Tag: design-with-nature | ArchDaily

What Can Architectural Practice Learn From Botany?

Agustina Iñiguez — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

While human life depends heavily on plants for the medicines, building materials, and fuel they provide, they also play a vital role in many ecological processes. From climate regulation through carbon dioxide absorption to soil fertility and the purification of air and water, plant diversity offers opportunities to address some of the most pressing challenges of this century, including food security, energy availability, climate change, and habitat degradation. In this context, botanical gardens act as living refuges that foster innovation, adaptation, and human resilience. But what can architectural practice learn from botany and its methods?

Island Logic: How Terrain Shapes Coastal Architecture

Kiana Buchberger — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:45:00 +0000

Coastal landscapes often determine far more than views. Steep slopes, fragmented rock formations, dense vegetation, hidden coves, and limited accessibility can shape how privacy, movement, and occupation unfold before architecture enters the site. Their proximity to water and climate make coastal territories highly desirable for habitation, yet their ecological sensitivity and limited geography often place pressure on how development takes shape. Unlike cities, where density can support walkability, infrastructure, and collective urban life, coastal territories operate through more fragile relationships between land, vegetation, and water.

Reading the Territory: The Landscapes of Estudio Ome

Valentina Díaz — Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Based in Mexico City, Estudio Ome, founded by Susana Rojas Saviñón and Hortense Blanchard, is an architectural and landscape practice working across forests, volcanic terrains, urban fragments, and former industrial sites. Winner of the ArchDaily 2025 Next Practices Awards, the studio develops projects through sustained observation of ecological and territorial conditions, where design decisions arise directly from the behavior of soil, water, vegetation, and ground.

Howard Waterfall Retreat Competition: Buildner’s Winners Explore Multigenerational Living and Topography

Rene Submissions — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 07:45:00 +0000

Buildner has announced the results of the Howard Waterfall Retreat architecture competition, an international design challenge developed in close collaboration with the Howard Family Trust. The competition invited architects and designers to propose a multi-generational family retreat set within a privately owned, forested landscape in Northwestern Pennsylvania, centered on the dramatic presence of Howard Falls and the surrounding gorge.

Wellness by the Vez: Buildner Reveals the SPA Competition Winners

Rene Submissions — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 07:45:00 +0000

Buildner has announced the results of its Portugal Vez River SPA international competition.

Form Follows the Existing: 15 Homes Designed to Preserve Local Trees

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The preservation of the environment and the harmonious integration of the built and natural elements are fundamental principles in contemporary architecture. Various design strategies are employed to achieve this balance, ranging from the revival of vernacular techniques to the use of advanced technologies. However, this concern goes beyond the choice of specific construction systems or innovative materials; it also manifests in the design approach that ensures the preservation of the site's natural elements. In this context, we present 15 homes designed to protect local trees, showcasing how architectural decisions can adapt to nature rather than impose on it.

Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Envisions a Landscape-Inspired Desert Dwelling in AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 05:30:00 +0000

Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture recently revealed images of the AlUla Immersive Living project, a proposed dwelling envisioned to emerge from the desert landscape of Saudi Arabia. Its form is shaped by the site's light and wind, rooted in climate, and positioned between rock and dune. The design follows the concept of a shelter belonging as much to the desert as to its inhabitants, and behaving as a "living landscape." The structure is conceived with thick rammed-earth walls, contrasted by open platforms that frame the sky. It is presented as a statement of architecture intended "not to dominate but to host," providing refuge without severing connections, reflecting Lina Ghotmeh's position at the intersection of context, craft, and care.

A Natural Childhood: How Architecture Connects Landscape, Culture, and Play

Agustina Iñiguez — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

How do nature and landscape dialogue within spaces designed for children? How are architecture and urban design capable of shaping natural atmospheres that integrate practices of play, participation, and exploration? From participatory projects that involve children in the design process to built environments that incorporate furniture adapted to their needs, the conception of spaces for childhood entails the creation of places for encounter, learning, and coexistence. At times, these spaces are able to strengthen the relationships between interiors and exteriors, connecting their users with nature and the surrounding environment. Depending on their cultures, customs, and histories of attachment to place, several contemporary projects deploy tools and strategies that integrate architecture, nature, and pedagogy to form broad experiences of learning, play, and discovery.

Rural Lab: Latin America's Countryside as a Space for Experimentation

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

What if the future of architecture lies not in the cities, but beyond them? For decades, urbanization has dominated both discourse and statistics. We are constantly bombarded with data confirming the prevalence of urban life, but we rarely ask the opposite question: what did those who moved to the cities leave behind? What remains alive and evolving far from urban centers?

