From the field of architecture and construction, the concept of material reuse is closely tied to circular economy and the reduction of carbon footprints, paving the way toward a more sustainable and responsible future. By incorporating recycling practices, recovery, restoration, and/or the reuse of demolition materials, resource efficiency along with the reduction of energy consumption makes it feasible to experiment with techniques, applications, and new materials that honor the memory of spaces while also bringing new life to both interiors and exteriors.
Courtyards have long been a fundamental aspect of traditional Chinese architecture, serving as central spaces around which domestic life is organized. These spaces play a vital role in creating a harmonious living environment, offering benefits that range from regulating indoor temperatures to enhancing social interactions and fostering a close connection with nature.
The city of Kharkiv has faced significant challenges due to its proximity to the Russian border. Amidst these circumstances, Kharkiv's Mayor, Ihor Terekhov, underscored the need for a new landmark during the United Nations' Second Forum of Mayors—a project that could embody renewal, resilience, and hope. The Freedom Square International Competition was launched as part of this vision, inviting local and international experts to propose innovative designs for Freedom Square and the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Building.
This competition is part of the broader Kharkiv Masterplan Concept, an initiative led by the Kharkiv City Council in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Norman Foster Foundation, Arup, and local architects and experts. The Masterplan Concept seeks to guide Kharkiv's regeneration by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and forward-looking urban environment while honoring the city's historical identity.
Today, the International Day of Education serves as a reminder of the significant impact that architectural design has on learning environments. From flexible classrooms that adapt to diverse teaching methods to outdoor learning areas that integrate natural elements, the architecture of learning spaces embodies the principles of pedagogy, offering opportunities for exploration, collaboration and creativity, all while maintaining a focus on the safety and comfort of all users. This selection of articles explores the potential of design to enhance learning outcomes through spatial exploration, be it inside the classroom, in outdoor spaces or by encouraging larger communities to part-take in the learning process.
Spanish architect Miguel Arraiz has introduced the design for the 2025 Burning Man Temple, titled Temple of the Deep. Drawing inspiration from the natural landscape of the Black Rock Desert, the Temple aims to provide a space for reflection, healing, and connection. The Temple of the Deep explores the concept of radical acceptance, emphasizing the importance of fully experiencing emotions as part of the healing process.
Bilbao, the largest city in Spain's Basque Country, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few decades. Once an industrial hub, the city has redefined itself as a center for culture, innovation, and urban regeneration. This evolution has been partly driven by architecture, which plays a central role in shaping Bilbao's identity. From contemporary landmarks to thoughtfully repurposed spaces, the city's built environment reflects a careful balance between honoring its industrial heritage and embracing modernity.
The turning point in Bilbao's architectural narrative came with the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997. Designed by Gehry Partners, this iconic structure catalyzed the city's renewal, sparking a wave of urban and cultural investments. This transformation became known as the "Bilbao effect," a phenomenon where a single, significant architectural project triggers wider urban regeneration and economic growth. Today, Bilbao is a dynamic architectural landscape, where works by international figures like Santiago Calatrava, Norman Foster, and Arata Isozaki coexist with projects by local studios such as ACXT and Coll-Barreu Arquitectos. Together, these interventions illustrate how architecture can be a powerful social, economic, and cultural revitalization tool.
Project developed by student Jonah Ring, during InArch 2024. Image Courtesy of UC Berkeley
Are you considering a career in architecture or environmental design? The College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley offers immersive summer programs that could help you decide if these creative fields are right for you. Whether you're a professional, undergraduate, or high school student, CED's Summer Programs offer you an invaluable opportunity to explore architecture, urban design, sustainable city planning, and landscape architecture.
Over the last eight years, I have interviewed Beijing-based architect and educator Zhu Pei several times. His persistent quest to combine traditional planning and construction principles with innovative formal and spatial sensibilities intrigues me. His latest projects, including Zijing International Conference Camp (2022) and Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum (2020), are widely published and represent his most mature works. Yet, he is convinced that his best building is in the making. "This is going to be amazing! I feel so excited!" the architect told me, referring to his now under-construction Majiayao Ruins Museum and Observatory in Gansu province in Northwestern China. "I hate column-beam solutions. I want column-free spaces for the public building," he continued. Our conversation took place earlier this year on a video call, complete with dozens of relevant illustrations.
