Tag: editorial | ArchDaily

Beyond Human: Architecture as a Participant in Living Systems

Moises Carrasco — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

The built environment has historically served humans as a mechanism of environmental control. Through our intellectual capacities and ability to organize, we have used buildings to actively influence and terraform the immediate context in which they are inserted, often treating geography, water, and ecosystems as resources to be extracted and managed. However, more and more, architecture is transitioning from exploiting physical and biological matter to actively collaborating with it. This shift demands that architects explore how buildings and their materials grow, transform, decay, and persist beyond human timelines. This thinking also serves as a starting point for the profession to reflect on how it influences the natural world, as well as the non-human species around it, creating networks and connections between humans, buildings, living organisms, and natural environments.

The Two Cathedrals of Managua: Architectural Memory After Nicaragua’s 1972 Earthquake

Moises Carrasco — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

On December 23, 1972, Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, was struck by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake. In a matter of minutes, its urban core, which for decades had functioned as a compact political and economic center, abruptly collapsed. In the reconstruction process that followed, the authorities sought not simply to rebuild but to reorganize. Their objective was to decentralize the city and prevent future paralysis by dispersing functions across multiple zones. Among the most significant architectural outcomes of this shift was the new Metropolitan Cathedral. Its modernist language symbolized both institutional continuity and urban transformation. In doing so, it embodied Managua's transition from a Spanish-style, centralized urban grid to a contemporary, decentralized metropolis.

The Cayala Paradox: How Are Private Districts Shaping Public Space Design in Guatemala?

Moises Carrasco — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Ciudad Cayalá, a privately developed, mixed-use community on the outskirts of Guatemala City, is often described as a "theme park" of white lime-washed walls, red tiles, and cobbled plazas. A closer examination, however, reveals a more complex urban narrative. Its significance, however, lies in its capacity to create a safe and well-managed public space, proposing a modern reinterpretation of historic urban principles that mark the region's architectural and urban heritage. Behind the Antigua-style façades lies an urban experiment: a modern re-engagement with architectural elements like arcades, courtyards, and open plazas, which propose a privately-managed public space as a solution to urban challenges in the region.

Spaces that Educate: The Role of Architectural Design on International Education Day

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 06:30:00 +0000

Today, the International Day of Education serves as a reminder of the significant impact that architectural design has on learning environments. From flexible classrooms that adapt to diverse teaching methods to outdoor learning areas that integrate natural elements, the architecture of learning spaces embodies the principles of pedagogy, offering opportunities for exploration, collaboration and creativity, all while maintaining a focus on the safety and comfort of all users. This selection of articles explores the potential of design to enhance learning outcomes through spatial exploration, be it inside the classroom, in outdoor spaces or by encouraging larger communities to part-take in the learning process.

ArchDaily's Best Architectural Projects of 2024

Hana Abdel — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Throughout the year, ArchDaily's team of curators works on expanding and populating our project library. Located all around the world, each curator carefully considers the best works emanating from their respective regions in an effort to have a diverse representation of the most inspiring and innovative built works. The team looks to new rising practices, new technologies, and the vernacular revival of traditional construction techniques. Seeking socially driven initiatives, as well as major works by renowned architects, the overall offers a holistic view of the built world today and is relayed through the yearly project review.

A 2021 Moment In Architecture That May Define The Future

Duo Dickinson — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 03:30:00 +0000

Some years end up being cultural pivot points. 2021 was one such year, with COVID-19 as the first existential threat to our culture since World War II. Architecture will change as a result, and may evolve in public perception to value motivations as a criteria for understanding it, versus valuing outcomes as the validation of any particular aesthetic.

The End of Editors: The New Practice of The Self-Promoting Architect

Duo Dickinson — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 03:30:00 +0000

When the 2008 Great Recession destroyed advertising revenue for all of publishing and limited the cash that architects had for PR and photographers, the established way of promoting architects and architecture was brutally compromised. That same moment saw the instant availability of smartphones, with insanely good cameras, huge memory, and soon 5G transmission. Those technological revolutions turned graphic duffers into artists. Anyone can now photo, video, and narrate any perception anywhere, instantly, free - and share universally. The cliché of saying that the internet “everything changed” is true in how the world sees architecture.

