The results of DesignIntelligence's annual ranking of architecture schools in the USA are now being determined with a change in the survey question previously used to determine rankings. This year, instead of being asked "Which programs in the United States are best preparing students for a future in the profession?", architecture and interior design professionals responded to two new questions: "What schools do you most admire for a combination of faculty, programs, culture, and student preparation for the profession?" and "From which schools have you hired the greatest number of (undergraduate or graduate) students in the last five years?". 

Minutes ago in Detroit, Director Dirk Denison and 2018 MCHAP Jury Chair Ricky Burdett announced the six finalists of the 2018 edition of the Mies Crown Hall America Prize. Selected from a longer list of 31 projects announced earlier this summer in Venice, these outstanding works of architecture will compete for the top honor, the MCHAP Award, which will be announced in October. The authors of the winning award will take home $50,000 to fund research and a publication and will be recognized as the MCHAP Chair in IIT’s College of Architecture.

The six finalist buildings were completed between January 2016 and December 2017. The descriptive texts, provided by the MCHAP jury, celebrate the merits of each individual project.

The installation of wood laminate flooring may seem basic or even alien to what we do as architectural designers, but that should not be the case. When we understand the characteristics of the materials we specify and their assembly processes, we can design in a more efficient manner, adjusting our proposals to the requirements of the project.

With this in mind, below we present a step-by-step assembly process for EGGER's UNI fit wood laminate flooring—a type of flooring that sits above the slab and does not require the use of screws or glue. The elements of this system join together with "click" system, allowing the installed floor to sit freely over what is below it.

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As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed Austrian Pavilion. To read the initial proposal, refer to our previously published post, "Austrian Pavilion at 2018 Venice Biennale to Focus on the Importance of "Free Space" in Urban Spaces."

Part of the Austrian Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale, Henke Schreieck’s “Layers of Atmosphere” installation creates two opposing but interconnected spaces; one features a simple wooden structure, whereas the other offers a simple light atrium whose walls are covered in thin layers of paper. Connected by a walking bridge, the spaces provoke questions about architecture as space and architecture that creates space.

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Architectural Record released the 2018 edition of its annual list of the Top 300 Architecture Firms in the United States. Compiled by Record's sister publication Engineering News-Record, the list ranks firms based on architectural revenue from services performed in 2017. Gensler remains at the top for the seventh consecutive year. For more insight and comments from the leading firms' leadership, see Architectural Record's announcement.

We're hiring! Our team works with the most prestigious and influential architectural practices around the world in order to deliver specific and valuable content to a premium readership of architects. ArchDaily quickly established itself as one of the leading architectural websites in the world due to our editorial staff’s meticulous understanding of what our audience is really looking for: the best architecture around the world, as soon as possible. And now, we're looking for another bright, enthusiastic and motivated member to join us.

With more digital tools available to architects than ever before, one has to ask themselves why the sketch remains one of the most valued pieces of representation in the architectural field. Renderings, three-dimensional models, and virtual reality are powerful and efficient innovations that allow architects to express their ideas and designs. However, in our fast-paced world where messages are sent across the globe in a matter of seconds, it seems that nothing compares to the hand-drawn, imperfection of a sketch.

While some sketches are chaotic scribbles developed during the design stage, others are true works of art, aimed to convince clients. Below, we compiled a list of 100 sketches made by architects from around the world to inspire you.

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed Romania Pavilion. Below, the curatorial team describes the exhibition in their own words.

Mnemonics proposes a contemporary take on the event’s theme and takes an ultimately optimistic snapshot of the public urban space that Romanian society has seen transforming over the past decades. It raises the question of the social and cultural functions of the free public space in Romanian cities.

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As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed Indonesia Pavilion. Below, the curatorial team describes the exhibition in their own words.

What if architecture has no form and shape? It will be freed.

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As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed Latvian Pavilion. To read the initial proposal, refer to our previously published post, "Latvian Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale to Highlight Turning Points in 20th Century Apartment Block Design.”

Black walls and an exposed concrete floor create a mysterious and eerie backdrop for Together and Apart: 100 Years of Living—the Latvian Pavilion curated by urbanist Evelīna Ozola, architect Matīss Groskaufmanis, scenographer Anda Skrējānem and director Gundega Laiviņa.

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Videos

The AIA 2018 Conference is fast approaching and architects from around the country are preparing to meet with their peers to exchange ideas and best practices. As part of the A'18 event, there will also be a two-day Architecture Expo, which the organizers describe as a "materials playground." On Thursday and Friday (June 19 - June 20) more than 800 brands and manufacturers will fill the Javits Center, occupying over 200,000 square feet of exhibition space.

Videos

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed German Pavilion. To read the initial proposal, refer to our previously published post, “'Unbuilding Walls': German Pavilion at 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale to Probe Architecture of Division and Integration.”

Curated by GRAFT and Marianne Birthler, the German pavilion explores architectures of division and inclusion. In a light-filled space, black panels create division. The initial simplicity of the panels is complicated by their opposite sides, where text and images explicate the impact of wall-building worldwide.

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As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed British Pavilion, which received an honorable mention in the Biennale awards. To read the initial proposal, refer to our previously published post, "Caruso St. John to Transform the British Pavilion Into a Politically Charged Meeting Space at 2018 Venice Biennale”

A joint venture from Caruso St John Architects and artist Marcus Taylor, "Island" creates an elevated public space, offering views of Venice and a unique place for both meeting and reflecting.

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After Frida Escobedo, Yana Peel and Hans Ulrich Obrist officially presented the 2018 Serpentine Pavilion on Monday, June 11 at Kensington Gardens in London, we had the opportunity to interview Mexican architect Frida Escobedo exclusively for ArchDaily. Escobedo shared with us with us the importance that designing pavilions has had in her career, the relevance of working on public spaces, and offered her thoughts on the perception of the Mexican context outside of Mexico. She also spoke further about the details of the pavilion itself and revealed where she would like the pavilion to be moved after completing its 4-month stay at Kensington Gardens.

The 2018 Serpentine Pavilion opens to the public on June 15th and will remain in place until October 7th, 2018.

Videos

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present Freestanding, an exhibition in the Biennale's Central Pavilion. Below, the team describes their contribution in their own words.

As always, this year’s edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale is brimming with exhibitions and installations—the result of thousands upon thousands of hours of research and work. When arriving at the Arsenale or Giardini, the overwhelming amount of "things to see" are neatly tucked into the national pavilions, or, in the case of the Arsenale, hidden on the sides of the sweeping corridor. In the likely event that you have limited time to enjoy all that FREESPACE has to offer, ArchDaily's editors have selected our favorite works displayed at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition.

Here, presented in no particular order, are some of our top suggestions from across the Biennale sites.

Ever wondered about the hardest and softest woods in the world? As architects, we're all pretty familiar with the softest: Balsa. Its material qualities are what make it so attractive to make models. But what about the the strongest wood in the world? Ever pondered just how many pounds or kilos of force they can withstand?

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage, we present the completed Spanish Pavilion. Below, the curatorial team describes the exhibition in their own words.

Becoming, the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2018, seeks to respond to the general theme of the event through the proposals and research being developed in the different learning environments within the country, placing special emphasis on the architect's new multidisciplinary profile.

The exhibition, curated by the architect Atxu Amann, has occupied most of its budget in restoring the building in which it is located, "tattooing" its interior walls to load them with 143 proposals that are unified through 52 relevant concepts to our discipline today.

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