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 team at Cazú Zegers Arquitectura gave us an inside look at their three Chilean projects--Ye house, Llu House, and Fire House. The film, completed by ClaraFilms, seeks to capture the human dimensions of the homes and centers on how spaces are inhabited throughout time.

Clara Larraín, one of the team members, wrote the following text to accompany the architect's vision of encapsulating the feeling of the three videos into one poetic montage:

On view at the Center for Architecture in New York City, the exhibition features 20 projects in Cairo and a warning about the threatened future of Egypt’s Modernist heritage.

Cairo Modern, a new exhibition at the Center for Architecture in New York, features 20 demolished, extant, and proposed projects in Cairo dating from the 1930s to the 1970s and also shines a light on the wrecking ball-threatening Modern architecture here and elsewhere.

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The Apollo 11 Mission, departed Earth on July 16, 1969, and touched down on the moon 4 days later. This moment marked a milestone for humanity and, to this day, makes us reflect on how technological progress is bringing us ever closer to life beyond planet Earth.

With the help of 3D printers, highly developed and fully automated constructive technology, we have compiled a selection of 15 architectural projects that demonstrate that life on the moon and beyond is closer than we've ever imagined.

Food cultivation is one of the great historical milestones of our society's development. The knowledge of agriculture was fundamental for the evolution of a nomadic society into a sedentary civilization. Centuries later, agricultural production has become one of the main contributors to the organization of the land. This phenomenon can be seen in the aerial images we have selected below.

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The built environment of Far East Asia is challenging the paradigm through urban developments that are centered around principles of sustainability, community, and user-centric design. Following concerns of high-density neighborhoods and compromised landscapes, architects of that region became aware that building for the future means changing their outlook on financially-driven projects with unsustainable strategies, and replacing them with structures that put the user and the environment at the forefront. 

From an all-around panoramic hotel on The Philippines's waterfront to an emotion-provoking memorial inspired by the rain in South Korea, this round up of unbuilt projects showcases how architects merged the Far East's culture, history, and unique geography with contemporary designs, creating state-of-the-art architecture. This round up also includes projects from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.

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Saunas are inseparable from the culture of Nordic countries and they are increasing in popularity as a result of their many physical and mental health benefits. Their projects are usually quite archetypal, combining efficiency and sobriety.

We spoke with Jakob Gate, co-founder of Native Narrative & Scandinavian Sauna, who has been developing sauna projects that combine the flexibility of being transported anywhere, with the expertise and tradition of Scandinavian design. They work without electricity, heated by wood, while LED lighting is provided by a rechargeable battery. Learn more in the following interview:

In residential architecture, the garage is a space that is mainly used for storage and car parking. Although the garage door is usually not a very thought-out part of the design of a residential project, it often occupies a large part of the front elevation of a house, and can play an important role in its general curb appeal.

The garage door is typically a large door that is opened manually or by an electric motor, and its size and design are determined by the vehicles that will need to pass through it. Raynor, a North American company that specializes in garage doors, describes several of the most important factors that go into choosing the right garage door.

With walls and ceilings a long way away, often the most practical way to control the placement of a light source and the positioning of light, is to drop it into the exact position where it’s required, with a pendant light.

Even designer pendant lighting can be as simple or as complex as the project’s parameters call for. From the most intricate sculptures of glass or mechanical puppetry to a single bulb on a cord, here are seven types of pendant light, and the purposes and projects for which they’re best suited:

Rapt Studio has recently completed the new headquarters for VF Corporation in Denver, Colorado. With a mission to power active and sustainable lifestyles for the betterment of people and the planet, VF is a diverse collection of global brands. Their new ten-story headquarters brings together several of those brands under one roof, and at the same time, allows each of them to maintain individuality and expression.

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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.

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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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 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.

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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

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.