How to visualize architectural concepts in SketchUp using D5 Lite for faster design exploration.

Atrium Ljungberg unveiled Stockholm Wood City in Sweden, the world's largest urban construction project in wood, and in Norway, just four years ago, Voll Arkitekter completed the Mjøstårnet Tower on Lake Mjøsa, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world at 18 stories. On the other side of the planet, the Tamango project by Tallwood Architects is an example of the challenges and opportunities of wood construction in Chile, as it could become the first 12-story building with a prefabricated wood structure in Latin America. Meanwhile, in Peru, the Construye para Crecer project by Poggione+Biondi Arquitectos won the XIX National Architecture Biennial 2022 with a residential complex to be built mainly of wood. Nearby, Uruguay recently concluded its social housing in wood competition, paving the way toward innovation in social interest architecture. Furthermore, in 2020, Vicente Guallart won an international competition to define the standards for the buildings of a new city in China. The project, titled The Self-Sufficient City, was already a design that materialized a new urban model in wood across four city blocks.

Across the globe, sustainability and innovation in construction are constantly evolving, and wood structures are presented as a promising option. ArchDaily presented The Future of Wood as its monthly topic, opening up a discussion to explore and hear predictions and thoughts from our readers regarding the future of this material in architecture and urbanism. Is wood the key to a more sustainable and livable urban future? Or are there challenges we must address before embracing this trend? What are the implications for architecture, cities, the economy, and the environment?

+ 11

+ 28

+ 21

+ 30

Why our fascination with the new? 

At ArchDaily, we're more than just architects. We're a dynamic team with varied backgrounds, spanning from software and finance to design, journalism, art, accounting, and even insurance! Yet, there's something that connects us all: creativity. And creativity is what we also have in common with you.

That is why by analyzing how to improve the content we generate for you, we often find ourselves asking the question of what we can do to feed your (and our) mind to foster creativity.

Highly creative people usually have profound specialized knowledge and have the capability of divergent thinking. That’s why our stream is a set of periodic new, fresh, and diverse projects and content, where you don’t know what comes next.

That’s why we are always fascinated with the new.

From October until November 24, 2023, the Mugak International Architecture Biennial of the Basque Country will take place. Now in its fourth edition, the event brings together a wide range of open, free activities across San Sebastián, Bilbao, and Vitoria-Gasteiz under the theme “rebuild, reinhabit, rethink,” encouraging debate on the impact of architecture within the context of today's multidimensional crisis—encompassing its environmental, economic, and social responsibilities, as well as its capacity for transformation and care. 

+ 21

"10 Minutes. Architects and Designers in Conversation" gathers 24 interviews by Stephanie Davidson with architects and designers from 15 countries, about their relationship with materials and how this informs architecture's and design's place in society. Questions of economy, ecology, cooperation, and pedagogy are also at the heart of the conversations, revealing a variety of contemporary, exploratory, and constantly renewed ways of designing and making.
With ABVM, Omer Arbel, Assemble, Atelier Fanelsa, BAST – Bureau Architectures Sans Titre, Comunal Taller de Arquitectura,Ensamble Studio, Fala Atelier, GAFPA, Jumbo, Lland studio, Inigo Minns, Modular by Mensah, New American House, Norell/Rodhe, O.K. – Office Kovacs, Point Supreme, Porto Academy, Rotor Deconstruction, Sameep Padora & Associates, Sanchez Benton architects, Atang Tshikare, Willow Technologies, Zeller & Moye.

New Architectural Chronicle
For over a decade, CHK has been shaping the future horizons of built environments possessing a social and cultural significance, crafting a new identity that transcends the mere physical value. 'Crafting Character' is a compelling chronicle of CHK's practice, presenting their design philosophy and innovative approach to architecture, leading the way towards environmental and social responsibility, responding to contemporary needs.

Often referred to as the “Manhattan on the Maas,” Rotterdam is a city unlike any other in the Netherlands. The Dutch metropolis with its striking skyline, tells a unique architectural narrative with chapters filled with the rubble of the devastating bombings of World War II, followed by a story of reconstruction that transformed the city into a hub for experimental architecture and urban planning. Today a mosaic of architectural styles, Rotterdam has embraced innovation, becoming a global showcase for cutting-edge design and sustainable urban development.

In 1940, almost the entire city center was wiped out by German bombs. Instead of following other European cities’ examples of reconstruction, Rotterdam decided to reinvent itself. Today, the city hosts some of the most well-known Dutch pieces of architecture, such as the Kubuswoningen or the Het Nieuwe Instituut. Its open attitude toward innovation and experimentation continues to attract talent from around the world, as its distinctive skyline continues to change and adapt to contemporary conditions.

+ 18

Videos

+ 12

Two years ago, on September 18, 2021, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, 1961–2021, was inaugurated. The monumental public artwork wrapped the Parisian monument in over 25,000 square meters of silvery fabric tied in place with 7,000 meters of red rope. The materials, all made out of woven polypropylene, a type of thermoplastic, are now being reused, upcycled, and recycled, following the artists’ vision. Most of the materials will be transformed to serve practical uses for future public events in Paris. The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation is also collaborating with Gagosian to bring Christo’s early works to London’s East End for an exhibition open from October 6-22, 2023.

+ 5

+ 20

Ennead Architects and KSS Architects have just unveiled the design for the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park Museum of Rowan University. The museum is located at the heart of a 65-acre fossil park in Mantua Township, New Jersey. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the program focuses on exploration, preservation, and education. Moreover, it allows citizens and scientists to have the unique opportunity to participate in fossil excavation alongside research actively. The visitor and the researchers will study the events leading to the fifth mass extinction, all within the confines of a 66-million-year-old former quarry. The project is scheduled to open its doors to the public in early 2024, positioning itself as a symbol of scientific exploration and environmental stewardship.

More and more, the field of architecture is shifting its focus towards revitalizing existing spaces. This shift is motivated by various factors, including concerns about sustainability, cost constraints, and the scarcity of available land in rapidly expanding urban areas. It presents an opportunity not only to renovate buildings but also to engage with the layers of time. This intricate task involves fostering a dialogue between contemporary and historical materials, acknowledging traditional construction techniques, and even uncovering hidden aspects of history and geography within the built environment to create truly unique architectural experiences.

As society, technology, and architecture have evolved, designers and architects have embraced novel construction systems and innovative approaches to reshape the built environment. This advancement has stretched the boundaries of traditional construction techniques and ignited fresh ideas in building design.

In the past, some architects and artists aimed to question an architectural paradigm deeply entrenched in anthropocentrism. Historically, architecture has been linked to the notion that buildings, being conceived by human beings, must be extremely durable, even imperishable. Considering the principle that the best intervention is the least intrusive, inflatable architecture, in contrast to these human-centric viewpoints —but aligned to our ephemeral nature—, can propose structures that may exist one day and vanish the next, leaving a temporal imprint on the landscape. This architectural approach uses textiles as the primary material and air as the structural system, potentially challenging the traditional Vitruvian ideals of Venustas, Firmitas, and Utilitas.

+ 11