Tag: energy | ArchDaily

Heat as a Design Partner: Trees, Soil, and Wind Corridors as Cooling Infrastructure

Jonathan Yeung — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0000

"By 2050, almost every child in the world — nearly 2.2 billion children — will be exposed to frequent heat waves." UNICEF's warning is often read as a public health forecast, but it is also a challenge to architecture and the way cities are built. As extreme heat intensifies across Asia, Europe, and beyond, thermal comfort should not be reduced to merely an indoor service delivered by machines. Air-conditioning has become a life-support system for many cities, especially in dense, humid, and rapidly urbanizing regions. Yet to rely on it as the default answer is to treat heat as something that can simply be moved elsewhere (and in the process generating extra heat) — expelled from interiors into streets, service alleys, energy grids, and the atmosphere. Its expansion increases energy demand, produces waste heat, and reinforces unequal access to comfort.

Designed Comfort, Purchased Comfort: Passive Design and Air Conditioning in Hong Kong

Jonathan Yeung — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Establishing thermal comfort once demanded a far more deliberate and calibrated architectural intelligence—an interplay of orientation, massing, material behavior, ventilation potential, shading, and the ways daylight and surfaces absorb and release heat. This was not simply a matter of taste, but of necessity. When many of Hong Kong's post-war modernist buildings were constructed in the late 1960s and 1970s, forming a substantial portion of the city's public housing and broader residential stock, air-conditioning was not yet a ubiquitous, default service. Cooling, where present at all, was limited and unevenly distributed; comfort had to be negotiated through passive means, through section, façade depth, operable openings, and climatic detailing. It was only later, particularly through the 1970s and 1980s, as air-conditioning became increasingly standardized across the region, that mechanical cooling began to displace this earlier matrix of architectural decision-making.

How Architecture Is Learning to Generate Its Own Energy

Agustina Iñiguez — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Beyond being a source of life, the power of the sun in architecture has long been tied to humanity's need to harness and control it as a vital resource. Since ancient times, solar energy has been used to measure time, support planting and harvesting, and provide protection from heat and cold. Today, solar radiation plays a significant role in global energy consumption. Architectural solutions based on materials, technologies, and environmental analysis are developed with an understanding of solar energy's capacity to transform the interior environment of buildings. But how can buildings be transformed into sources of clean energy?

Making Infrastructure Visible: When Systems Become Architecture

Daniela Andino — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

For centuries, large-scale infrastructure operated in the background. Ports, power plants, and energy facilities were positioned at the edges of cities, designed primarily for efficiency, and rarely considered part of civic life. Their function was indispensable, yet their architectural presence remained secondary. These structures supported urban growth and global exchange while maintaining a spatial distance from everyday urban experience.

From Measure to Matter: Planetary Practices Beyond Calculation

Rene Submissions — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:15:00 +0000

A GEO and HAAU collaboration, led by the 2025 Planetary Transitions Artists in Residence Sam Spurr, Eduardo Kairuz, and Angela Lee
Invited guest: Daniel Barber, Professor of Architecture at the Technical University of Eindhoven

Workshop: Thursday 26th, Friday 27th February, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

This transdisciplinary two-day workshop brings together creative thinkers from architecture, art, critical theory and social sciences to explore questions of scale and representation within contemporary energy regimes. Set against a backdrop of escalating climate crisis, widening social inequity, and profound geopolitical turmoil, the workshop responds to the growing recognition that predominantly data-driven approaches to planetary action have failed

Dark Matter: Revisiting The Architecture of Coal in Post-War Europe

Rene Submissions — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:10:00 +0000

We are excited to invite submissions for DARK MATTER: Revisiting the Architecture of Coal in Post-War Europe, an in-person conference hosted by the ACME (Architecture of Coal in Modern Europe) project (ERC Advanced Grant, 2024–2030), taking place at the Irish Architectural Archive, Dublin on 5+6 November 2026.

In the decades following the Second World War, coal developed from an extracted energy source to a multi-dimensional modernist project. Across Europe, coal mining became an epicentre of technological optimism, democratic politics, urban regeneration, and mass communication—its architectures and spaces redefined as symbols and sites of progress, welfare-state ambition, and conduits for reorganising everyday

On the International Day for Clean Energy: How Local Initiatives Respond to the Spatial Impacts of Energy Production

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:30:00 +0000

January 26 marks the International Day for Clean Energy, an initiative aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing action for an inclusive transition from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, to power generation systems with lower greenhouse gas emissions and fewer pollutants. The term "clean" signals a fundamental shift away from extractive, finite, and exhaustible energy sources toward systems based on renewable resources or on capturing energy embedded in natural processes. In a world grappling with climate change, clean energy plays an important role in reducing emissions and expanding access to reliable power. However, being labeled "clean" does not exempt these systems from the impacts associated with their production, deployment, and commercialization. In this context, architectural knowledge related to space, materiality, and habitation becomes relevant for supporting a transition toward energy systems that are sustainable over time. As stated by the United Nations, the science is clear: to limit climate change, reliance on fossil fuels must end, and buildings must be heated, lit, and electrified through clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable power sources.

Planetary Transitions Residency Exhibition

Rene Submissions — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:30:00 +0000

The project brings together architects, artists, researchers, scientists, and social workers, the project explores how embodied, material, and technological practices can help us rethink our relationship with the planet’s energy infrastructures.

