+ 6

The appearance of people in architectural photography is rare. When they do show up, people are usually added to help the viewer better understand the size and design elements of a building. However, in recent times, several photographers have warmed to the idea of capturing houses with their inhabitants, showing the people who live there and how they inhabit the spaces. After the success of our previous round-up of people photographed with their houses, this week we bring you 10 more houses captured by renowned photographers such as Hiroyuki Oki, Peter Bennetts, and Ricardo Oliveira Alves.

+ 17

+ 22

+ 12

+ 23

+ 38

+ 10

+ 47

+ 45

+ 13

+ 14

+ 29

+ 21

Mental wellbeing is a real topic of concern in architecture. A recent survey by The Architects’ Journal revealed that over 52% of architecture students expressed concern regarding their mental health.[1] When one considers the long hours, the competitive nature of the course, as well as the sheer duration of study, this perhaps isn’t that surprising. The “all-nighter” attitude of most architecture schools exacerbates the problem, as studies show a lack of sleep reduces the mind’s resilience to issues such as anxiety and depression.[2]

Yet this aspect of the architectural education system isn’t showing any sign of changing. What can architectural students (and their professional counterparts) do to minimize the impact that architecture has on their psychological wellbeing? I would argue that the answer, at least partly, can be found in the practice of mindfulness.

If we think about how the educational system worked in the past, we can quickly see that both the teaching style in schools as well as the school’s infrastructure were very different from the current system. The educational model of the twentieth century could be defined as being similar to the "spatial model of prisons, with no interest in stimulating a comprehensive, flexible and versatile education."

However, we are now at a time when social, economic and technological developments have created a more global society and where information and learning are becoming more affordable. This radical change has transformed the societies in which we live, leaving the current educational model based on a rigid and unidirectional teaching obsolete. 

As such, there are schools that have not only broken the mold of traditional teaching but have formed new educational standards, exploring new paradigms and opening up new possibilities within the design of educational spaces. Since architecture and educational models often reflect the ideology of a society, how is the school of 21st century defined? 

+ 26

+ 24

+ 16