on the need for new sources of energy. A shift in energy sources calls for innovative means of storing energy. For centuries, buildings have proven able to store people, objects, and systems, inviting a conversation about their untapped potential to efficiently store large amounts of energy. In this new era, can buildings go beyond being structures of function to potential reservoirs of power?
Hotel renovations today transcend mere improvements in guest comfort or alignment with prevailing design trends. A major demand currently facing the industry is the need to respond to the growing wave of environmental awareness and embrace sustainable development objectives. The requirement to address sustainability is driven by a growing social awareness of environmental issues. Guests and stakeholders are increasingly advocating for sustainably certified structures, achieved through eco-friendly installations and innovative solutions, such as green roofs, eco-friendly materials, and innovative facades. This sustainability-driven shift benefits the environment and promises long-term savings in water and energy costs for hotels. Specifically in the case of hotels, improving the efficiency of hot water equipment can make a large difference in hotel management, as this generally represents a huge expense and waste of energy.
Silent and endless hallways, white and cold rooms, an impersonal and distant atmosphere: this is a deeply ingrained image in our cultural conception of hospital environments. The whiteness of these spaces, attempting to reinforce the necessary notions of sterility and cleanliness, may also evoke a sense of discomfort and anxiety for patients and their families.
The importance of humanizing hospital, clinic, and office projects is an increasingly discussed and relevant topic in healthcare, extending far beyond the aesthetics of these buildings. It is necessary to create welcoming environments that promote the well-being of patients, families, and professionals, recognizing that architecture can play a fundamental role in the recovery and comfort of these individuals during moments of vulnerability.
Recognized as the UK’s highest honor for architecture, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence "either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture.", according to the organization. In 2024, the recognition was awarded for the first time to an African Woman, to the Ghanaian-Scottish architect, academic, and curator Lesley Lokko.
Opt Oog Column / Blast Studio. Image Courtesy of Blast Studio
In architectural design, our interactions with non-human organisms have predominantly involved creating barriers to exclude them from the human realm. What if we were to adopt a different approach? Interspecies design is a movement that puts non-human organisms—fungi, insects, and various animals—on an equal footing with humans. This design philosophy provides frameworks that foster non-hierarchical relationships with other species. By doing so, it cultivates empathy for other life forms and shifts our perspective on the world around us. It aims not only for a net-zero approach but also seeks collaboration with non-human organisms to develop environments beneficial to all. Below, explore some emerging material technologies designed to benefit both humans and other life forms.
Housing production has been relying on the same spatial configurations for almost a century, catering to a vision of domestic life that no longer constitutes the norm. The widespread housing shortage, the issue of affordability, the rise of single-person households, and an aging population prompt a re-evaluation of existing housing models to address a broader range of demographics and adapt to the changing needs of city dwellers. The following explores contemporary collective housing models that provide the framework for new dwelling experiences and support current lifestyles.
Cameroon boasts a rich architectural heritage of Catholic Christian worship buildings. These buildings encompass various styles, including contemporary designs, Terracotta brick explorations, and Gothic, and Byzantine architectural influences. Since the arrival of missionaries and colonial communities in 1890, numerous religious buildings have been constructed with the involvement of local communities. These buildings not only contributed to the development of the Christian faith but also served as venues for the exchange of architectural ideals between the local and foreign communities.
During this period, Cameroon explored the Gothic and Byzantine movements, which had reached their peak in Europe, to create these churches. They were interrogated through local building practices and now represent the historical heritage of the country's cathedrals.
The International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture returns in 2024, offering students the opportunity to innovate the concept of daylight in the built environment. The award has grown considerably since its launch and attracts competitors from all around the world, spanning 800 schools, 130 countries and amassing over 6,000 projects to date. The total prize money amounts to 30,000 euros.
A considerable part of architectural innovation involves the use of materials. Technical development and new formal languages utilize them to "announce" the "next" architectural era. Of course, materials are essential for construction and significant for the consolidation of languages. Glass, steel, concrete, or brick convey messages about buildings. However, like any language, the meaning of words can vary according to the prevailing social organization; there is a dispute over the meaning of certain expressions, or there is pressure for the abolition—or at least the dissociation—of certain senses associated with some words. It would not be any different in architecture.
The Healthy Cities movement is a strong but sometimes underappreciated planning concept with its roots in the complex structure of the human body. Formed in the 1970s, it transcends the current paradigm of building, roadway, and open space planning to address a more complex and systemic view of community life. The movement was pioneered and co-founded by Dr. Leonard Duhl, who was both an urban planner and medical doctor. I was lucky to have him as a planning mentor.
The new Essential Induction revolutionizes kitchen design with a hob that is all but invisibly integrated into a Dekton work surface, arming architects with total freedom of expression. Image Courtesy of Gaggenau
Gaggenau’s commitment to innovation and eye-soothing aesthetics in the kitchen is well known; its appliances aim to please the most demanding cook and meet the rigor of the dedicated minimalist. Its latest launch, however, turns the idea of appliance design on its head.
Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Sciences (1959-65). Image Courtesy of Form Portfolios
In the history of modern architecture, Louis I. Kahn is regarded as the undisputed master of monumentality in the United States. At the height of his career, Kahn managed to create a unique type of architecture, often awe-inspiring, but avoiding overdone grandiosity, expressing its constructive system, yet avoiding structural exhibitionism, steeped in history but developed with a new language and system of forms. His interest in light as a functional element and the specific qualities of materials extended beyond his buildings, in all the objects he created to populate them following their intrinsic spirit. To celebrate this legacy, Form Portfolios has now launched “Monumental Modernism,” the first collection of lighting, objects, and furniture modeled after those discovered in Louis I. Kahn’s buildings.
Public spaces, whether indoors or outdoors, public or private, are characterized as places for encounters, opportunities, and exchanges of ideas or goods, and ultimately, they are a key part of a city's identity. However, with the rise of the internet and social networks, many of these functions have migrated to the virtual environment or lost some of their relevance. In addition, we experienced a setback in in-person relationships during the long period of isolation that accompanied the pandemic. Faced with these challenges, architects are confronted with the fundamental question of how to revitalize these crucial spaces for society, while understanding their vital importance. Can design be the key to reviving public spaces? How can we make places that are both everyone's and no one's truly comfortable?
With the approach of summer in the southern hemisphere — promising to be one of the most intense on record amidst a year already considered one of the hottest in history — the search for places that offer moments of relaxation, freshness, and fun intensifies. As the high temperatures of summer draw near, the relevance and demand for facilities like clubs, with their outdoor leisure areas, pools, and green spaces, stand out significantly. These places become true havens, providing the opportunity to escape the heat and a range of other activities and benefits for their users.
Water is indispensable for all forms of life on Earth, as it plays a vital role in maintaining biological processes, supporting ecosystems, and contributing to human well-being. Additionally, water holds cultural significance in many societies, being associated with rituals and ceremonies and carrying diverse symbolic meanings.
A historic symbol of the industrial age, the sawtooth roof is a lasting legacy of architectural history. Although a functional invention born from necessity nearly 200 years ago, the iconic shape is enjoying a renaissance in many contemporary projects.
Made up of many long, thin roofs with irregular pitches laid alongside each other, a sawtooth roof positions its steeper edges – filled with glass panels – away from the equator. This allows large buildings to control their solar gain by omitting direct sunlight, while still allowing uniform indirect natural light to fill an entire interior area.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) accounts for over one-tenth of the global population, approximately 800 million people, practicing urban agriculture worldwide. In the United States, millions of citizens lack access to supermarkets. Urban farmers play a crucial role in addressing food security issues in American cities.
Historically, the distance between rural and urban areas has never been greater, making traditionally rural food sources widely inaccessible. Cities initially would develop around centralized markets that brought produce from farmlands to urban centers. Today, urban agriculture is revitalizing this connection between city dwellers and agricultural products.
A 2020 Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden study revealed that over 46,000 native species have been cataloged in Brazilian territory. Nearly half of them are endemic, meaning they occur exclusively in Brazil and nowhere else in the world in a natural way. This staggering number reflects the diversity of the flora found in the country.
Known internationally as the world’s foremost voice on all things color, Pantone’s Color of the Year program has been predicting and even directing color trends for 25 years – reflecting the cultural environment across multiple creative sectors that use the language of color and color psychology such as branding, marketing, fashion, and product design to name a few, as well as architecture and design.
But color trends aren’t just about what’s hot and what’s not. Color plays an important role in stimulating the senses, evoking memories or feelings based on past experiences and collective influences around the world. In the color psychology of retail design, for example, specific hues have been found to alter consumers’ comfort and energy levels, ultimately dictating shoppers’ preferences and behavior. In medical environments, combining a neutral base with calming accent colors has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.
When internationally acclaimed music icons like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Paul McCartney announce their global tours, the anticipation sparked by revealing the countries and respective host cities is met with thorough preparations. These preparations aim to adapt to the array of changes that will unfold in the urban spaces of these cities due to the impact of these events. These mega-concerts extend beyond the musical realm; they transcend the stage to mobilize significant financial figures and result in various transformations in the everyday urban life of these cities. Even though these events do not last long, they instigate alterations in diverse spheres and urban sectors, including tourism, hospitality, food, and transportation.
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 of FAME Architecture & Design are joined by Architect Jai Kumaran, founding partner of West of West to discuss his background; the influence his father’s work had on his career; attending architecture school; why he pursued a master’s degree; starting and growing an office; exploring project types; branding in architecture; and more!
Architecture has always centered on permanence and ephemerality. Defined by material conditions, how we build is closely tied to what we preserve and how we conceptualize the future. Furthering international cooperation in education, the arts, the sciences, and culture, UNESCO is an organization that continues to examine the relationship between history and growth, preservation, and change. As architecture, landscapes, and cities become threatened by the climate crisis and unrest, cultural context becomes paramount.
