In the future, the Internet of Things (IoT) will play an increasingly profound role in our lives, with devices communicating independently and integrating into our daily routines as smart assistants. As a result, demand for smart home technology is growing in tandem with the range of products on offer. In a recent report, market research firm Statista predicted that this year, approximately 12% of households worldwide will own smart home devices, a figure projected to rise to over 21% by 2025—translating to more than 478.2 million users globally. But which of these devices are actually useful? A selection of outstanding technologies and designs has recently been honored with the 2021 iF Design Award, and here we take a closer look at nine of them.
Aare River, Bern, Switzerland. Created by @dailyoverview Source imagery: @maxartechnologies
The Thames, the Danube, the Seine, the Nile, the Hudson—all of these names immediately evoke specific cities. This is because discussing the history of urban planning inherently means exploring the relationship between the city and the river, as waterways are fundamental natural elements around which many cities were founded. This is primarily due to the utilitarian nature of water bodies, which, in addition to defining—and consequently protecting—cities, provided water supply and served to transport raw materials and goods. The river, therefore, functioned as an urban backbone, fostering activity along its banks and driving economic and social development.
Vista calle. Image Cortesía de Cristóbal Tirado y Sebastián Hernández
The team led by Cristóbal Tirado and Sebastián Hernández won first place in the public competition for the design of the First Fire Company Station of Coyhaique, located in the Aysén Region, Chile. Launched by the Aysén Directorate of Architecture of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) in conjunction with the Regional Government, the competition aimed to completely replace the town's First Fire Company Station. The design was required to incorporate high energy efficiency standards while enhancing the urban image of the city of Coyhaique.
"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo from Enorme Studio, where every two weeks, he delves deeply into forgotten architectural publications, books, and architectural magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s that carry the most interesting stories behind them.
This latest episode focuses on the 1989 double issue 181/182 of the Catalan magazine QUADERNS, specifically examining an unfinished house by Paco Alonso, an architect from the Madrid School who never completed any of his works and was once dubbed "The Builder of Ruins" by a colleague.
The rise of electric scooter fleets in cities around the globe happened almost overnight. By making transportation fun, they quickly took over a new market share and provided not only an easy way to travel but one that also prides itself in being sustainable. First becoming popular on the West Coast of the United States, scooters migrated eastward, eventually sweeping across Europe as well. Easy to maneuver and a convenient solution to get from place to place, we have to ask- can cities handle the accelerating rise of scooters and other forms of micromobility?
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Zugspitze Mountain Station / Eibsee, Germany - Photo by Christoph Seelbach . Image Courtesy of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain
While glass is generally singled out as the weakest part of a building, it is not always true. With technological advances and the continuous innovations of the industry, there is glass that, even while allowing natural light to enter an environment, can protect the building from fire. Beyond fire, there are also other threats such as hot gases, smoke, and heat transmission, which put the safe evacuation of people and the protection of property at risk.
Architecture, by its very definition, involves the construction of structures. Structures that are meant to serve as spaces for work, living, religious devotion, amongst many other purposes. Architectural projects and interventions, however, need land – and it is this intrinsic relationship, between land and architecture, that has massive ramifications not only regarding reducing carbon emissions but more importantly in forming an equitable future rooted in climate justice.
A future flood map of Mastic, New York. Right: A plan for densifying the town’s high, dry ground and retreating from the shoreline. . Image Courtesy of Rafi Segal And Susannah Drake
A lot can happen in the space between a book’s title and subtitle, as A Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation: Uniting Design, Economics, and Policy (Island Press, 2021) demonstrates. Here, in a reversal from the norm, the subtitle assumes the more evocative bent by elevating design to the same status as economics and policy. To some, this might seem a spurious move, but the volume lives its creed: Its editors include two design academics and a business school professor, to say nothing about the myriad backgrounds of its contributors.
Blueprint goes deep into the policy decisions that have shaped the brittle condition of coastal infrastructure. It coalesces into a convincing picture of the wider context in which design operates, with the aim of making the built environment more equitable for those caught on the front lines of certain climate change cataclysm.
Residential swimming pools have become a staple in housing developments and private homes, particularly in regions where warm weather prevails for most of the year. Sun, shade, and cool water call for a landscape design that fosters harmony in these spaces.
The search for more efficient and sustainable modes of transportation in urban centers has been gaining ground in several cities worldwide. With the pandemic, the benefits of cycling have been proven, and many municipalities have invested in bike lanes and incentives to keep people pedaling, even after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
The use of public transit, another alternative that is more sustainable than private vehicles, becomes safer as vaccination efforts progress. In Barcelona, to further encourage people to abandon their cars—especially older ones—the city administration is offering a free three-year transit pass to residents who get rid of their old vehicles.
The organization Climate Central has developed a series of images and videos simulating how various cities around the world could be affected by rising sea levels if the world fails to meet emissions reduction targets.
