The 15-minute city has become an internationally recognized concept advocating for a people-centric urban model where residents should be able to meet most of their daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes. The concept was introduced by Professor Carlos Moreno in 2015 following the COP21 conference in Paris, which concluded with the signing of the Paris Agreement. The idea proposes a practical and adaptable framework for introducing low-carbon mobility and creating a vibrant local economy to support more social interaction and more sustainable urban environments. Since then, the concept has been recognized with the 2021 Obel Award and has gained a notable recommendation in UN-Habitat's World Cities Report. Now, Professor Moreno is publishing the book titled “The 15-Minute City: A Solution to Saving Our Time and Our Planet” to showcase concrete examples and strategies for achieving better cities. ArchDaily had a chance to sit down with Professor Carlos Moreno to discuss these ideas, offering insight into Moreno’s urban thinking and the impact of this model.
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The Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize Announces Finalists for the 2024 MCHAP Award
The Mies Crown Hall American Prize (MCHAP), has just announced the four finalists for the 2024 prize. In the latest stage of its fifth cycle, this prize for emerging practices has been selected from a pool of over fifty nominated works designed by architects in the first decade of their training. The award recognizes the best-built works of architecture in the Americas completed between 2020 and 2023.
Ephemeral Architectures: Engaging Communities through Temporary Structures
Ephemeral architectures, characterized by their temporary and flexible nature, have emerged as powerful tools for revitalizing urban spaces and fostering architectural creativity. These transient installations transform public areas, engaging communities, and prompting reflections on the potential futures of our cities. By temporarily transforming environments, ephemeral architectures encourage both architects and the public to reimagine the possibilities of urban living. This dynamic interplay, between the temporary and the permanent, challenges traditional architectural practices and opens up new avenues for sustainable and inclusive urban development.
Parametric Architecture September Workshops
We are thrilled to announce our upcoming September workshops in collaboration with our ArchDaily Plus partner, Parametric Architecture. These workshops have been thoughtfully curated to empower architects, designers, and enthusiasts by providing them with the latest insights and skills in the dynamic realm of parametric design. Guided by industry experts and visionaries, these immersive sessions will explore cutting-edge techniques, innovative tools, and practical applications, creating an inspiring and dynamic learning environment where participants can take their design expertise to unprecedented levels.
As a token of our appreciation, ArchDaily Plus will be entitled to exclusive benefits, including special discounts on any of the workshops offered by Parametric Architecture and one complimentary monthly workshop. Your commitment to advancing architectural innovation seamlessly aligns with the enriching experiences that these workshops promise to deliver. Stay tuned for more information on how you can fully unlock your creative potential and embark on an exciting journey of design exploration in September.
Empowering Children Through Public Spaces in Lebanon: In Conversation with CatalyticAction
Public spaces are not always shaped by planning but by the practices they host. Their existence stems from our inherent need for connection with others. As spaces of encounter, these urban, open, and accessible areas reflect how we interact with our surroundings and each other while offering places for exercise, play, socializing, and recreation.
Recognizing that public spaces are more than just physical environments, CatalyticAction is dedicated to fostering a sense of community, safety, and belonging, especially for children, who are among the most vulnerable in society. Their mission is not only to create spaces where children can play and grow but also to empower them, ensuring they have a voice in shaping their surroundings. To learn more about their work, Christele Harrouk, ArchDaily's Editor-in-Chief, spoke with Joana Dabaj, Co-founder and Director of Programmes at CatalyticAction.
Public Pools as Public Spaces: The Role of Swimming and Bathing in Cities
When one thinks of public spaces, the image of a pool rarely comes to mind. Public spaces are the center of civic life, places where most interactions, activities, and behaviors follow strict social and cultural norms to ensure the safety and comfort of all users. In contrast, swimming and bathing represent something more intimate and primordial, a sensorial experience distinct from any other. In addition to the health benefits, the act of floating in space creates a break from everyday life and its constraints.
As social spaces, public baths, and pools offer an even more unusual experience. Here, regular conduct rules and norms no longer apply. Social nudity becomes the new norm, and, as people strip off their clothes, they also lose their status markers, transforming the pool into an egalitarian oasis. Across history, these often-discredited spaces offered a heightened social experience, fostering connections and bringing a new element to dense urban environments. As a typology present since antiquity, public baths and pools have also been a disputed space, as a manifestation of difficult topics such as gender and racial segregation, gentrification, and surveillance in contrast to the freedom they promise.
A 360 Solution for Light Wood-Frame Offsite Construction
In the construction industry, light wood-frame offsite construction has emerged as a game-changing approach, promising faster build times, higher quality, and reduced environmental impact. Member companies of the Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) have launched a digital tool that harnesses the benefits and potential of prefabricated light wood-frame products for projects.
Architecture Offices in Taiwan Through the Lens of Marc Goodwin
Further developing his collection of photographic series featuring architecture offices from around the world, Archmospheres photographer Marc Goodwin is now exploring workspaces in Taiwan. Among the included offices are well-known studios such as Fieldoffice Architects, an office whose output has significant cultural importance as they represent an example of Taiwanese Deconstructivist Architecture, in addition to other offices such as KRIS YAO | ARTECH, Divooe Zein Architects, and hii architects.
