Videos

In Chicago, black or silver-colored towers designed by Mies van der Rohe are sprinkled across the city from the north to the south. They all sprang up within a relatively short period of time and constitute — in combination with some faithful homages — what’s called the Second Chicago School of Architecture. This timeline makes it seem like Mies' strategies sprang out of nowhere and like they were born already fully developed. This video takes a look at how these tower strategies evolved from smaller projects to larger ones by paying special attention to their section. Whereas open plans promise ultimate fluidity, in section, Mies' buildings present another idea entirely. In this direction, difference and discretion dominate and symmetry rules. All of this is in service of developing a close connection between the occupant and the distant horizon.

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the most internationally influential American architects and is considered the forefather of organic architecture as well as the Modern and Prairie School Movements. Throughout the years, Wright's works have been awarded even more importance, with 8 gaining entry into the UNESCO World Heritage Site registry. 

In collaboration with architecture practice Hassell, Architectural Association's Association's Emergent Technologies and Design (EmTech) programme created a reclaimed wood pavilion, exploring the convergence of computational design, new construction technologies, and material reuse. Titled Re-Emerge, the project addresses the issue of limited material resources, exploring the architectural potential of material recycling in the context of generative design.

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You might have heard that Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to become a Metaverse Company, and earlier this year, Epic Games, the company that develops the Unreal Engine announced that it completed a 1 billion round of funding to support the long-term vision for the metaverse. Metaverse is definitely the hottest buzzword in the tech scene. In this article, we will briefly discuss what is Metaverse, who will build it, and most importantly why it matters for architects, and how can designers play a significant role in this upcoming digital economy?

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The Municipality of Flores da Cunha (RS), in partnership with the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Rio Grande do Sul Department (IAB RS) and supported by the Council for Architecture and Urbanism of RS (CAU/RS) and the Brazilian Association of Landscape Architects (ABAP), has launched the National Public Competition for Architecture and Urban Design to revitalize Avenida 25 de Julho – one of the city's most important thoroughfares. The competition guidelines are available on the website and the Instagram profiles of IAB RS and the municipal government.

The primary goal of the Trienal Sur del Mundo, taking place from November 26 to December 4 in Concepción, Chile, is to foster debate around the challenges facing intermediate cities and how to improve the quality of life for their inhabitants.

Sergio Baeriswyl—an architect and urban planner who has dedicated much of his career to public administration in Concepción—is serving as the general curator. We interviewed him to get a preview of what to expect in this upcoming edition.

Category winners of The Architecture Drawing Prize 2021 will be announced online on Tuesday 30 November, starting at 17:00 GMT. The announcement will be broadcast as part of the World Architecture Festival and streamed live on ArchDaily’s Facebook page.

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As part of the 3rd Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2021, directed and curated by architect Dominique Perrault, Mexican firm Manuel Cervantes Estudio was invited to participate in an exhibition held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), designed by Zaha Hadid.

The winners of the Award for Excellence in Sustainable Architecture were announced during the closing of the 37th Colombian Congress of Architecture and Urbanism.

Pablo van der Lugt is an architect, author and speaker. His research focuses on the potential of materials such as bamboo and mass timber for the construction sector, and their positive impacts on the world. “Throughout my professional career both in university (including my PhD research on the carbon footprint of engineered bamboo and wood) and industry the past 15 years I have found there are many misconceptions about these materials which hamper their large scale adoption. For this reason I ‘translated’ my research findings into two contemporary books for designers and architects about the potential of bamboo: Booming Bamboo, and engineered timber: Tomorrow’s Timber. They aim to dispel these myths and show the incredible potential of the latest generation of biobased building materials in the required transition to a carbon neutral, healthy and circular built environment.” We recently had the opportunity to talk with him about these topics. Read more below.

Generally made from kiln-fired clay, it is estimated that bricks have been used since 7000 BC, as examples were discovered in the ancient city of Jericho. Since then, bricks have been omnipresent in the history of architecture, combining constructive ease, aesthetics and comfort. Nowadays, with the growing concerns around the environment and the larger impact of materials used and decisions taken on a project, there are ways to modernize an ancient material such as brick through a few updates to its manufacturing process, making it even more eco-conscious. Brick can already be considered a sustainable material because of its durability and recyclability, but there are ways to further improve it. The new project for the headquarters of the food manufacturer Danish Crown, under construction and developed by CEBRA office, is a good example of how to apply this product in a more sustainable way.

The Urban Conga has collaborated with HIVE Public Space and Long Island City Partnership on a new urban intervention titled "Ribbon", a vibrant and interactive installation for people to connect, share, and learn about each other's experiences in Long Island City, New York. Each unit includes kinetic pieces that rotate, reflecting the surrounding context and revealing different love notes written by locals to the city.

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EU Pavilion, a research practice exploring the relationship between architecture and European institutions, presents eight proposals for the first European Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. European architectural and artistic practices were invited by curators Anna Livia Friel, Marco Provinciali, Benjamin Gallegos Gabilondo, Nicolò Ornaghi and Francesco Zorzi to reimagine the national pavilion, the defining spatial and symbolic paradigm of the Biennale. The speculative project aims to explore architecture’s potential in supporting the European project and helping define the identity of this culturally diverse transnational organization.

