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.

ArchDaily In-Depth  is an interview series featuring architects with long-term expertise in specific typologies. Selected firms must have been established for over a decade, or boast a substantial portfolio of completed and ongoing projects in a specialized field, backed by a robust theoretical framework. Recently, we spoke with the lead architects of the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center—one of the world's largest single buildings—the team at Valode & Pistre (VP). Their portfolio also includes the Sanya Haitang Bay International Duty-Free Complex, Haikou International Duty-Free City, Hangzhou Grand Exhibition Center, Jinan International Exhibition Center, and Wuhan International Exhibition Center. How do these mega-scale urban landmarks balance civic symbolism with architectural functionality? How do they reconcile colossal structural spans with the human scale? How many design iterations did it take, and how did they achieve sustainability in both program and construction? This article decodes the design process behind large-scale exhibition architecture.

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The detection of gravitational waves is one of the most important recent discoveries. It is revolutionizing the way we observe and study the universe. 

El Equipo Mazzanti in association with Lino Cabras, Fabrizio Pusceddu, Eugenio Coccia, Massimo Faiferri, and Michele Punturo, designed an installation that showcases the latest projects on the subject. Titled 'Gravitational Wave Architecture', the exhibition is housed within the Italian Pavilion, curated by Alessandro Melis, at the Venice Biennale 2021.

This week's podcast tackles a topic that, as the saying goes, offers plenty of food for thought. For architects, representing a project is not only a form of artistic expression but also requires mastering a series of tools that must graphically translate the information needed to bring a building concept to life. In this sense, the history of architectural representation is deeply intertwined with the history of design itself, remaining a constant subject of reflection and evolution in our field. 

Ocamica Tudanca Arquitectos, led by Iñigo Tudanca and Iñigo Ocamica, has been named the winner of the 2021 Peña Ganchegui Prize — established to recognize young talent in Basque architecture and organized biennially by the Peña Ganchegui Archive in collaboration with the Directorate of Housing and Architecture of the Basque Government.

Among the social challenges facing Colombia is the lack of decent housing for a large portion of the population. A survey by the country's population statistics center revealed that 35% of Colombians live in poverty, lacking access to adequate living conditions.

For construction startup Woodpecker, the answer to this problem might lie in another national challenge: agricultural waste from coffee production, as Colombia is one of the world's largest coffee producers.

With the goal of getting to know the architects, projects, and stories behind landmark Portuguese architecture, Sara Nunes, from the architectural film production company Building Pictures, launched the podcast No País dos Arquitectos, where she talks with leading names in contemporary Portuguese architecture.

In this week's episode, Sara talks with architect Luís Rebelo de Andrade about the various buildings and renovations he designed in Pedras Salgadas, a municipality in northern Portugal. Revisit the other interviews from the podcast No País dos Arquitectos and read the transcript of the interview with Andrade below.

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Following the release of "Architectural Classics," a series of iconic architectural classics depicted in axonometric views, Diego Inzunza—the Chilean architect and visual artist behind Rosamente—now shares a collection of 22 drawings created in 2021 in collaboration with 16 architects from five countries, including Cristian Danke, David Carcamo, Anita Catricura, Roberto Ibáñez, Rodrigo Ortiz, Charlotte Bazonnard, Javiera Muñoz, Sofía Montealegre, Juan Pablo Santamaría, Tom Gardner, Joel R, Sergio Pita, José Tello, Francisco Guerrero, José Tomás Infante, and Camilo Carrascal.

The title of this new series is “Abstract Architecture,” featuring conceptual drawings that revolve around architecture, nature, and alternative graphic narratives.

"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo of Enorme Studio, where every two weeks, he delves deeply into forgotten architectural publications, books, and magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s that have the most interesting stories behind them.

The Spanish architecture firm IDOM is leading the new San Lorenzo stadium project in Boedo, Argentina.

This week, we feature job openings from two leading practices in the Yangtze River Delta: Senshang Design in Hangzhou and DYML Architecture in Shanghai. Active across various architectural sectors with their distinct styles, both firms are looking for talented designers to join their teams.

Campeche is a state located in southeastern Mexico on the Yucatán Peninsula, bordering the states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Tabasco, and facing the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, Campeche is one of the three states that define the political border with Guatemala. Covering 57,924 km², it is the third least-populated state in the country. Its capital and most populous city is San Francisco de Campeche.

The FAU Student Ideas Competition was held with the objective of developing the site of Club Atlético Ever Ready, located in the city of Dolores, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The competition focused on proposals for a Master Plan to consolidate the 8-hectare site as a sports complex. First prize was awarded to Arch. Gabriel De León, Pedro Sansogni, Santiago Sosa, and Renzo Guagnini Drews.

The jury consisted of Nicolás Frontini representing Club Ever Ready, Arch. Carolina Helenas Pintos for the Municipality of Dolores, Arch. Silvana Noelia Paul for the Alumni Association, Solange Hoyos for the Student Body, and Dr. Arch. Juan Carlos Etulain for the Faculty Association.  Explore the project below.

Through IMPSOL (Metropolitan Institute for Land Development and Property Management), the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has begun construction on a new series of social housing (VPO) units on Anselm Clavé Street in Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Barcelona, Spain). Project design and construction management are led by Guillermo López of MAIO Architects.

