In the hustle and bustle of modern life, with deadlines, goals, and performance, finding moments of tranquility is essential for maintaining overall well-being and peace of mind. These moments provide a necessary break from daily stresses, allowing the mind and body to reset and thoughts to reorganize. Rituals of relaxation can create a sanctuary of calm amidst the chaos, promoting a sense of balance and peace, providing a healthier and more harmonious lifestyle, and contributing to better physical and emotional health. However, these rituals need not be expensive or complex.

Simple activities, such as breathing exercises, taking a walk in nature, or a relaxing bath, can be extremely effective. In fact, taking time to experience the calming and energizing effects of water can significantly enhance mental clarity, bring new ideas, provide comfort, and improve mood.

Paul Clemence has released a new series of images showcasing the ongoing construction works in The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Undergoing massive transformations, including a new building by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States. Approved in 2019, Zumthor’s design, known as the David Geffen Galleries, aims to modernize the museum’s campus.

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This article was originally published on Common Edge.

In her Dhaka, Bangladesh–based practice, Marina Tabassum seeks to create a language of architecture that’s simultaneously contemporary yet rooted to its place. One of the first buildings she undertook after establishing her own practice in 2005—the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in her own city—won an Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which recognizes design that addresses the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies.

Bangladesh’s Museum of Independence, which she designed with her former partner, Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury of the practice URBANA, has become a national landmark. But Tabassum also works at the intimate scale of housing, pursuing innovative modular space-frame designs constructed of bamboo. She’s taught at architecture schools around the globe. Recently, she was recognized with an award from the Architecture, Culture, and Spirituality Forum and identified by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people for 2024 for her work in sustainable, socially responsible design.

Transforming an initial idea into a concept design is a complex process. It requires understanding project requirements like context, program, budget, and functionality and rapidly iterating—usually with a team—to arrive at a concept, leading to multiple iterations at an early stage. 

A common frustration among architects is that concept tools today are either too rigid for design exploration or don’t integrate well with BIM tools—forcing them to either constrain their design to the tool or spend days re-working a concept model on Revit to transition to schematic and detailed design. 

QS, Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, has announced the annual list of the top universities to study Architecture and the Built Environment in the year 2024. The ranking evaluates over 1,500 institutions from over 100 locations. The evaluation system has been updated this year to include new metrics such as sustainability, employment outcomes, and international research networks.

The top three contenders, the Bartlett School of Architecture, MIT, and Delft UT, have maintained their ranking from 2023, with ETH Zurich showing a slight decrease from an equal third position to the fourth. In the sixth position, Harvard University stands out as the top university for employer reputation in this subject. Among the top 10 universities, Politecnico di Milano had the greatest advancement in rankings, moving from the 10th position last year to the 7th.

Stefano Boeri has designed a cultural square at the heart of the Italian pavilion for the 76th edition of the Frankfurt Book Fair. With Italy returning as Guest of Honor after 36 years, the book fair is the largest and most significant event in the publishing world and will be held from October 16-20, 2024. The Italian pavilion, designed by Stefano Boeri, seeks to celebrate Italian cultural heritage and publishing, aligning with the theme “Roots in the Future.”

Thomas Heatheriwck has been appointed as the General Director and curator of the 2025 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. In its fifth edition, the Seoul Biennale serves as a platform for addressing urban challenges faced by major global cities. The biennale aims to foster innovative solutions and discussions around urban and architectural issues, underscoring Seoul’s commitment to a human-centered and climate-friendly future. As Asia’s largest architecture biennale, the exhibition is scheduled to take place from September 1 to October 31, 2025.

Furniture made from natural materials is widely valued for its beauty and texture, especially when it comes to wood, bamboo, reed, and rattan. However, they often face challenges such as weather damage, pest infestations, and high maintenance requirements like regular cleaning and treatments to prevent fading and structural weakening. Additionally, their lack of uniformity and strength can compromise consistent quality, while harvesting the raw materials can have negative environmental impacts. These issues, combined with inconsistent availability and higher costs, have driven innovations in synthetic materials that aim to replicate the aesthetics of natural products, often using recycled materials to promote sustainability.

The Obel Award is an international prize for architectural achievement presented annually by the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation. Each year, the jury selects a specific theme and grants an award to a promising solution. For the 2024 edition, the prize that honors architectural contributions that positively impact both people and the planet will be focused on “Architecture With”.

