Tag: catalyticaction | ArchDaily

Designing With, Not For: CatalyticAction’s Participatory Practice

Daniela Andino — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Architecture is often evaluated through finished forms, yet some practices operate in a different register, one where design unfolds through relationships, time, and use rather than through a single outcome. For CatalyticAction, participation is not a parallel social activity, but the means through which spaces are conceived, constructed, and sustained over time.

20 Practices Shaping the Future of Architecture: Winners of the ArchDaily 2025 Next Practices Awards

Christele Harrouk — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000

ArchDaily is proud to reveal the winners of the 5th edition of Next Practices, recognizing 20 groundbreaking architectural practices from around the globe. These firms embody the creativity, innovation, interdisciplinary approach and social responsibility that are shaping the future of architecture and expanding its horizons.

Empowering Children Through Public Spaces in Lebanon: In Conversation with CatalyticAction

Christele Harrouk — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Public spaces are not always shaped by planning but by the practices they host. Their existence stems from our inherent need for connection with others. As spaces of encounter, these urban, open, and accessible areas reflect how we interact with our surroundings and each other while offering places for exercise, play, socializing, and recreation.

Social Impact: Architecture Building Space for Empathy

Eric Baldwin — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 07:35:00 +0000

Architecture shapes how we live and come together. Amidst a pandemic and protests around the world, architects and designers are speaking out to condemn injustice and build space for empathy and understanding. In listening, they are looking to how we live together, and in turn, how we can create a more equitable and just world.

The Times Architects Stepped Up in Crises

Andreea Cutieru — Fri, 08 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000

For the past few months, the architecture community has been trying to bring its contribution to the fight against the pandemic. The global spread of this crisis might have triggered a coordinated, and thus a more visible effort, but this isn’t the first time professionals step up in crises. Over the years, natural disasters and emergencies have determined several architects to get involved in disaster relief initiatives, as well as a wide range of humanitarian actions. In this article, we take a look at different occasions various architects and practices made a significant contribution to, helping affected communities overcome hardship.

Beyond Refugee Housing: 5 Examples of Social Infrastructure for Displaced People

Suneet Zishan Langar — Tue, 05 May 2020 07:35:00 +0000

Throughout human history, the movement of populations–in search of food, shelter, or better economic opportunities–has been the norm rather than the exception. Today, however, the world is witnessing unprecedented levels of displacement. The United Nations reports that 68.5 million people are currently displaced from their homes; this includes nearly 25.4 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of eighteen. With conflicts raging on in countries like Syria and Myanmar, and climate change set to lead to increased sea levels and crop failures, the crisis is increasingly being recognised as one of the foundational challenges of the twenty-first century.

With the Jarahieh Refugee School, CatalyticAction Demonstrates the True Potential Of Temporary Structures

Ariana Zilliacus — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 09:30:00 +0000

The 2015 Milan Expo required the input of more than 145 countries and 50 international organizations resulting in over 70 temporary pavilions; a combined effort totaling more than €13 billion. Norman Foster’s rippling pavilion for the United Arab Emirates ended up at €60 million. The massive slab of concrete, laid out over the previously green agricultural land to act as the Expo’s foundation cost a whopping €224 million. Even Vietnam’s “low cost” pavilion came in at $2.09 million.

CatalyticAction Designs Playgrounds for Refugee Children in Bar Elias, Lebanon

José Tomás Franco — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 06:00:00 +0000

"Within humanitarian responses, programmatically, children often become invisible." (Marc Sommers)