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.

Certain materials offer a wide range of applications, and wood is undoubtedly one of them. This noble material can assume various roles: structurally in tectonics, as floor cladding in finishes, or even as a functional and decorative element in furniture design. Depending on its application, wood tells a different narrative. In facade design, its integration imparts a distinct character; indeed, beyond contributing to the building's identity and aesthetics, it also plays a crucial role in its functionality.

When discussing wood facades, screens and timber batten patterns are recurring elements. Through this approach—in contrast to modular systems—customizable combinations can be created for each project, conveying a unique artisanal beauty tailored to the intended design. Furthermore, wood offers outstanding characteristics in terms of sustainability, solar control, weather resistance, and energy efficiency. Together, these qualities allow the facade to function as a dynamic interface between interior and exterior, mediating light, shadow, and views.

Negotiating height differences comfortably and using space efficiently is the primary function of stairs. Their invention is not attributed to a single individual or specific civilization; rather, they evolved independently across various cultures throughout history. The earliest evidence of staircases is found in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley Civilization, with notable examples including the Mesopotamian ziggurats and the Great Pyramid of Giza. The Greeks and Romans further refined the design, and during the medieval period, spiral staircases became common in castles for defensive purposes. The Renaissance introduced even more elaborate and decorative examples crafted from stone, marble, and, later, iron and steel. In modern times, innovations in concrete and precast components emerged, reflecting advancements in materials and engineering. Floating staircases, for example, have become a major trend by visually expanding spaces and enhancing natural light within an environment. They are characterized by an elegant, minimalist design where the treads appear to float in midair without visible support, anchored to a single wall.

The global commitment to net-zero emissions and climate change mitigation presents a monumental challenge for the construction sector—an industry that currently accounts for nearly 40% of global CO₂ emissions, a figure projected to continue rising. Adopting sustainable practices is crucial to improving environmental conditions, with primary objectives including optimizing thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption in buildings. How can we achieve this if not through collective learning and knowledge sharing among different professionals and workers in the sector?

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Certain materials offer a wide range of uses, and wood is one of them. This noble material can take on various roles: structurally in tectonics, as flooring in finishes, or even as functional and decorative elements in furniture. Depending on its application, wood adopts a distinct narrative. In facade design, its integration lends a unique character, as it not only contributes to the building's identity and aesthetics but also plays a crucial role in its functionality.

When discussing facades and wood, screens and timber batten patterns are recurring elements. Through this concept—in contrast to modular systems—highly customizable combinations can be created for each project, conveying a unique, artisanal beauty tailored to the intended design. Furthermore, wood offers remarkable qualities in terms of sustainability, solar control, weather resistance, and energy efficiency. Together, these qualities allow the facade to function as a dynamic interface between interior and exterior, also mediating between light and shadow, as well as views.

Public lighting plays a fundamental role in modern cities and has evolved considerably throughout history. In Ancient Greece and Rome, rudimentary methods such as torches and oil lamps illuminated some streets. During the Middle Ages, castles and European city streets used oil lanterns and, later, candles. A significant breakthrough came with the invention of the gas lamp in the late 18th century, first used for public lighting in London in 1807, which improved street visibility and helped reduce crime. Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric lamp in 1879 revolutionized public lighting, and incandescent lamps began replacing gas, providing more efficient and safer illumination.

The Architectural Association Visiting School (AAVS) Rio de Janeiro workshop interrogated
tectonics within Rio's post-colonial, urban, and tropical context. Each year, the workshop questions, celebrates, and experiments with a characteristic element of local architecture.

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In an era where we spend most of our time indoors, contemporary architecture offers an innovative approach: dissolving the barriers between inside and outside. This fusion, now an iconic feature of many current projects, reflects a growing desire to live in harmony with nature, promoting a synergy that transcends walls and restores the human connection to the natural environment. Large windows framing landscapes and the use of biophilic design principles blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, creating flexible, light-filled spaces where nature is incorporated into the architectural design. This integration stems from meticulous design choices made possible by technological advances—such as high-performance glazing and smart systems—that enable this connection without sacrificing comfort or energy efficiency.

