Architecture has always been considered a fixed entity in contrast to the ever-shifting appearance of Nature. Photography has dutifully followed this concept of immobility by trying to fix the ‘eternal’ presence of architecture as a memorable icon. In historical terms then, architecture and landscape coexisted in the humanistic continuum of inside and outside space to which Modernism aspired, as "extensions of man", in incidental and uncanny relationships of adjacency and reflectivity. My intention through my photography has been to change this perception.
Airbnb se une con la Ciudad de México y con UNESCO para posicionar a la ciudad como capital del turismo creativo y los trabajadores remotos en América Latina. Image via Airbnb
The Government of Mexico City, UNESCO and Airbnb announced an alliance "to position the city as the capital of creative tourism and remote workers in Latin America". The announcement was made known through the Mexico City Government's social networks and Airbnb's news section. However, on August 9th, 2021, UNESCO unveiled the strategy with the intention of "contributing to the reactivation of tourism in a responsible and sustainable way in Mexico, and extending the benefits of cultural and creative tourism to more communities, Airbnb will promote, with the accompaniment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ("UNESCO"), destinations and experiences outside the traditional tourist circuit."
Courtesy of ODA - Renderings are based upon preliminary iterations of the design and do not reflect the final approved design.
If street culture is the glue that holds together an urban environment, what happens when its denizens no longer need to go outside? This is one of the fundamental questions faced by architects today, decades after the New Urbanist movement first popularized, or rather brought back, the concept of mixed-use streetscapes—and more than sixty years since Jane Jacobs famously championed walkable streets as essential to building vibrant urban communities.
Long gone, of course, are the days when city streets were our only outlet or option for access to retail and other services. Now, the internet gives us all that and more: remote shopping, banking, education, and even healthcare. Meanwhile, social media has transformed the way we communicate with friends and neighbors. All of which is to say: we no longer need to go out for social interaction or to procure services, we choose to.
Trends 23/24 at January's Heimtextil in Frankfurt will focus on material cycles and sustainability strategies for textiles – and use the analogue fair platform to promote exchange, present new products and bring experts together.
In an age of unprecedented globalization, our food supply chains — the institutions and mechanisms involved in food production and distribution — have become longer. So much so that they are hardly perceived as chains or systems. They have been integrated into our lives, and into our cities, and transformed our relationships with food. And yet, those very long food supply chains are implicated in some of our most pressing global problems, from food security and waste to biodiversity and climate change. These food supply chains have come to their current state, their current length, over decades, or centuries perhaps, through all sorts of political, social, cultural, and economic processes, and carry with them a range of burdens: vague producer-consumer relationships, and a host of negative environmental externalities, among many others.
The students from Tehran impressed with their multi-faceted project, which addresses the lack of light and security in refugee camps, while creating an outdoor game for children. Image Courtesy of VELUX Group
In early December, the global winners of the International VELUX Award 2022 were announced, a competition for architecture students that celebrates the innovative and creative use of daylight in a broad range of different projects.
Cities evolve over countless years, each moment of change building up to larger societal and architectural shifts. Metropolises across the world are constantly subject to social, political, economic, or environmental forces that alter their fundamental identity - a character that is meant to be dynamic. As cities develop in size and impact, advancements in the understanding of cities and urbanism grow more complex.
Cities are formed from a sequence of narratives, characteristics, relations, and socio-spatial values that reflect the identity of the place. The livelihood of the city also depends on its people and a mutual relationship with them. Along with their communities and their circumstances, cities morph to reflect their residents' needs and values.
Through its New Nordic cuisine, the food scene in Copenhagen has been growing in popularity and is becoming a major appeal for inhabitants and visitors. Its rooted and seasonal gastronomy as well as its traditional convivial concepts make any food experience in the city a wholistic one as it is linked to the produce, the ambiance, and of course the setting. An enjoyable meal, in what is one of the happiest cities in the world, requires specific localization, design, and planning that can nurture communal and leisure activities. Such spaces should become even more coveted as Copenhagen hosts the UIA World Congress of Architects.
Whether it is for a break, relaxation, or even free wifi, coffee shops tend to host a series of situations that involve more than just enjoying a cup of coffee. A quiet and pleasant place, which in addition to everything else offers a good hot drink, is a great attraction for those looking for a coffee shop to spend a few hours.
