Few cultural events bring the world together like the Olympics. Today, athletes from around the world continue to participate in a variety of competitions after the covid-19 pandemic. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. In turn, they bring to question the role of architecture and design in each host city's urban evolution.
As cities become denser and the pandemic continues to shape living and working patterns, people have become well aware that the space they inhabit greatly influences their physical and mental well-being. As a result, the interior design of homes has focused on promoting sensitivity, comfort and calmness as a way of escaping the uncertain outside world. As a safe space where we practically start and end each day, the modern bathroom has also adapted accordingly, taking on a key role as an environment dedicated to relaxation and self-care. Hence, what used to be a purely functional zone is now perceived as an energizing personal retreat and flexible living space that can even adopt other functions – from a gym to a private spa.
During their university years, architects acquire a wide range of skills apart from learning to design buildings. Some of these include creative problem solving, project management, high attention to detail, coordinating teams and accurately responding to consumer needs. Therefore, a degree often provides the necessary tools to design at any scale – from urban to product design – and to explore other creative fields, such as art, photography, journalism or industrial design. Of the many possibilities that open up, it is especially common for many to make the leap towards furniture design, particularly chair design, instead of following the traditional route.
Metropolitans take pride in their storied cultural venues, the chroniclers of intellectual acumen and architectural achievement. While these icons revel in their ornate design, immersive grandiosity, and dramatic acoustics, the pandemic has introduced numerous challenges to the rules of assembly.
Recognizing changes in the rituals of attending a show—from procession and gathering to engagement—architects and cultural leaders are designing the next generation of performance venues while asking the question: How does architecture solve issues raised by a building’s inherent purpose? Is it possible to maintain the essence of a venue through gentle yet effective changes in people’s habits? The answers seem to rely on updating the auditorium culture (which dates as far back as the Colosseum) with contemporary design solutions rooted in new technologies.
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Broadly speaking, the performing arts are all those disciplines that take place on a stage, although the main ones are dance, theatre and music. However, parades, religious processions, holiday celebrations and carnivals also have a clear scenic quality. That is why the stage space is so important not only for the presentations of these disciplines but also for carrying out a whole bodily and spatial process that is supported by the architecture.
It is fascinating to think how Scandinavia - such a small geographic region - has had such a strong influence on design, starting in the middle of the 20th century and continuing into the present day, globally. Scandinavian design is known for combining simplicity, craftsmanship, elegant functionality and quality materials. Sophistication is present in its details and its furniture is characterized by well-studied dimensions, economy of materials and the lack of information overload. In fact, there is even a Danish and Swedish term that defines this philosophy: “hygge” refers to the coziness that provides a feeling of well being and contentment. But how can we incorporate some lessons from Scandinavian design so that our interior projects can become more cozy and comfortable?
The elaboration of an architectural project is a complex process that involves different scales, from structure to small refinements, such as the choice of coatings, paint colors, baseboards, metals, ware and, of course, lighting.
In addition to the issues of power and shade of lamps, the design of the luminaires is also essential in the project process. It can contribute to the appreciation of spaces and the comfort of the inhabitants.
Following decades of ongoing socio-cultural and economic crises across the globe, the design community has realized that it is time to “design like they give a damn”. And with that, they embraced a movement that saw architects and designers use their acquired skills to develop design-based solutions to humanitarian crises, ranging from building modular housing and mapping landscapes, to developing mobile applications and documentaries, all from an altruistic standpoint. But since pro bono work is not yet ingrained in the ethos of architecture, how have architects broken out of the traditional model of “corporate” architecture and established a way to ensure ethical responsibility for human welfare?
The TV is one of the main elements that make up the living room, especially in most Brazilian homes, where the living room is the place both for receiving visitors and for enjoying rest and leisure. However, it is not always easy to position this equipment, which varies so much in size and especially to combine it with the rest of the space.
Space partitioning can often be dismissed as a bland, acoustic-only solution. But projects show how space can be artfully divided while adding color, character, and personality.
All aspects of society today are becoming increasingly more digital. Our interconnectedness and speed at which we are able to search and transfer information have made us more accustomed to exploring new ways that technology can impact our lives. Over the last few years, the rise of bitcoin, blockchain, and now the metaverse, has caused architects and designers to reconsider the notion of physical and virtual space. But beyond that, there’s an “in-between” of spaces that will be designed to support the technological escapism that the metaverse and web3 offer. While these virtual worlds are on the frontier of the digitization of everything, architects will play a huge part in designing the real-world physical spaces that can support them.
Many believe that lighting is of little importance beyond its aesthetic function, considering primarily the appearance of light fixtures and ensuring only that they produce at least an adequate amount of light. However, there is a strong consensus among architects that good lighting design can vastly improve the comfort of interior spaces, adding an enormous aesthetic, functional, and environmental value. In addition, the choice of lighting system may contribute to improved efficiency and sustainability within the building as a whole.
As for the needs of children, it is essential to pay attention to the quantity, quality, and type of lamp for every different environment, whether it be a space to sleep, play, or learn. Below, we delineate more specific considerations.
The comic strip, la bande dessinée, the graphic novel. These are all part of a medium with an intrinsic connection to architectural storytelling. It’s a medium that has long been used to fantasise and speculate on possible architectural futures, or in a less spectacular context, used as a device to simply show the perspectival journey through an architectural project. When the comic strip meshes fiction with architectural imagination, however, it’s not only the speculation on future architectural scenarios that takes place. It’s also the recording and the critiquing of the urban conditions of either our contemporary cities or the cities of the past.
Is the third time truly the charm for Two World Trade Center? New renderings spotted by New York YIMBY on February 1 seem to reveal the long-delayed tower’s new look, a marked departure from what was first unveiled by Foster + Partners back in 2005.
That’s not too much of a surprise. Although Foster + Partners was awarded the project 17 years ago and the foundation was laid in 2013, work has been proceeding at a slow clip and the original team was replaced by BIG in 2015 after developer Silverstein Properties decided to take a more contemporary approach and position the tower as the future home of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and 21st Century Fox.
For many design teams, logging into multiple applications a day to access BIM information is the norm. Yet the information contained in each of these applications tends to be siloed, making it difficult for project teams to make informed decisions, collaborate, and share information.
Architecture education is not only about learning how to design and construct buildings but it gives a whole new perspective on our built environment and on how design can contribute to create quality spaces and experiences. Moreover, a big percentage of this design thinking can be used by professional architects as a resource to create other spatial configurations that vary from the traditional building, opening up to a diverse world of possibilities in terms of spatiality and materials.
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 are joined by Sarah Whiting, Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design; Co-Founder of WW Architecture to discuss her early interests in architecture, communicating the value of architecture to the public, the GSD, social and environmental issues in architecture, the future of architecture practice, movements in architecture, and more.
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This video explores the case for understanding buildings as non-human creatures. While this might sound absurd at first, the concept has a long history and potentially very positive tangible outcomes. Buildings need to be cultivated like a garden; they require maintenance and care. If they are alive, the need for this care becomes more obvious and second nature. This conceit also prompts us to empathize with the people that conceived of and built the building, treating the human labor of its construction with admiration and reverie.
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