Austria has announced Koncesija / Konzession / Concession(e) as its contribution to the 20th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by architects Adna Babahmetović and Ajna Babahmetović together with curator Sebastian Höglinger, the project proposes temporarily granting the Austrian Pavilion to Bosnia and Herzegovina through a cooperative concession. Selected through Austria's open competition process, the pavilion examines questions of national representation, diplomacy, and architectural exchange by responding to the absence of a Bosnian national pavilion in the Giardini, where the Biennale's historic national pavilions are located.

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Videos

The accelerating rise of a homogenized, worldwide aesthetic is forcing creators to confront a critical reality: design trends are effortlessly transcending geography, but local identity is paying the price. The fifth episode of the Room For Dreams podcast tackles a head-on investigation into whether a boundaryless market is quietly erasing design diversity. Recorded live at Milan Design Week 2026 in cooperation with INDX|GLOBAL, host Claire Broadka of designboom sits down with Sachi Gupta, Shilpi Sonar, Krithika Subrahmanian, and Sumit Dhawan to map out the reality of the borderless creator.

Snøhetta's Shanghai Grand Opera House has entered its final construction phase. Preparations are underway for the building's official opening on October 17, 2026, kicking off a performance season featuring 82 performances across 47 acclaimed productions. Snøhetta's spiralling design for the new cultural venue was selected via an international competition in 2016. In 2019, the architecture firm, along with East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI), Theatre Projects, and Nagata Acoustics, was formally commissioned to deliver the building from concept to completion. The project was originally set to be completed in 2025, as part of a broader cultural master plan aimed at reinforcing Shanghai's role as an international centre of culture and innovation.

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In November 2022, Augusta Park celebrated its first anniversary of reopening to the public. The park reached maximum capacity on its opening day and, today, has welcomed over 1.5 million visitors. The site went through a long journey before reaching consolidation. The nearly 50-year struggle for the park deserves to be highlighted, and public participation in its creation must be recorded and shared so it can inspire new campaigns for public spaces across the city.

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Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti frequently asserted that “creating the place” is the primordial architectural act, its very origin, since simply placing a stone on the ground already marks the beginning of the “modifications” that will transform a site into architecture. Driven by this urge for transformation, we see ideas materialize into relationships and concepts that often bring the genius loci to the fore through a phenomenological approach, establishing an intimate connection between architecture and context, redefining places, and reaffirming the human connection to the world.

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The built environment has historically served humans as a mechanism of environmental control. Through our intellectual capacities and ability to organize, we have used buildings to actively influence and terraform the immediate context in which they are inserted, often treating geography, water, and ecosystems as resources to be extracted and managed. However, more and more, architecture is transitioning from exploiting physical and biological matter to actively collaborating with it. This shift demands that architects explore how buildings and their materials grow, transform, decay, and persist beyond human timelines. This thinking also serves as a starting point for the profession to reflect on how it influences the natural world, as well as the non-human species around it, creating networks and connections between humans, buildings, living organisms, and natural environments.

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To develop materials that meet the needs of the future, it is important to consider the challenges of both the past and the present. Concrete, a widely used construction material, has maintained its basic composition since its modern conception in the 19th century with the invention of Portland cement by Joseph Aspdin. Highly valued for its strength and cohesion, concrete has become one of the most widely used materials in the world. Driven by its technical and aesthetic characteristics, architects have erected landmarks such as the ECLAC building and the Palmira Chapel, which have become milestones of contemporary architectural production. Today, however, such performance characteristics are no longer the sole criteria for weighing a material's value, given the pressing need to develop materials with a sustainable focus. Indeed, the concrete industry releases a high volume of pollutants into the atmosphere, accounting for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions.

The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), a federal agency linked to the Ministry of Culture (MinC), has made a new, modern digital repository of Registered Cultural Assets (BCR) available to the public. The online portal is the result of a partnership with the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (Ibict) and provides the Brazilian public with access to information on each of the intangible cultural assets registered as Brazilian Cultural Heritage.

