This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Ice caps are rapidly receding; one of America’s two political parties is actively undermining federal authority; despite new materials and additive manufacturing, most houses constructed today are built much as they were several generations ago; the pathological suburbanization of the nation continues unabated. In the face of this and more, it seems, “the center cannot hold.” Such were several of the issues that prompted Keith Krumwiede, a soon-to-be fellow at the American Academy in Rome (AAR) at the time, to argue in 2017 that if a single detached house for every family is at the core of “The American Dream,” then we need a new dream.

The Salone del Mobile in Milan - 2023 is one of the most anticipated design events of the year. Present once again, as different brands showcased their exceptional materials, products, and features in an environment where design sets the tone, DAAily hosted the DAAily bar, in its second edition, organized jointly by Designboom, Architonic, and ArchDaily.

Taking place at the Piazza Cavour’s Swiss Corner on the edge of Brera, from April 17th, 2023, until April 21st, 2023, the DAAily bar was an opportunity to not only celebrate with architects, designers, and industry figures but also to recognize ArchDaily's "Most Referenced Brands" ranking, a diverse list of important brands in the architecture and design industry. More than 30 brands were awarded a trophy during the event.

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In August 2022, the Puebla City Council, through the Historic Center and Cultural Heritage Authority (GCHPC)—in collaboration with the World Heritage Director's Office of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the Puebla Association of Architects (CAPAC), and the Amparo Museum—invited professionals and undergraduate students in design, architecture, urban planning, and related fields to participate in the competition “Rehabilitate and Inhabit: First Ideas Competition. New Perspectives for the Historic Center of Puebla,” which focused on rethinking architectural practices, ways of dwelling in the Historic Center, reclaiming public space, and conserving cultural heritage through active civic engagement.

“The golden rule of our times is to adapt; one shouldn't fight against reality,” said Mathias Goeritz. More than sixty years later, TIEMPO CERO arrives at the Museo Experimental El Eco to prompt a reflection on the Anthropocene and tangential resistance. Based on Gabriela Carrillo’s curatorial proposal, the pavilion's open call targeted urgent futures in the face of time and the environmental crisis, alongside a playful dimension to reflect on “how we spend time” or “how time passes.”

The Design Educates Awards, the awards that annually recognize the best projects that respond to complex social and environmental contexts and carry educational value, have just announced the results of the 2023 edition. The awards look for what will have a lasting impact on users and the environment and showcase the world's best ideas and realizations that can educate.

Following an international competition, Kengo Kuma & Associates has been selected to design the new visitor center for Butrint National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Albania’s Ionian coastline. Through its placement in a nodal and strategic position, the project aims to establish a new connection between the local communities and the expected archeological site visitors, thus improving the accessibility of the site, which is recognized as one of Albania’s chef cultural attractions. The visitor center, developed with Albanian partners CHwB Albania, is scheduled to open to the public in 2025.

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Spatial perception is the cognitive ability to process visual information related to the position, movement, size, and shape of objects in space. According to Auguste Perret in his work "Contribution to a Theory of Architecture," architecture can influence this perception by delimiting, closing, and enclosing space. When this cognitive capacity interacts with architecture, our brain interprets and processes visual information to determine whether a space feels visually expansive or confined. In interior spaces, certain elements can decisively influence our perception of space, such as color, furniture dimensions, and the materials that comprise it. The latter are particularly important, as their use under specific conditions can alter our spatial perception and the way we experience space, depending on their texture and format.

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.

The 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) will take place from November 11th, 2023 to March 10th, 2024, under the theme "The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability". Focusing on how scarcity in the Global South has led to a culture of re-use, re-appropriation, innovation, collaboration, and adaptation, the second edition of the architectural exhibition, curated by Tosin Oshinowo, aims to shift global conversations towards creating a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.

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Brutalism is an architectural style that originated in the 1950s and became popular in the 1960s. Its name comes from the French "béton brut," which means "raw concrete," as this material is one of the most characteristic elements of the style. Its main features are the apparent use of concrete, offering visuals where natural texture and tonality are the protagonists of the buildings. Brutalist buildings often have an austere and massive aesthetic, with simple and repetitive geometric shapes. The use of industrial materials and innovative construction techniques is also common in brutalism.

The Diversity in Architecture Prize (DIVIA) was awarded to Italian architect Marta Maccaglia, founder of Semillas, for her commitment to educational construction in Peru. This international recognition of 20,000 euros aims to promote the visibility of women in the architecture industry. Among the five finalists of this edition were Tosin Oshinowo (Nigeria), May al-Ibrashy (Egypt), Noella Nibakuze (Rwanda), and Katherine Clarke and Liza Fior (United Kingdom).

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With so many architecture and design trade shows taking place around the world each year, it can be challenging to identify which ones offer exhibitors and visitors a genuinely useful and valuable experience. In recent years there has been a trend towards more local events that provide opportunities for industry professionals to make meaningful connections with potential partners. Since it was established in 2019, The Architect Show has become an important forum for Greece’s architecture community, bringing together representatives from national and international brands that support the country’s vibrant real estate market.

Located in Argentina, approximately 56 km (35 miles) southeast of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, stands the city of La Plata, founded on November 19, 1882, as the capital of the Province of Buenos Aires. As the product of the country's most ambitious urban and architectural undertaking, La Plata was conceived as a forward-looking city—one of the first in the world designed in accordance with the new principles of urban hygiene and rational construction generated by 19th-century scientific advancements. Furthermore, the city was showcased at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, the grand exhibition celebrating the centennial of the French Revolution.