To create this collection, Marc Goodwin collaborated with Italian architect, publisher, teacher, and curator Alessandro Martinelli, who is based in Taipei. He selected the participants with the help of Mr. Chung-Hsiung Wang, the curator of the Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2018. The series will continue to develop with the creation of scale models for each studio, which will be exhibited alongside the photographs in the Taiwan Pavilion of the Venice Biennale.
Atelier Brückner Reveals Design for the Uzbekistan Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025
Uzbekistan has just revealed its pavilion for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Designed by Atelier Brückner and realized by NUSSLI, the pavilion aims to showcase the country’s vision for the future under the Expo’s broader theme, “Designing the Future Society for Our Lives.” Composed of modular, reusable wooden elements, the pavilion’s architecture will later be reconstructed in Uzbekistan, serving as a studio, workshop, or school.
The Repositioning of Office Buildings: Creating Amenity-Rich Experiences in the Post-Pandemic U.S.
The office building typology emerged from the need to unite thousands of people within a relatively strict working environment. In major cities, these structures clustered into Central Business Districts (CBDs), which became dedicated neighborhoods accommodating commerce and businesses. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this model, leading to the rise of remote and hybrid work. Now, nearly four years later, occupancy rates in these urban centers remain lower than pre-pandemic levels, signaling a long-term shift in the work environment. To address this challenge, developers have been increasingly looking into “repositioning” their projects, seeking to redefine their image by adapting them to contemporary demands. This typology considers the surrounding urban fabric, aiming to expand the building’s use beyond its original purpose and attract people back to the CBDs.
Urban Living in the United States: How Exclusive Residential Developments are Redefining Homeownership
New developments, companies, start-ups in the real estate industry are transforming perceptions and needs around home ownership and rental experiences. In a society where home ownership is attributed to personal success, innovations in the residential rental market seek to enhance the appeal of renting. Evolving consumer needs are resulting in a trend of exclusive, community-focused living models. This shift is redefining how people view their living spaces, interact with their communities, and perceive the value of their homes.
“Unforgiving and Tough:” David Chipperfield on Living by the Sea in Louisiana Channel Interview
In this short video interview from the Louisiana Channel, Marc-Christoph Wagner interviews architect David Chipperfield in Galicia in April 2024, exploring his connection to the sea. The 2023 Pritzker Prize laureate speaks of his experience living for 30 years in a fishing village in Spain, delving into his connection to the place and the people’s attitude towards the strength of the natural elements surrounding them.
Ethiopian Airlines Announces Abusera Airport by Zaha Hadid Architects
Ethiopian Airlines Group has embarked on an new project to build Africa's largest airport in Abusera, south of Addis Ababa, to support the airline's rapid expansion. This project, designed by a consortium led by Dar Al-Handasah Consultants, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), and Pascall+Watson, will serve as a pivotal hub connecting Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, regions experiencing the fastest growth in global air travel.
A New Museum in Cyprus and A Private Residence in Greece: 8 Unbuilt Projects Championing Stone and Submitted by the ArchDaily Community
Throughout history, stone has been a vital building material because of its strength, beauty, and inherent appeal. Stone has been used to build long-lasting constructions for ages, from historic monuments to contemporary residences. Because of its resilience, it is suitable for both interior and exterior design projects, providing a diverse array of appearances. There are numerous varieties of stone, each with a distinct texture and color, including marble, granite, and limestone. Because of this diversity, stone may be creatively used by architects and builders to create accents or entire buildings. This curated selection of Unbuilt Architecture, submitted by the ArchDaily community, showcases how stone is still a dependable and adaptable building material that can combine old-world craftsmanship with contemporary style.
“I Let Architecture be Deeply Rooted in a Specific Culture": In Conversation with Zhu Pei
“This is going to be amazing! I feel so excited,” says Zhu Pei about his now under-construction Majiayao Ruins Museum and Observatory in Lintao, Gansu province. The Beijing-based architect designed his building like a deeply embedded cavernous space evoking a giant fragment of ancient pottery, resembling an archaeological site from the Neolithic Age discovered here a century ago. The building is so unusual that it cannot be described in common architectural terms. For example, a vast cast-in-place concrete hyperbolic shell lies prone on the ground, blocking the cold wind from the northwest in winter. The architect used the sand and gravel from the local Tao River to produce a special rough concrete with horizontal scratches on the surface, symbolizing the traces of thousands of years of erosion. All of Zhu’s buildings are quite remarkable. Yet, despite their novelties, they are rooted in culture, nature, and climate. They are designed based on his architectural philosophy, Architecture of Nature, articulated in five fundamental points: incomplete integrity, sponge architecture, cave and nest, sitting posture, and structure and form.
