Photographer: Christian Richters | ArchDaily

Reimagining Air Conditioning: Traditional Cooling Methods for the Future

Eduardo Souza — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Traditional building solutions tend to work well in their respective contexts, as they have withstood hundreds of years of testing and improvements, and use techniques and materials available locally. Although globalization and the democratization of access to technology have brought more comfort and new opportunities to humanity, it has also led to the homogenization of solutions in the construction sector and a dependence on global supply chains for construction materials and components. This has also caused a rupture in how knowledge is passed on to new generations and, eventually, the disappearance of traditions.

From Sacred to Public: 5 Disused Churches Reimagined as Cultural Spaces

Moises Carrasco — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0000

The conversion of disused religious temples through cultural programs constitutes one of the most compelling adaptive reuse strategies in contemporary urban planning. This functional compatibility seems to be rooted in the specific characteristics of churches: their central naves offer large-scale, clear floor plans and monumental cross-sections that easily accommodate the volumetric requirements of museums, theaters, or community hubs. Furthermore, the acoustic properties inherent to their vaulted ceilings, combined with intentional natural lighting filtered through stained glass windows or domes, create the spatial conditions for activities ranging from the performing arts to the exhibition of cultural artifacts. By assuming a public and cultural role, these buildings not only avoid demolition or physical abandonment but also preserve their status as urban and identity landmarks within the city fabric, revitalizing their immediate surroundings without altering their historical significance.

Riyadh Architecture City Guide: 16 Projects from Heritage to Urban Expansion

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Once a Najdi settlement defined by mudbrick walls and courtyard houses, Riyadh has undergone one of the most radical urban transformations of the 20th and 21st centuries. The discovery of oil reserves, the consolidation of political power, and the rapid expansion of infrastructure reshaped the city from a regional capital into a sprawling metropolis almost within a single generation. As a result, Riyadh's urban fabric is marked by discontinuities, fragments of vernacular architecture coexist with mid-century institutional modernism, and a rapidly evolving contemporary skyline.

Laying the Groundwork: Six Creative Strategies for Reusing Architectural Foundations

Olivia Poston — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Adaptive reuse allows architects to conserve resources, reduce waste, and extend the life of existing structures. By working with what already exists, architects lessen the need for new materials, lower energy consumption, and limit demolition debris. This approach protects natural habitats and green spaces by reducing the demand for new land development. Through reuse, cities become more sustainable and less carbon-intensive while preserving the material and cultural value of the built environment.

Printing House Square / Mccullough Mulvin Architects

Hadir Al Koshta — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Printing House Square is the first new square to be built in Trinity for 200 years. McCullough Mulvin Architects were appointed to the project after winning a limited competition. The design creates a new gateway between college and city, opening the historic campus along what had previously been an impermeable section of Pearse Street. The courtyard form provides student accommodation, health and disability services, and a sports centre - its stone roof folding down to provide an intimate context around the 18th century Printing House.

“Suddenly, You Step into the Landscape through the House”: In Conversation with Ben Van Berkel of UNStudio

Vladimir Belogolovsky — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In 1993 a young professional couple with two toddlers and a large suburban lot in Naarden, a town less than half an hour's drive southeast of Amsterdam, approached Ben van Berkel to design an unusual house. They envisioned it as progressive and innovative in every way possible. More than that, they wanted a kind of building that "would be recognized as a reference in terms of renewal of the architectural language." Before settling on the architect, they spoke to several candidates, including Rem Koolhaas. They chose van Berkel who five years earlier, together with his then-wife Caroline Bos co-founded their eponymous practice, because as he told me, "I went to the site and studied it carefully and already had ideas about what I called the four quadrants of the landscape. I knew what kind of house it would be. I could see clearly where different rooms would go, how they would be shaped, and how they would relate to each other." The couple couldn't resist. Yet, there would be no rush on the project which took five years to complete, most time was invested in its design, going through many iterations and refinements, all based on the Möbius loop.

Light as a Design Statement: Inspiring Ways to Manage Natural Lighting

Valeria Montjoy — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:30:00 +0000

For most people, modern living requires spending most of the day in interior spaces - in fact, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average person spends around 90% of their life indoors. As a result, this implies missing out on health benefits associated with sunlight exposure, such as vitamin D absorption, regulation of circadian rhythms, higher energy levels and even improved mood. Thus, one option is to increase the amount of time we spend outdoors. But because most daily functions are carried out inside buildings, it is crucial to incorporate and prioritize natural lighting in interiors.

AD Classics: Möbius House / UNStudio

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 07:30:00 +0000

In 1993 a young professional couple from Amsterdam set out to build a private house unlike any other. They wanted to create something that “would be recognized as a reference in terms of renewal of the architectural language.” They reached out to several architects, including Rem Koolhaas, but finally decided to entrust the commission to Dutch architect Ben van Berkel after he studied the site and came up with a vision for the project, relating it to the couple’s lifestyle.

