This guide covers a workflow that moves from project parameters to generated floor plans, 3D perspective views, exterior design exploration, and site context visualization, using AI tools in place of preliminary CAD and rendering work.

Addressing the climate crisis urgently requires transforming urban lifestyles, as cities are major polluters and energy consumers. Re-evaluating motorized vehicle use, particularly individual transport, is one of the necessary shifts in urban centers. Cities that offer safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and an efficient public transit network are increasingly essential.

Encouraging the development of urban centers where people can move actively—on foot and by bicycle—for their daily activities is the path promoted by the Instituto Caminhabilidade. To this end, it established the Walkable City Award, which highlights and inspires initiatives for walkable cities in Brazil.

The work of Marília Marz uses cities as its source of inspiration and research. She began the conversation on Betoneira by sharing her experience with the Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders) program, through which she went to the US to study architecture and ended up falling in love with comics. The artist dove headfirst into the graphic universe at the University of Oregon, where cartoonist Joe Sacco also graduated. Marília Marz pointed out that university placement in the program was somewhat random; not everyone was able to attend their institution of choice. She ended up at a university that was not among her top choices, but which happens to be one of the few schools offering a minor in comics.

Environmental neuroscience is an emerging field devoted to studying the impact of social and physical environments on brain processes and behaviour. From the various opportunities for social interaction to noise levels and access to green spaces, the characteristics of the urban environment have important implications for neural mechanisms and brain functioning, thus influencing our physical state. The field paints a different image of how cities impact our health and well-being, thus providing a new, scientific layer of understanding that could help architects, urban planners, and decision-makers create more equitable urban environments.

London is one of the world's great metropolises and faces a challenge common to urban centers: air pollution caused by fossil fuel vehicles. To combat this issue, the city established Low Emission Zones in 2008, fining large vehicles operating with pollutant emissions above established limits.

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Rayon, an innovative online design tool that aims to create a new collaborative approach to developing "mundane buildings" within the city, has been selected as part of ArchDaily's 2023 Best New Practices. Founded in 2021 by Bastien Dolla and Stanislas Chaillou, it is a collaborative design software that brings together professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. The software company believes that there is a “culture of the ordinary” in architecture. This culture represents an ecosystem of buildings that may seem unremarkable or aren't impressive landmarks in the city. However, these buildings and their construction professionals make up 90% of the urban fabric and contribute to the design culture that collectively gives identity to the city. The founders believe previous software generations have neglected this culture and propose Rayon as a novel tool to fill that gap by enhancing collaboration and user ergonomics.

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What will cities of the future look like? Or rather, what should cities of the future look like? The classic sci-fi, Star Trek-inspired movies many of us grew up watching painted a picture of flying cars, grotesque steel skyscrapers and urban fabrics far too vast and dense for the human scale. It’s safe to say, however, that the ideal for today’s and tomorrow’s cities has taken a 180-degree turn. New, modern urbanism promotes diverse, mixed-use cities with walkable blocks, sustainable transport and accessible public spaces. Copenhagen, with its pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly streets, idyllic water canals, iconic buildings and overall happy residents, ticks many of those boxes. No wonder the Danish capital has been designated as UNESCO’s World Capital of Architecture for 2023; another testament to the city’s position as a laboratory for innovative contemporary architecture and human-centered urban planning.

The city of Sanya in Hainan, China, has selected Zaha Hadid Architects as the winner of the competition for the design of the city’s new harborside cultural district. The new development, measuring a total of 409,000 square meters of built area, aims to become a central location for Sanya’s cultural life, providing diverse programming for performing arts, theater, exhibition galleries, conferences, and commercial trade fairs. The fluid shape of the buildings creates a transition from the tropical waters of Sanya Bay to the urban fabric of the city, with a central axis dividing the layered roofs that feather outwards and dematerialize the architectural volume.

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For the opening of CAB 5, the 5th edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) presented an eco-friendly alternative to traditional concrete. Named the “Bio-Block Spiral,” the installation is at The Mews in Fulton Market in Chicago. The creation was developed with Prometheus Material, a materials company that provides sustainable building materials for a carbon-negative future.

Drawing plays a pivotal role in architectural design as it is the primary means for transforming ideas into tangible spaces. Within wooden architecture, numerous techniques exist for creating joints, and connections, and seamlessly incorporating the material into other structural components. Beyond merely conveying precise details, drawing can also produce instructional guides for construction, simplifying comprehension for the workforce and facilitating project execution. This is why we've curated a collection of diverse projects that exemplify various approaches to depicting the use of wood and its myriad possibilities.

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This article was originally published on Common Edge.

By the time I was 17 years old, I had moved 11 times. Because of my own experience relocating from one place to another, I’ve spent the better part of the last several decades focused on making sure that everyone has a place to call home, that everyone enjoys the human right to housing. But it was not until my time at Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit focused on community development and affordable housing, that I realized the methods and materials we employ to realize that human right matter. 

The Media Architecture Biennale Awards recognize the world’s best projects at the intersection of architecture, urban design and planning, media and interaction design, and urban media art.

As the summer days come to an end, the focus naturally shifts to the realm of academia, a space full of curiosity, energy, and ingenuity. For architects, educational spaces are an opportunity for exploration, as they gather eager students together with professors and experts in their respective fields. The environment of educational facilities thus becomes a canvas for the cultivation of creativity, curiosity, and growth. From the playfulness of kindergartens and preschools to the halls of faculties that shape the scholars of tomorrow, the architecture of educational spaces must balance structure and flexibility to respond to the needs of students, teacher, and their larger communities.

This week’s curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights designs submitted by the ArchDaily community dedicated to educational institutions. From innovative programs dedicated to child development and community engagement to specialized high schools or inclusive institutions learning to work with locally available materials such as rammed earth, this selection highlights projects dedicated to the exchange of knowledge in its varied forms.

