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.

Videos

The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.

A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.

This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss one of the ways they begin projects with new clients with their Project Starter Service. Embarking on a project can be daunting for those unfamiliar with the architecture, design, and construction industry. The initial onboarding phase—prior to the contract being awarded—also poses challenges for architects and professionals. In this episode, they discuss one way to have a smoother start for everyone that establishes a strong foundation for the project to build on.

Hospice care is a specialized form of palliative care that seeks to provide comfort and quality of life to patients facing serious and terminal illnesses. These environments play a crucial role in the patient's final journey, and the intersection of neuroscience and architecture can be a powerful tool to make them even more welcoming. In these settings, neuroscience applied to architecture can be used to design spaces that promote the emotional and physical well-being of patients.

More than one billion babies and children live in urban environments. However, the way cities are planned fails to consider their needs, or those of the people responsible for their care. To support decision-makers, urban planners, and transportation professionals in improving access to urban opportunities for thousands of Brazilian children, ITDP Brasil has launched Access for Babies, Toddlers, and Caregivers, developed in partnership with the Bernard van Leer Foundation.

Perhaps one of the most common phrases you'll hear when talking about interior renovations is "whatever you initially planned on spending, double it, and double the time with it". Renovations, regardless of their scale, can be very time consuming and costly, especially when unexpected changes pop up last minute. However, we are often met with situations where the interior layout is no longer efficient or we feel that the interior design is a little outdated and its time for a change. 

Giving your space an upgrade does not necessarily mean spending all your savings, and spending less does not necessarily mean low quality work. From doing the construction work yourself, to giving furniture pieces completely new functions, here are different ways you can renovate residential and commercial interior spaces without breaking the bank.

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The built environment is responsible for approximately 42% of annual global CO2 emissions. During a building's lifespan, half of these emissions come from its construction and demolition. To decarbonize architecture and control global emissions, it is important to rethink and reduce the upfront or embodied carbon impacts of demolitions, as well as implement sustainable construction strategies for buildings. Demolitions typically involve dismantling, razing, destroying, or wrecking buildings and structural parts, leading to unsustainable levels of carbon emissions, material depletion, waste, and pollution. These hasty methods of ending the life cycle of a building have negative impacts on the environment, material components, and recycling strategies. Therefore, there is a clear need to re-think the way in which we approach the end of a building or infrastructure project's life towards a more sustainable system of deconstruction.

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Moving towards a sustainable future is a global challenge that involves all disciplines working together. According to the 2021 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, almost 40% of carbon emissions come from the construction industry. This places a heavy responsibility on the industry, which must be open to exploring innovative strategies, technologies, and materials in order to pave the road towards a universal sustainability goal: reaching carbon neutrality by no later than 2050.

With that in mind, this article presents three specific products and systems –low-carbon glass, low-carbon concrete, and lightweight materials– that architects are applying in their projects to contribute to a low-impact architectural design.

In this Louisiana Channel interview with Yasmeen Lari, the renowned Pakistani architect speaks about the role of architects and the needed perspective shifts of the industry in contemporary times. Awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 2023 for her humanitarian efforts, Lari emphasizes the need to rethink the architecture industry to address social disparities and resource deficiencies. In the interview, the architect and designer reflects on her upbringing, architectural education, and her practice today.

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For the ninth time, the MEXTRÓPOLI Architecture and City Festival held the Arquine Competition No. 25 | MEXTRÓPOLI 2023 Pavilion, a platform where architecture, urbanism, and art converge to contemplate and celebrate Mexico City. The event also aims to engage the public by occupying public spaces with architectural pieces that can be activated by visitors. Celebrating public spaces or offering a different perspective on the places routinely traversed is the reason MEXTRÓPOLI showcases these ephemeral architectural pieces.

In 1999, Birgit Lohmann and Massimo Mini co-founded designboom, self-proclaimed as the "first online architecture and design magazine." Seven years later, Facebook transitioned from Ivy League universities to massive audiences, while the first tweet was posted on formerly-known Twitter. Sixteen years have passed since these milestones.

