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.

# Number of architectural projects completed annually: 3,000
# Total length of fabric sold annually: 3,999,220 meters
#Retail price of the most expensive textile: ¥ 4,000 / meter
# Textile Brand Kvadrat

Founded in Denmark in 1968, Kvadrat is a renowned textile brand deeply rooted in Scandinavia's world-famous design tradition. The name Kvadrat means “square” in Danish, inspired by the grid paper commonly used by designers and engineers for sketching in the 1960s. Refusing to be homogenized by global trends, the company maintains its distinct Scandinavian identity. As a leader in design innovation, Kvadrat continuously explores new ideas in material and technological applications within design and manufacturing, producing high-quality contemporary textiles and textile-related products for architects, designers, and private consumers worldwide.

Since ArchDaily launched its recruitment services, we have received job listings from architecture practices of all scales across China, from Beijing and Shenzhen to Hangzhou. Characterized by their distinct design philosophies, these practices operate across diverse architectural fields, seeking talented professionals to join their teams. Concurrently, ArchDaily and its sister platform, the design and materials database Architonic, are seeking a Business Development Manager for China. Below is a curated selection of nine active openings and representative practices. We invite qualified candidates to apply.

“Learning from Las Vegas” is one of the most important books in the history and criticism of architecture and urbanism. Its three authors—Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour—brought a curious approach to a city whose growth was driven by gambling and a dangerous association with the Mafia. Las Vegas, a city filled with signs, parking lots, and casinos, served as the reference point for the three authors during a research project at Yale University. The objective was to study the development of a new urban typology, the strip, in search of a new perspective on the city and architecture.

Hiring this week is Shanghai-based Atelier I-N-D-J. Active in the fields of architecture, spatial, product, and furniture design with a highly distinct style, they welcome young talents passionate about architectural design to join their team.

The Rafael Manzano Prize for New Traditional Architecture aims to promote the value of traditional architecture as a proven reference for contemporary architecture in Spain and Portugal. It seeks to do so both in the restoration of historical and artistic monuments and urban ensembles, and in the construction of new buildings that, based on local traditions, integrate harmoniously into these contexts.

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'Instituto de la neoprehistoria' is the title of the exhibition organized by guadalajara90210 in the municipality of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, which emerges as a fictitious entity emulating an institutional structure. The project constitutes a speculative exercise that attempts to reimagine Mexican prehistory as immense and ambiguous, in a scenario where anthropomorphic and intersex beings and endemic megafauna—now extinct—coexist in perfect symbiosis. The name of the institution is based on research by the National Museum of Anthropology's “Departamento de la Prehistoria” (Department of Prehistory), which published a series of volumes on Mexican prehistory between the 1950s and 1970s.

"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo of Enorme Studio. Every two weeks, the series takes a deep dive into forgotten architectural publications, books, and architecture magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s that harbor the most fascinating backstories.

In this latest episode, we explore the monograph on Japanese architect Arata Isozaki published by Rizzoli, and his obsession with Marilyn Monroe—an obsession that led him to replicate her body's geometry across several of his buildings.

The Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Rio de Janeiro (CAU/RJ) is conducting an unprecedented study to profile architects and urban planners working in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The survey primarily aims to gather data on professionals working outside the capital and those employed in the public sector. The initiative also seeks to gather input for the council's strategic planning for the 2021–2023 triennium.

Videos

Rafael Araujo is a Venezuelan architect and illustrator who began observing intelligent patterns in nature when he was only fifteen years old. For over 40 years, he has been drawing them entirely by hand, equipped with only a pencil, a compass, a ruler, and a protractor.

In the following interview, we delve into his motivations and reflections on geometric representation systems, examining their application in the fields of design and architecture. 

São Paulo-based firm Hiperstudio has been named the winner of the national competition to redevelop Senac Belo Horizonte, organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil. With a proposal that emphasizes the spatial quality of the ground floor, characterized by the presence of pilotis, the studio convinced the jury, which was looking for projects capable of "dialoguing with the historical and cultural contexts in which the unit is inserted, while respecting the urban and architectural configuration of Belo Horizonte's downtown area."

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"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo from Enorme Studio. Every two weeks, he delves into forgotten architectural publications, books, and magazines from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s that carry the most fascinating backstories.

In this episode, titled "Signs of Regret," he discusses Mario Pisani's 1988 book "Fuksas. Architetto" and how the featured projects—all collaborations between the Italian architect and Anna Maria Sacconi—have vanished from his monographs, almost as if they had disappeared from the face of the earth.

Under the agreement between the Government of San Juan and the province's Association of Architects, a preliminary design competition was held for the construction of a new police headquarters. The winning project, designed by ABCH Arquitectura, proposes an urban piece that fosters a relationship between society and the police department as an institution.

Eleven projects were submitted to the competition, evaluated by a jury consisting of an architect from the State Secretariat for Security and Public Order, two architects from the Ministry of Public Works and Services, an architect representing the College of Jurors for FADEA, an architect from the Argentine Federation of Architects' Associations, an architect chosen by the participants, and a representative from the San Juan Provincial Police.

