As the fastest-growing metropolitan city in the Midwest region, Columbus is situated amidst Central Ohio’s exciting blend of infrastructure and natural landscape. Columbus and its surroundings are currently undergoing a significant phase of cultural expansion and anticipate a population surpassing 3 million by 2050. In collaboration with Columbus-based Moody Nolan, Gensler has just revealed their design for the new terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio, a facility to grow the city and support it in reaching these goals of expansion.
The tradition of modern architecture confirms that building roofs are usable spaces as significant as indoor areas. After all, the garden terrace is one of the five points of new architecture, according to Le Corbusier. Although he popularized the concept, the use of rooftops dates back even earlier, encompassing various roles across time, from lookouts for ancestral astronomical studies to more contemporary cultivation areas, passing through the bureaucratic accommodation of electrical and sanitary installations. By offering open space and direct sky access, building roofs have evolved. In dense urban landscapes, converting this space into a leisure area is a logical choice.
Ever since the birth of our cities, we’ve made sure to protect the green spaces within them. Civilizations as far back as the Romans built expansive parks in the heart of the city with ‘Rus in Urbe’ – translating as ‘Country in the City’ – still referenced today. In order to control the urbanization boom of the mid-20th century, meanwhile, greenbelt policies across many European cities literally ring-fenced the natural environments surrounding them, making air quality and easier access to nature a part of city life.
The post-pandemic city, however, is a new breed of conurbation, and these city parks and greenbelts are no longer enough. As we migrate away in search of greener, healthier climes, the cities we’re leaving are evolving, proving they can be green too by exchanging lesser-used black surfaces of roads and structures for natural grass- and parkland. These four projects from across Europe transform unused city spaces back into the natural and regenerative green environments they once were.
Chilean architect Cazu Zegers has been chosen to design a memorial garden at the Red Cross headquarters. In the architect's own words, this project "aims to showcase the selfless efforts of those who have become martyrs of the Red Cross."
Founded in Paris, France, Tektonn Architecture established its permanent office in Chengdu, China, in early 2018. Architecture connects places and people through the act of building; it is about life, environment, memory, and heritage. We strive to respond through sincere design, build with ingenuity, and observe from an objective perspective. Creating from the environment is the very origin of the name Tektonn.
We excel at observing and listening, where every design begins with a rational and meticulous reading of the site. Driven to explore, we continuously push established boundaries to discover creative ideas and realization possibilities. Methodical by nature, we uncover latent connections and site logic amidst complex realities, evaluating how scale impacts the environment. Committed to the pursuit of detail, we study spatial experience through openness and closure, yin and yang, and proportion, analyzing shifts in human behavior. We are architects in action, dedicated to researching materials and finding the most appropriate local construction methods to build comfortable spaces where stories can unfold.
This article is the fifth in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints.
Science fiction writers inspire us with bold and provocative visions of the future. Huxley, Orwell, Assimov, and Bradbury easily come to mind. They have imagined great advances in technology and oftentimes predicted shifts in social structure that were a result of the human need to open Pandora's Box. A large part of the charm and allure of science fiction is the bold audacity of some of these predictions. They seem to defy the laws of nature and science, and then, faster than you might have thought, the spectrum of human inventiveness makes it so.
Cantercel, France, 2022. Image Courtesy of forty five degrees
When talking about space-making practices, architects and urban planners are usually thinking about participatory planning and collaborative processes, often overlooking the ways in which the communities themselves can become their own agents of change. As the people poses an intimate knowledge of not only their environment, but also of social and cultural norms, the needs of their communities and latent opportunities within their surroundings, they are often the ones initiating actions, supporting their peers and contributing positively to their locality. Research-focused office forty five degrees set out to explore these grass-roots initiatives, to meet the locals and gather their stories in an effort to gain a better understanding of the complex and diverse cultural territories across Europe. Their journey, organized under the “Radical Rituals” project, follows the 45°N parallel line that transverses Europe from East to West. The office has been selected as part of ArchDaily's 2023 New Practices, an annual survey aimed at showcasing those who adress the ever-growing challanges of our times and take architecture to new directions.
Given the reality of climate change and the role that architecture and construction play in this arena, finding new ways to build sustainably is imperative. That is why accelerating the transition toward a zero-emissions future will only be possible through net-zero construction. The Holcim team has developed a range of solutions to achieve this goal, such as the one implemented in the Torre Moranta project in Mexico.
Architects, urban planners, and researchers from around the world are working on solutions to address the rising threat of climate change and climate-induced rise in sea levels and storm surges. Among them, MVRDV, as part of the North Creek Collective, has released a series of proposals for the city of Vancouver, mapping out possible adaptations of waterfront buildings, landscape, and infrastructure. On a similar note, a group of researchers led by Adrian Lahoud has developed the Second Sea Calculator, a digital tool that estimates the financial damages owned to coastal cities by different nations, while Human Climate Horizons has developed a platform for visualizing how different levels of global heating will affect people’s lives.
In the center of the city of Lugano, Switzerland, architect Mario Botta has designed a new housing solution on the foundations of the former Cinema Teatro Cittadella. Captured by Paul Clemence, this photo series displays the new residence in a city rich with an artistic and cultural past. The residential complex is located near the ancient basilica of the Sacred Heart of Lugano, nestled in a quiet area away from city traffic.
Housing has always been a significant issue in metropolises. It accommodates the city's population and can impact other urban concerns, such as the necessary commute between home and work or school.
Broadly, urban densification enjoys widespread acceptance in urban planning. In today's context, the correlation between densification and housing is addressed by designing high-rise buildings with smaller floor areas. This approach yields apartments with minimal functionalities, known in Brazil as kitchenettes. As with any architectural type, these compact residences have advantages and disadvantages, serving either as a model of efficiency or as an illustration of housing instability.
