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What happens when the sensor-imbued city acquires the ability to see – almost as if it had eyes? Ahead of the 2019 Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB), titled "Urban Interactions," ArchDaily is working with the curators of the "Eyes of the City" section at the Biennial to stimulate a discussion on how new technologies – and Artificial Intelligence in particular – might impact architecture and urban life. Here you can read the “Eyes of the City” curatorial statement by Carlo Ratti, the Politecnico di Torino and SCUT.

Ever since the Lumière brothers trained their camera on La Place des Cordeliers in Lyon in 1895, cinema has shaped our collective urban imagination. For 125 years, film has relentlessly recorded the deaths and lives of not just great American cities but of all great – and not so great – cities the world over. Film-makers have observed, expressed, characterized, interpreted and portrayed hundreds of thousands of city streets. By charting the cities’ evolution across the 20th century to present days, films are the quintessential Eyes on and of the City.

Fitting a ramp into a layout can be a designer's nightmare. But anyone who has ever had to climb a steep ramp in a wheelchair or push someone else knows firsthand how much of a difference a well-designed ramp makes. NBR 9050, from 2015, establishes the technical criteria and parameters to be observed in the design, construction, installation, and adaptation of buildings, furniture, spaces, and urban equipment to ensure accessibility.

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Flying Panels - How Concrete Panels Changed the World is a new ArkDes exhibition designed by Note Design Studio and curated by Pedro Ignacio Alonso and Hugo Palmarola - authors of the Monolith Controversies exhibition, the winner of the Silver Lion award at the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014.

It brings together a series models and material as posters, paintings, films, toys, cartoons and opera sets are gathered to reflect on how concrete panels influenced culture for the construction of a new society.

The most important part of children's education happens in the playground, instead of in the classroom. Despite this, many times we find huge empty school playgrounds.

Due to its importance and meaning, many schools and educational institutions have broken traditional paradigms and have opted to explore new possibilities. We have selected innovative examples, in which, through the use of specially designed equipment, strident colors and a variety of textures, they allow recreation areas to promote exchange, learning, and discovery.

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Color can be an element that contributes significantly to the quality of architectural projects. Its efficient use can completely transform the atmosphere of indoor and outdoor environments, signal specific uses in spaces with different characteristics, redefine rooms, and highlight architectural elements. This has proven to be a highly successful feature, even becoming a trademark of prominent architects, such as Mexicans Luis Barragán and Ricardo Legorreta.

Biophilic design enhances occupant connectivity to the natural environment and continues to influence commercial architecture and interior design. Biophilia, the idea that humans innately seek connections to nature, can be reflected in a broad range of elements when it comes to design; daylighting, views of nature, and the use of organic patterns are examples of ways to include biophilic design in a space. A designer may also incorporate the careful use of natural materials such as wood products, stones, and leathers. This design aesthetic’s proven effects on building occupants’ wellbeing is evident in reduced stress for office workers, faster healing times for healthcare patients, and higher test scores for students.

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Concrete is the second-most used material on earth. It is also the second-largest emitter of CO2, with cement manufacturing accounting for 5 to 7 percent of annual emissions. The continued popularity of concrete as a material of choice in the design and construction industry, coupled with increasing unease of the environmental consequences, has put concrete firmly in the spotlight of innovation and experimentation. As a result, designers, architects, and researchers around the world are generating multiple visions for what the future of concrete in architecture could look like.

Factories, slaughterhouses, gasometers, convents, water towers, and railway stations are just a few examples of structures that often remain within the urban fabric of cities over time, even after losing their original purpose. Repurposing an existing building for new functions is what has become known as adaptive reuse. While not a contemporary concept, the practice has been widely adopted in recent years as a strategy to manage spaces in a more economical, sustainable, practical, and efficient way.

Oscar Niemeyer was a revolutionary of modernism, with an architectural language characterized by audacious curves and elaborated structures. The Brazilian architect established an architectural vision of a future utopian Brazil, one that ultimately has not come to pass. While public attention is often drawn to his masterpieces in Brasília, somewhat hidden from the architectural discourse is a house that Niemeyer designed for himself; a colonial-style scheme offering a radical departure from the expressive forms of his more noted works. 

