ArchDaily | Broadcasting Architecture Worldwide https://www.archdaily.com/ Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://assets.adsttc.com/doodles/archdaily-logo-feedly.svg 026CB6 https://www.archdaily.com/1041153/building-with-the-landscape-non-invasive-design-strategies-for-steep-terrain Thu, 07 May 2026 07:30:00 +0000 Olivia Poston https://www.archdaily.com/1041153/building-with-the-landscape-non-invasive-design-strategies-for-steep-terrain The relationship between constraint and design excellence is well established in architectural theory, yet often remains underexplored in discussions of site-specific practices. When architects encounter extreme topography, they face a fundamental choice: transform the landscape to accommodate the building, or modify the building to fit the landscape. The first approach is straightforward and requires the builder to cut, fill, terrace, and build on level ground. This choice, however, carries cascading consequences as any amount of earth moved may destabilize slopes, disrupt drainage, and fracture ecosystems. A growing body of innovative architectural work demonstrates an alternative to earth-moving and retaining walls.

]]> https://www.archdaily.com/1039856/negotiating-boundaries-climate-and-the-building-envelope-in-central-american-architecture Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000 Moises Carrasco https://www.archdaily.com/1039856/negotiating-boundaries-climate-and-the-building-envelope-in-central-american-architecture In temperate and cold climates, architecture typically begins with a defensive gesture. The building envelope is a sealed boundary designed to resist the exterior environment through insulation, vapor barriers, and mechanical control. In cold countries like Canada, where winter temperatures can plunge well below freezing, airtightness is not a luxury. In this context, buildings must resist the exterior environment entirely to maintain interior comfort. However, in Central America, a region spanning from Belize to Panama, architectural logic shifts from exclusion to negotiation. In this region, the envelope is not a wall of defense but a specialized filter.

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