A type of garden roof tile has been developed by a Dutch company. This “two-in-one” product promises to transform any conventional roof into a green oasis, bringing several benefits to residents. 

Unlike traditional green roofs, where plants must be installed on top of the structure, these tiles come with the vegetation already “built-in.” Each unit is covered with a mix of sedum and substrate. Best of all, they require very little maintenance. 

Snøhetta+Hassell were announced as the winners of an international competition to transform Sydney's Harbourside in Darling Harbour into a new mixed-use destination. The design was selected by the jury for how it envisioned a place that brings people together, featuring an all-inclusive shopping, hospitality, and entertainment center, an exclusive 42-storey residential tower, as well as a redesign of the public spaces on the waterfront.

Ronald Lu & Partners designed a new transit-oriented development (TOD) in Shenzhen, reshaping a former industrial zone near Chiwan Port. The project builds on the firm's extensive experience with green architecture and TODs, proposing a biophilic development that restores nature in the area. Featuring a mixture of residential, business, commercial, and educational facilities, the design is set to become a key urban environment within the Greater Bay Area connecting Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macau.

As part of the new Tirana 2030 master plan, Stefano Boeri Architetti has created a new model for schools, transforming them into a place for people of all ages, open every hour of the day and every day of the year. The newly-inaugurated project in Tirana serves as a "new epicenter for life in urban neighborhoods", used by students during the day as a school campus and by the whole community on weekends and public holidays as recreational and meeting places, as well as potential places for shelter during emergencies.

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KCAP revealed its competition-winning design for the Keflavík Airport Area Strategic Masterplan in Iceland, comprising an area of 55 square kilometres around the country’s global aviation hub. Developed together with Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners, Kanon Arkitektar and a multidisciplinary team of professionals across a wide range of fields, the masterplan proposes a “collaborative development between public and private sectors”, seeking to transform specific areas around the airport into the hallmarks of the country’s sustainability and economic strategies.

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Organized by the Central Society of Architects (SCA) and the Chamber of the Red Ceramic Industry (CICER), this award aims to recognize architectural production focused on the use of ceramic masonry, as well as the work of architects in projects utilizing these materials. Featuring projects where hollow brick is the predominant material, the award seeks to promote its use as a sustainable, long-term solution in both urban and rural settings.

After more than two years of ongoing conversations with residents, stakeholders, and entrepreneurs, the New York City Council has finally approved the River Ring master plan of the Williamsburg waterfront project. The revised proposal, developed by Two Trees Management with designs by Bjarke Ingels Group and James Corner Field Operations, includes more than 150 additional units of affordable senior housing, an environmental benefits fund, and dedicated YMCA community space "to enhance the connectivity of the public waterfront, reinstate natural habitats, elevate the standard for urban waterfront resiliency, and transform the way New Yorkers interact with the East River".

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MVRDV revealed its design for a temporary intervention that takes tourists and city dwellers on a walk across several rooftops in Rotterdam, highlighting an untapped potential for expanding the public realm. Created in collaboration with Rotterdam Rooftop Days, the project will feature an aerial bridge from the roof of The Bijenkorf department store to the top of the World Trade Centre plinth and will be available to the public from May 26 to June 24 2022, during Rotterdam Architecture Month.

Back in 2019, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma won the contest to design the expansion of the gardens of the Gulbenkian Foundation and the new entrance of the Modern Collection of the Museum in Lisbon, Portugal. According to the architect, the museum can be a "wise example of the future as coexistence with the Earth and us", taking inspiration from nature and its relationship with architecture. In a recent No País dos Arquitectos podcast, Sara Nunes interviews Kengo Kuma and Rita Topa, architect at Kengo Kuma Associates, to talk about the expansion of the gardens and museum, along with the mission of architecture and the role of the architect, processes, and work references developed for the project.

Due to unexpected circumstances, The Tallinn Architecture Biennale announced a new winning proposal for its Installation Programme Competition: Fungible Non-Fungible Pavilion by iheartblob, a new "decentralized and systematic" approach towards architectural design which allows the community to be both designers and investors, contributing to a structure that evolves over time. TAB 2022 will take place during September – October 2022, with the opening week on the 7th–11th of September.

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Henning Larsen revealed its proposal for an International Conference Center in Pujiang, China, that would help define a vibrant city centre with sustainability as its hallmark. Featuring a circular structure with an urban park at its core, the project is articulated around ten design strategies to achieve carbon neutrality and meet high well-being standards. The proposal is one of the winning projects of an international competition whose shortlist includes designs by Zaha Hadid Architect, GMP Architects, MVRDV and Swooding Architects.

