HMMD: The Latest Architecture and News

There are many ways of designing environmentally-responsible and resource-efficient structures and cities, with amazing innovations and advances introduced every day. These include everything from smart homes and photovoltaic glass to centrally organized power networks, modular building, and even self-healing bio-concrete.

Architects, startups, investors, entrepreneurs, tech companies, and designers are all pioneering holistic new approaches to sustainable architecture, in which new buildings are constructed and maintained throughout their life cycles with as little negative impact on the environment as possible.

Do you have something to say about sustainable architecture?

Bee Breeders, in partnership with ARCHHIVE BOOKS, is calling for essay submissions for

The Vale de Moses Yoga Retreat in the stunning remote forests of central Portugal is listed as one of the best retreats in the world by NatGeo UK Traveller, Forbes Magazine, The Guardian and several yoga magazines. Every year the retreat welcomes over 500 people from 60+ countries around the world, all looking to take time to be with themselves in a natural wilderness environment - abundant space to breathe and feel.

The initial restoration of the Vale de Moses Yoga Retreat took five years, and used traditional construction methods to reinvigorate four abandoned stone farmhouse cottages. Much of the

San Francisco is one of the trendiest and most-popular cities in the United States, which also happens to make it one of the most expensive cities in the world. Home of Silicon Valley, San Francisco has become the go-to city for tech companies within the US, and with countless tech employees flocking to the area with sizeable paychecks, it’s not hard to see why the prices in the Bay Area have skyrocketed in the previous decades.

Add to this the strict zoning laws within the city limits and the greater Bay Area, San Francisco has seen an ever-increasing gap between the

The SKYHIVE 2020 Skyscraper Challenge is the third annual architecture competition which searches out the latest and greatest designs for an iconic high rise structure. Participants of the SKYHIVE Challenge are tasked with creating a concept for a state-of-the-art tower that breaks from the norm.

Participants are encouraged to incorporate new technologies and materials in their designs, as well as unique aesthetics and spatial organisations. Special consideration is also given to designs that implement innovations in sustainable systems, as well as those that look to solve economic, social, and cultural problems through the establishment of new architectural methods.

There is no

The LEGENDARY BIRD HOME 2020 competition is the first in a planned series of competitions looking to raise awareness for the global environmental crisis. This competition will be a collaboration with Birdly - a socially-responsible startup that aims to support environmental activism worldwide through funds raised by selling bird homes.

Participants are tasked with presenting innovative and attention-grabbing designs for a legendary bird house that can be built at home, using materials and building methods that are both environmentally sustainable and easily available.

Each project will need to include details of the building method and the materials to be used, ensuring that

In the search for solutions to the global housing crisis, Bee Breeders are calling for essay submissions to explore the problem further. Winning entries will be included in the first issue of their print publication ARCHHIVE, which will focus on affordable housing.

Submissions can be historical, present, or prospective. They can be data-centric, analytical, fictional, critical, or conceptual; and can be from participants related to any field or discipline. “Essays” can be submitted as written or illustrative, as long as they fit on a single or double-page spread so they can be featured in the publication. (More information available at archhivebooks.com)

To

It’s hard to remember a time when there wasn’t a coffee shop perched on every corner. With the boom of coffee culture in the late 90s, mornings seem unbearable without the support of a caffeine kick. Emulating the cosmopolitan New York lifestyle of shows like Friends, Seinfeld, and Sex and the City, ambiance-inspired cafés that encourage its customer to linger were a big step away from the greasy spoons of yesteryear.

Riga Black Balsam is an iconic traditional Latvian drink, created from a combination of 24 ingredients, including herbs, roots, berries, and fruit juices. Its smooth and versatile taste can be enjoyed any number of ways, though it is often taken neat, or mixed into a cocktail of choice. More and more lately, younger audiences have begun to recognize that Black Balsam is great when mixed into cocktails.

In an attempt to further entice the younger fan base, the traditional Latvian liquor is launching the Black Balsam Laboratories competition, in which cocktail “workstations” would be situated in numerous locations around the world.

For a relatively small country, Ireland has a rich musical history which is incredibly diverse and spanning all musical genres. Connolly's of Leap is a venue which promotes all types of music; from traditional Irish folk music, to the most avant-garde electronic music of today. The IRISH MUSIC VENUE architecture competition focuses on breathing new life into an existing and iconic music venue in the heart of rural Ireland.

Iceland has a vast, wild landscape, with some of the most unique and incredible natural views in the world. Appropriately known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland’s volcanic fields blend seamlessly into gigantic glaciers and tumbling waterfalls. Iceland is also an ideal location to view the iconic Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights.

The Nemrut caldera sits cradled within the Nemrut Volcano in Turkey, formed by the collapse of the volcano into itself, creating a large, deep crater. This dramatic formation creates a unique micro-environment, becoming home to plants and animals that thrive in the harsh conditions. Nestled within the caldera is lake Nemrut, a half-moon crater freshwater lake that further adds to the unique biodiversity of the caldera.

Debate rages across the country, as experts and analysts go back and forth over the idea of an affordable housing crisis in Australia. One area that all experts can agree on, however, is that Sydney is in a league of its own when it comes to property prices. Sydney comes in second to Hong Kong as having the least affordable housing in a survey of 10 major metropolitan markets.

The Guardian Australia reported figures from BIS Oxford economics showing that, as of December 2016, 42% of average disposable household income in New South Wales was being poured into monthly mortgage

The SKYHIVE Skyscraper Challenge is looking to create an iconic high rise structure for an office tower with state-of-the-art facilities. Working in partnership with the Manipal Executive Education, winning entries will be showcased in their Global Tall Building Studio - Design Workshop in Dubai, where architecture students and in industry leaders collaborate to conceptualise the future of high-rise structures.

The AMBER ROAD TREKKING CABINS architecture competition, in partnership with the Latvia Nature Conservation Agency, is calling for designs for a series of trekking cabins to be situated along the immense and beautiful Amber Road trekking path. The path will span the full length of Latvia, running along the Baltic Sea beaches which are an undiscovered gem of Northern Europe's pristine natural beauty.