Tag: social-responsibility | ArchDaily

“Art Is Not Fiction, but a Surplus Reality:” Pedro Reyes on Sculpture as Social Practice in Louisiana Channel Interview

Reyyan Dogan — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Mexican sculptor Pedro Reyes has developed a multidisciplinary practice that spans sculpture, architecture, social engagement, and activism. Trained as an architect, Reyes approaches sculpture as both a material and a collective process, combining traditional stone carving with participatory projects that address contemporary social issues. His work frequently explores transformation, whether through physical materials or community action, positioning sculpture as a tool for reimagining social realities. In a 2025 interview with Louisiana Channel, Reyes discusses the influence of architecture on his artistic practice, the concept of "social sculpture," and the importance of preserving craft traditions in an increasingly automated world.

The Best Interviews of 2025: Architecture’s Year of Reflection, Repair, and Optimism

Jonathan Yeung — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:30:00 +0000

In 2025, the architectural field has been marked by a dense calendar of exhibitions, a measured slowdown in construction across multiple regions, and a period of reflection that scrutinizes the impact of intelligence (artificial and natural)—both on professional practice and workplace culture, as well as its use as a pedagogical tool. Over this calendar year, ArchDaily has published more than 30 interviews in a range of formats—Q&As, in-person conversations, video features, and more. These exchanges have engaged themes of sustainability and nature, housing and urban development, AI and intelligence, adaptive reuse and public life, and have closely followed major exhibition platforms including the Venice Biennale, Expo 2025 Osaka, Milan Design Week, Concéntrico, and others.

The Safari Lodge: An Overlooked Typology with Social and Environmental Potential

Mohieldin Gamal — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In Eastern and Southern Africa, safari lodges attract tourists from around the world wishing to witness the landscapes and fauna of the natural world. Usually situated in national parks and game reserves, their remote locations make for costly journeys and are therefore suitable for luxury stays. Often overlooked as an architectural typology, many lodges risk falling into the trap of being contextually insensitive or crudely mimicking vernacular building methods, resulting in pastiche. On the other hand, the safari lodge sits at the intersection of the man-made and natural worlds, bringing together rural dwellers and townfolk, wealth and poverty, wildlife and humans. Thus, it can be an opportunity to design with the highest social and environmental responsibility.

Designing for All: Exploring Empathy, Inclusivity, Accessibility and Spatial Equity in Architecture

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The concept of inclusive architecture has gained prominence as the built environment evolves to reflect and address the diverse needs of humanity. This approach prioritizes empathy, accessibility, and equity, striving to create spaces that resonate with individuals across a spectrum of demographics, abilities, and cultural contexts. It moves beyond merely meeting accessibility standards or incorporating universal design elements; instead, it embodies a paradigm shift that humanizes architecture and aligns it with fundamental social values. Through this lens, inclusive architecture fosters connections, embraces diversity, and ensures that physical spaces contribute to collective well-being.

Ammodo Architecture Announces Inaugural Global Awards Recipients for Social and Ecological Innovation

Nour Fakharany — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 03:30:00 +0000

Ammodo Architecture has just revealed the first 23 recipients of its inaugural Ammodo Architecture Awards, an annual recognition dedicated to advancing socially and ecologically conscious architecture worldwide. The awardees, chosen for their exemplary contributions, will receive financial support ranging from €10,000 to €150,000 to further their work and projects across three categories: Social Architecture, Social Engagement, and Local Scale.

MVRDV Transforms Shipping Containers into Sports and Community Hubs for Refugees

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:30:00 +0000

MVRDV has partnered with KLABU, a social enterprise based in Amsterdam, to design a modular, multi-functional clubhouse aimed at supporting refugees. This collaboration, which began in 2022, is founded on the belief that sports can play a pivotal role in helping individuals rebuild their lives, fostering joy, pride, and hope. KLABU's initiative involves constructing clubhouses within refugee camps, settlements, and urban areas, where they serve as community hubs offering access to sports equipment, activities, and connectivity through Wi-Fi and TV broadcasts.

Rebuilding with 3D Printing: For Everyday.Life Designs Community-Focused Homes for ICON's Initiative99 Competition

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 28 May 2024 06:30:00 +0000

United Kingdom-based office For Everyday.Life (FEL) is one of the three selected winners for the Open Category of ICON’s Initiative 99, an open competition aiming to promote affordable home designs that can be built for under $99,000 employing ICON’s 3D printing technologies. FEL’s project, titled “Housing Salinas,” focuses on community living while applying principles of long-term sustainability, and social and environmental responsibility.

On Ethics and Fair Labor in Architecture: The Example of Theaster Gates’ Serpentine Pavilion Design

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 23 May 2024 07:30:00 +0000

When he was invited to design the 21st Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens public park, Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates envisioned a calm space to offer respite and a subtle exploration into the power of sound and music in architecture. Created out of lightweight stained wood, the “Black Chapel” demonstrates more than just artistic and architectural sensibilities. In addition to the use of sustainable materials, the project also pays close attention to how the building materials are sourced, bringing visibility to the problem of modern slavery in the construction materials supply chain.

