The undisputed protagonist of the last few years has been the Metaverse. The news is already flooding the world of video games and technology. Today, architects and designers are increasingly aware of the responsibility they have in leading this construction of the virtual environment. But what is the architecture of the Metaverse, how is it designed, how is it built?
Vertical circulation may be just one of the functions of a ladder. Always occupying a reasonable area, this element can serve to bring some other uses when it is thought of in a more integrated way with the entire room, providing living spaces, storage and also a greater aesthetic appeal. That is why we have gathered some ideas on how to occupy the areas around a staircase in different projects: from home to industrial scale.
Fundamental for the development of large metropolises as we know them today, cement is a material used historically, whose technological advances have revolutionized construction technique and technology of civil construction, enabling the verticalization of construction and the densification of urban centers. Cement, both added to water and sand to make mortar and combined with steel and aggregate to form concrete, performs different functions in a work, from structure to finish.
As of today, over 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and by 2050, this urban population will almost double in size, and 7 of 10 people in the world will live in cities. As cities have continued to grow and expand throughout history, a new vocabulary has also emerged, often to better communicate the scale of urban living in a relatively contemporary context. One such example is the term megalopolis – typically defined as a network of large cities that have been interconnected with surrounding metropolitan areas by infrastructure or transportation. In effect, it’s a region perceived as an encompassing urban area, within which there is a constant flow of commerce and migration.
The Philippines' history and cultural background are continually reflected in the architectural landscape throughout the country, with its structures and dwellings harboring a handful of influences from the nations that once purveyed the island.
When we talk about the topic of Filipino architecture and dwellings, more often than not, we may think of the first known Filipino home: Bahay Kubo. The Bahay Kubo is a small hut comprising nipa, bamboo, and other indigenous materials. It is often times that many citizens still choose to adopt this style of habitation, however, over time, the concept of the nipa hut has evolved into a more modern structure.
TV shows about renovations are seductive. We feel anxiety when seeing that home remodeled in an unimaginable way, providing a family reconnection with the new space. The tears at the end, the host-architect-contractor satisfied with the result, intact wooden floors, shiny appliances, and bathtubs ready to be used. It is no wonder that these programs are reaching an ever-increasing audience and, consequently, inspiring many transformations in other people's homes.
But if, on the one hand, they encourage viewers to change by showing the infinite possibilities of transforming and improving a space, on the other hand, they can reproduce misconceptions about architecture, especially concerning the conception and execution process.
Noises –especially those we can’t control– greatly affect both physical and mental health. Whether coming from the street, upstairs neighbors or the room next door, research suggests that these can raise stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communications and contribute to developing issues such as high blood pressure. Ultimately, sound quality defines user experience and (literally) sets the tone for the rest of the interior. The bad news is that most conventional building materials used today in modern architecture –concrete, glass, masonry– have extremely hard surfaces and limited acoustic properties, reverberating sound several times over and forcing users to raise their voices to be understood. Coupled with growing urban density and projects adopting a mixed-use layout, all of this results in increasingly noisy, uncomfortable and distracting living and working environments.
“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” Despite Winston Churchill’s words, architects are shaped by our culture, and our work reacts to it. Because our culture evolves, the practice of architecture evolves. What is “New” in architectural practice has had accelerating change, exploding in the 21st century because new technologies have changed everything on a level of the Industrial Revolution, 200 years ago.
Interior architects and designers have often claimed that a well-designed office space will translate into greater productivity, creativity and worker satisfaction –yet the impact is greater than most tend to imagine. Recent studies suggest that good design positively impacts company culture, fosters a sense of community and creates a healthy, happy and motivating environment. In fact, it directly influences the recruitment and retention of talent: “workplace design significantly increases the attractiveness of employers to potential candidates.” Proper lighting, a flexible layout and biophilic features are all important factors to consider during the planning stage. But to fully address user comfort and well-being, these must be combined with excellent furniture design. After all, integrating high-quality ergonomic pieces is a simple way to boost mood and enhance functionality and aesthetics when creating or redecorating the workspace.
Envision your ideal neighborhood. Maybe it’s on a cul-de-sac in the suburbs, where every neighbor has a well-manicured lawn, a two-car garage, and everyone gives each other a friendly wave on their way to work. Or maybe you live in a high-rise building in a dense urban center, where you take public transit to the office five days a week and say hello to your doorman on your way out. Whatever your neighborhood might look like, there’s always a sense of wanting to know the people who live around your- or at least an unspoken reliance on one another to ensure that your surroundings are safe. What happens when technology brings you and your neighbors together to report on local happenings? Is it a good thing, or does it create a vigilante situation gone awry?
Today, architects and designers are increasingly aware of the responsibility they have in leading the construction of the virtual environment. But how is it designed? How is it built? What is the degree of experimentation that exists?
'Discovery: a story about rooftops, airships, robots, and inflatables' is a recently opened exhibition at the SCI-Arc gallery that addresses just this theme. Designed by Damjan Jovanovic and Lidija Kljakovic, founders of lifeforms.io - a video game creation studio based in Los Angeles, California - it presents an exploration of the creation of worlds, artificial intelligence, and ecology.
Whether you blame Covid lockdowns, recipe box subscriptions, or the latest high-tech kitchen appliances, everyone’s spending more time in the kitchen. Meanwhile, popular open-plan spaces remove the option of simply shutting the door on the catastrophic mess of a big meal, before settling in for a relaxing evening.