Professionals in the AEC industry are well aware of the issues that grapple the built environment. That the construction industry is the largest consumer of materials and is responsible for 40% of all carbon emissions is a commonplace fact. Construction work is also a large waste generator and could greatly benefit from circular design principles. Almost three-quarters of all construction projects tend to be over budget, and nearly half of the spending on buildings goes into the overheads. In a fast-paced world with multi-faceted challenges, technology, and digitization seek to deliver significant solutions.

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For the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, the Pavilion of Ukraine presents an exhibition titled “Before the Future,” focusing on the paradox of “building a future from a collapsing present.” The intervention reimagines two spaces, one in Arsenale and one in Giardini, to evoke protective structures that have become emblematic of feelings of safety while under threat for Ukrainian society. The curatorial team, composed of Iryna Miroshnykova and Oleksii Petrov, of the Kyiv-based architectural office ФОРМА, and Borys Filonenko, independent curator, art critic, and lecturer, set out to work with specialists from numerous fields to further explore the theme “Laboratory of the Future.”

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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.

Choosing color palettes plays a fundamental role in any design strategy. Beyond their influence on aesthetics, spatial perception, and emotion, selected colors can define the character of an environment. When choosing a color palette, it is essential to consider the context, the building's use, and the lifestyle of its inhabitants, while also accounting for how the colors interact—whether as complementary hues, highlights, or counterpoints to predominant tones.

In addition to enhancing interior comfort, colors profoundly influence user perception and behavior. Alongside structural and ornamental elements, paint choices complete the definition of color palettes in architecture and design. As they do every year, Sherwin-Williams has presented its color trends—this year introducing Terra Colormix 2023, which features 40 trending colors inspired by the rich interweaving of our lives and spaces. Below, we present various color palettes tailored to different types of projects—such as workspaces, educational and healthcare centers, multifamily buildings, contemporary residences, and hospitality spaces—showcasing the versatility of this collection through practical applications.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) has selected an international architecture team to design its new performance home. Comprising BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), William Rawn Associates, and Nashville-based EOA Architects, the global architecture team will reimagine the 50-year-old performing arts non-profit on a different site from its original 1974 plot, part of the State-owned James K. Polk Cultural Center.

In theory, architecture is separate from art. Some even argue that there is a hierarchy between the two. Fortunately, Vão is an example of how this separation doesn't need to exist and how having a hierarchy between them is unproductive for both sides. Founded in 2013 by Anna Juni, Enk te Winkel, and Gustavo Delonero in São Paulo, the office develops architectural projects fueled by artistic thought. It also develops artistic works on an architectural scale.

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The Kingdom of Bahrain announced its participation at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia with a pavilion exhibition titled “Sweating Assets.” Curated by architects Latifa Alkhayat and Maryam Aljomairi, the exhibition highlights the relationship between the extreme heat and humidity that characterizes Bahrain and the inherent need for comfort. The curators aim to show how the necessary cooling infrastructure can be maximized through adaptive means and resource management while reducing its negative impact on the environment.

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SpaceX founder and science-fiction fan Elon Musk is attempting to make the fiction of space travel a scientific reality. ‘In order to safeguard the existence of humanity,’ he explains, ‘we need to become a multi-planetary civilization.’ Musk says he’s laser-focused on ensuring we make a second home elsewhere in space, and has his sights set on Mars. He’s not alone, of course. NASA’s recently-released Moon to Mars Architecture Concept Review is a ‘study of the hardware and operations needed for human missions to the Moon and Mars,’ leading to long-term scientific discovery and human habitation in deep space.

But there’s a long way to go before we get there – and not just the 140 million miles (average distance to Mars). The biggest challenge to Mars habitation and eventual colonization is humanity itself, and our indecision. Many of us question why we should sink so much of our energy – both effort and resources – into such a task, when there are plenty of more pressing matters to address here on Earth?

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The 15-story residential building designed by MVRDV in Montevideo, Uruguay, has been approved for construction. Named "Ziel," the project consists of individual homes creating an open and permeable environment that allows light and air to flow through the structure, resulting in spacious green spaces for the enjoyment and coexistence of residents. This project is MVRDV's first in Uruguay, designed for developer IXOU in collaboration with Monoblock's executive architecture.

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Home elevators are increasing in popularity. For one thing, people are living longer and the vast majority plan to age in place. Indeed, a US survey found that 90% of adults over 65 would like to stay in their current residence. A lift in one's home serves a number of practical purposes besides enhancing mobility, like the convenience of moving groceries or heavy objects between levels. In addition, a home elevator is a real conversation piece – not to mention that it can add up to 10% to the value of a home.

But as desirable as home lifts are, they are often perceived as a visual intrusion. Many architects, designers and homeowners look to install them in an out-of-the-way corner, or hide them in a series of vertically aligned closets converted into an elevator shaft. One company, however, believes it’s time to bring the home elevator out into the open.

The Instituto Tomie Ohtake and AkzoNobel announced today the winning projects of the 9th Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architecture Prize. Three of the ten finalist works were awarded in the Professional category, while in the University category, one project was named the winner and another received an honorable mention. All winning and finalist projects are on display in a free exhibition at the Institute until July 2.