While 16 years may be a short period in architecture, digital media and social networks are far from being considered emergent in the history of the internet. In fact, they form the core of the current Web 2.0 model, characterized by a dual interaction between content producers and consumers: sharing, liking, remixing, and reposting.

Indeed, the speed and magnitude of the transformations that digital media have undergone, and in turn, driven, provide the opportunity to begin documenting the history of the digital era and its impact on architecture.

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

A simple walk in the park will relax even the most tightly wound individual. But what about the places where people spend far more of their time, such as schools, office buildings, and hospitals? What role can design play in incorporating nature into those environments? And at what additional cost? Bill Browning has published a book—The Economics of Biophilia: Why Designing With Nature in Mind Makes Financial Sense, 2nd Edition (written with Catie Ryan and Dakota Walker)—arguing that the cost of bringing nature into building projects isn't prohibitive but additive. An environmental strategist with a long history in green building, Browning is one of the founding partners (with architects Bob Fox and Rick Cook) of the sustainable design consultancy Terrapin Bright Green. Recently I talked with Browning about biophilic design—and, because he was a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council's board of directors, about the strengths and shortcomings of the LEED rating system.

Living spaces framed solely by glass, whether in the city or the countryside, are a long-cherished architectural dream to which various architectural monuments already bear witness. First and foremost, there's Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who blurred the lines between inside and out with modern steel constructions and large-scale glass facades that stage absolute space. Anyone strolling through the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin will sense the light-footedness and transparent generosity of this idea in all its glory.

This bright, positive attitude to life is today also visible in flats, offices, restaurants and hotels –and not only museum-like rooms and architectural icons–, so it's no surprise that glass facades have become a strong stylistic device of modern architecture. After all, daylight provides more than just a feel-good factor; it's vital for the human organism and our relationship with our surroundings. 

Thirty-eight years ago, the Colegio de Arquitectos del Estado de Jalisco A.C. established the Jalisco Architecture Prize to recognize the work of outstanding architects and to encourage and motivate architecture professionals in the State of Jalisco. The award was also conceived to celebrate the region's rich tradition of excellence and innovation, as the birthplace of numerous illustrious professionals, including architect Luis Barragán Morfín and Fray Gabriel Chávez de la Mora—who designed the signature medal for this prestigious honor. The accolade is divided into three main categories: the Architectural Design Award, the Urban Design and Planning Award, and Distinctions, as well as the Honoris Causa Recognition.

Soccer stadiums are much more than mere venues for sports; they are true cultural icons that house the passion of fans and the history of the clubs they represent. However, the impact of these spaces goes beyond the stands and the pitch. It also involves the backstage, where a dedicated team of professionals works tirelessly to ensure matches run smoothly. It is crucial to recognize that the built environment of these stadiums plays a critical role in the quality of life and mental well-being of these workers.

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In 2023, the TAC! Urban Architecture Festival opens its pavilion in Donostia-San Sebastián, drawing attention to the forest fires of recent years. In this edition, the festival aims to investigate the role of architecture in responding to the impacts of the climate crisis in urban environments, offering solutions to help mitigate their consequences. 

"Lost Forest," the winning pavilion of the competition for the festival's second edition, designed by architects Julia Ruiz-Cabello Subiela and Santiago del Águila, was presented in Sagüés  by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) in collaboration with the Arquia Foundation and the Mugak/ Basque Country International Architecture Biennial. The pavilion will remain in place until November 13.

This year will be pivotal for climate action. The growing impacts of climate change — from floods and droughts to hurricanes and heatwaves — are causing profound damage to human lives and economies around the world, especially in vulnerable developing countries with few resources to protect themselves.

Currently, climate actions are not even close to what is needed to keep global warming below the 1.5°C threshold and avoid the worst of these impacts — countries must significantly accelerate their efforts to get on track. The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that actions taken this decade will have impacts "for thousands of years."