In this sense, a landscape project that integrates greenery into these environments can significantly increase the comfort of customers, by easing temperatures and offering a barrier against atmospheric, noise and visual pollution. In addition, after the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, open spaces, with natural ventilation and gardens became priorities for many projects, including coffee shops.
Since the 2018 FIFA Congress picked the United States, Mexico, and Canada to host the 2026 World Cup—officially known as the United bid—, the three North American countries have been working to deliver the next edition of the most prestigious football tournament in the globe.
https://www.archdaily.com/993287/explore-the-full-list-of-football-stadiums-for-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-in-united-states-mexico-and-canadaArchDaily Team
The world’s most primitive construction materials are being used to create the most advanced buildings. In light of environmental crises, architects are focusing their efforts in designing better built environments for people and the planet. The results may often seem ‘greenwashed’, failing to address the root of ecological distress. Environmentally responsible architecture must aim not to reverse the effects of the ecological crisis, but instigate a revolution in buildings and how we inhabit them. Essays from the book The Art of Earth Architecture: Past, Present, Future envision a shift that will be a philosophical, moral, technological and political leap into a future of environmental resilience.
Teen girls are neither children nor adults, meaning they have specific needs and behaviours different from both these groups. Unfortunately, like many marginalized groups, these needs and behaviours have not been met or encouraged through our built environment as it has for others. For example, playgrounds are built for children to let off steam and sports courts that foster competition are targeted at men and teen boys.
Accordingly, not building public spaces with the needs of teen girls in mind allows other groups of people, predominantly men who already take up 80% of public spaces, to continue to dominate them. Making teen girls feel ten times less secure in public spaces. Not only does this absence affect their social, physical, and mental development, but it also complicates how they see where they belong in public spaces.
Islands have proved to be great favorites of contemporary kitchens, appearing in environments of different sizes, styles, and with different materials. Before installing a kitchen island, however, it is necessary to think about a few factors to make a better design decision.
Unconstrained by the dogmas of established offices, new architectural practices can often challenge building norms and redefine living standards. The Young European Architecture Festival (YEAH!) is an event dedicated to highlighting these new and emerging practices and bringing their contributions to the built environment into focus. Many of these practices are challenging and redefining typologies of residential architecture. They are building upon ideas such as cooperative housing schemes, community-initiated developments, and circular economy. Others are exploring local identities and resources as a way to reinvigorate the profession while creating respectful and regionally relevant works of architecture.
There are significant deficiencies in how our cities worldwide operate and serve the people who live in them. Bureaucracies, red tape, and other limiting processes that publicly drive our cities towards their futures are often the aspects that cause change to happen at such a slow pace that by the time an issue is addressed, five more have popped up in its place. Over time, society has come to accept that when the systems we have in place don’t do much to serve our needs, it forces us to turn to alternatives to advocate for change. Some urban issues have found the best solutions after initiating social movements and the formation of grassroots groups.
Mexico City is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and effervescent cities on the cultural and architectural scene in recent decades. Various authors have positioned it inside and outside the country through projects that make up a meeting platform for the creative community. LAGO/ALGO is part of the list of those resilient spaces that emerged from the pandemic, with the need to reimagine our current context by rethinking how we relate to the public and private space having the iconic Chapultepec Forest as a stage, an 810-hectare urban park that is divided into four sections which harbor some of the most important tourist sites in Mexico.
In Childhood’s End, Arthur C. Clarke’s mid-20th century science fiction classic, a character wonders if the flattened inhabitants experiencing a far-off planet’s tremendous gravitational force are aware of the third dimension. In recent years, this hypothetical has found parallels in our growing digital universe, where we are continually drawn to our flat screens to confirm our relevance, connect with like-minded individuals, or create dating profiles. With attention spans riveted by endless digital content, walking down the street has become a delicate dance of avoiding people staring obliviously at their phones—those who, calling to mind Ada Louise Huxtable’s famous question, “Kicked a Building Lately?,” might walk right into one.