Climate Central scientists analyzed where populations are most vulnerable over the next 200 to 2,000 years under different warming scenarios. The findings are alarming:
Out of necessity, various building types have changed their use. Churches converted into libraries, abandoned warehouses turned into cultural centers—and while much has been written on the subject, from N. John Habraken's 1970s Open Building concept to Adamo Faiden's contemporary From Mixed-Use to Diff-Use, today we have, more than ever, an engaging global debate surrounding adaptability in housing. Is it truly necessary to dedicate so many square feet to office space when the pandemic proved that most work can be done remotely? This was one of the central questions during the lockdowns of recent years.
Green areas generate countless benefits and can function as part of the solution for basic infrastructure such as sanitation and drainage. Photo: Alf Ribeiro/shutterstock
Cities are at the center of the crisis caused by Covid-19, once again exposing issues such as the lack of access to housing, transportation, infrastructure, and quality services—especially among low-income populations. The effects of the climate emergency on urban centers are also highly visible and increasingly frequent, as made clear by new evidence in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Brazil currently faces a water and energy crisis, having also recently suffered from torrential rains, floods, and landslides, some of which resulted in fatalities. In the medium and long term, coastal cities will be affected by rising sea levels.
https://www.archdaily.com/1127872/6-strategies-to-unlock-the-green-potential-of-brazilian-citiesHenrique Evers, Laura Azeredo, Bruno Felin e Luiza de Oliveira Schmidt
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 Mark Lee, Principal and Founding Partner of Johnston Marklee and Chair of the Architecture Department at Harvard Graduate School of Design to discuss cities, architecture's responsibility to context, the cultural value of iconic architecture and everyday buildings, architectural education, designing for other cultures, working with clients, designing buildings, 'appropriateness' in architecture, and much more.
https://www.archdaily.com/971446/the-second-studio-podcast-interview-with-mark-lee-chair-of-the-architecture-department-at-harvard-graduate-school-of-designThe Second Studio Podcast
Recycling materials in architecture is not just about pursuing sustainable solutions; it is also about engaging with the past by using discarded materials, defying the construction logic long taught in our discipline. Reusing elements allows historical and cultural contexts to resonate through the materiality and symbolism inherent in each piece, further elevating the project's overall concept.
Detroit, Berlin, Seoul, Los Angeles, Sarajevo, New York, and Brasília. We have selected documentaries that showcase the history and development of each of these cities, allowing you to explore the world through cinema without leaving home. Check out our list:
Archivo de Ideas Recibidas is an interdisciplinary research and dissemination project that seeks to document and connect the ideas of individuals who contribute to the contemporary creative ecosystem from the fields of art, design, and architecture. It is built on conversations between the team and various creators, exploring topics related to memory, academia, cultural context, key influences, and working methodologies. On this occasion, they share their interview with designer Mariana Otero, who, alongside Yerko Zlatar, leads the design and interior design studio PUNA, based in Lima, Peru.
This is the story of architect Grant Gibson’s journey with a house in central Missouri. Originally designed with his mentor, Doug Garofalo, the owners have recently commissioned Grant to design an addition to their award-winning structure. The problem is the original house was designed to make it difficult to add anything at all, and Garofalo passed away shortly after the original house was constructed. Now, Grant, along with his practice CAMES Gibson, needs to design an addition to this house that defiantly resists alteration and to do it in a way that respects the original design while remaining consistent with his own beliefs and design ethos. The clients work closely with Grant to achieve this new design and find a solution to this very difficult problem.
This week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights different competition-winning designs submitted by the ArchDaily Community. From large scale commercial developments to cultural interventions in historical urban fabrics, from adaptive reuse projects with an environmental focus to educational facilities, this article showcases a variety of design approaches, programs and scales. The proposals featured are the results of local and international competitions, either creative concepts or projects currently in progress.
The award-winning entries include a range of different projects designed by both young architects and established firms. An adaptive reuse project of a fire station in Singapore, the redevelopment of an industrial site in South Korea, a mixed-use project in China or a museum in Italy are a few of this week's highlights.
It has become evident that the spaces we inhabit have changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to appreciate values as lighting, ventilation, and comfort when working in home.
ADUs or accessory dwelling unit, a word mostly used by architects, is "a smaller, independent residential unit located on the same lot as a stand-alone single-family home" according to the American Planning Association. They can be converted spaces of existing houses, additions, or new stand-alone structures. In this piece, author Walter explores the recent policies in California that seek to reduce the shortage of housing.
The relationship between building envelope and structure remains a centerpiece of architecture. Understanding a building's skin is how designs become open or closed, controlling environmental conditions, light and views. Whether perforated, slotted or modular, brise-soleils are elegant envelopes that create new spatial conditions. This is especially true in France, where architects are rethinking tradition to bring new screened structures to life.
Novo edifício de educação infantil e creche em Zaldibar / Hiribarren-Gonzalez + Estudio Urgari. Courtesy of Egoin
The definition of equity in dictionaries is the quality of giving equal treatment to everyone while still acknowledging the differences between individuals. In this sense, equity means fairness in the way we act toward each person but keeping in mind his or her specific characteristics and needs. From a medical perspective, equity implies that everyone needs care and attention but not necessarily the same. It is also worth mentioning that the terms equity and equality are often used interchangeably but they mean different things, mainly because equality is based on the principle of universal rights, in which all individuals are subject to the same rules, without exception.
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