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The Federal Government and the Association of Engineers and Architects of Mexico will award the 2020 National Architecture Award to Guadalajara-born architect Fray Gabriel Chávez de la Mora, who at 91 has stood out for his 175 projects over a 65-year career.

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The results of the ideas competition to rehabilitate the Raixa estate in Mallorca, Spain, have been announced. Organized by the Department of Sustainability and Environment of the Consell de Mallorca with the collaboration of the Official Association of Architects of the Balearic Islands, the call invited participants to design architectural proposals to rehabilitate the existing building complex (a traditional estate of Moorish origin and high heritage value located at the foot of the Sierra de Tramontana) and transform it into an agroforestry training school (Margers) and a mountain shelter that highlights the Dry Stone Route (which begins in Valldemossa, passes through Raixa, and reaches Bunyola, Orient, and Alaró).

This second year of the pandemic offered a tremendous opportunity to continue reflecting on and debating the most urgent issues in architecture. To this end, we wanted our readers to actively participate by contributing their experiences and knowledge. Throughout the year, we invited them each month to share their comments and insights on a wide range of topics—from the future of cities, automation, and multidisciplinary design, to green infrastructure, adaptive reuse, migration, equity, and well-being.

After reading and compiling all the submissions received—from construction professionals and students to architecture enthusiasts—it is now time to present the key perspectives. Thank you very much for sharing your opinions! 

International architecture studio Mestres Wåge has been selected to design Barcelona's future educational and technological hub for the maritime sector. The project, presented last April, stood out for its relationship with the surroundings, its permeability, its integration of public space, and its coherent functional layout.

While the construction industry was once among the most technologically lagging, today automation in architecture is undeniably here to stay. 

ARIZON Design was founded in Shanghai in 2008 by Junwei Shen. The firm specializes in providing master planning, design, and consulting services for boutique shopping centers, commercial complexes, and other architectural spaces. Its completed projects have won numerous international professional awards, positioning the firm as one of the most forward-thinking and specialized design agencies in the commercial retail sector. The name ARIZON is inspired by a passage from the I Ching (Book of Changes): “Great indeed is the generating power of Qian, to which all things owe their beginning,” symbolizing the use of boundless creativity to breathe endless life into architectural spaces. Championing an “ECO-FASHION” aesthetic and driven by the mission of “designing the future of business,” ARIZON strives to create greater commercial value for its clients. 

More than a year has passed since the pandemic imposed a new routine and atypical safety protocols on the world. A survey by NZN Intelligence, in partnership with the Estadão Summit Mobilidade Urbana, shows that 45.3% of people in Brazil have changed the way they get around since then.

Avoiding crowds led 40.2% of respondents to increase their use of private cars and 31.6% to travel more on foot or by bicycle, reflecting a global trend toward promoting active mobility.

What if we told you that fungi could be the future of building materials? The possibilities of mycelium in architecture are becoming increasingly tangible, thanks to its capacity to be molded into everything from furniture and packaging to insulation panels and bricks. It offers excellent acoustic and thermal properties, along with remarkable fire resistance.

In Argentina, this is already a reality. Refugio Fúngico is a recent experimental biotechnological research and development project led by SUPERPRAXIS. It takes the form of a temporary installation in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, crafted from a biomaterial made from organic waste and mycelium.

It took nearly 60 years to build the San Carlos Canal, an engineering feat that drew water from the Maipo River to irrigate the lands of southeastern Santiago.

Out of necessity, buildings change uses over time. Churches become libraries, and abandoned warehouses are transformed into cultural centers. Although much has been written on the subject since N. John Habraken's concept of open building in the 1970s, a fascinating global debate is currently underway. Do we really need so much square footage dedicated to offices when the pandemic proved that much of our work can be done remotely?

Videos

“Arquitectos” is a micro-documentary series produced by AvantVisual and directed by Mauro Alfaro on the life and work of prominent Chilean architects. The series was originally scheduled to premiere at the XXI Chile Architecture and Urbanism Biennial, “The Common and the Everyday.” However, due to the suspension of the Biennial in the wake of the 2019 social uprising, the premiere could not take place.

Today is the day to announce the finalists for ODA2021. Our expert jury—meaning you, our readers—has selected 15 favorite projects from nearly 1,000 works of architecture across Latin America and Spain.

Now in its thirteenth year, this award has become a true tradition. We invite all of our readers to recognize the projects published during 2020 that inspired them and represent the identity of their local contexts in a globalized planet, shaping architectural practice in Latin America and Spain within an increasingly heterogeneous and multicultural world.

Starting today and until next Wednesday, March 31, at 11:59 PM (GMT -3), you can explore each of the finalists in detail and vote for the work that best represents the "Spanish-language" architecture that inspires us, defines us, and leaves its mark on us.