The Arabian Peninsula represents one of the world’s leading exporters and users of fossil fuels, an economic reality that influences the area’s visions for the future and, implicitly, architecture and urban planning’s role in these scenarios. A number of emerging offices are however countering these narratives, turning to contextual research to reframe the area’s production of architecture. Among these, cultural practice Civil Architecture has become recognized for its provocative works that explore alternative narratives for the identity of the Middle East. While in Bahrain, ArchDaily's Christele Harrouk had the chance to sit down with Ali Karimi, who, together with Hamed Bukhamseen, co-founded Civil Architecture. In the video interview, they discuss the practice of architecture in the Gulf region and the narrative and research-focused approach of the office.
ArchDaily Interview: The Latest Architecture and News
Creating Architecture in an Uncivil Time: In Conversation with Ali Karimi of Civil Architecture
"Life Changes Every Second, But Architecture Never Changes": In Conversation with Tatiana Bilbao
These days, it is common to hear multiple voices addressing the diverse issues of contemporary architecture. The topics are numerous, ranging from sustainability and inclusion to social justice and the crisis in land use. At first glance, there is no common ground where all these concepts can coexist transversally. However, if we look back, we can see that beyond the formal architectural concepts, the true purpose of architecture (probably) lies in the people and the lives that develop within it.
Thus, many would argue that life is likely more important than architecture, which could open up a broad debate. What is certain is that currently, narratives and voices are emerging and consolidating, aimed at renewing architectural tools and languages. This transformation seeks to turn the built environment into a space that promotes a more equitable and optimistic future for all. One of these voices is that of Tatiana Bilbao, recognized for her process-centered approach where life and human interactions play a crucial role in defining habitats.
A Catalyst for Social Change and Equity: In Conversation with Holcim Award Winners Husos, Elli, and Ultrazul
The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction announced the winners of the 2023 edition, celebrating projects that showcase innovative approaches to sustainable construction practices. For the Europe region, the Gold Prize was awarded to Husos, Elli, and Ultrazul for their project “Composition of Knowledge House.” In a video interview with the winners, they explain the details of this rehabilitation project. Developed for the Carasso Foundation headquarters, the project uses an innovative “360° co-design process” to promote inclusivity and community involvement.
The Intersection of Infrastructure and Community: In Conversation with Holcim Award Winner Juan Carlos Cano
Located in Mexico City, the municipality of Iztapalapa has some of the most densely populated areas within the metropole. Serving a population of 1,800,000 people, many of them with lower incomes, the municipality struggles to provide sufficient public spaces and amenities. In an effort to correct this, the administration set out to take underutilized and abandoned plots of land and transform them for public use. Utopia Estrella is one of these initiatives. Located near Mexico City’s largest water treatment plant, the project combines a socially engaging architectural program with a pedagogical approach to the role of water infrastructures in the larger ecosystem. Designed by Cano Vera Arquitectura, the project has been recognized as the Gold Prize Winner of the Holcim Awards 2023 for Latin America. In a video interview for ArchDaily, Juan Carlos Cano of Cano Vera Arquitectura discusses the impact of this project, its goals, and the unique conditions that led to its development.
Plug-In Architecture for Social Engagement: In Conversation with Holcim Award Winner DeRoché Strohmayer
At the initiative of the Surf Ghana Collective, architects Glenn DeRoché and Jurgen Strohmayer, the co-founders of DeRoché Strohmayer, set out to transform a small waterfront plot in Busua, a surfing hotspot on Ghana’s western coast. The result is a dynamic community hub, complete with amenities for local surfers, but also providing spaces for the entire community to gather in and off-season. The project has been recognized as the winner of the Gold Prize of Holcim Awards 2023 for the Middle East and Africa commended for the profound local impact and the resourceful approach to construction techniques. In a video interview for ArchDaily, architects Glenn DeRoché and Jurgen Strohmayer discuss the development of this initiative and the innovations that shaped it.
Exploring the Interconnectedness of Human and Environmental Health: In Conversation with Dr. Arta Yazdanseta
In the evolving landscape of architecture and urban design, bioclimatic and biogenic envelopes present a compelling vision for future cities. Dr. Arta Yazdanseta, a Doctor of Design focused on energy and environments, dives into the intersection of design, building performance, and plant biophysical ecology. With a focus on bioclimatic and biogenic envelopes, Dr. Yazdanseta examines how these typologies can enhance socio-natural systems by leveraging their self-organizing potential. Dr. Yazdanseta’s academic journey includes earning a Doctor of Design and a Master of Design in Energy and Environments from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Her contributions as a researcher at the Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities include developing environmental design strategies and performance analyses for the HouseZero carbon retrofit project. In this interview, Dr. Yazdanseta explores the concept of bioclimatic envelopes and their interaction with passive architectural design principles. With a potential to revolutionize urban environments, the interview reveals insights into her research, the benefits of plant-based materials, and the future of sustainable architecture, emphasizing the critical connection between human and environmental health.