As the world grapples with the effects of climate change, natural disasters like flooding, and the spread of incontrollable wildfires are increasingly threatening cities and inhabitants. While architecture and urban planning cannot prevent these occurrences, they still possess strategies to minimize the damage associated with these events and help protect the citizens. Unfortunate events over the course of last year, like the earthquake that hit central Turkey and north-west Syria this February or the more recent earthquake in western Afghanistan, the flooding and dam failures in Libya, and the wildfires that devastated the city of Lahaina, Hawaii, demonstrate the urgency of implementing preventative and mitigation measures in addition to creating procedures for emergency intervention. This article explores the strategies and resources available to architects and urban planners to address these challenges in three types of natural disasters: flooding, wildfires, and earthquakes.

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Good architectural design can encompass a myriad of aspects, but can be generally regarded as buildings/constructions that are planned, designed and devised to be functional, aesthetic and durable. They can often be timeless designs, made for the benefit of the people who will inhabit them, and demonstrate a multi-disciplinary approach to space and interaction design. This is the spirit of the A’ Design Award and their “Good Architectural Design” super-category, which seeks to reward the best in architecture and design around the world.

Architectural studio Parabase has been chosen for the development of several plots of Areal Walkeweg in Basel for the purpose of creating affordable apartments and an integrated migration center. The design solution, titled “Elementa,” reuses components from deconstructed cantonal properties, transforming the former columns and floor plates into walls and façade elements. The project was chosen following an open competition, where the international jury favored Parabase’s solution for its strong aesthetics combined with the creative reuse of prefabricated concrete elements.

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Zaha Hadid Architects has been shortlisted for their proposal for the 2^nd Sejong Cultural Center. The proposal draws inspiration from the surrounding city’s lengthy history as well as future vision. Connecting Yeouido Park to the Han River, the 2^nd Sejong Cultural Center is embedded within the park's natural landscapes, aiming to become an integral part of the public function in the city within a natural setting, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.

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The experience of a space depends on various factors, including its size, lighting, views, temperature, and uniqueness. In essence, multiple architectural elements evoke emotions in individuals, both intentional and unintentional. For architects, alongside considerations like client preferences and project proposals, there exists a formal intention, an aesthetic aspect that aligns with the artistic dimension of their discipline. Striking the right balance between these aspects forms the foundation of architectural thinking. This commitment to balance guides the work of spaceworkers, a firm founded by Carla Duarte, who serves as the financial director, and creative directors Henrique Marques and Rui Dinis.

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A type of wetland that provides an incredible carbon-storing capacity. This could be an excellent way to describe a peatland. Found in practically every climate zone in the world, this type of ecosystem is much more than this short description, as it plays an important role in mitigating the climate crisis. But what is it, and how can we use it responsibly?

Ancient cyclopean walls were built by overlapping raw stones, supported one on the other, without the use of mortar. The name derives from the Cyclops, the giants of Greek mythology, as their construction required seemingly superhuman effort due to the weight and difficulty of lifting and fitting each wall piece. Cyclopic concrete, in turn, mixes this ancient constructive technique with contemporary materials and techniques. What sets it apart from traditional concrete is essentially the size of the coarse aggregate, which is traditionally composed of stones but can also include brick or concrete remains. Our Projects section includes examples of this constructive technique, which, unlike the cyclopes, clearly carries traces of the workers who built it. We talked to Rafic Jorge Farah, from São Paulo Criação Office, about his experience with this technique in recent works.

How can a building be more efficient? It is a concern that architects face on a daily basis, as they try to keep up with the demands of an industry that is increasingly aware of its environmental impact. Today more than ever, there is an effort to design buildings that integrate sustainability, efficiency and thermal comfort, which are fundamental pillars of a healthier built environment. 

Having an effective solar control strategy is crucial to achieving a more efficient architecture. In addition to providing solar protection and economic savings, these strategies also carry benefits in terms of aesthetics, acoustics, thermal comfort, durability and maintenance. 

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Chiloé, in southern Chile, is a place where architecture is a tangible expression of history, culture, and the natural environment in which it sits. Its urban identity is unique, as are its inhabitants, featuring everything from the iconic colorful stilt houses suspended over the water to the wooden churches designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

Inspired by this rich architectural heritage, Castro Abierto was created—a festival that brings together architecture, landscape, and local communities to connect and promote the diverse expressions of Chiloé's archipelagic culture.