The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, represented by Sandi Paucic and Rachele Giudici Legittimo, has announced that the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 will host the exhibition "The final form is determined by the architect on site," curated by Elena Chiavi, Kathrin Füglister, Amy Perkins, Axelle Stiefel, and Myriam Uzor. This all-female team poses the question: What if Lisbeth Sachs, rather than Bruno Giacometti, had designed the Swiss Pavilion? The exhibition will explore this question by reviving one of the iconic works of Lisbeth Sachs, one of the first registered female architects in Switzerland and a contemporary of Giacometti.
Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati has unveiled plans for Rruga Adem Jashari, a mixed-use development in Tirana, Albania, that seeks to blend urban living with the surrounding natural landscape. Positioned at the boundary between the city grid and an adjacent park, the project features three distinctive red concrete towers and a central white ziggurat. Combining residential, hospitality, and retail spaces, the development aims to create a seamless connection between the built environment and nature.
Despite their whimsical appearance, treehouses offer a unique platform for structural innovations and design explorations. Traditional treehouses rely on the trunks of trees for structural support, but, in order to ease the load supported by the tree, contemporary projects often introduce additional systems, such as stilts to maintain the image while offering additional support. One of the key advantages of elevating them in this way is the reduced environmental footprint. Treehouses can be designed to leave the forest floor untouched, preserving small-scale ecosystems. By freeing up the ground below, they minimize disruptions to native flora and fauna, allowing nature to thrive undisturbed. Similarly, many architects use the local topography to create seamless connections, incorporating ramps, stairs, or bridges that integrate with the landscape. These solutions not only improve accessibility but also enhance the overall experience creating an architectural promenade that moves between the treehouse and its surroundings.
"This sensitivity to the environment is reflected not only in the structural design but also in the careful selection of materials. The use of natural materials like wood, also helps the structure blend with its environment. Some designers have gone further by employing alternative materials such as mirrored panels to reflect the surrounding forest and mask the treehouse's presence entirely, demonstrating that the choice of material can contribute to creating a project that feels like an extension of its setting rather than an imposition on it. This collection highlights notable examples from Sweden, Denmark, Indonesia, and France, showcasing their diverse approaches.
In modernist architecture, promenade architecturale emerged as a key design strategy, embodying the principles of functionality, aesthetics, and integration with the urban context. Le Corbusier’s iconic projects, such as Villa La Roche (1925) and Villa Savoye (1929), exemplify this idea by guiding visitors through an ascending journey that culminates in the rooftop garden—a space where the building and nature seamlessly interact. A century later, this concept remains influential, continuing to shape contemporary designs that explore the relationship between movement and space in various architectural typologies, including houses, museums, libraries, and parks.
Dennis Crompton, an influential figure in the field of architecture, passed away on January 21, 2025, at the age of 90. Born in Blackpool in 1935, Crompton's remarkable career spanned several decades and left an indelible mark on modern architecture. As a key member of the avant-garde architectural group Archigram, established in London in 1961, Crompton played a pivotal role in revolutionizing architectural practice, together with Warren Chalk, Peter Cook, Ron Herron, David Greene, and Michael Webb.
As the global climate crisis intensifies, the construction industry faces increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, prompting a fundamental reassessment of building practices. Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, known for its commitment to sustainability, presents an honest exploration of this challenge in "Carbon Confessions," an exhibition at Munich's Architekturgalerie. The exhibition provides insight into the firm's ongoing efforts, highlighting both its achievements and the obstacles encountered in the pursuit of carbon reduction.
In the heart of Cairo, amid its historic landmarks and evolving urban fabric, a distinct modernist architectural movement took shape in the 1950s and 60s. It reflected the city's response to rapid political, economic, and social changes. When it arrived, modernism in Cairo was not just an imported style but a "pragmatic response to the needs of a growing city." Architects focused on functionality, efficiency, and adapting designs to the local climate and cultural context. Following the 1952 revolution, Egypt underwent significant transformations under President Gamal Abdel Nasser's leadership. In fact, the government sought to build a new national identity that reflected progress and the nation's self-sufficiency. Architecture played a crucial role in this effort, with a strong focus on modernization and development. The state invested in large-scale projects to accommodate the needs of a rapidly growing population and expanding industries. This period marked a shift from colonial-era influences toward a search for a distinct architectural identity that aligned with the political and social aspirations of the time.