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Sergei Tchoban (b. 1962, Saint Petersburg, Russia) graduated from the Repin Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at the Russian Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg in 1986. He started his practicing career in Russia but left for Germany in 1991, becoming a managing partner of nps tchoban voss in Berlin in 1995. Since 2006, he also heads SPEECH, one of the leading architectural offices in Moscow. Apart from building his successful career of a practicing architect, he is a collector of architectural drawings, publisher, and museum owner.

Del Libertador Avenue—which starts in the Retiro neighborhood of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and ends 35 kilometers later at the San Fernando Canal, north of Greater Buenos Aires—is set to become a pedestrian, cyclist, driver, and public transit-friendly space. The proposal aims to reclaim pedestrian spaces, incorporate one-way bike lanes on each side of the avenue, install bus boarding platforms, integrate new tree species along the route, and implement new technologies to improve vehicular circulation.

On December 13, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) building, one of the first projects to kick off the transformation of the hospital campus into a new "research city" concept, designed by architecture firms BAAS Arquitectura and Espinet / Ubach.

This article was written by Julia Mingorance, Senior Workplace Consultant at CBRE and alumn from the Master in Strategic Interior Design at IE School of Architecture and Design.

More than 500 days ago, our whole world was turned upside down and our way of life changed overnight. We were forced to stay at home and work away from the physical office, in a purely virtual collaboration.  In general, companies were surprised to maintain the same levels of productivity and results during these months—many even predicted the end of the office. As the health situation has started improving, a lot of companies have returned to the office, experimenting with different flexible models combining remote work and in-office days. The normalization of remote work means that many organizations see it as an opportunity to reduce office space and therefore, save costs.

The classic concept of estimating m2 for an office is being challenged completely. New variables are appearing in the equation and these are increasing uncertainty about just how much office space is needed. 

Seven years after the inauguration of Bosco Verticale in Milan, Stefano Boeri Architetti presented a video documentary of Trudo Tower, the first Vertical Forest in social housing. The 19-storey residential tower, which is built in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, features hundreds of various species on each of its four facades, with 125 affordable apartments that accommodate low-income residents. The miniseries consists of 3 episodes that explore how "living in contact with trees and greenery - and enjoying their advantages - is not the prerogative of rich people but could well become a possible choice for millions of citizens around the world.”

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Videos

Valentino Gareri Atelier has been selected to design the pilot project for a circular economy village model that aims to redefine urban sprawl through sustainability and diverse programming. Comprising eight residential hamlets with co-working and entertainment spaces, The Spiral Village will be created using emerging 3D printing methods and will foster circularity through a waste-to-resources hub, a diverse regenerative agricultural system, a sustainable water management system and renewable energy.

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ITTI | High Tech Institute aims to pioneer BIM specialization, providing the knowledge to manage projects through its renowned "Learning By Doing" methodology. Its training programs equip BIM managers with the necessary resources to address complex issues from an innovative and revolutionary perspective.

Homeowners in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, will begin paying a “climate tax.” With this revenue, the city council will invest in environmental solutions to improve residents' quality of life and help the city reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Videos

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 Steven Ehrlich, FAIA, RIBA and Founding Partner of Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects to discuss his working as an architect for the Peace Corps in Morocco, his architecture office in Los Angeles, Julius Shulman, his work, current challenges in the profession, and more.

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Richard Rogers, the fourth British architect to be awarded the Pritzker Prize, has passed away at 88 on Saturday, December 18, as reported by The New York Times.

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There are countless possibilities when designing the transition between public and private spaces. In residential architecture, the landscaping of the main facade plays a key role in this regard. By integrating different elements such as vegetation, paving, steps, and even artwork, it is possible to create a composition that not only highlights the architecture but is also generous to the public space.

In September of this year, the BANGA Group launched a competition to design the next Cabana de Arte. Open to students and recent architecture graduates in Angola, the competition sought proposals for an exhibition space dedicated to the work of Angolan artist Muamby Wassaky, who explores elements of traditional construction to create sculptures and installations.

First place went to architect Aquitofel Mananga, a recent graduate of the Methodist University of Angola. The winning proposal, titled M.Seque, draws on everyday and suburban references to design the space dedicated to Wassaky's work. Read the project description, submitted by the architect, below.

After years of ongoing demolition threats and renovation proposals, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has announced that the state has finally reached a deal to sell Helmut Jahn's iconic Thompson Center to Real Estate company The Prime Group, who will carry out renovation works without any demolitions to the structure. The newly proposed design preserves the structure's original design, but implements new features that improve its thermal and acoustic conditions, and highlights its atrium as the "jewel of the building".