Longevity Through Renewal: The Enduring Wisdom of Hong Kong's Water Villages

Jonathan Yeung — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

While Hong Kong is widely celebrated for its iconic harbor view, glittering skyline, and fast-paced urban lifestyle, its origins tell a different story—one deeply rooted in its relationship with water. Before transforming into a dense, vertical metropolis, Hong Kong's architectural identity was closely tied to its maritime context. Today, the city is often associated with slender, glass-clad towers that symbolize modernity. While visually striking in their pursuit of height and form, many of these buildings appear disconnected from their immediate environment, often overlooking natural site conditions, ecological responsiveness, and contextual sensitivity.

Cabins in Spain: Small-Scale Accommodations in Natural Settings

Agustina Iñiguez — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Amid coasts, rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges, Spain’s natural environment encompasses a wide variety of climates, topographies, and vegetation species. Aiming to raise global awareness of the impact of construction on the environment and the importance of addressing climate change through new ways of creating architecture, several architectural practices and research teams are exploring the design of cabins or small-scale lodging prototypes. While capable of integrating harmoniously with their surrounding natural context, they also demonstrate strategies for self-sufficiency, resource utilization, and space maximization, as well as broad applications of innovative technologies and material solutions adapted to each region.

Turning Water into Land: Major Landfill Projects Around the World

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:30:00 +0000

The idea of transforming water into land has captivated humanity for centuries. The Netherlands, for example, is a pioneering nation in this field, where approximately 20% of the territory has been reclaimed from the sea or lakes using dikes to control water flow and dry the surfaces. As technology has advanced, this practice has become more widespread. Today, China leads the way, joined by urban centers in the global south, such as cities in West Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East.

Taming Nature: How Architecture is Redefining Its Relationship with the Environment

Jonathan Yeung — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Integrating natural elements into architectural design has long been a fundamental pursuit in creating comfortable, sustainable environments that enhance both individual well-being and the relationship between buildings and their surrounding context. In areas with vast landscapes, incorporating natural elements is essential for seamlessly connecting architecture with its site. Conversely, in dense urban environments dominated by built structures, introducing greenery becomes also increasingly vital, reintroducing nature into the so-called "concrete jungle."

The Evolution of Public Bathhouses: From Necessity to Experience

Jonathan Yeung — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Historically, public bathing was a fundamental necessity for hygiene, giving rise to communal bathhouses in regions where private bathrooms were a rarity. In Japan, for instance, sento bathhouses emerged during the early Edo period, serving as essential facilities when most households lacked their own bathing spaces. Similarly, in other parts of the world where plumbing and water management were considered luxuries, shared public baths became vital components of urban life. Over time, these spaces evolved beyond their functional role, becoming venues for socializing, relaxation, and a temporary escape from daily routines.

Architecture Reflected in Water: 20 Lakeside Homes

Camilla Ghisleni — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 07:30:00 +0000

On the shores of serene lakes, where water reflects the harmony between architecture and nature, homes emerge as true retreats. Designed to offer comfort and a deep connection with the surroundings, these residences stand out worldwide for their diverse materials and scales, adapting to different landscapes and lifestyles. From remote wooden cabins to sophisticated concrete and glass mansions in urban areas, each project takes advantage of natural resources and the unique characteristics of its setting.

“Unforgiving and Tough:” David Chipperfield on Living by the Sea in Louisiana Channel Interview

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:30:00 +0000

In this short video interview from the Louisiana Channel, Marc-Christoph Wagner interviews architect David Chipperfield in Galicia in April 2024, exploring his connection to the sea. The 2023 Pritzker Prize laureate speaks of his experience living for 30 years in a fishing village in Spain, delving into his connection to the place and the people's attitude towards the strength of the natural elements surrounding them.

From the Greek Seaside to the Fjords of Norway, Discover 9 Nature-Bound Villa Concepts from the ArchDaily Community

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Residential architecture within natural settings presents a distinct departure from urban design. Unlike the densely populated, man-made environments of cities, the context shifts to a pre-existing, often subdued, natural landscape. This necessitates a more responsive and integrated approach, prioritizing harmony with the environment rather than dominance over it. Exploration of conceptual projects in this realm can help foster a deeper understanding of sustainable building practices, material selection appropriate to the ecological context, and the sensitive integration of human habitation into pre-existing ecosystems.

Courtyards, Gardens, and Terraces for Seniors: Residences that Integrate Community Life into the Natural Environment

Agustina Iñiguez — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Faced with the aging of the global population, one of the most significant social transformations of the 21st century is anticipated. The design of patios, gardens, terraces, and other green areas in facilities for the elderly presents an opportunity to foster interaction, participation in various collective activities, and the establishment of gathering spaces aimed at reducing loneliness among older adults while enhancing well-being and social interaction in connection with nature. How can built environments be created to adapt to the needs of older adults?