Seattle-based Olson Kundig is a prime example of how a firm's design approach is shaped by geography and culture. Founded by Jim Olson (Jim Olson) in 1966, the firm now comprises hundreds of employees and four other partners, including Tom Kundig. The practice boasts a wide and diverse portfolio. In lectures and interviews, Kundig frequently discusses how his upbringing in a region with a rich history of mining and logging influenced his industrial and rational aesthetic, his use of durable, low-maintenance materials, and his keen focus on craftsmanship. At the same time, an imaginative approach that emphasizes kinetic elements and blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors is a hallmark of many of the firm's designs. This is often achieved through the integration of manual, hand-operated devices that allow users to physically activate the building, connecting them to the environment, the architecture, and its kinetic mechanisms.
Today, Brazil celebrates Student Day. Established in 1927, the date marks access to a fundamental right for all citizens: education. Nearly a century later, new pedagogies and ways of looking at learning have emerged, bringing with them new architectures that embrace both pedagogical and technical advancements. With this in mind, we have gathered seven examples of Brazilian educational spaces designed after 2020. Through solutions that highlight key design aspects, these projects help outline a brief overview of contemporary references on the subject.
Santiago de Chile's metro system is undergoing a major connectivity upgrade. On the surface, construction has begun at several stations across the city, including two new exits at Tobalaba station that connect to the new MUT Mercado Urbano de Tobalaba. Below ground, equally significant changes are taking place: the extension of Lines 2 and 3, and the announcement of Lines 7 and 9.
The recent release of the first results from the 2022 Census is fantastic news for anyone who believes in using data to guide business and public policy. The debate surrounding them has already begun, and the real impact will be long-term. From housing policy to legislative representation, much can change because of this survey. Still, caution and chicken soup never hurt anyone, as the saying goes—even if I do not particularly care for the soup.
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 of FAME Architecture & Design discuss the unique challenges of residential remodels and how they solve them. The two cover project scope and vision, design analysis, three different types of remodel projects and how they should be approached, predicting and planning for construction surprises, having an adaptable mindset, the most common challenge clients face (scope creep), and more.
https://www.archdaily.com/1005381/the-second-studio-podcast-overcoming-the-challenges-of-remodelsThe Second Studio Podcast
It is no secret that gender issues permeate our entire social and systemic organization, directly reflecting the duality of "feminine and masculine roles" and their mechanisms of gender oppression. Architecture and urbanism are no exception. Over the centuries, cities and their buildings have been maintained and transformed to prioritize the demands of a very specific user profile. This structure obviously overlooks other identities and forms of appropriation—namely, actual demand in all its diversity of social class, gender, race, age, and sexual orientation. These plans and designs are disguised under a "neutral" conception, yet they actually reproduce the perspective of a middle-class white man.
Image courtesy of Apparatus Architects and Alvaro Arancibia
The +Lapena Habitar project, a partnership between the Tide Setubal Foundation and BlendLab, seeks to contribute to the urban transformation of peripheral neighborhoods through a new production model for social housing (HIS). Building on a process started in 2020, the institutions have been developing a pilot housing supply and management project in São Paulo's East Zone that incorporates aspects of urban development, architecture, strategies for accessing quality housing, pre- and post-occupancy processes, social participation, a rental model, collective management, business model, and financing.
Doing more with less is an urgent architectural imperative. This is especially true in our recent global context, where environmental concerns are compounded by economic and social crises in various parts of the world. Within this landscape, the firm Branco Del Rio Arquitectos has been developing its practice since its founding in Coimbra in 2014. Established during a period of instability in Portugal, the office is the result of Paula del Rio and João Branco's pursuit of a simple architecture that seeks to address contemporary demands as objectively as possible.
In less than ten years of activity, the firm has garnered competition awards and international recognition, and was recently selected as one of ArchDaily's Best New Practices of 2023. We had the opportunity to speak with the architects about their experience with architectural rehabilitation, their collective housing projects, and their practice characterized by an economy of means.
Framlab creates modular vertical urban farms on the streets of Brooklyn. Image courtesy of Framlab
We are living in a state of emergency. Since the dawn of industrialization, we have rushed through our planet's finite resources as if they were limitless, depleting and destabilizing the very ecosystems we depend on for our sustenance, economy, food, health, and quality of life.
In just 50 years, we have lost more than half of the world's wildlife. Currently, the Earth is on track to warm beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, which scientists warn is a hard planetary boundary for existing ecosystems. This is a “code red for humanity,” as described in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. Continuing on our current path will mean irreversibly damaging the very conditions that sustain life on this planet.
The job market in architecture and urbanism is highly competitive. High demand for innovative, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing projects drives intense competition. Moreover, technological shifts and rising client expectations demand constant adaptation. What are the obstacles, opportunities, methods, and "tools and tricks of the trade" required to enter the "jungle" of entrepreneurship? Drawing from the guests' experiences, this special episode offers an open and lively conversation on the subject.
The spatial distribution of a restaurant or bar is essential to its success. Faced with this design challenge, several architects have experimented and proposed configurations that both enhance the use of space in different culinary experiences.
With this being said, take a look at 50 gastronomic establishments in plan and section to inspire your next design.
Aerial view of Independencia Park and the city skyline in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. Image by buteo. Image via Shutterstock
Aiming to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future, the U.S. Department of State, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Resilient Cities Catalyst, and the Institute of the Americas recently announced the list of Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. cities that will participate in the “Cities Forward” program. The city of Rosario, Argentina, was selected to work in connection with Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States.