The Past, Present, and Future of Hemp in Construction
Cannabis has been widely used throughout human history for a variety of purposes: textiles, paper, food, medicine, biofuels, and even as a stigmatized recreational drug. Considered one of the first plants cultivated by humanity, its history spans millennia and often intertwines with the world of construction. Hemp, a variety of cannabis, has been an essential material in construction history, widely used for its exceptional strength and versatility in various applications, such as fiber production for reinforcement, thermal and acoustic insulation, and as a sustainable alternative in construction processes.
Edmund Sumner Explores Memory and Emotional Spaces with Architectural Photography Exhibition in London
Starting on June 30th, 2024, Edmund Sumner presents the “Traces” exhibition, a solo show at Rodic Davidson Architects in London featuring architectural photography that explores cultural identity and historical significance across diverse landscapes. The show offers a profound exploration of architecture and design across diverse landscapes, including Europe, India, and Mexico, presenting a compelling intersection between photography and the built environment. Additionally, the photographer is expected to release his fifth book with Thames & Hudson in 2025.
New York Unveils NYC’s First-Ever Floating Swimming + POOL at Pier 35
Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have just announced the installation of + POOL, a floating swimming pool equipped with an innovative water filtration system, at Pier 35 in New York’s East River this summer. Aiming to provide the New Yorkers with safe swimming opportunities in the city’s waterways, Friends of + POOL was founded in 2010 by Dong-Ping Wong, and later joined by designers Archie Lee Coates IV, Jeffrey Franklin, and Oana Stanescu. Furthermore, the project seeks to increase pool accessibility to underserved communities.
Progress and Reparations: Unpacking the Loss and Damage Fund from COP27
In November of 2022, the coastal city of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, hosted the 27th convention of the United Nations Conference of the Parties, known as COP27. Since signing the Paris Agreement in 2015, the nearly annual conference has gained momentum as a global leader in sharing knowledge and developing frameworks to mitigate climate change worldwide. While the more recent COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, focused on conversations of energy production, this previous conference focused on urban contexts, as they deal with the urgent need for incorporating loss, damage, and climate reparations into climate action plans. As two years have now passed since COP27, it is important to revisit these discussions and hold governing bodies accountable for the promises made and the benchmarks set for climate change mitigation. One of the most ambitious plans from COP27 highlights an urgent debate in our urban environments: how will we define loss, damage, and climate reparations in the twenty-first century?
Joslyn Art Museum to Reopen to the Public in Nebraska After Snøhetta-Led Transformation
The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, is set to reopen on September 10, 2024, after an extensive restoration and expansion led by Snøhetta in collaboration with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture (APMA). This transformation introduces the new 42,000-square-foot Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion, designed to significantly enhance Nebraska's largest art museum by adding new gallery spaces and reimagining the visitor experience.
The Most Liveable Cities in the World in 2024: Discover Top Quality of Life Locations Globally
The pursuit of an ideal city has long been a topic of debate among architects and urban planners. In addition to aesthetic identity and cultural heritage, the quality of life in every city represents perhaps the most important marker in this pursuit. This year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist, has released its Global Liveability Index 2024, highlighting the cities that excel in this ongoing quest. For the third consecutive year, Vienna ranked as the most liveable city in the world. European cities Copenhagen, Zurich, and Geneva also rank high, attributed to their smaller populations, which contribute to lower crime rates and less congestion. In comparison with the 2023 ranking, the numbers for North American and Australian cities have been dragged down by the ongoing housing crisis.
The assessment ranks 173 cities from around the world. Each city is scored based on 30 qualitative and quantitative factors evaluating 5 categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The scores are based on external data points, in-house analysts, and in-city contributors. The category of stability has registered the biggest decline, as protests and armed conflicts increased in incidence. At the bottom of the cist, the city of Damascus, Syria, continues to be ranked as the least liveable city in the survey, followed by Tripoli, Libya, reflecting severe instability.
Paris 2024 Olympics: An Architectural Guide of the Olympic Venues
Rounding up the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, a special focus is placed on the architectural language and phenomenon that transformed the city for its Olympic and upcoming Paralympic venues. Spread across the city and surrounding areas, Paris integrated iconic landmarks and modern facilities to host a diverse selection of Olympic sports. Beyond the sports venues, the interventions also included unique visitor centers and athlete's accommodations that will serve a purpose beyond the summer's events.
The Second Studio Podcast: Architecture Pet Peeves
The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.
A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss their pet peeves in architecture design. The two cover poorly adapted historical elements; inconsistent use of materiality and detail in a project; dead-end hallways; poor construction execution and more.
Renovations in Barcelona: 8 Apartments that Preserve Their Hydraulic Tile Floors
In the quest to preserve certain architectural, historical, and cultural features of original Catalan homes, apartment renovations are conceived as a means of connecting the past and the present through the recovery and/or restoration of coverings, flooring, carpentry, facades, and more. The history of ceramics in Spain has evolved over the years, experiencing periods of productive flourishing as well as decline. However, the expressive language, versatility, and adaptability of hydraulic tiles to tradition and the future stand out in homes' interior and exterior spaces with their wide combination of colors, textures, and patterns.
