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

Construction has begun at the last remaining empty sites in Chengdu’s Jiaozi Park Financial and Business District, where MVRDV has designed a complex comprised of three mixed-use office towers and a conference center united by a ring-shaped plinth. The building shape and functional structure are informed by its surrounding context, with a retail village that references the traditional structures that were once located on the site.

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David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, in collaboration with Ester Buzkus Architeken, has won the international competition to design the newest NOBU Hotel and Restaurant in Hamburg. In fact, David Chipperfield is also the architect for the entire Elbtower building, currently under construction, where the Nobu Hotel will occupy two of the three wings in the seven-story base of the tower. When completed, it should be the tallest building in Hamburg, at 230 meters.

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The redevelopment of maritime and riverfront areas is a crucial element in the transformation of many urban areas, providing a series of significant benefits for cities and their inhabitants. The presence of water, whether in rivers, lakes or seas, has historically played a fundamental role in the formation and development of many cities, intimately related to their dynamics. This relationship has changed and presented itself in different ways over time, and these spaces have often been neglected in numerous ways, particularly by a certain type of urban planning that disregarded their potential in favor of other imperatives, such as road transport and industrial equipment.

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I always consider myself fortunate to have grown up outside the city, where my ‘cross-country’ lessons, for example –national right of hardship for 11-16-year-olds– were through the actual countryside rather than the high street. For many children, however, modern school life is not so close to nature.

Already over-populated cities are continuing to expand, meaning more schools are suffering from the limitations presented by inner-city architecture including noise, air, and light pollution; a lack of space, especially green space; restrictive budgets and building regulations resistant to change.

With innovative and considered design solutions, however, these four inner-city schools show the rest of the class how to work through their architectural answers and provide quality, green spaces for all.

More than ten thousand kilometers away from the capital Brasilia, a jewel of Brazilian modern architecture overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. Located in another Brasilia, a district in Beirut named after the Brazilian capital, the Residence of the Ambassador of Brazil in Lebanon, designed by Olavo Redig de Campos, combines tropical modernism with elements of Middle Eastern culture.

For the first time, the house will be open to the public through guided tours focused on historical heritage. Geared towards architecture, design, and art professionals and students, the visits will be guided by Dr. George Arbid, director of the Arab Center for Architecture, a renowned institution in modern architecture in the region.

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Roland Halbe came into photography entirely by accident, discovering it at the age of 15 in a class on optics. His physics teacher presented camera obscura effects, which immediately triggered his fascination. He then started borrowing his father’s old camera quite regularly. While still in high school, Roland worked part-time at a camera shop, eagerly discovering everything there is to know about photography. Those were the circumstances that kindled Halbe’s lifelong romance, first with black and white, and, eventually, color photography with a focus on the built environment.

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Concrete, second only to water, is the most consumed material worldwide due to its structural strength, ease of handling, and versatility. Comprised of cement, sand, gravel, and water, it is extensively used in construction projects of various scales. However, even this resilient material can deteriorate over time, necessitating maintenance or, in severe cases, demolition. Abrasion and erosion are factors that can adversely affect the appearance of concrete, remove its protective layer, create a rough surface, and potentially lead to structural issues. These challenges are particularly critical in large and complex construction sites, where any irregularities or unevenness can result in significant losses and complications for architects, engineers, and contractors.

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The School of Architecture at the Campus Creativo of the Universidad Andrés Bello is launching an open call for the second edition of the Remote Residencies. This project aims to foster openness and interdisciplinary experimentation regarding contemporary and relevant themes, posing questions that challenge the status quo and creating spaces for research and free creation.

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