Scheduled to open in 2025, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park, reveals the latest details in the construction and addition of artwork. The first of its kind, the Lucas Museum, founded by filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, will be devoted to all forms of visual storytelling, including painting, photography, sculpture, illustration, comic art, performance, and video. Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects with Michael Siegel of Stantec, the five-story and 27900 square-meter building will feature a gallery space, two state-of-the-art theaters, and dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, dining, retail, and events.
The Brazilian Steel Construction Center (CBCA) has announced the winners of the 15th CBCA Competition for Architecture Students. In this nationwide competition, teams were challenged to address the theme “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.”
Interior architecture is undoubtedly much more than the composition of aesthetically appealing environments. From building materials and thermal conditions to finishes and furniture, every design decision directly affects user comfort. However, this relationship between design and well-being is most evident at the residential scale, particularly as more than two years of the pandemic forced many to spend more time at home. This has positioned the home at the center of spatial renovation, transforming it into an environment dedicated to tranquility and health. Consequently, well-being is not a mere passing trend. While brought to the forefront by the pandemic, today it is a design movement that is here to stay—one to which every material and product must respond.
Architecture offices OMA, led by Partner Shohei Shigematsu, and Jacobs have unveiled the design for the new headquarters for the Discovery Partners Institute, part of the University of Illinois System. The building is planned to anchor an innovation district at “The 78”, along the Chicago River. The eight-story building, located on a one-acre site southwest of the Loop, will provide more than 200,000 square feet of office, classroom, lab, and event space for DPI and its university and industry partners.
LetsBringLondonTogether. Image Courtesy of Yinka Ilori
PARABLES FOR HAPPINESS by the London-based British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori features for the first time at the Design Museum in London. Exhibited from September 25, 2022, to June 25, 2023, essential aspects of Ilori’s work will be placed beside key influences, including artworks, photographs, and furniture, to Nigerian textiles. Curated by Priya Khanchandani, the exhibition celebrates Ilori’s mix of cultural influences and unpacks the ingredients of a diasporic visual language.
Generation Z comprises people born after 1995. They grew along with the popularization of the internet and interact with the world by integrating all forms of available technology.
The diversity of available media, the speed in information traffic, the interactivity in the virtual environment and the daily use of these technological assets common today, influence the behavior of individuals of this generation, inspiring versatility, agility and curiosity.
Commissioned from LAN (Local Architectural Network) by the French government, the Nanterre minimum-security prison project engages with the concepts of the penal system by critically reviewing the design of these buildings. The complex is guided by an attempt to better integrate it into the urban fabric, reinforcing the importance of the relationship between the city and prison structures as spaces for social integration. Consequently, understanding the proposal for the Nanterre Minimum-Security Area involves political, institutional, and historical factors that retrieve and reframe historical and contemporary debates surrounding the penitentiary system in general, and the French system in particular. While a prison is naturally understood by its confinement, LAN's design prioritizes an educational and humanitarian character to transform both the inmates and the public's perception of them.
https://www.archdaily.com/1132545/confinement-and-transparency-how-the-nanterre-minimum-security-area-contributes-to-redefining-the-classic-concept-of-the-prisonAlexandre Kok, Caio França, Gabriela Rudge, Lara Girardi, Lia Soares, Maria Clara Calixto, Marina Liesegang, Marina Saboya, Pedro Trama, Tamara Silberfeld e Valentina Kacelnik
Noise, high-rises, cars, buses, subways, and a relentless flow of people coming and going. This is how large cities are portrayed in cinema. This imagery is compounded by distant personal relationships and the promise of anonymity within the crowd, shaping a vibrant, connected routine that can also feel oppressive and isolating. Today, we find ourselves in a constant search for balance between the benefits of the megacity and the challenges imposed by its scale.
With the aim of bringing visibility to the state terror committed during the Argentine civic-military dictatorship that began in 1976, the Secretariat of Human Rights of the National Ministry of Justice and Human Rights commissioned the Institute of Architecture and Urbanism of the National University of San Martín (IA-UNSAM) to develop an architectural proposal for a new memory space on the grounds of Campo de Mayo, in the province of Buenos Aires.
From an early age, we often hear phrases like “you must sleep a minimum of 8 hours a day.” It’s common knowledge that this brings invaluable health benefits, from reducing stress levels and keeping the immune system strong, to improving concentration, memory and decision-making skills. To guarantee a good night’s rest, having a comfortable bed that suits users’ needs is pivotal, especially considering that humans spend one-third of their entire life sleeping. Thus, when architects, designers and homeowners are faced with different bed options available in the market, the decision must be carefully thought-out and take a number of factors into account, whether related to aesthetics or functionality. But before any stylistic or material decision is made, it is crucial to start with the basics: defining the size of the mattress.
Amazon River, aerial view in Tefé. Photo by Rodrigo Kugnharski via Unsplash .