Restoring a Symbol of Collective Memory: Holcim Award Winner Xu Tiantian Discusses the Impact of Adaptive Reuse
In the mountain valleys of China’s Fujian Province, thousands of large, rammed earth fortresses lay abandoned. Once used for both defense and collective housing, the tulou typology is an integral part of the region’s cultural heritage, with 46 of them being recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Despite this, the rural communities surrounding them have struggled to find new roles and purposes for these buildings. Going beyond the need for conservation, architect Xu Tiantian of DnA_Design and Architecture set out to develop and adapt this heritage to reintroduce it into community life. The Fujian Tulou | Adaptive Reuse project recently won the Gold Prize of Holcim Awards 2023 for Asia-Pacific, recognized for creating “an exemplary model for building conservation initiatives.” In a video interview for ArchDaily, Xu Tiantian discusses the principles that underpin this initiative and the potential outcomes of adaptive reuse in rural communities.
"The Designer Should Challenge The Context:" In Conversation with Formafantasma at Milan Design Week 2024
Simone Farresin is the co-founder of Formafantasma, a research-driven design studio exploring the ecological, historical, political, and social influences that shape the design industry. Most recently, the studio participated in Milan Design Week 2024 and Salone del Mobile.Milano with various products and exhibitions. Onsite in Milan, ArchDaily had the chance to speak to Simon Farresin about the studio’s installation for Cosentino at the historic Teatro Gerolamo, and the broader Formafantasma design practice.
Creating Harmony with the Place: In Conversation with Kengo Kuma
The 3rd edition of Shaping the City, a forum on sustainable urban development, took place in Venice between November 24-25, following successful events in Chicago and New Orleans. Organized by the European Cultural Centre, this forum was running in parallel to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennial exhibition, Time Space Existence. The event, hosted at Palazzo Michiel del Brusà in Cannaregio, brings together global urban planners, architects, academics, and politicians. Notably, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma was among the experts invited to explore the intersection of nature and the built environment in Japanese architecture.
Over two days, the conference set out to explore crucial themes such as education, urban commons, displacement, nature integration, and the future of architecture media, a subject discussed during a panel talk attended by ArchDaily’s managing editor, Christele Harrouk. While on-site in Venice, the ArchDaily team sat down with Kengo Kuma to discuss his unique approach to nature-inspired and site-specific designs.
"Architecture that Responds to the Memory of a Place": In Conversation with Sumaya Dabbagh
Sumaya Dabbagh, the founder of Dabbagh Architects, based in the UAE, stands at the forefront of architectural innovation with a focus on identity and connection to place. Her recent participation in the Sharjah Architecture Triennial’s second edition “Earth to Earth" is a showcase of cumulative ideas that Dabbagh Architects has been fostering through their projects. Onsite in Sharjah, ArchDaily had the chance to speak to the architect about her exploration at the Triennial, as well as her broader architecture practice and its impact on the Global South.
Making Every Part of Architecture Visible: Kim Lenschow Exposes the Hidden Story of Materials
The built environment represents, for most of us, the background of everyday life, and yet, when we look at a building, we rarely understand what it is made of. In doing so, we also fail to understand its impact on us and on the larger systems of nature. Office Kim Lenschow aims to draw attention to this and to provoke critical thinking in relation to architecture and the materials that make it. By focusing on small-scale, mostly residential projects, the office seeks to reveal this hidden narrative of materials and cultivate more awareness and engagement with the structures surrounding us. For their involvement in the exploration of materials and sustainable development, Office Kim Lenschow has been selected as one of the ArchDaily 2023 New Practices. Every year since 2020, ArchDaily has curated and highlighted emerging offices that bring a new perspective to the field of architecture and design.
“There Is No Center”: Interview with Tosin Oshinowo, Curator of the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial
The Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023 opened on November 11, 2023, with a wide program focused on the overarching theme of The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability. While on-site in Sharjah, the ArchDaily team had the chance to sit down with curator Tosin Oshinowo and discuss her curatorial view, the development of the main themes of the program, and the larger principles and intentions behind the event. Informed by her experience growing up in Lagos, Oshinowo has focused the Triennale on the celebration of places that thrive under conditions of scarcity and the alternative models that the Global South can provide in working towards a more equitable and livable future.
