In high-end architectural design, traditional access panel fasteners like visible screws and magnetic closures often disrupt aesthetics and functionality. These outdated methods can loosen over time, lack durability, or require visible frames, making them unsuitable for premium spaces. Whether you need to access electrical systems, HVAC components, or plumbing, choosing the right installation method is crucial for a seamless integration into your space.
Early hidden solutions like French cleats and Z-clips improved appearance but introduced new challenges. These systems require sequential panel removal and extra clearance, making maintenance difficult—especially in areas needing frequent access. The unavoidable gap that appears at the top of panels also compromises the aesthetic appeal, as well as cutting out sections of panel for wall sockets.
Renovation Project of Puerta de Arnedo Health Center (La Rioja). Photos: María Natali.
In modern architecture, materials must meet a range of functional, aesthetic, technical, and environmental demands. Gres Aragón offers ceramic tile solutions that respond to all aspects of a project—from façades and interiors to exteriors, pools, staircases, and industrial spaces—while maintaining a consistent design language.
With more than 80 years of experience and deep expertise in the extruded tile manufacturing process, Gres Aragón has established itself as a trusted partner for architects and interior designers. Its product offerings are based on four core principles: visual continuity, extreme durability, high-tech performance, and a strong commitment to sustainability.
Early-stage design may be where everything begins, but without careful consideration, it's also where everything breaks down. On average, firms report that nearly 15% of all work done generates zero revenue, much of it tied to concept design. Relying on a patchwork of tools like Rhino, Excel, Revit, and Miro, architects often spend weeks swapping between platforms just to get a concept and presentation out the door. Data gets trapped in screenshots, rework piles up, and by the time the model is ready for documentation in Revit, the creative momentum is long gone. Snaptrude 3.0 Was Built to Fix that.
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IAAC Global Summer School 2025. Credits: IAAC Barcelona
IAAC – Advanced Architecture Barcelona presents a new edition of the Global Summer School 2025 (GSS25), solidifying its role as an international benchmark for innovation and global collaboration in architecture and design.
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Thaden School, Bentonville, Arkansas, United States 2022. Architects: EskewDumezRipple, Marlon Blackwell Architects, Andropogon Associates.
The prize is only the beginning. MCHAP's goal is to lay groundwork for these conversations to continue growing on their own, contributing to a greater understanding of how architecture impacts the vibrant, complex world around us.
Following the recent success of the FIP World Padel Championships in Qatar and the announcement of Saudi Arabia hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2034, the Middle East is gearing up to be a hub for major sporting events, which drives the demand for high-performance sports infrastructure. From Pickleball and Padel courts to internationally renowned stadiums, the evolution of sports flooring requires innovative, durable, and sustainable solutions.
Terraco, a global leader in construction finishing materials, has consistently delivered cutting-edge solutions for sports complexes worldwide, helping architects, contractors, and developers build facilities that stand the test of time.
"Brutalist Italy: The Art of Concrete" Photographs by Italians Roberto Conte and Stefano Perego will be presented at the Polo Cultural ItaliaNoRio in an exhibition making its Brazilian debut.
More than 200 universities from 33 countries participated in the 20th edition of the Architecture Student Contest. Students from all over the world imagined projects to transform and challenge the development of a peripheral urban city and a village in a territory at the crossroads of Europe, home to the largest logistical platform of Southern Europe and a major cross-Europe high-speed railway project to come, and linked by the ambition of "Attracting Youth."
Despite major breakthroughs in other industries, with tools like Cursor reshaping how software gets built, or AlphaFold revolutionizing protein structure prediction, AEC is still waiting on its defining AI moment. Yes, many visualization tools have made waves, especially when it comes to generating beautiful imagery. But they fall short when it comes to understanding the actual design process. They don't grasp the constraints, logic, and decisions that turn those visuals into real, buildable architecture.
And that's exactly where AI's most valuable use case in AEC lies: not in how a building looks, but in how it comes together.
THE RIGHT TO THE PORT is a multi-layered initiative about the Beirut Port — a space of connection, labor, memory, and future possibilities; a vital space that has long been disconnected from the city.
With a balance of emerging talent and established brands, this year's edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair fostered meaningful connections, commercial momentum and critical dialogue across the global design community.
Returning to the Javits Center this May, the 2025 edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) brought together over 400 design brands from 35 countries, reinforcing its role as a central meeting point for contemporary design in North America. Spanning residential, commercial and hospitality sectors, the fair attracted more than 13,000 attendees and maintained strong engagement across the board — despite ongoing market volatility and tariff pressures.
Pietro Maria Bardi Building. Photograph: Leonardo Finotti
Using fog as a metaphor, this lecture explores the increasingly immaterial and diffuse nature of our world—manifest in the translucent facades of our cities, immersive artworks, the digital clouds storing our data, the smoke from wildfires, invisible surveillance mechanisms, and the opaque operations of financial capital. The event also marks the launch of a curated course track by Guilherme Wisnik, featuring four programs focused on architecture and art. Attendees will receive a 30% discount on registration for courses within this thematic track.
SketchUp 2025 introduces new tools and enhancements aimed at improving how architects and designers visualize, collaborate, and communicate their work.
This release brings more realistic materials and immersive environments, making it easier to create compelling visual representations of architectural models. These visualization updates are available across SketchUp for Desktop, Web, and iPad, as well as in LayOut and 3D Warehouse, allowing for a consistent experience across platforms.
Finding the right job—or the right candidate—within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry can be a real challenge. As the sector evolves, professionals and companies alike are looking for more effective ways to connect, collaborate, and grow. AECO Space is a job and networking platform tailored specifically for AEC professionals. It offers a space for both employers and talent to engage in a more efficient, industry-specific hiring and networking process.