After years of discussion, the fixed connection between the Isla Grande de Chiloé and the Chilean mainland is becoming a reality. Expected to be completed in 2025, the Chacao Bridge will be a 2,750-meter-long suspension structure spanning the Chacao Channel, specifically connecting Punta Coronel to Punta Gallán. Currently, crossing to the island takes approximately 20 minutes by ferry, a service often subject to delays due to weather conditions. The bridge will reduce this transit time to just 3 minutes, regardless of external factors.

The reality of an architectural project begins to take shape when the work is materialized. For this reason, the task of specifying the products to be used becomes highly relevant within the creative process. When starting a project, architects often conduct a study of references to find inspiration for both the conceptualization of the work and its aesthetic, taking advantage of the vast visual content available on digital networks, which allows them to explore various application cases. This research is useful for understanding the final image one wishes to achieve; however, it is necessary to seek guidance from technical support teams to select products that ensure such an end is reached.

With the onset of COVID-19, we have had to adapt to a different way of living, which has been reflected in our work style. Where and how do we work today? Many people have begun working from home, provided their circumstances allow it. While this has been comfortable for many, for others it has meant a radical change, entailing new needs for space and resources. For architects, engineers, builders, and contractors, this challenge has been quite complex, as a large part of their work involves handling large, high-cost devices.

In this article, we present 3 innovative solutions that replace the traditional, bulky plotter, allowing us to print in large formats from our own homes.

When we hear headlines like "the city must have fair density" or "15-minute neighborhoods," time and density are just numbers. However, it is essential to understand that they remain only numbers until they are contextualized within the lived experience of people in their territory. We can no longer postpone the obvious reality that a number, a standard, a benchmark, or a goal is merely a tool to facilitate the necessary conversations regarding the management and governance of our territorial environments.

The bathroom is an essential space for any type of construction. The Royal Spanish Academy defines it as "a room in a building with a sink, shower, bathtub, toilet, and other sanitary fixtures." This definition establishes that it is a functional space with a specific program, which, consequently, can be easily standardized. As these spaces have practically uniform dimensions, the installation of prefabricated bathrooms in various types of buildings is becoming increasingly common. These modular units serve as an excellent alternative when opting for a fast, cost-effective, and efficient construction method.

What can a cod offer to architecture? Or rather, what lessons about the environment and human settlements can we learn from the history of fishing? This unlikely question lies at the heart of the book Arquitetura do Bacalhau, by André Tavares and Diego Inglez de Souza, published by Dafne Editora and recently released in Brazil.

In the following interview, we speak with Tavares about the infrastructures linked to cod fishing and their relationship with territory, labor, and architectural production. Through an original approach—connecting architecture, ecology, fish physiology, and industrial history—, the authors propose a reading of the built environment anchored in the ecosystems that sustain it. Far from being a nostalgic look at the past, the research points to the urgency of rethinking architecture in the context of ongoing environmental transformations, showing how human constructions shape and are shaped by natural marine ecosystems.

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Founded by architect Marina Canhadas in 2018, the practice [entre escalas] emerged from the intersection of professional practice, academic research, and international experience. With a career shaped by competitions, collaborations, and tenures at firms in Brazil and Mexico, Marina has consolidated an approach that values context and building history, particularly in projects dealing with pre-existing structures—one of the firm's primary areas of focus.

[entre escalas]' work stands out for its sensitivity to time and building memory. Renovations of historic townhouses, such as Casa Saracura and Casa Apiacás, reveal a kind of architectural archaeology that seeks to recover original techniques, materials, and even natural flows, reinterpreting these elements to foster new possibilities of use and connection with the surroundings. The act of removing layers—both physical and symbolic—is seen as a way to reveal hidden histories, connecting past and future.

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An architectural award acts as a legitimizing mechanism, indicating which approaches, materials, and strategies are taking center stage in the discipline's discourse. By bringing together projects with diverse programs, scales, and constraints, these initiatives bring emerging priorities and directions in the field to light. Accordingly, the Shaw Contract Design Awards has established itself as a global platform of recognition in interior design and a barometer of the transformations sweeping the discipline, fostering reflection on the role of design in creating more responsible, inclusive, and sustainable environments.

Architecture is shaped as much by the materiality of physical spaces as by how they are perceived, discussed, and recorded. Architectural discourse, along with its mediation and representation, is inseparable from the act of design, as it defines a project's reach and longevity over time.

Driven by this understanding, Vestigare Agency emerged not only as a social media agency tailored to architecture and design, but also as a platform for architectural curation and a bridge between architects and the wider public. Founded and led by Luiza Giurni, the platform has established itself as a new communication vehicle in contemporary architecture. Among its various partnerships, it highlights a collective effort built on collaboration with female architects.

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Nicolás Valencia talks with Chilean architect Romy Hecht, Dean of College UC and author of El alma del verdor de Santiago⁠, (Orjikh Editores, 2025), where she explores the nature of the landscape in Chile's capital, examining its origins and identifying the key figures responsible for cultivating exotic species and designing planting geometries that, once rooted, shaped Santiago's identity and character.

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In the quest to find innovative solutions to achieve carbon neutrality in construction, identifying, addressing, and managing emissions is of vital importance. Doing so enables a deeper understanding and analysis of each stage of the production process and the life cycle of materials. Optimizing construction processes, minimizing fossil fuel use, adopting renewable energy, and recovering recycled materials are just some of the many strategies available to advance this transformation. Melón has taken the initiative to develop a Product Carbon Footprint calculator to deliver more sustainable products and construction solutions, actively contributing to the fight against climate change.