Since we spend most of our waking hours in buildings, shouldn't they be designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle? It turns out there are many ways in which architects can design spaces that encourage us to exercise as part of our daily routine. Likewise there are many design features that often dissuade people from physical activity. For example, while a dark or secluded staircase may be off-putting, centrally located and open staircases tend to be used even more than elevators. Find out how buildings can serve as our personal trainers in this article from Fast Co. Design, “How To Keep Our Buildings From Making Us Fat.”
Can Buildings Make Us Healthier?
The Crow’s Nest / BCV Architects
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Architects: BCV Architects
- Area: 5600 ft²
- Year: 2013
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Professionals: Ty Monks
ArchDaily Editors Select: Our Favorite Projects in the USA
Happy 4th of July! To celebrate the USA's Independence Day, our editors have selected their favorite projects located in the USA, from architecture classics to extraordinary newcomers. Enjoy them all, after the break!
The Indicator: The Intern Issue, Revisited
Last year, I wrote about doing away with the title “intern,” saying the word “should be banished from the profession.” The post, titled, No More Interns, caused quite a flurry of responses, some quite angry, in fact. Some respondents defended the title, saying a title is just a title; others launched attacks against it, saying it connotes someone unskilled or untrained.
For the record, I still think we should get rid of it — not simply because it is demeaning and diminishing to individuals who have gone through the rigorous educational stages of the profession, but because it makes the profession look antiquated. Think about where you find “intern” used today and what it generally implies: volunteer, unpaid/low-paid, student, temporary, trainee, to name a few. Imagine how clients from progressive business cultures view it. Also, from the standpoint of business, doesn’t it make sense that people would pay more for architecture not done by “interns”? I would pay more for “associates.”
Low/Rise House / SAW // Spiegel Aihara Workshop
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Architects: SAW // Spiegel Aihara Workshop
- Area: 4500 ft²
242 State Street / Olson Kundig
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Architects: Olson Kundig
- Area: 2500 ft²
- Year: 2014
Peter’s House / Craig Steely Architecture
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Architects: Craig Steely Architecture
- Area: 1900 ft²
- Year: 2013
Lavaflow 5 / Craig Steely Architecture
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Architects: Craig Steely Architecture
- Area: 2800 ft²
- Year: 2013
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Manufacturers: Dornbracht, Duravit, Epic Metals, Fleetwood, Strongwell, +1
Five Fantastic Façades
In case you missed it, we're re-publishing this popular post for your material pleasure. Enjoy!
To celebrate the recent launch of ArchDaily Materials we've brought together five projects with fantastic façades, from Viñoly's Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building in San Francisco to Holzer Kobler's PALÄON in Schöningen, Germany. A building's envelope is often people's first impression and, in recent years, have been one of the focuses of innovation in the design and construction industry. The projects we've collated show a glimpse at what's possible with façades and wall finishings.
Janus House / Kennerly Architecture & Planning
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Architects: Kennerly Architecture & Planning
- Area: 4200 m²
- Year: 2012
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Professionals: Strandberg Engineering, Benny McGrath, Fine Art Construction, Meg Hart Design
Is the Open Plan Bad for Us?
The concept of the open plan revolutionized architecture - promising light, space, and effortless collaboration (not to mention a more cost-effective way of getting lots of people into one space). Today, it's practically become a standard of design - but at what cost?
A new report from researchers Jungsoo Kim and Richard de Dear, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, concludes that the open plan comes with some serious collateral damage - namely a lack of "sound privacy" - which outweighs its positive qualities. What's more, according to their results, the open plan doesn't even make a measurable improvement in communication at all.
300 Cornwall / Kennerly Architecture & Planning
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Architects: Kennerly Architecture & Planning
- Area: 14000 ft²
- Year: 2013
2013 MASterworks Awards
To celebrate excellence in architecture and urban design in New York City, the Municipal Art Society has announced the winners of this year’s MASterworks Awards. Starting with “Best New Building,” Steven Holl was awarded for his Campbell Sports Center in Manhattan. See who else was honored, after the break.
Designing Offices For Introverts, Extroverts, & Everything In Between
In an article for Fast Company, Chris Congdon explains the key to designing workplaces that cater to the needs of introverts, extroverts and everyone in between. According to Congdon, most office workers need a mixture: places to be around others, encouraging collaboration, and places to work alone and focus on individual tasks. The solution? A "pallette of places" which give workers an ample choice of where to work. Read the full article here and learn more about how do design successful workplaces here.
Tahoe City Transit Center / WRNS Studio
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Architects: WRNS Studio
Successful Workplaces Balance Focus and Collaboration, Gensler Study Finds
Gensler, who recently topped out on the world's second tallest skyscraper in Shanghai, have just released a report outlining the keys to designing a successful workplace. Using their custom 'Workplace Performance Index' they surveyed 2035 office workers in the US to find out what makes employees happy and productive in their workplace.
One surprising result which they uncovered is that, in opposition to the trend of workplaces being designed to encourage collaboration, workers are actually spending more time on focused, individual tasks than they were 5 years ago. Consequently, over 50% of respondents said that they were distracted by others when they needed to focus. What's more, the survey found that when employees could not focus individually, collaborative work was also less productive.
Read on after the break to find out more results from the survey
One Workplace / Design Blitz
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Architects: Design Blitz
- Area: 35000 m²
- Year: 2013