'Future Positive': Foster + Partners Debuts Inaugural Exhibition in Seoul, Korea

Nour Fakharany — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Foster + Partners has debuted their first-ever exhibition in Korea at the Seoul Museum of Art. Marking a significant moment for the studio and its relationship to South Korea, the exhibition “Future Positive” showcases the work of Norman Foster and Foster + Partners to Korean audiences for the first time. On display from April 25th until July 21st, 2024, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the comprehensive showcase of Foster’s architectural journey from 1967 to the present day.

Our Cities Aren’t Dead Yet!

Nicholas Dagen Bloom — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 03:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

World Architecture Day 2023: Fostering Resilient Communities through Architecture

Christele Harrouk — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0000

As has become customary in recent years, on the first Monday of October, we celebrate both World Architecture Day and World Habitat Day, serving as a reminder to the global community of its collective responsibility for the well-being of the built environment. This edition, like its predecessors, sheds light on the realm of architecture and the challenges faced by our cities, introducing new themes, contemplating the state of our urban areas, and proposing constructive strategies.

Housing Cooperatives: Celebrating Co-Owning, Co-Living, and Co-Creating

Nour Fakharany — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 04:30:00 +0000

The International Day of Cooperatives is a celebration of the cooperative movement, which takes place annually on the first Saturday of July. In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly established it a national day, celebrating the cooperative movement worldwide with yearly themes. The cooperative movement is an association focused on achieving common goals and addressing collective communal needs. Cooperatives believe in community development at their core, prioritizing people and supporting local communities to improve their well-being. Moreover, the co-living models that have been adapted from it have become an enormous success over the past few decades, providing a form of cost-effective social housing. The cooperative structure redefines how people live, work, play, and collaborate. This year's theme is “Cooperatives: Partners for accelerated sustainable development.”

A School for Girls in India and a Vertical Community Farm in the US: 10 Unbuilt Socially Engaged Projects Submitted to ArchDaily

Maria-Cristina Florian — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The year 2022 was marked by several socio-cultural and economic crises across the globe, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the increasing cost of living worldwide, combined with a number of natural disasters such as the devastating floods in Pakistan and hurricane Ian in the US. In these difficult times, architects are stepping up and embracing their role in developing design-based solutions to humanitarian crises, ranging from temporary shelters and affordable housing schemes to centers for protecting at-risk groups such as homeless underage girls, children from low-income environments, or families in need of medical care.

The Fetishization of Architecture: the Object Above the Subject and Processes

Mariana Ordoñez y Jesica Amescua — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The philosopher and sociologist Henri Lefebvre coined the notion of "production of space" in 1974, breaking with the vision of space as a container or scenario of objects and social relations, to move towards space understood as a process. From this vision based on the Marxist tradition, space is a product and a producer of social relations and processes.

Los Angeles Selects Finalists to Design a Memorial to the Victims of the 1871 Chinese Massacre

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The city of Los Angeles has selected six finalists for the competition to design a new memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1871 Chinese Massacre. In one of the darkest chapters in the city’s history, on 21 October 24, roughly ten percent of the city’s Chinese population at the time, at least 18 residents, were murdered by a mob of rioters. The memorial seeks to raise public awareness of the 1871 racially motivated mass killing while simultaneously addressing contemporary concerns regarding race, intolerance, and violence. The memorial was first announced in April 2021, and it is set to be built near the site of the massacre and the Chinese American Museum.

“An Unrivaled Architect for the People”, Carol Ross Barney Receives the 2023 AIA Gold Medal

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 06:30:00 +0000

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has named Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, as the recipient of the 2023 AIA Gold Medal, the institution’s highest annual honor. The award recognizes and applauds Carol Ross Barney’s focus on design excellence, social responsibility, and generosity. Through her transformative projects, she has endeavored to make the world a better place and, according to the jury, made “an indelible mark on the profession.”

The Insignificance of Aesthetics: An Exhibition at Vitra Design Museum Adds a Context of Urgency to the Works of Victor Papanek

Alison J. Clarke — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 07:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Metropolis Magazine as "Design Provocateur: Revisiting the Prescient Ideas of Victor Papanek".

Even in Wealthy Cities, Architects Must Work for Social Justice in Every Way Possible

Karina Zatarain — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 09:30:00 +0000

The "about" section of Vancouver-based studio Henriquez Partners Architects' website boldly states: "We believe that architecture should be a poetic expression of social justice." While empowering communities through socially conscious design is hardly a new concept, the term "public-interest architecture" tends to call to mind images of low-budget constructions. Rarely is it employed to describe the large, mixed-use projects that have come to characterize downtown Vancouver and Gregory Henriquez's firm.