Previous emphasis included Adaptations, Emissions, Cities, Mending, and Well-being. In 2023, the fifth cycle recognized ‘Living Breakwaters’ in New York, a green infrastructure project off the shore of Staten Island, by SCAPE Landscape Architecture and its founder Kate Orff. In 2022, the Obel was awarded to Seratech, a carbon-neutral concrete solution, in 2021, the concept of the 15-minute city received the prize for its value in creating sustainable and people-centric urban environments, and in 2020, Studio Anna Heringer was acknowledged for Anandaloy, in Bangladesh, an unconventional, multifunctional building that hosts a therapy center for people with disabilities on the ground floor and a textile studio on the top floor producing fair fashion and art. Finally, in its first edition, fixated on well-being, the Obel Award was granted to the Art Biotop Water Garden project in Tochigi, Japan, by Junya Ishigami & Associates.

Sitting for extended periods is an everyday reality in many workspaces, which can lead to a dangerously sedentary working day. This makes office chair design a crucial element for both productivity and overall well-being. Ergonomic design takes into account the human body's needs, including posture, comfort, support, and health. A good ergonomic chair is adjustable, allowing for better control and customized settings that support the spine and promote a natural position for the body's joints. An even better ergonomic chair employs technology to accommodate all seating nuances—including occasional slouching, neck rest, and continuous hip movements, among others—, helping to maintain good body posture at all times.

Lebanese French architect Lina Ghotmeh with her Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture has revealed the design for the National Pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the Expo Osaka 2025. The design draws inspiration from the traditional Bahraini dhow boats, employing the country’s historical boat-building technologies to showcase Bahrain’s craftsmanship and manufacturing heritage. The pavilion is also a not to the hosts of the world expo, drawing parallels with Japanese wood artistry.

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WilkinsonEyre has just been selected to design the new Equinox Bridge in Toronto, Canada. Designed in collaboration with Zeidler Architecture, Two Row Architect, and Arup, this bridge will connect the central waterfront to Villiers Island and the expanded park system along the new mouth of the Don River. Selected through a competition commissioned by Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto, the bridge seeks to foster a connection between people and water.

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban stands out in the architectural world for his commitment to socially responsible design, his eagerness to respond to disaster-related emergencies, and his creativity in adapting solutions to local conditions. He pioneered the use of materials such as paper and cardboard, employing them to create high-quality low-cost shelters and even community amenities such as churches, containers for creating a Nomadic Museum, and mass timber to push the possibilities of responsible design. The works of the Pritzker Prize laureate are now explored in the latest monography by Taschen, “Shigeru Ban. Complete Works 1985–Today” led by author Philip Jodidio. The multilingual edition features texts in English, French, and German, and will become available on June 14, 2024.

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RUÍNA Arquitetura aims for greater socio-environmental awareness and the appreciation of materials while advocating for reuse as an alternative within the construction industry. In their practice, they explore new avenues for reclaimed materials, diminishing demolition waste and supplying construction materials with a reduced environmental footprint. In 2024, they were selected as part of ArchDaily’s 2024 Best New Practice for their unique attention to context, aiming to minimize its impact on the built environment through the effective reuse of materials and construction waste. Their participation in the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennale exemplifies how local ideas can achieve global recognition.

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During the last years, Kyiv became one of Europe’s most active and trending cities. A bustling scene of creative industries and tech startups, created a fertile ground for architectural and interior design experimentation in a fast growing hospitality and residential industry: hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, offices, housing projects, that set a new benchmark in creativity and brough new views towards East. Among the practices that shaped a new architectural identity is Balbek Bureau, a young yet prolific studio that crafted a unique style, always ahead of trends.

While the full scale invasion of Ukraine is having a deep impact on economy and development, Ukrainians don’t resign, and their resilience pushes them to find opportunities in the country and abroad. Balbek Bureau has a diverse and creative portfolio, working with Ukraine’s top tech companies, fashion and beauty brands, and the coolest new bars and cafes, among others. Their projects are not just found in Kyiv, Lviv or Odesa, but also across Central and Western Europe, Canada, the US, Mexico, China and even Antarctica.

While in Kyiv we visited the studio to interview founder Slava Balbek, to learn how despite the full scale invasion the team is still highly active, and the social and reconstruction projects that they balance while the country is under constant threat. We also recommend his recent TED Talk, on how to design for dignity during war times.