From Concrete to Paper: Tadao Ando's Recent Works Displayed in New Monograph

Dima Stouhi — Sat, 04 May 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Throughout his distinguished career, Pritzker award winner Tadao Ando managed to trigger every human’s sensations upon entering his structures. It was never just the buildings’ forms that let the architect earn his status, but the manipulation of light and shadow and the impulsive sensation of sanctity that his buildings impose, are what led him to become one of the world’s most renowned architects.

Will Architecture in the Future Be a Luxury Service?

Duo Dickinson — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 09:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published by Common Edge as "In the Era of Artificial Intelligence, Will Architecture Become Artisanal?"

Hidden Architectural Gems to Visit this Summer

Dima Stouhi — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Summer. Vacation. Two magic words that will certainly ease all the pain and exhaustion of working/studying full-time. Now that it is that time of year, most people are busy planning their travel itineraries. Whether it’s a city trip to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, or a journey to walk on China’s Great Wall, the majority of travelers will choose to cross iconic landmarks off their bucket lists. However, there is a lot more to London than the London Bridge and Buckingham Palace, and there is a lot more to Barcelona than Gaudí. There are, in fact, hundreds of underrated, exquisite structures that go unnoticed.

How Architecture Tells the Story of Conflict and Peace in Northern Ireland

Niall Patrick Walsh — Thu, 11 May 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Architecture is often intertwined with political context. This deep connection is especially evident in Northern Ireland, a place of infamously complex politics. The state came into existence as a consequence of war in 1921, when Ireland was partitioned into an independent Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) and Northern Ireland, an industrious region still controlled by Britain. Conflict has since ensued in Northern Ireland between a majority pro-British Unionist population, and a minority, though significant, Irish Nationalist community. The latter half of the twentieth century witnessed a brutal struggle, with over three thousand people killed, thousands more injured, and harrowing images spread across the world.

Going Live – Volume #49: Hello World!

Nick Axel — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 04:00:00 +0000

The following essay by Nick Axel (Volume's Managing Editor) first published by the magazine in their 49th issue, Hello World!

10 Fires That Changed Architecture Forever

Rory Stott — Fri, 30 May 2014 01:00:00 +0000

With no casualties, last week's fire at the Glasgow School of Art, which caused significant damage to parts of the building and gutted Charles Rennie Mackintosh's canonical library room, will be remembered as a tragic event that robbed us of one of the best examples of Art Nouveau of its time. The intention of the Glasgow School of Art is to restore the building in the hope that in generations to come, the fire will be all but forgotten, a strategy which has been largely well received by the profession.

AD Editorial Round Up: Women in Architecture

Vanessa Quirk — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

There are few topics that stir up more controversy on ArchDaily than that of women in architecture. From those of you who vociferously advocate for women in the field to those who steadfastly purport that gender has no place in architecture at all, you, our readers, represent a wide spectrum of viewpoints and opinions on the subject.

Practice 2.0: 10 Years of Smart Geometry

Sebastian Jordana — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

by: Daniel Davis & David Fano of CASE

Without Architects, Smart Cities Just Aren't Smart

Rory Stott — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Arguably the biggest buzzword in urbanism right now is the 'Smart City'. The idea, although certainly inclusive of eco-friendly practices, has even replaced “sustainability” as the major intent of cities planning for positive future development. Smart City thinking has been used successfully in countries as diverse as Brazil, the US, the UAE, South Korea, and Scotland (Glasgow just won a £24million grant to pioneer new schemes throughout the city).

Architecture by Robots, For Humanity

Jonathan C. Molloy — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Architecture is quickly adopting the popular technology of robots. Although it is slightly hard to define what “robot” really means, for architecture, it tends to refer to anything from robot arms to CNC mills to 3D printers. Basically, they are programmable, mechanical, and automated instruments that assist in processes of digital fabrication.

On Zombies and The Immortality of the Shopping Mall

Vanessa Quirk — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

This article, which originally appeared on Bullett Media, is by writer Matthew Newton. Newton has written for The Atlantic, Esquire, Forbes, and Guernica, and is currently at work on No Place for Disgrace, a collection of nonfiction stories based on the faded promise of the American suburbs. You can follow him on Twitter @newtonmatthew.