Becky Quintal

Former Head of Content. Prior to assuming her role at ArchDaily, Becky worked as an editor for leading architecture firms OMA/AMO, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and Reiser + Umemoto. She also worked as an editor for Princeton University School of Architecture and Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. She holds degrees from Princeton University, Harvard University and the School of Visual Arts.

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121 Definitions of Architecture

There are at least as many definitions of architecture as there are architects or people who comment on the practice of it. While some embrace it as art, others defend architecture’s seminal social responsibility as its most definitive attribute. To begin a sentence with “Architecture is” is a bold step into treacherous territory. And yet, many of us have uttered — or at least thought— “Architecture is…” while we’ve toiled away on an important project, or reflected on why we’ve chosen this professional path.

Most days, architecture is a tough practice; on others, it is wonderfully satisfying. Perhaps, though, most importantly, architecture is accommodating and inherently open to possibility.

This collection of statements illustrates the changing breadth of architecture’s significance; we may define it differently when talking among peers, or adjust our statements for outsiders.

Architects and the New iPadPro: Should You Buy One?

Can tablets help architects better conceive and execute their designs? If you’re skeptical, you’re not alone. To a certain extent, architects are still unsure if meaningful work can be created on an iPad. As the novel of virtual reality wears off, it’s worth asking if portable augmented reality is the push forward that will combine the best of traditional and digital architectural technology. So beyond their utility as lightweight, untethered screens, what can tablets offer the professional architect?

Rem Koolhaas: Live Lecture Stream from the World Architecture Festival

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas will give the final keynote lecture today at the World Architecture Festival. ArchDaily will be streaming this keynote from our Facebook page.

WAF Day 2 Streaming: Live Lectures from David Adjaye, Francine Houben and Nathalie de Vries

Make sure to tune in to our Facebook live streams of today’s selection of lectures. We’ll also be streaming the winners at 19:15 CET. To see the previous day’s streams, click here.

Serious Question: Should We Call Them Slums?

Slum. Shanty Town. Favela. Ghetto. Barrio Marginal. Bidonville. The list goes on. 

We have the foresight to understand and predict that demand for shelter in urban environments will continue to expand, perhaps indefinitely, but certainly until the highly-cited prediction that by 2050, more than two-thirds of the global population will live in cities. With this reality, is it time to reassess the way in which we talk about different forms of urbanization?

The Curious Case of a Doctored 19th Century Photo of Ruins in Athens

Researchers, academics and those with tireless curiosity will know the thrill of chasing down the details of something mysterious or unexplained. In this tweet thread from 2017, Paul Cooper noticed a difference in a nearly 100-year-old photo that led him to uncover the real story behind a strange "appendage" on the top of the Temple of Athenian Zeus. What follows is the Twitter equivalent of an architectural thriller. What is it? Why were depictions of the temple altered? Mr. Cooper takes us on a rollercoaster 18-tweet journey that uncovers the mystery.

Denise Scott Brown to Receive the 2018 Soane Medal

Next month, American architect Denise Scott Brown will receive the 2018 Soane Medal, an award given to "architects who have made a major contribution to their field, through their built work, through education, history and theory." A powerhouse jury that included Sir David Chipperfield, Paul Goldberger, Farshid Moussavi, Alice Rawsthorn, Oliver Wainwright selected Scott Brown for the second edition of the award. The 2017 Soane Medal was given to Rafael Moneo.

Sir David Chipperfield, Trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum, said: ‘The jury considered many outstanding candidates; however Denise Scott Brown stood apart and was the jury’s unanimous choice. Scott Brown’s contribution across architecture, urbanism, theory and education over the last fifty years has been profound and far-reaching. Her example has been an inspiration to many, and we are delighted to honour her with the awarding of the Soane Medal.’

Documentary About Human Shelter Shows the Poetry, Power and Resilience of “Home”

Architects are called upon to build society’s greatest structures. We marvel at the museums, performing arts centers and spaces of worship that dot the globe and represent the peculiarities of the world’s many cultures. Yet, at the core of the roles and responsibilities of the architect lies a calling for a far more elemental human need: shelter.

This doesn’t imply that architects are always involved in the creation of all the forms that shelter takes. However, a deep understanding of how people dwell provides an appreciation of the diversity, resilience, alacrity of the human race. The Human Shelter, a documentary about what people value or “need” in their lives, ties into a fundamental quality that any architect would be foolish not to cultivate: the ability to listen and perceive what makes people feel at home.

7 Best Photos of Frank Gehry’s Fondation Louis Vuitton Building Win #MyFLV Contest

7 Best Photos of Frank Gehry’s Fondation Louis Vuitton Building Win #MyFLV Contest - Image 5 of 4
Yi-Hsien Lee (@nevermind1107). Image Courtesy of Fondation Louis Vuitton

What does it mean to be a true architecture lover today? It's probably not too far off to conclude that taking pristine, Instagram-optimized photos ranks high in the assessment. With this in mind, the Fondation Louis Vuitton launched a photo contest to highlight the best photos of the building that were taken by inspired visitors and shared on social media.