In many cultures, fire is a sacred element used in rituals of rebirth and renewal. It carries a dual symbolism, being both a creator and a destroyer—capable of illuminating paths or consuming everything in its wake. In Greek mythology, for example, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, marking it as a symbol of progress, knowledge, and creative power. However, fire also evokes destruction, as seen in biblical tales like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, where it was used as divine punishment. This duality was also evident in the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral, which devastated its historic structure. The disaster sparked a wave of solidarity and led to unprecedented technological advancements, with restoration efforts utilizing digital tools such as laser scanning and Building Information Modeling (BIM) to recreate intricate details and preserve architectural heritage.
The National Athletics Centre in Budapest marks a significant milestone in urban regeneration and architectural innovation. Located on a former industrial site along the Danube, this transformative project revitalizes a neglected brownfield into a vibrant hub for sports, recreation, and community engagement. Designed by Marcel FERENCZ, architect at NAPUR Architect Ltd., with landscape design created by S-TÉR and several hundred pieces of furniture from VPI Concrete, the Centre is a cornerstone for connecting North Csepel to the city and fostering urban development.
Unlike the 2024 Color of the Year selections, the 2025 picks reveal more commonalities among the colors chosen by major paint industry leaders. Each year, designers and enthusiasts from various fields gather within companies worldwide to reignite the conversation about color and its connection to contemporary culture. For the 2025 forecast, earth tones seem to be the big winners: Pantone's Mousse Chocolate is joined by cinnamon, brown, and burgundy shades from Benjamin Moore, Graham & Brown, Behr, and C2 Paint. Companies like AkzoNobel, Valspar, and Comex opted for more vibrant colors to celebrate optimism and joy, while Sherwin-Williams and Jotun didn't limit themselves to a single color. Instead, they introduced entire palettes centered on tranquility and relaxation. These concepts appear to be the guiding themes for 2025.
The configuration of the mosque, the worshipping place for Muslims, traces its history to the courtyard of the religion's founder. The first mosques were, therefore, simple open spaces marked for ritual prayer use. Over the years and centuries, they would gain multiple standard, functional features, such as the mihrab, a niche that indicates the direction of prayer, and the minbar, a pulpit for the preacher to give the sermon. Other elements also became common, such as domes and minarets, which were historically used for the call to prayer. These had the additional purpose of signifying the function of the building as a mosque and were used by rulers and benefactors to elevate its grandeur.
In contemporary times, mosques are not immune from architectural debate. Elements that have no religious function are questioned, as is the relationship between a mosque and its context. The discussion is especially stark in parts of the world with relatively new Muslim communities, where some theorists have advocated for the removal of symbolic elements on the basis that they are 'pastiche,' while others are nostalgic about the sentimentality associated with historical forms. Nonetheless, contemporary architects have been successfully elevating mosque architecture, fulfilling its functional requirements creatively, while allowing the building's context to drive the form.
From new delivery methods for adaptive re-use and mass timber structures to digital fabrication, new research aims to provide guidance on emerging construction methods and technologies.. Image Courtesy of Perkins&Will
Innovation comes in many shapes and forms. 2025 is poised to witness continued advancements in the areas of artificial intelligence, sustainability, and biotechnology. These breakthroughs often arise from experimentation in industries like technology and healthcare, where companies have strong research and development teams and significant budgets. This enables them to produce new products and services that address society's evolving needs.
In a world confronting complex challenges, innovation in architecture plays a distinctive role. Unlike industries driven by rapid innovation cycles, architecture must balance creativity with practical solutions that are deeply rooted in human experience. What will it take for the architecture industry to fully harness its potential in shaping the future of our built environment?
The Museum for Architectural Drawing in Berlin, Germany, will host a new exhibition titled "Steven Holl – Drawing as Thought," curated by Kristin Feireiss. The exhibition explores the creative process of internationally renowned architect Steven Holl with a focus on his use of drawing as a fundamental tool in architectural design. Furthermore, the exhibition highlights Holl's extensive artistic practice, which includes over 50,000 sketches, black-and-white drawings, and watercolors, offering insight into his approach to architecture through visual exploration.
Bathrooms play a significant role in our daily lives, serving multiple functions beyond basic hygiene. Research highlights their importance as relaxation, introspection, and personal wellness spaces. A bathroom's design and comfort can profoundly influence how we begin and end our day, framing our routines with a sense of ease or disruption. When traveling, hotel bathrooms often leave a lasting impression, as a well-designed and thoughtfully executed bathroom can significantly elevate the overall experience of a stay.