Unoccupied spaces within the city are typically viewed as conditions lying somewhere between problem and potential. It is partly the role of architecture and urbanism to thoughtfully mobilize these spaces within the urban context. With these issues in mind, the firm Vazio S/A proposes the activation of spaces deemed residual in the urban landscape or in specific contexts, drawing on the potential that vacant spaces offer.

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Videos

Jazz bars around the world were the subject of illustrations by architect Jose Ricardo Basiches and provided the theme for the booth designed for the Armstrong brand, conceived and built to foster real sensory experiences within the exhibition hall. Well-known for his freehand drawings on napkins and various unconventional surfaces, Basiches says he never leaves home without a pen in his pocket. "For me, drawing is more than a hobby. It is a way of experiencing the environment I am in," the architect adds. These illustrations permeated many elements of the booth during Expo Revestir 2023, particularly the acoustic wall and ceiling panels, presenting the idea that Design + Acoustics can stem from a fresh perspective shared by architects and acoustic consultants regarding existing market products.

Na teoria, a sensação de bem-estar pode ser definida como um estado de satisfação plena das exigências do corpo e do espírito, evocando sentimentos de segurança, conforto e tranquilidade. Na prática, a sensação de bem-estar pode ser fomentada por diferentes estratégias, desde hábitos individuais até a forma como o ambiente é construído.

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Itaipu Binacional, a company owned by Brazil and Paraguay that manages the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant, has launched a national architecture competition for the design of the EcoParque Itaipu in Foz do Iguaçu. The competition brief, published in December 2022, called for the creation of an urban park that "will contribute to the conservation of one of the most significant green areas in Foz do Iguaçu, combining public and sustainable use."

The submitted architectural proposals had to be prepared to integrate a wide range of technologies, whether digital or nature-based solutions, aiming to transform the park into a living laboratory for solutions to address everyday challenges in a more joyful and effective way.

A prototype capable of collecting up to 200 liters of water per week was installed in the San Luis neighborhood of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Nicknamed the “fog harvester,” the development of the structure is the result of a collective effort that brought together residents and design professionals.

A study by the Journal of Transport and Land Use (JTLU), published in early 2022, revealed that 37% of single-family homeowners in Sacramento, California, did not park their cars in their garages. Instead, these spaces turned into storage units or large closets, as researcher Catie Gould notes in an article for the Sightline Institute. While this represents just one city, the data aligns with findings from a series of global studies highlighting the underutilization of residential parking spaces. In San Francisco, also in California, a survey found that 49% of the 97 garages analyzed in the Mission District were not used to store vehicles, Gould points out.

Architecture is a complex and diverse discipline with multiple approaches and perspectives. Throughout history, numerous studies, theories, and treatises have emerged focusing on different architectural expressions. Vitruvius's treatise *De Architectura* is one of the oldest and most influential in the field, proposing that architecture is based on three fundamental principles: beauty, firmness, and utility. For a work to be considered truly architectural, there must be a balance between these three components. Moreover, other approaches, such as the five points of modern architecture, and more recent research, like Supra Order, enrich contemporary architectural theory.

Paradise beaches can quickly lose their appeal for tourists when invaded by sargassum, a brown algae of the genus *Sargassum C. Agardh* distributed across tropical and subtropical oceans. In Mexico's Riviera Maya, this seaweed was once considered a major problem. However, Omar de Jesús Vazquez Sánchez saw it as a raw material for homebuilding—transforming sargassum into sustainable bricks.

This is the year of Paulo Mendes da Rocha at Casa da Arquitectura. On May 26, two exhibitions dedicated to the Brazilian Pritzker laureate will open to the public. Constructed Geographies: Paulo Mendes da Rocha is curated by Jean-Louis Cohen and Vanessa Grossman, with exhibition design by Eduardo Souto de Moura and Nuno Graça Moura, while Paulo: Beyond Drawing is curated by Rui Furtado and Marta Moreira, with exhibition design by Ricardo Bak Gordon.