Amazon Day was celebrated on the 5th of this month. Established in 2007, the date aims to raise awareness about the importance of this biome, which is essential to the planet's environmental and climate balance. Constantly under threat and shaping a contested territory, Earth's largest natural biome is a frequent site of human intervention. How have architecture and urbanism engaged with this context?
Los Manantiales by Felix Candela. Image Courtesy of Alexander Eisenschmid
Architecture is often an ambitious profession, with many architects hoping to positively contribute to the social life of the communities, create emotional responses, and add moments of delight and solace to our daily experiences. However, market forces have a way of applying constant pressure on this field, often being the deciding factor in many design choices. Costs and economic value are generally a good indicator of how, when, and to what extent certain materials are being used: the standard rule is the cheaper, the better. But materials are only part of the equation. Site labor, management, and design costs are also considered, depicting a complex picture of the balance between the cost of materials and the cost of labor and its effect on the architectural product.
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 are joined by Architect Greg Warner, Principal and Founder of Walker Warner Architects to discuss growing up in Hawaii and its influence on his professional career; co-founding his office and its growth; working in Hawaii; the responsibilities of a principal and the importance of leadership; his philosophy and approach to projects; and more.
What is it like to walk past the buildings and houses on the street where you live? Or the street where you work, study, shop, or take your children to school? What relationship do these buildings and houses have with the sidewalk? How do they treat pedestrians? Do they make you want to walk past them? Do they welcome or repel?
The footprint of urban construction is expanding rapidly. Globally, building floor area could double by 2060. Constructing and maintaining urban infrastructure requires significant amounts of energy and material resources. Consequently, how cities build—and with what materials—directly impacts whether sustainability goals are achievable or even realistic. Cities must ensure they are using low-impact, renewable materials. This challenge presents a clear opportunity for wood.
https://www.archdaily.com/1131835/how-cities-can-source-sustainable-woodWhitney Light, Scott Francisco e Sadof Alexander
On Thursday, September 14, the first stage of the Mapocho Río Park was inaugurated in Santiago. Designed by the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism, the project is one of the most significant urban works in the Metropolitan Region, spanning a total of 52 hectares and 9 kilometers in length.
OHM Edición 2021. Image Cortesía de Open House Madrid
The eighth edition of the Open House Madrid festival returns with a program that includes 93 buildings, 33 studios, 8 routes, 7 activities, and 10 itineraries. Titled "More Open Than Ever," it aims to reflect the welcoming character of the city and, at the same time, its openness to the world.
Many urban planners predict that by 2050, more than 6 billion people will live in cities, and in places where building outwards isn't an option, the only way to keep up with the growing density is to build up. Building taller always comes with numerous challenges and also a not-so-subtle competition for architecture firms to have their name tied to the biggest buildings. Almost as fast as a building is named one of the tallest in the world, another one makes its way to the drawing board, a few years later taking the title. While the sky’s the limit, how does this impact the constructability of projects, and what feats of construction methods and materials have enabled us to build into the clouds?
Sanasa Water Treatment Plant in Campinas, São Paulo. Photo: Renan Pissolatti/WRI Brasil
The Metropolitan Region of Campinas is one of Brazil's largest urban centers. With more than three million inhabitants and an annual GDP exceeding R$ 150 billion, it is one of the country's most dynamic economic regions.
In the architectural conversations we are having in today’s world, conversations on materials are widespread. There is discussion on the viability of concrete in the contemporary context, how timber can be more sustainably sourced, and on how biodegradable materials such as bamboo should be more common sights in our urban environments.
But we also need to be talking about what goes into these buildings – that is, the furniture that decorates, enhances, and makes habitable the buildings around us. The materials used to craft these objects have constantly evolved over centuries, and as we approach the end of 2022, it’s worth asking – what does the future hold for what our furniture will be made from?
"Architecture and urbanism have the opportunity to offer solutions that involve looking beyond the discipline itself, so that the margins and boundaries of necessity lead us to seek actions outside of standard practice. Positioning ourselves on the margins allows us to see new alternatives, expand the practice, and have a perspective that is not central, but peripheral," say Anna Vergés and Guillem Augé (UNDO), curators of the XII Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, whose central theme is "Habitar al margen" (Living on the Margins).
Looking around, it is clear that the world is developing at a rapid rate, and so are cities. Architects and designers inevitably take on the challenge of building better cities and homes, so time needs to be properly allocated for efficiency. After all, in this industry, time really is money.
For years architects have been accustomed to working in a conventional way: they stick with traditional offline renderers and wait until the modeling part is all done to start rendering from scratch.
This is where software like D5 Render comes in, to resolve such problems and change the game. The market is growing and shifting, and so should the tools architects use.
Urban River Spaces, Jhenaidah. Image Courtesy of Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) announced the winners of the 2022 edition. From a pool of 463 projects nominated for the 15th Award Cycle (2020-2022), the six winners show examples of architectural excellence in the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community improvement and development, historic preservation, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of the environment. Two projects from Bangladesh, one from Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, and Senegal, will share the UDS 1 million award, one of the largest in architecture.