OMA’s Ellen van Loon on the Influence of Casa da Música in Her Latest Project, BLOX

On Saturday, at the opening of her latest building, Ellen van Loon sat on the terrace of BLOX in Copenhagen exuding the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes with finishing a major public building. A day of opening activities concluded, van Loon spoke with ArchDaily about the 27,000-square-meter mixed-use building. Built for client Realdania, it’s the Danish Architecture Center’s new home on the edge of the harbor, located on an incredibly challenging site that is bifurcated by a busy street.

This "Human Laser Cutter" Precisely Models Fruits With Amazing Geometric Designs

I happened to be in architecture school when the laser cutter was still a bit of a novelty for the inexperienced students in their first years of study. Sure, it saved you a lot up-close-and-personal-time with the X-Acto knife, but to unlock the true potential of the laser cutter one had to introduce a level of detail into the design or model that would otherwise be a nightmare to create by hand. 

But here comes Japanese Instagram Fruit and Vegetable Carver gaku carving to make our jaws drop. How?! Why!? And on such an ephemeral canvas?! Who knows. But holy fractal if it isn't a work of geometric perfection. These videos capture levels of patience and precision that many only dream of.

Spoon & Tamago explains,

Japan has a rich tradition of food carving called mukimono. If you’ve ever eaten at a fancy restaurant in Japan you might have found a carrot carved into a bunny, garnishing your plate. But in the hands of Japanese artist Gaku, the art of fruit and vegetable carving is elevated to a new realm of edible creations.

Call for Submissions: Architecture-Themed Valentine's Day Card 2018

Roses are red, violets are blue; we'd love to receive a valentine from you! In what has become an ArchDaily annual tradition, we are opening a call for our readers to share the love in 2018. <3

How to Request/Write a Letter of Recommendation for Architects and Architecture Students

Letters of recommendations are strange in that we all know what they are, but save for the people who are actually using them to evaluate a candidate, what happens with the letter is shrouded in mystery. Can a stellar recommendation letter make up for a less-than-stellar transcript? Are you going to be removed from consideration because your recommender didn't make you sound like Captain Awesome? It all depends—but as long as these letters are required for admissions processes and grants and other things, we'll shed some light on how to ask for (and/or write) a letter of recommendation.

Whether you're on the asking end or the writing end, there are some basic tips and rules that should be followed. (Why should you trust me? Because I've asked for letters and written letters and things have worked out pretty well for all involved parties.)

Call for ArchDaily Interns: Spring 2018

is looking for a motivated and highly-skilled architecture-lover to join our team of interns for Spring 2018! An ArchDaily Content internship provides a unique opportunity to learn about our site and write engaging, witty and insightful posts.

Call for Submissions: 2017 Holiday Card Challenge

It's time to get into the Holiday Spirit! As we've done for the past few years, we're seeking holiday cards with an architectural spin to feature on ArchDaily. We expect abundant puns and festively decorated classic buildings. :)

Competition Guidelines:

Future Architecture Platform - CALL FOR IDEAS 2018

With the 3rd Call for Ideas the Future Architecture platform invites multi-disciplinary emerging creatives who work on transformative projects and ideas for the future of architecture to apply for participation in the European Architecture Program in 2018.

The Future Architecture platform acts as a key platform for exchange and networking for European architecture and integrates some of Europe’s most important architectural events. The platform enables architecture museums, festivals, producers, publishers, agencies, academic institutions and multi-disciplinary emerging professionals to easily connect and build joint projects.

Attending Limits: The Constitution and Upkeep of the US–Mexico Border

277 obelisk monuments mark the US–Mexico boundary line. Constructed in three distinct phases (1849–1856, 1891–1912, and 1964–1968), these monuments were the product of territorial negotiations, disputes that were settled ranging from the violent expansion of sovereign limits to the shifting course of a historic boundary river. Commissioned, inscribed, and placed by both the United States and Mexico, they served as unique bilateral artifacts that operated across and reflected on separate territories, forms of settlement, and philosophies of nationhood. Attending Limits: The Constitution and Upkeep of the US–Mexico Border presents the international boundary through a history of its material artifacts and the modes of representation they have motivated. Through the display of original text, animation, photographs, scale models, and maps, the exhibition theoretically frames an evolution of the US–Mexico border from single line to geopolitical territory.

Architecture Books You Can Borrow (For Free) From The Internet's Largest Library

Have you registered for your free library card? If you haven't, you're missing out on some serious perks! The Internet Archive has a lending feature that allows users to electronically "borrow" books for 14 days. With over 2,000 borrowable books on architecture, patrons from across the globe can read works by Reyner Banham, Walter Gropius, Ada Louise Huxtable and Jonathan Glancey. There are also helpful guides, dictionaries and history books.