Paris-Saclay University Biology-Pharmacy-Chemistry Center / Bernard Tschumi Architects + Groupe-6 architects

Andreas Luco — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Designed by Bernard Tschumi urbanistes Architectes and Groupe-6 architects, the new Biology-Pharmacy-Chemistry Center for the Université Paris-Saclay is one of the largest educational projects in France. The 74,000 square-meter (800,000 square-foot), €283 million complex is a major scientific center for the university. Located opposite the future Orsay-Gif Metro station on the Grand Paris Express, the building offers an outward face of the new university and the gateway to its world-class science and research facilities.

ROCKBUND Building Renovation / David Chipperfield Architects

Valeria Silva — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 03:00:00 +0000

ROCKBUND is a collection of historic buildings located in the former European concession, just to the north of the world-famous Bund in central Shanghai. The buildings form a continuous street front along the eastern side of Yuanmingyuan Road and reflect the diversity of the colonial architecture of this period, in which European building styles were combined with Asian elements. ROCKBUND has seen the revitalization of this area by a team of international architects. It accommodates offices, apartments, café, restaurants, and retail premises while opening the area up to the grand urban gesture of the riverfront and its public park. David Chipperfield Architects was commissioned to restore, upgrade, and convert eleven historic buildings within this wider development.

Paracelsus Bad & Kurhaus Swimming Facilities / Berger Parkkinen + Architects

Paula Pintos — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:00:00 +0000

The new public bath highlights Salzburg’s landmarks and mountains and represents a visionary architectural project in the city’s historic center. In terms of urban design, the new "Paracelsus Bad & Kurhaus" forms a joint between the late 19th-century block structures of Auerspergstraße, the open development along Schwarzstraße, the landscape of the Kurgarten and the Mirabellgarten. The geometry of the building is swiveled towards the park, making a reference to the geometry of the vanished fortification-walls of the baroque period.

The Important Role Libraries Play in Building a Creative and Innovative Society

Jullia Joson — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 06:30:00 +0000

As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries play a fundamental role in society. Foundational in creating opportunities for learning, as well as supporting literacy and education, the resources and services each library offers all work towards helping to shape new ideas that are central to building a creative and innovative society.

Thapar University Learning Laboratory / Mccullough Mulvin Architects + Designplus Associates Services

Hana Abdel — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 07:00:00 +0000

The Learning Laboratory is a new type of meeting space, an engine for education, a city for students, a destination for conversation; it mediates timeless form and offers complex spatial adventures. The building comprises a library, lecture theatres and a science faculty, each in a tall red Agra stone volume, with white marble detail, the facades mediated using louvred stone screens like traditional Jaali screens.

Light as a Design Statement: Creative Ways to Use Artificial Lighting

Valeria Montjoy — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 07:30:00 +0000

Light serves an essential purpose in architecture: to help us see. Whether it be through natural or artificial methods, rooms must be illuminated accordingly so occupants can safely inhabit them and fulfill their daily functions. When the right system is selected, light can also contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability within the building as a whole. However, apart from its evident functional and environmental value, lighting design can vastly impact the visual comfort and aesthetic tone of interiors by drawing attention to textures, enhancing colors and defining volumes. Therefore, of the many pieces involved in interior design, lighting is certainly one that can enhance or destroy a space and even affect users’ well-being, which is why it should be considered a crucial design element by itself.

Architectural Salvage: Cultural Hotspots using Adaptive Reuse

Rebecca Ildikó Leete — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 07:30:00 +0000

The dawn of the Anthropocene has thrown the idea of adaptive reuse into the limelight: effectively the pinnacle of urban regeneration and revitalization. It utilizes the presence of existing buildings with historic and cultural value and re-purposes them to be functional. Essentially a form of architectural salvage; a sustainable and viable means of rebuilding.

Adapting The Sacred To Be Profane

Duo Dickinson — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 03:30:00 +0000

It is easy to show cool images of adaptive reuse. The contrast of living history and control over it makes for dynamic visuals. But there is a deeper meaning to adaptive reuse. Architecture embodies humanity and humanity changes, so our buildings change.

All Aglow: New Fire Stations Bringing the Heat

Eric Baldwin — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Architects are charged with protecting the public’s health, safety, and well-being. When buildings fail, whether through increased loads, poor design, or natural disasters, that charge also falls to those capable and willing to aid people in need. Firefighters regularly experience architecture’s collapse, often risking life and limb to save occupants and individuals they do not know. Yet firefighters and emergency personnel also have their own buildings they call home, rare typologies where recreational, domestic, and professional activities collide.

Luxembourg National Library / Bolles + Wilson + WW+ architektur + management

Andreas Luco — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 12:00:00 +0000

The task of the Patrimonial and Universal Library is the housing and protection of Cultural and Intellectual Texts - a foundation stone of the intellectual community. For the BnL a compact, energy-efficient building volume houses a wide range of functional entities. A transparent imposing, but at the same time inviting, facade fronts onto the Avenue John F. Kennedy. Internal functions unfold sequentially from this entrance gesture; Foyer +, Café (with upper-level Conference + seminar rooms), next to the Reading Room – a landscape of terraced workstations and bookshelves.