Photographer: Valentina Gebrie | ArchDaily

Rising Above: Environmental Conditions for Elevating Architectural Foundations

Olivia Poston — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The decision to lift a building off the ground is a technical maneuver that requires substantial planning, expertise, and careful consideration. It is a deliberate architectural response to the site's forces and fragilities. Floodplains, wetlands, and thawing tundra share a common thread: Architects reconcile risk and vulnerability through elevated structures. In this sense, it is a spatial response and a structural necessity.

Designing with Humidity: How Architecture Adapts to the World’s Dampest Climates

Olivia Poston — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Humid environments present some of the most complex challenges in architectural design. From the tropical monsoon season of Southeast Asia to the equatorial heat of Central Africa, these environments demand solutions that account for intense moisture, high temperatures, and the constant battle against mold, decay, and stagnation. Yet, for centuries, communities in these regions have developed architectural techniques that do not fight against humidity but instead work with it, leveraging local materials, climate-responsive design, and passive cooling techniques to create sustainable and livable spaces. By considering atmosphere as a sensory and climatic phenomenon, architects will craft spaces that are not only evocative but also responsive, adaptive, and sustainable.

Bali Architecture Guide: 25 Projects Blending Tradition with Innovation in Indonesia's Most Visited Island

Hana Abdel — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Bali might most commonly be associated with its beaches and leisure sector. Rightfully so, since the Indonesian province received more than 2.9 tourists this year alone. Along with the temporary visitors, Bali also houses some longer-term inhabitants and digital nomads, which contributed to its fast population increase. This has naturally affected its urban density and its need for additional accommodation and services, offering opportunities for some creative architecture and materials exploration.

Building a Sustainable Future: Sports Facilities Made from Bamboo

Clara Ott — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:30:00 +0000

As awareness of sustainable development grows, bamboo is emerging as an attractive alternative to traditional construction materials. This innovative material is making significant inroads in the construction of sports facilities, showcasing how sustainable practices can shape a greener future.

The Tropical Architecture of Monsoon Asia

Ankitha Gattupalli — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Tropical architecture, a term widely used in architectural discourse, lacks a consistent definition. The adjective ‘tropical’ relates to the zone between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which covers more than 40% of the earth’s surface. Heat is possibly the only shared characteristic of this belt. The tropical zone holds a range of climates from arid to wet, as well as a variety of geographic, social, and economic contexts. Unlike in temperate or arctic zones, a single umbrella term is used to describe the architecture of the tropics.