This guide covers a workflow that moves from project parameters to generated floor plans, 3D perspective views, exterior design exploration, and site context visualization, using AI tools in place of preliminary CAD and rendering work.

The steel frame of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is beginning to take shape in Los Angeles. Designed by MAD Architects, the project takes its name from Star Wars creator George Lucas and will stand at the gateway to the city’s Exposition Park. The landmark project will be MAD’s first museum built in the United States.

+ 1

In recent years, the architectural community has become heavily involved, in both positive and negative ways, with the chronic global issue of homelessness. In response, James Furzer of UK-based Spatial Design Architects has undertaken a photographic analysis exploring defensive forms of urban design. Using the typology of public benches in London, Furzer documents public fixtures which act as deterrents to rough sleepers, essentially denying a right to the city for those who ultimately have no choice but to be there.

+ 7

Throughout 2019, ITDP and the Brazilian Cyclists Union (UCB) worked together to develop a map to facilitate and expand access to data on bicycle infrastructure in Brazilian cities. In September of last year, the public voted on the platform's name, and CicloMapa was launched at the Northeastern Bicycle Forum (FNEBici) in Aracaju.

Curitiba's Integrated Transport Network was listed as one of the 50 most influential projects of the last 50 years, according to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a global organization with a presence in more than 160 countries.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dotation Yona Friedman (@yona_friedman) on Feb 21, 2020 at 12:55am PST

Best known for his theory of mobile architecture and his spatial city project, Yona Friedman has passed away at 96, as was announced in his Instagram account this morning. The Hungarian born French architect and theorist was one of the most influential figures of the profession in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

+ 4

Entitled Becoming Xerophile, Cooking Sections and AKT II have developed a zero-water desert garden, part of the first Sharjah Architecture Triennial in UAE, curated by Adrian Lahoud. The installation explores the introduction of desert landscapes in the urban fabric of the city and everyday life.

+ 5

The AI & Architecture at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal in Paris, France was scheduled to be open for the past couple of months, showcasing work by Stanislas Chaillou on generative design and machine learning. However, due to the global pandemic, people were able to virtually explore the ideas through a series of interviews and a virtual tours. The work explored current scales of experimentation: plans, elevations, structures and perspectives in which AI could already make a contribution, whether real or speculative.

+ 4

As part of the UIA2020 Congress activities, the Institute of Architects of Brazil, in partnership with CAU/BR, will produce a publication featuring Brazilian architecture and urbanism projects aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in an effort to showcase sustainable architectural and urban planning practices.

Videos

Clavel Arquitectos is behind the design and construction of Odiseo, a building designed to function as an urban oasis and leisure center in Murcia, Spain. The most striking feature from the exterior is what will be Europe's largest cantilevered pool—and the second largest in the world.

Design and the City is a podcast by reSITE, raising questions and proposing solutions for the city of the future. In the third episode, "When East meets West", Yoko Choy reflects upon bringing together the knowledge and insights of the east and the west and translating them into a common creative language. Joining Choy are curator Beatrice Leanza of Lisbon’s MAAT Museum as well as UK and China-based WallaceLiu founders, Jamie Wallace and Jee Liu.

The Russian Pavilion has announced its first list of contributors for the 2020 Venice Biennale. Selected after an open call, a new generation of architects will set up a temporary office within the pavilion, from May to November, creating an open workspace to plan the on-going architectural transformation.

+ 4

Herzog & de Meuron have designed a new motorway chapel for Andeer, Switzerland. The new project is sited on A13, the road that connects the village with Chur to the north, and to Ticino and Italy to the south. The idea for the chapel in Andeer was inspired by the site alone and its location, from the road itself.

+ 1

Louis Kahn (February 20th 1901 – March 17th 1974) was one of the United States' greatest 20th century architects, known for combining Modernism with the weight and dignity of ancient monuments. Though he did not arrive at his distinctive style until his early 50s, and despite his death at the age of just 73, in a span of just two decades Kahn came to be considered by many as part of the pantheon of modernist architects which included Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.

+ 12

As part of this year's cultural agenda, Museo Jumex inaugurated the large-scale work Mariposa B1-09 by artist Michael Lin on February 4. The piece consists of a hand-painted floor spanning over 1,300 m2, temporarily covering the plaza and the building's ground floor.

Ivy Tech and Cummins have selected IwamotoScott Architecture of San Francisco to create the new Ivy Tech Columbus campus building. The College anticipates breaking ground in 2020 and taking occupancy in 2022.

+ 4

Henning Larsen has unveiled its vision for Brouck’R, a city block transformation project facing Brussels’ busy Place de Brouckère. Inspired by traditional and contemporary heritage, the proposal generates a 21st-century, vibrant, mixed-use destination in the city center.

+ 7

A team of five firms have come together to design the first large-scale timber building in Western Australia. Lyons Architecture is working with Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency, STH and Aspect Studios on the new academic building at Murdoch University in Perth. Constructed from locally sourced timber, the four-story project will include offices, learning spaces, and informal gathering areas.

+ 1

The degree to which heritage is crucial for the tourism and commercial value of cities like Cartagena is highly debated. As this value rises, the real estate sector invests more heavily in buildings that clash with the historic urban landscape. Especially since Cartagena is a warm, Caribbean, coastal vacation city, massive high-rise developments like Miami are often used as benchmarks. How far can real estate ambition go?

The answer is likely: until the city's long-term interests override those of private developers. This is the case of the controversial Aquarela building, whose already advanced construction was halted following a statement by UNESCO warning that they would remove the walled city of Cartagena from the World Heritage list. Consequently, the mayor of Cartagena reaffirmed his commitment to demolishing the unfinished structure.

Design practice Conrad Gargett have created a proposal for a sculptural mixed-use complex in the Brisbane suburbs of Queensland, Australia. Sited in Lutwyche, the project aims to become an integrated development built to accommodate an ageing population in Queensland. Dubbed Lamington Markets, the design overlays public amenities and commercial spaces with local recreation space.

+ 4

The Javier Alzamora Valdez building, designed by Peruvian architect Enrique Seoane Ros between 1951 and 1956 and conceived as the headquarters of the Ministry of Education, has been declared a Monument and part of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation. It stands as clear testament to the public civil architecture built during the Modern Movement in Peru, serving as a tangible and representative manifesto of mid-20th-century construction trends, when large government buildings were constructed for public administration as part of the urban renewal of Lima's Historic Center.

We have compiled a list of our best articles, news, and proposals on an absolutely urgent topic in architecture and society at large: the climate and environmental crisis.

Framlab, an innovation studio based in Bergen and New York City has created Glasir, a community-based system for urban farming. The proposed modular structure relies on aeroponic growth systems to provide local products.

+ 15

Located on Qetaifan Island North in proximity to Lusail International Stadium, which will host the opening and final games of the FIFA World Cup 2022, ADMARES and Sigge Architects are developing 16 floating hotels to serve tourists and fans that will be visiting Qatar.

An exhibition by British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor will inaugurate one of São Paulo's largest contemporary art spaces. Located in the Cidade Matarazzo complex, Casa Bradesco de Criatividade will host the exhibition starting in September 2021.