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When an architect pours their heart and soul into a project, the last thing they want to deal with is an unhappy client, and, consequently, possible litigation.

Risk mitigation remains a top-of-mind concern for architects, no matter how the Architecture, Engineering, Construction & Operations (AECO) industry evolves. New and evolving requirements for firms to double their efforts in identifying potential risks and ensuring the proper documentation is filed to avoid blame, can only go so far.

Two Trees Management announced the official reopening of The Refinery at Domino Sugar, one of Brooklyn’s most iconic buildings transformed into a modern workspace. The design of the adaptive reuse project, led by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) began in 2017 with the purpose of reimagining the monument to become a point of connection between the existing neighborhood and the recaptured waterfront. The building now features 15 stories of office space, approximately 460,000 square feet, complete with retail spaces, communal workspaces, a private club, and event spaces.

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One of the two hotels Zaha Hadid Architects designed in their Hollywood-Inspired “Studio City” Resorts has just opened to the public. Located in the Cotai district of Macau, the resort features leisure, entertainment, and hospitality facilities, including one of Asia’s largest indoor & outdoor water parks. The resort also features 557 rooms and suites spread across 40 floors. Inspired by Hollywood, ZHA was commissioned in 2018 to expand the resort, resulting in Studio City Phase 2.

A new edition of the Latin American Architecture Biennial was inaugurated today, on September 26, in the city of Pamplona, Spain. The main program of the Biennial, featuring Ecuador as the guest country, will run until September 29 at The Condestable's House and the School of Architecture of the University of Navarra. Additionally, it will be complemented by extensions in Seville, Granada, Barcelona, and Madrid from October 2 to 5.

Laurent Troost is a Belgian architect with a vast history of projects in the Netherlands, Spain, and Dubai. He made the decision to move to Brazil in 2008, settling in the city of Manaus. In this region filled with challenges and inspiration, Troost developed a unique architectural practice by combining his experiences in designing luxury buildings abroad with structures in the heart of the Amazon. His work gained international recognition and has been honored with multiple awards. On September 4th, 2023, he was in Florianópolis for a lecture at the NCD Summit, where we had the opportunity to discuss his work and his views on architecture and sustainability.

The Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura will receive yet another international recognition for his career. On October 20th, the Circle of Fine Arts of Madrid or Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid (CBA) will award the architect the Gold Medal, its highest distinction. This tribute not only adds to Souto de Moura's extensive list of accolades, which includes the 2011 Pritzker Prize and the 2013 Wolf Prize, among others but also represents an expression of appreciation from the world of culture and the arts for a career and body of work that transcend architecture and "reach the dimension of poetry through the acceptance of the technical demands of buildings

The announcement of the establishment of a new university campus is one of celebration, marking economic opportunities and urban growth. The United States is home to over 700 college towns that have witnessed prosperity through the inauguration of educational institutions like the University of Colorado’s Boulder, and Chapel Hill, home to the University of North Carolina. With this development, gentrification has unfortunately become a contentious issue in college towns across the country. While the transformation of these towns brings economic expansion and cultural vibrancy, it often comes at the cost of displacing long-time residents, erasing historic character, and altering the essence of these towns. American college towns offer a unique perspective on how cities can strike a balance between progress and preservation.

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Following an international competition, the team led by Dominique Perrault Architecture has been commissioned to reimagine and rehabilitate the Esplanade-Coupole area in École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)’s Campus in Switzerland. The winning project includes the addition of a new building and the renovation of the Coupole to increase its capacity, as well as improvements to the public spaces. The intervention reuses the former Esplanade underground car park, taking advantage of its central location within the campus and creating a new topography to seamlessly integrate the new additions into the dense fabric of the complex. The project, including the new additions and the renovation of existing structures, is set to be built between 2025 and 2028.

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Housing is a fundamental aspect of architecture, providing shelter, which is essential for everyone. In urban environments, addressing the housing challenge is both urgent and complex. Social housing initiatives aim to provide a substantial portion of the population with access to this fundamental architectural concept: a home.

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From September 14th to October 8th, 2023, "Psicoarquitectura" will be showcased at the German Pavilion, designed by Mies Van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, located in the city of Barcelona. The Mies van der Rohe Foundation, in collaboration with LAB 36 and Senda Gallery, is hosting this temporary artistic intervention by the artist and architect Oscar Abraham Pabón. This intervention explores the materiality of this iconic work of the Modern Movement, delving into its interpretative and psychological dimensions.

Cognitive decline is a growing public health concern that affects millions of people around the world. Amid an aging population, strategies that help prevent or mitigate cognitive deterioration become increasingly relevant to support healthy aging and maintaining independence for longer. Studies in the field of neuroscience applied to architecture (neuroarchitecture) have shown that the physical environment, both internal and external, public and private, plays a fundamental role in this aspect [1]. In this sense, architects and urban planners can direct their projects to create solutions that significantly contribute to this objective.

In a world grappling with environmental challenges, forward-thinking architects and engineers are increasingly leaning towards more sustainable solutions. While steel and concrete have long dominated the construction industry, bamboo is now stepping into the limelight as a compelling alternative. Thanks to its potent mix of strength, flexibility, and eco-friendliness, bamboo is fast becoming the go-to material for those keen on pushing the boundaries of sustainable architecture.

Bridging this transformative moment in sustainable design is the timely arrival of the "Bamboo Structures" eBook series, which this article is based on. Acting as a touchstone in the field, the first volume focuses on the structural design process behind the Luum Temple—a masterclass in bamboo engineering. The guide serves as more than just a theoretical text; it is a comprehensive manual teeming with real-world insights, cutting-edge research, and practical expertise.