Climate change has been one of the most pressing topics of this year, and for a good reason. Its effects are visible not only in natural habitats but also in urban environments. The construction industry has an important role to play in this dynamic. Throughout the year, events such as COP27 emphasized the importance of striving to achieve net carbon zero and the challenges faced by developing countries affected by increasingly devastating natural disasters. Possible directions for development include actions at varying stages and scales, from optimizing green spaces for urban heat control to employing local and innovative building materials to minimize the carbon footprint or passing laws that help create more sustainable urban and natural environments.
This article represents a roundup of articles published on ArchDaily during the course of 2022 with themes related to climate change and architecture’s potential to make a difference. It breaks down the topic into four main questions: What Are Cities Doing to Mitigate Urban Heat? How to Tackle Rising Sea Levels? What Was COP27 and Why Does It Matter? Can Building Materials Play a Role in Achieving These Goals? The last section presents an overview of new legislation approved during 2022 as a way of understanding how state and local governments are imposing this need for change.
Throughout 2022 we brought different ideas for homes, from methods that do not require previous experience and with accessible materials to more elaborate projects that demand a complete renovation of the space. Many people want to bring a new atmosphere into their own homes at the end of the year. That is why we have put together some tips with the simplest executions and others that help you create the necessary transformation for your home.
As much as walls, ceilings, and furniture pieces define the character and perception of an architectural project, doors play a critical role in building that style. Among all the doors used in houses, the front door is the first tangible element that homeowners and visitors will encounter, acting as the pivotal point where architecture greets the user. After all, first impressions are always important; and the entrance door is certainly one that can set the tone for the rest of the interior. However, choosing the right front door for a contemporary house can be difficult, especially with so many design possibilities. Therefore, before making that decision, it is crucial to know what those possibilities are – and how these can transform the front door into a design statement.
In 2013 ArchDaily published the article “Can We Please Stop Drawing Trees on Top of Skyscrapers,” - its author was frustrated by rampant greenwashing. If you wanted it to look sustainable, you’d just have to put a tree on it. Plants have always been an effective marketing tactic to appeal to the environmentally conscious, but as soon as they are photoshopped in, they are often discarded at the first whiff of value engineering. Given the voluminous flurry of vigorous commentary and debate following that publication (2013, 2016, 2016) it is clear there is something that persists, perhaps a widely felt instinct that in truth, our urban “landscapes” are unsustainable, and often unlivable. Our cities not only take advantage of the ecosystem services of far-off forests and groundwater to support our carbon production, air pollution, and water wastage, exhausting arable land to feed our increasingly urban populations but simultaneously create urban areas devoid of life that increase our carbon footprints and negatively impact human health and well-being.
https://www.archdaily.com/993515/building-calories-moving-beyond-greenwashing-to-investigate-the-value-of-living-with-plantsAndreas Theodoridis, Christina Ciardullo & Anna Dyson
Winning Design. Bjerg Arkitektur, Denmark. Image Courtesy of Geberit
As living spaces are becoming more scarce and expensive, design must create innovative strategies that maintain a balance between functionality and aesthetic expression, enhancing the creation of smaller spaces. With this goal in mind, Geberit has launched a competition across six European countries –Germany, France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Denmark– to reimagine the bathroom inside a 6 m2 space, a common size in the urban environment that still allows for different layouts.
While offering a realistic approach, these proposals work as a guide on how to design bathrooms that optimize space and, at the same time, combine different products, materials and colors accordingly (and creatively).
It is a great privilege to amplify the voice of architects and other built environment professionals. It is also an enormous challenge as it requires a lot of investigation and time from our content team. However, the effort is gratifying. It puts us in contact with some of the most prominent talents in our field who have been discussing subjects such as cities, metaverse, community, environment, democracy, sustainability, building technology and interiors, to mention just a few.
Representing the values of a company, without falling into obviousness and clichés, is quite a challenge for architects. This was the case for Rezen and Templewell, who were commissioned to design the headquarters for IGO, a leading exploration and mining company based in South Perth, Australia. Contrary to the obvious "brutality and harshness" that immediately comes to mind when we think of this extractive activity, the project seeks its antithesis: a space designed for the people who work there, exploring textures, sober palettes, and pleasant surfaces. The office has been selected among the five winners of the 2022 Shaw Contract Design Awards "Best of Globe".