The modern kitchen worktop, then, has to work harder than ever before. Impenetrable when standing up to increased use, yet simple and quick to clean, returning to its sleek and stylish position as a backdrop to the perfect interior with ease. Here are ten of the most common kitchen worktop materials in a crowded market.
Since its founding in 1866, design has been part of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s (SAIC) mission of creativity, experimentation, and free expression. SAIC’s Master of Architecture and Master of Architecture in Interior Architecture programs teach the skills graduates need to enter design professions, the ambition to reimagine them, and the values to guide them as leaders. Students explore the future of how we live, work, and communicate, and cultivate diverse practices that impact culture and public life.
SAIC is currently accepting candidates for their two NAAB-accredited, STEM designated degree paths in Architecture:
After a few atypical years, the hustle and bustle of a day in the city is back to what it used to be: leaving the house and going to the office, taking the car, bus or plane, grabbing a quick bite to eat in a restaurant, stopping by a museum or a bookshop to get some fresh air and, if we have any energy left, hitting the gym before heading home. In less than 24 hours we pass through several buildings with all kinds of rooms, but they all have one thing in common: the bathroom.
Designing a bathroom can be one of the most challenging but exciting tasks for architects, as both its elements and fittings must provide a safe and hygienic experience for all those who use it on a daily basis. Before COVID-19 came along, there was already a growing trend: the use of non-contact infrared taps. As the name suggests, these are taps that are activated by a sensor that detects the movement of the hand - almost as if by magic.
Over the years, interior design has evolved according to the needs that arise, but above all according to the experiences that we seek to provoke in the user. In the last two years, we have witnessed a radical change and a special interest in this subject because the pandemic forced us to pay specific attention to the configuration of the places we inhabit. This brought about much more holistic designs that cater to the wellbeing of the user, combining colors, sensory experiences, technology, and natural elements that promote health.
The queer crowd has always been present, finding ways to exist, gather, and celebrate. Although their visibility hasn't always been highlighted throughout history due to the consciousness of having to submit to heteronormative and strict mass normality in the past, doesn't mean they previously didn't have their own spaces to call their own. Queer spaces, past and present, have been categorized as strong, vibrant, vigorous, and worthy of occupying their own place in history, filling in as safe places for identifying individuals, places of social gathering, entertainment, and even offering community housing; therefore, there will always be a need for queer spaces.
How we plan our cities, suburbs, and rural communities is a constantly evolving set of goals essential for creating sustainable cities. Not only do we need to consider what lies within these areas, but we also need to effectively design the boundaries between each, where urban meets suburban, and where suburban meets the small town. In recent years, urbanists have paid close attention to urban sprawl, or what sometimes happens when towns rapidly grow outwardly from city centers. What happens when cities seem to “sprawl” out of control, and are the design principals behind New Urbanism able to turn urban sprawl into equitable communities?
The world’s biggest social challenges are reflected in the way we design our spaces. Privatization of public space, lack of affordable housing, dark design and spatial segregation are just some of the most common causes and manifestations of urban inequality that characterize contemporary cities. While holding the potential to reproduce these inequalities, inscribing them further into space, design can also work to oppose discrimination, propelling equity and inclusion.
One of the great challenges that architects have to face every day when designing begins with the conditions of the site where the architectural project is to be implemented. This involves the analysis and study of a series of factors ranging from sunlight, topography, surrounding vegetation, context, and others, all variables that are capable of guiding and/or defining the direction of the architecture to be developed.
Everyone’s experience of a city is unique. Whether one is visiting a place for the first time or has lived there all their life, their experiences are shaped by their personal interactions with the built environment. Buildings, landscapes, and streets come together to offer an opportunity for sensory stimulation, however, most of them are unable to provide inspiration. While a city’s infrastructure accounts for livability, equal importance isn’t given to enjoyability. Play and games embedded in the city’s fabric can help improve user engagement with urban spaces.
The search for the fundamental particle has been driving curious minds for much longer than we imagine. Leucippus and Democritus, Greek philosophers from the 5th century B.C., were the first to propose that the entire universe was made up of particles called atoms, indivisible and colliding against each other in an infinite void. Since then much has been studied about how dynamics actually take place at the atomic level (neutrons, protons and electrons), and there is still much to be discovered. Understanding the Higgs boson, for example, may even lead to a new understanding of the origin of the universe and life, since it can explain how elementary particles have mass. Moving from atomic abstraction to the world as we know it is a fascinating thing. It was this plunge into the particle –the smallest known part of the universe– which inspired the new collection by the Italian company Fiandre Architectural Surfaces, which produces ceramic pieces for spaces.
There was a time when buildings wanted to be mountains, roofs wanted to be forests, and pillars wanted to be trees. As the world began to go into a state of alert with the melting of glaciers and the consequent rise of Earth’s temperature, architecture – from a general perspective – was concerned with imitating the shapes of nature. Something close to human-made “ecosystems”, seen by many as allegoric and decorative, in service of marketable images of “sustainable development”.
This article was originally published on Common Edge.
A few days ago, the world gathered at Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, for its annual climate change summit: COP27. Like the rest of Africa, Nigeria is represented by its retinue of bureaucrats, climate advocates, and other interest groups. Since the last meeting in Scotland (COP26), Nigeria signed the Climate Change Act into law, setting a target of attaining net-zero greenhouse gas emissions between 2050 and 2070. In the interim, Nigeria has developed an ambitious energy plan that would see it transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, using its vast reserve of natural gas as a hedge. The country is at the forefront of the African Carbon Markets Initiative and plans to raise at least $500 million from carbon crediting trading to offset emitted carbon.
