Tag: material-focus | ArchDaily

Reversible Cultural Pavilion Activates Public Space in Frankfurt 2026

Agustina Iñiguez — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:45:00 +0000

At a moment when architecture is being pushed to respond more directly to environmental and social pressures, Spain's pavilion for World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhein-Main 2026 positions itself as more than a temporary installation. While materiality is at the center of its design, the project explores how a reversible cultural infrastructure can activate public space without permanent construction. Discussions about material use, circularity and reutilization in architecture are closely tied to cultural contexts, environmental conditions, and historical influences that reveal how time shapes the built environment. Beyond its construction, Spain's pavilion expresses identity by reinterpreting the architectural method of Antoni Gaudí, the creator of the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. It also demonstrates how Spain's creative and industrial sectors address current challenges with innovative construction solutions.

How to Design a "Building that Breathes": A Sustainable Case Study of Colombia's EDU Headquarters

Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano EDU + Salmaan Craig — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

In the Colombian city of Medellin, a new headquarters is being constructed for the Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano (Urban Development Company), combining optimal thermal performance with local urban regeneration. The new EDU headquarters is the result of a three-part collaboration between the public company, the private sector, and Professor Salmaan Craig from the Harvard Graduate School of Design who has family roots in the Colombian capital.

This Hand-Laid Brick Feature Wall Was Inspired by Soundwaves in Water

Megan Schires — Sun, 21 May 2017 12:30:00 +0000

German architecture firm 22quadrat was inspired by the visual effect created by soundwaves moving through water when designing “impulses,” a brick relief wall in the interior courtyard of the Pallotti Residential Complex in Freising, Germany. The architects derived the concept from a metaphor; a single brick is like a single particle, hardly noticeable on its own but capable of much greater impact when combined with others.

Wire Mesh Installation Features Architectural Fragments Constructed At 1:1

AD Editorial Team — Thu, 18 May 2017 10:30:00 +0000

Commissioned for a large-scale event in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Edoardo Tresoldi in collaboration with Design Lab Experience have constructed a vast indoor "piazza" of architectural fragments. Accommodating a 7000sqm event space, each "Classical" element is built entirely from wire mesh and comprises domes, arches, colonnades, columns, and imitations of sacred spaces (namely Italian basilicas). Together they create a translucent and ephemeral sequence of indoor rooms – all layered by a strikingly contemporary aesthetic.

Modular Meranti Pavilion Premiers at Orlando’s AIA Conference

Thomas Musca — Sat, 13 May 2017 09:30:00 +0000

The centerpiece of the Malaysian Timber Council’s exhibition at this year’s AIA Conference on Architecture in Orlando, Florida was a completely dismantlable four-walled enclosure constructed entirely of Meranti timber. Designed by Eleena Jamil Architect, the wholly modular structure showcased the strength and adaptability of this sustainably sourced Southeast Asian hardwood.

Rebuilt Travel Agency Receives a More Fluid and Dynamic Space

Equipe ArchDaily Brasil — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 14:00:00 +0000

This article is part of our series "Material Focus", where we ask architects to share with us their creative process through the choice of materials that define important parts of the construction of their buildings.

This Brazilian House Uses Different Materials as an Extension of the Surrounding Arid Landscape

Equipe ArchDaily Brasil — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 13:00:00 +0000

This article is part of our new series "Material in Focus", where we ask architects to share with us their creative process through the choice of materials that define important parts of the construction of their buildings.

Learn How This Portuguese Project Was Inspired by Strong Winds and a Striking Landscape

Equipe ArchDaily Brasil — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 12:00:00 +0000

Material Focus: Expansion Inspired by Portuguese Tiles by João Tiago Aguiar

Equipe ArchDaily Brasil — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 14:00:00 +0000

Material Focus: Hacienda Niop by AS Arquitectua and R79

Daniela Cruz — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Watch How These South American Architects Construct a Brickless Brick Wall

José Tomás Franco — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Using concrete and bricks made of raw mud, architects Solanito Benitez, Solano Benitez, Gloria Cabral, Maria Rovea and Ricardo Sargiotti built a wall able to be constructed by the two materials working in tandem. Once the concrete dries, the bricks are washed away, returning the mud back to its natural state, leaving spaces in the lines of concrete, like a kind of negative.

How Physico-Realistic Rendering Helps Architects Choose the Right Glass for Facades

Sponsored Post — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 09:30:00 +0000

The physical properties of glass are invaluable and unequaled when it comes to the architect’s material palette. From the time of the cathedrals and the the brilliantly colored stained glass that served a functional and didactic purpose, to the modernist liberation of the floor plan and the exquisitely-framed horizontal views provided by ample windows, architects have turned to glass to achieve not only aesthetic but performative conditions in their projects.

These Mesmerizing GIFs Illustrate the Art of Traditional Japanese Wood Joinery

Patrick Lynch — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 12:00:00 +0000

For centuries before the invention of screws and fasteners, Japanese craftsmen used complex, interlocking joints to connect pieces of wood for structures and beams, helping to create a uniquely Japanese wood aesthetic that can still be seen in the works of modern masters like Shigeru Ban.

Material Focus: RPII Residence by Gustavo Arbex Architects

Equipe ArchDaily Brasil — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 14:00:00 +0000

This article is part of our new series "Material Focus", which asks the architects to reflect on the thought process behind their choice of materials and illuminates the steps needed for constructing buildings.

Material Focus: Casa dos Caseiros by 24.7 Arquitetura

Joanna Helm — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Material Focus: House in Lago Sul Qi 25 by Sérgio Parada Arquitetos Associados

Equipe ArchDaily Brasil — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000

This article is part of our new "Material Focus" series, which asks architects to elaborate on the thought process behind their material choices and sheds light on the steps required to get a building constructed.

Material Focus: Casa Mipibu by Terra e Tuma Arquitetos Associados

Equipe ArchDaily Brasil — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Material Focus: Salling Tower by Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter

AD Editorial Team — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 09:30:00 +0000