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In recent weeks, a number of architecture firms have unveiled new projects that reflect an ongoing shift toward integrated, environmentally responsive urban planning. From Europe to the Middle East and North America, these proposals balance spatial innovation with long-term sustainability, whether through car-free living, passive performance strategies, or adaptive modular construction. While some projects reimagine infrastructure and public institutions, others explore how urban density can coexist with natural ecosystems. This edition of Architecture Now highlights a selection of recently announced masterplans, cultural buildings, and residential communities that offer new models for ecological and social resilience in the built environment.

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For centuries, the heart of the Arabian Peninsula was a land of vast deserts and settlements shaped by their environment. This relationship with the landscape, materiality, and knowledge of the place has not only endured but now translates into a landscape gaining recognition on the global creative scene. From projects that emerge with a profound sensitivity to context to global exhibitions and awards that drive its evolution, the region is consolidating its architectural language—rooted in its history while oriented toward new explorations. Far from halting, this momentum continues to chart the path for its development, establishing the region as a platform in contemporary architectural discourse.

The Hungarian Architecture Center and Museum, designed by BIVAK Studio in collaboration with Tér és Forma Szeged Építéstervező Ltd., has received its building permit, paving the way for construction to begin. Located at the corner of Városligeti Fasor and Bajza Street in Budapest, Hungary, the project aims to establish a cultural and professional hub within an urban context. The proposal was selected as the winning entry in an international two-round open design competition, organized by the Hungarian Academy of Arts, held in December 2023.

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MVRDV and Zecc Architecten have won the competition to transform the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Heerlen into a public swimming pool. Originally built over 100 years ago, the church stopped hosting services in 2023, presenting the municipality with the opportunity to repurpose the building for community use. Nicknamed Holy Water, the adaptive reuse project is meant to give this listed national monument, with its recognizable silhouette, a new social function while preserving its historic elements. The design was created through a collaboration between MVRDV, Zecc Architecten, IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs, Nelissen Ingenieursbureau, and construction economics consultancy SkaaL, and is expected to be completed at the end of 2027.

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Once seen as purely utilitarian, bare concrete blocks have increasingly become part of an architectural transformation. In regions where warm climates make insulation unnecessary, this material can be left exposed, free of cladding, finishes, or embellishment. In doing so, texture, bond, and form can define the building's character and simplify construction while creating new opportunities for expression and identity. This also creates a platform to explore the concept of material honesty. Beyond its aesthetic value, using a material "as is" can significantly reduce construction costs and minimize maintenance during the building's lifespan.

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Buildner has released the results of its Denver Single Stair Housing Challenge, an international design challenge inviting architects, designers, and urban planners to explore innovative solutions for high-density residential living. Participants were tasked with reimagining a common point access block typology—often characterized by vertical circulation concentrated in a compact core—and transforming it into a more sustainable, community-oriented, and adaptable living environment. The competition was focused on sites in Denver, Colorado, though its issues are relevant to urban situations throughout the United States and around the globe.

The official torches, named Essential, for the Milano Cortina 2026: Winter Olympics and Paralympics, were unveiled in parallel events at the Triennale di Milano and Expo 2025 in Osaka. Designed by Carlo Ratti Associati in collaboration with Eni and its subsidiary Versalis, Essential takes a minimalist approach that foregrounds the flame as the central element. The project blends Italian design with engineering precision, resulting in a torch that serves as both a symbolic and technical object. Its open structure, uncommon in torch design, allows viewers to see how the flame is produced, revealing the typically hidden mechanisms at work.

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The 2025 edition of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival continues its tradition of merging large-scale contemporary art with music, transforming the Empire Polo Field into a dynamic landscape of immersive installations. Curated by Raffi Lehrer of Public Art Company (PAC) in collaboration with Goldenvoice Art Director Paul Clemente, this year's program explores themes of movement, illusion, and impermanence through newly commissioned works and returning artists. Since 2016, Coachella's art program has evolved into a multidisciplinary platform, with most of its production managed in-house and on-site. The 2025 festival runs across two weekends, April 11-13 and April 18-20. This year's edition includes three newly commissioned art installations in addition to the permanent and returning exhibits.

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According to several recent studies, noise in cities has become an increasing hazard to health. Environmental noise, that is, noise from traffic, industrial activities, or amplified music, which reaches internal spaces, is not merely an annoyance. It has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and mental health. As the world urbanizes, more people are exposed to excessive levels of noise. How can urban design and architectural strategies help to prevent this?

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Real-time rendering technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and D5 Render 2.10 sets a new benchmark with the introduction of real-time path tracing. In addition to this cutting-edge advancement, the update brings significant improvements to AI-driven post-processing, procedural city generation, weather effects, animation controls, and team collaboration features, elevating both rendering quality and workflow efficiency.

Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture firm has unveiled images of its strategic master plan for Texas' San Antonio Botanical Garden, in the United States. The plan is designed to guide the future of this public landscape, reflecting long-term objectives focused on accessibility, conservation, and horticultural education. The vision includes a new horticultural campus and a public greenhouse for the site, designed by SO-IL, an architectural design firm based in New York whose 450 Warren housing project in Brooklyn was selected by ArchDaily's audience as the Building of the Year 2024 in the Housing category. The master plan aims at a more ecologically sustainable environment while enhancing the visitor experience across the garden's 38-acre landscape.