Through a series of discussions, collaborative labs, and an evolving visual narrative, the exhibition seeks to unlearn habitual forms of research and cultivate new modes of planetary attunement. It questions the notion of infrastructure—where matter, data, and bodies are treated as counter-agents of design and care.

Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2025 Examines the Technosphere and Human Impact on Earth

Romullo Baratto — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Thirty trillion tons. This is the estimated mass of all human-made matter on Earth, and the starting point for the 7th edition of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale. Curated by Ann-Sofi Rönnskog and John Palmesino, founders of Territorial Agency, the event asks a deceptively simple question: How heavy is a city? To answer it requires more than data. It demands a shift in perception: from the scale of the city to the planetary technosphere.

Pylon of Permanence Showcases Water-Filled Glass at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 06:30:00 +0000

At the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, the installation Pylon of Permanence presents Water-Filled Glass (WFG), a glazing system developed to address the environmental impact of glass in the built environment. Although glass is one of the most widely used construction materials, its embodied and operational carbon footprint surpasses that of concrete, steel, and brick. Water-Filled Glass proposes an alternative approach by transforming glass from a passive enclosure into an active energy regulator.

“Architecture and Energy” at DAM Explores the Climate Impact of the Built Environment

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 06:30:00 +0000

The Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) in Frankfurt has launched its new exhibition Architecture and Energy: Building in the Age of Climate Change on June 14, which will be open to visitors until October 5, 2025. Developed in collaboration with engineer and sustainability advocate Werner Sobek, the exhibition explores the intersections of architecture, energy, and climate, focusing on the environmental impact of the built environment and the role of architecture in mitigating climate change. By framing architecture as both a challenge and an opportunity in the context of the climate crisis, the exhibition seeks to contribute to a broader shift in thinking, one that positions design as a vital component of a sustainable future.

Carlo Ratti Associati Wins Competition to Design a Logistics Hub as Social Infrastructure in Alessandria, Italy

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:30:00 +0000

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, in collaboration with The Blossom Avenue Partners, has been announced as the winner of the international competition for the urban and architectural design of X-Change, a major multimodal logistics hub located on the site of a former railway yard in Alessandria, Italy. The project reimagines a traditionally introverted typology, rail distribution infrastructure by integrating logistics with energy production, ecological regeneration, and public life. Conceived as one of Southern Europe's largest intermodal hubs, X-Change is set to support Alessandria's evolving role as a backport to Genoa, leveraging future fast rail freight connections.

Reconsidering Brutalist Renovations: A Transformation of the Boston City Hall for the Public

Olivia Poston — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Boston City Hall, one of the most debated examples of Brutalist architecture in the United States, has significantly transformed since its conception. Designed by Kallmann, McKinnell, and Knowles and completed in 1968, the fortress-like concrete exterior and geometric austerity have long divided public opinion. Critics, including a former mayor, called for its demolition for decades arguing that its imposing design was inhospitable, inefficient, and most importantly, not beautiful. However, rather than tearing it down, Boston has chosen to renovate and revitalize the structure, demonstrating that contested Brutalist architectural styles can be adapted for a more sustainable future.

World Architecture Festival 2024: Day One Winners Announced

Claire Brodka — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

The first award winners of the 2024 World Architecture Festival have been announced, following Day One of live presentations at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, in which hundreds of shortlisted projects were presented by practices from around the world. Amongst today's category award winners in the Completed Buildings section of the world's largest international live-judged architectural event are 5468796 Architecture, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Wallflower Architecture + Design.

The Netherlands Pavilion Explores Collaboration and Clean Energy Systems at Expo 2025 Osaka

Nour Fakharany — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 05:30:00 +0000

The Kingdom of the Netherlands's pavilion, presented at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, features the theme, "Common Ground: Creating a New Dawn Together," emphasizing the Netherlands' dedication to fostering mutual understanding to address global challenges. Designed by RAU Architects, the pavilion's circular design features a prominent illuminated sphere at its center, symbolizing a new era of unlimited clean energy, akin to a "man-made sun" signaling a future powered by sustainable resources.

Designing the Future of Energy: An Exhibition on Design's Role in the Matter Opens at Vitra Design Museum

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The Vitra Design Museum presents 'Transform! Designing the Future of Energy', an exhibition running from March 23rd to September 1st, 2024. As energy stands as the cornerstone of modern society, the subject encompasses political, social, and environmental dimensions. The exhibition aims to highlight design’s role in the effort to transform the energy sector into a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable one, relying more on renewable sources, smart mobility systems, and moving towards self-sufficient cities.

The Future of Energy: Can Buildings Become Reservoirs of Power?

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Environmental degradation has shed light on the need for new sources of energy. A shift in energy sources calls for innovative means of storing energy. For centuries, buildings have proven able to store people, objects, and systems, inviting a conversation about their untapped potential to efficiently store large amounts of energy. In this new era, can buildings go beyond being structures of function to potential reservoirs of power?

Cooling and Energy Efficiency: A New Era in Building Design

Fabian Dejtiar — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0000

The world has just witnessed the hottest months in recorded history, and the outlook is far from optimistic. Rising temperatures are driving greater cooling demands, threatening to trigger a vicious cycle of higher electricity use and carbon emissions. In a planet simultaneously facing unprecedented urbanization and a climate crisis, the intersection of building energy efficiency and cooling technologies has never been more crucial.