"You Can't Do Architecture Just with Architects": In Conversation with Oana Stănescu
Oana Stănescu is a Romanian architect, designer, writer, and educator, based in New York and Berlin, with a diverse portfolio of interventions around the world. Selected as part of 2023 New Practices by ArchDaily, the young architect recognizes the value of architecture as a discipline, but nevertheless acknowledges that architecture cannot single-handedly resolve the complex challenges of our world. “Architecture is most powerful when recognized as part of a larger system, rather than being solely self-serving”, she adds in her conversation with ArchDaily’s Managing Editor, Christele Harrouk. In this way, Oana views architecture as a key player in a broader context, working to address significant societal issues.
With several ongoing projects, from the rehabilitation of an existing industrial infrastructure in Romania, to an integrated house within its natural environment in Canada, Oana’s creative process is centered on a commitment to serve people. Watch the full interview and discover below key insights from the conversation.
Bridging Boundaries: An Interview with Ahmadreza Schricker of ASA North
Based between Tehran, Iran, and New York City, ASA North has emerged as an example of an architectural practice based on malleability and adaptability. Chosen by ArchDaily as part of our 2023 New Practices, ASA North stands at the forefront of melting the boundaries between architecture and art. ArchDaily had the chance to interview Ahmadreza Schricker, its founder delving into the evolution of his life, career, and practice.
Ahmadreza Schricker is an architect whose journey was shaped by his work with Herzog & de Meuron and his time with the well-renowned OMA. His studio ASA North, is well known for its award-winning adaptive reuse of the Argo Contemporary Art Museum & Cultural Center, a former distillery that was awarded at the 2020-2022 Aga Khan cycle. It is a testament to the work ASA North does, bridging gaps between past and future, traditional and contemporary. The interview also goes beyond ASA North, looking into its sister company, ASA South. Based in the virtual world, ASA South challenges conventional boundaries and reimagines architectural practice in the digital age.
"We Have Abdicated as a Profession Our Responsibility Towards the Planet:" In Conversation with Yasmeen Lari
While attending the 2023 UIA World Congress of Architecture in Copenhagen, ArchDaily had the chance to discuss with Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan’s first female architect and the winner of the 2023 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. Yasmeen Lari gained international recognition for her heritage conservation and humanitarian activism efforts, demonstrating the possibilities of practicing architecture within disadvantaged communities. Her innovative and socially conscious approach, a concept known as ‘barefoot social architecture,’ has had a significant impact both in her home country and internationally. By designing for resilient communities, her work also aligns with the intentions behind the UIA World Congress of Architects and the ways in which architecture can contribute to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Rethinking the Biennale: In Conversation with Anh-Linh Ngo, Curator of the German Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale
The German Pavilion Open for Maintenance / Wegen Umbau geöffnet at this years 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia was curated by ARCH+ and Summacumfemmer Büro Juliane Greb. At its core, the exhibition addresses the resource problem and the material cycles of the biennale. Inside the pavilion is a functioning workshop dedicated to applying these concepts of care, repair, and maintenance to Venice onsite. In Venice, ArchDaily had the chance to speak with the co-curator Anh-Linh Ngo, where he discussed the different aspects of the German Pavilion.
“Everyone Belongs to Everyone Else:” In Conversation with the Curators of the Italian Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale
During this year’s edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale, ArchDaily had the chance to discuss with Giacomo Ardesio and Claudia Mainardi of Fosbury Architecture, the curators of the Italian Pavilion together with Alessandro Bonizzoni, Nicola Campri and Veronica Caprino. The curatorial project, titled “Spaziale: Everyone Belongs to Everyone Else,” aims to provide a distinctive and original portrait of Italian architecture within the international context. The curators discussed the origins of their office, their sources of inspiration and the thinking behind the design decisions that led to the creation of the curatorial project for the Italian Pavilion.
"So We Can Be Here in 100 Years": In Conversation with Josephine Michau, Curator of Danish Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale
This year’s Danish Pavilion at The 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, was curated by Josephine Michau. Titled “Coastal Imaginaries,” the exhibition addresses solutions to alleviate global challenges such as rising sea levels and storm floods. Onsite in Venice, ArchDaily had the chance to speak with the curator Josephine Michau, where she discussed the thought process behind the pavilion, the collaborations, and her hopes of starting meaningful dialogue as a result of the exhibition.