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Lebanon is known for its millenary culture, and Lebanese architects are a part of it, using their projects to communicate with the environment and with the current challenges in architecture. To celebrate Lebanon’s Independence Day on 22 November, we have selected seven offices to learn more about contemporary Lebanese architecture.

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Outdoor lighting not only extends the use of external spaces in the warmer months but can also highlight and transform different aspects of their design. Like interior lighting, outdoor lighting schemes should find a balance between different categories of lighting. And today, the proliferation of warm light LEDs means that energy-efficient designs can also offer the soft tonality of earlier technologies. Unlike offices or homes, outdoor spaces do not need to be evenly lit throughout – whether parks or private gardens, dramatic contrasts of light and shadow can often enhance the design of a project.

In a world that is physically more connected than ever, yet socially unequal and fragmented, what should be the contribution of architects in the pursuit of more egalitarian, developed, and humane cities and communities? According to the authors of this book, the subject of our conversation in this episode, our practice must necessarily embrace its political dimension. 

The Grade II listed Old War Office building has been reimagined in central London. As a new destination for the city and rebranded as The OWO Residences, 85 homes are available in the Old War Office, which has been closed to the public for over a century. EPR Architects are working to restore and convert the building into residences and the first Raffles hotel in London.

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Transcendentalist philosophers have long shared the idea that humans and nature are equal forces that should coexist in harmony. The notion has since expanded to the architecture world, with Frank Lloyd Wright shedding light on the term “organic architecture” as early as the 1900s. In recent years, driven by an increased interest in living closer to nature, architects continue to delve into the concept of integrating interior and exterior, blurring out visual and physical boundaries to bring landscapes indoors.

In Sky-Frame’s latest film, part of the series “My point of view”, a conversation with architect Dara Huang explores this notion, questioning how architecture can merge nature, sustainability and lifestyle within its form, without relying on more technology or materials to do so.

Organized by the Colegio de Arquitectos de la Provincia de Santa Fe DSP y Distrito 1 and promoted by the Argentine Federation of Architects' Organizations (FADEA), the National Preliminary Project Competition for a building for the Center for Experimentation, Innovation, and Development in Design and Construction (CEIDDC) seeks to address an educational program within the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism (FADU) at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) in Santa Fe, Argentina.

The jury comprised architect Ian Dutari representing FADEA, architect Ma. Isabel Rinaldi representing CAPSF, architect Gustavo Barrirero representing CAD1, architect Roberto Frangella representing the participants, and architect Sergio Cosentino representing the promoter (UNL). A total of 65 entries were received, with three prizes and a series of honorable mentions awarded. The winning projects are presented below.

The Danta Awards are held alongside the Guatemala Architecture Biennial 2021 to recognize the hard work and innovation of Guatemalan and Central American architecture professionals and students. Over 100 projects have competed in previous editions, highlighting numerous architecture firms such as Shoarq, Piegatto, and Paredes Aleman Arquitectos.

The Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, Russia has announced the construction of the Hexagon pavilion by SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates). The major architectural project will increase the museum’s physical footprint through the reconstruction of the Hexagon pavilion adjacent to its current home in Gorky Park, and will include a new public courtyard, exhibition spaces, and café, all designed around the "organics of presence, loyalty to the principles of sustainable consumption, and the creation of an accessible environment".

There are a variety of wall coverings, façades and ceilings on the market, with multiple aesthetic options, fulfilling different functions and supplied by many companies. One thing they all have in common is that they are structured on frames which usually don't get much attention, yet directly influence the installation and the final result. These frames can vary in materials and complexity, as well as in how the panels are connected. The fixing of the panels cannot always be hidden, with visible screws or other parts, which end up requiring the use of other methods to hide them.

New Zealand brand Fastmount specializes in the development of hidden panel systems and has just launched a new system for interiors: Stratlock. The particularity of this product is that it offers designers and builders a complete and integrated system that is especially developed for the construction of ceiling and wall structures on irregular substrates. It can be used to affix internal panels with precision, and can be cut to any desired size in order to build the frame to attach the panels.

Despite a year-long postponement and strict pandemic regulations, the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia has finally come to an end with over 300,000 visitors, exceeding the previous edition. Titled "How Will We Live Together", the 2021 edition of the event featured 112 participants and 60 national participations hailing from 46 countries, displayed across the Giardini, Arsenale, and the streets of Venice from May 22nd to November 21st, 2021. UAE's Wetland by curators Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto took home the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, for presenting an innovative contextual alternative to cement, one of the key emitters of the world's carbon dioxide.

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The first phase of the POST Houston redevelopment project is nearing completion, and the finished areas are now open to the public. Through adaptive reuse and precise interventions, Jason Long and OMA New York have transformed the historic Post Office mail sorting warehouse into a new public destination and cultural venue for Houston, featuring a diverse collection of programs meant to evolve and adapt to the needs of the city.

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