Since their university days, architecture students are taught that ventilating indoor spaces is crucial for removing excess heat. However, the specific conditions under which this practice actually achieves adequate thermal performance are not always clearly defined, especially regarding residential roof ventilation.

Every holiday season, architects, designers, and urban planners set up vibrant installations in cities around the world, to serve as beacons of joy and interactive points of attraction. On the 18th of November, Hou de Sousa will install Ziggy in New York City to celebrate the upcoming holiday season with vibrant hues and playful gateways.

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We plan our daily commutes by considering multiple factors: time, cost, comfort—and, just as importantly, the ease of connecting between different modes. While the car fleet continues to grow, those who rely on public transit try to bypass deficient mobility by making smarter choices. Offering integrated solutions that move people from one point to another with maximum convenience is a path toward more humane and sustainable cities, widely recognized by mobility experts around the world.

Sustainability in architecture is an issue that may bring to light too general proposals and there are a lot of possibilities concerning the application of their concepts in design process. Sustainable strategies are essential so that the project development reconcile the economic and ecologic pillars and, above all, consider the well-being impact for those who are going to use the built space. Thinking about this, we have gathered four projects of different typologies that applied innovative methods in the conception of the buildings that stand out for their sustainable practices. Read on for the projects:

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The rapidly growing cancer care provider uses big-name architects and designers to create comfortable, hospitable spaces.

Since the first Maggie’s Centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996, the innovative psychological and social support facilities for people with cancer and their caregivers, friends, and families have been designed and built at an impressive clip.

Design:ED Podcast is an inside look into the field of architecture told from the perspective of individuals that are leading the industry. This motivational series grants unique insight into the making of a successful design career, from humble beginnings to worldwide recognition. Every week, featured guests share their personal highs and lows on their journey to success, that is sure to inspire audiences at all levels of the industry. Listening to their stories will provide a rare blueprint for anyone seeking to advance their career, and elevate their work to the next level.

In this episode, host Aaron Prinz speaks with Carla Swickerath, Partner at Studio Daniel Libeskind, about how she helped lead the development of the World Trade Center site, the impact of technology on the future of the profession, and what sets Studio Libeskind apart from other firms.

We can initially understand the concept of revitalization as a design practice or a socio-spatial process strategically led by specific groups associated with contemporary urban planning. The structuring of the contemporary city depends, according to Meyer (2000), on large-scale strategic urban projects. The strategic value of such projects, according to the author, hinges on their ability to trigger significant transformations in metropolitan space, enhancing its attractiveness and influence. Rather than simply offering localized and specific urban improvements, contemporary urban planning reveals itself, through the intentions of its proponents, as an instrument capable of promoting the cohesion of the metropolitan territory and organizing flows to prevent functional and spatial dispersion.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors. Spending that much time inside makes us feel disconnected from the outside world, affecting everything from our productivity to mental health. Not to mention physical health concerns ranging from poor circulation to airborne contaminants.

One method of rebuilding our connection to nature is by using living elements. Live moss wellness walls utilize one of our oldest plant species to improve the visual appearance of any interior environment and boost your overall well-being.  

What happens when the sensor-imbued city acquires the ability to see – almost as if it had eyes? Ahead of the 2019 Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB), titled "Urban Interactions," ArchDaily is working with the curators of the "Eyes of the City" section at the Biennial to stimulate a discussion on how new technologies – and Artificial Intelligence in particular – might impact architecture and urban life. Here you can read the “Eyes of the City” curatorial statement by Carlo Ratti, the Politecnico di Torino and SCUT.

When the city has eyes to see, it will become the stuff of nightmares. The panopticon prophecy will come to life. Democracy will die.

The pretexts through which a thousand mechanisms that spy on us have been introduced into cities are three:

• security from thieves, criminals and terrorists;
• energy savings and performance optimization;
• the possibility of having structures that spontaneously understand our needs, without any requests on our part.