Ellisse, location: Armando Cose, Designer: Philippe Malouin
Communicating an idea using only the essentials is a far greater challenge than it often appears. From Japanese haikus to the refined sculptures of Constantin Brâncuși, many artistic expressions have sought to condense the maximum meaning with the minimum of elements. This economy of form is not a sign of scarcity, but of intensity: every stroke, every word, every silence gains weight. There is something intrinsically appealing in what presents itself as simple and well-resolved, whether it is a text that wastes no words, a tennis player who moves with purposeful gestures, or a melody that is both direct yet unexpectedly profound.
That same principle, which transcends various artistic languages, resonates deeply in contemporary design. When reduced to the essential, furniture or everyday objects reveal a form of beauty that arises from precision and transcends their function. This is exemplified by HUM, the new collection of taps developed by designer Philippe Malouin for QuadroDesign, in which a simple gesture is transformed into a complete language.
When architects are still students, a moment often marks a turning point: their first encounter with software. It's not just about learning a tool but discovering a space where ideas transcend physical models, taking shape in a digital environment and beginning a relationship many will carry throughout their careers. What happens next? Software keeps evolving, and with it, the design experience. In recent years, this evolution has accelerated—machine learning, AI, prompts, and integrated workflows have moved from the periphery to the core of design practice, becoming part of the shared language between software and users. As these tools take hold, a key question emerges: How will this reshape our experience of designing architecture in the future?
Every act of building begins with the transformation of raw materials, energy, and land, and this inevitably entails environmental impact. This encompasses all the changes a process triggers in the natural world: from resource extraction to pollutant emissions, from energy consumption to biodiversity loss. Measuring this is complex, as it spans multiple dimensions. Carbon has emerged as the common metric, translating these effects into greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ equivalent) directly linked to global warming. This standardization has made it omnipresent and comparable across materials, systems, and sectors. Reducing carbon emissions, therefore, means addressing the root of global warming, which is a particularly urgent task in the construction industry, responsible for about 39% of global emissions. In response to this challenge, MVRDV NEXT, the innovation and digital tools division of the Dutch architectural firm, launched CarbonSpace, a free, open platform that brings carbon accounting to the architect's desk, right at the napkin sketch stage.
Architecture's design process has always been shaped by the tools at hand. We once drew with pen and ink on fragile sheets, copied by blueprint and guarded against smudges and tears; then Mylar arrived, making revisions and preservation easier and nudging drawings toward a leaner, more deliberate economy of lines. Computer-aided drafting followed, speeding coordination and changing how we think about scale and precision. Today, AI adds another layer—gathering information in seconds and spinning images on command—promising new efficiencies while raising fresh questions about authorship and craft. What we make, and how we make it, has evolved with each tool; the history of our methods is the history of our ideas.
Beginning in the post-war era, Mylar (developed in the 1950s) eased drawing reproduction and hastened the shift from blueprint to whiteprint processes. Before Mylar, simply preserving drawings—keeping an idea intact, legible, and undamaged—was a significant task. Post-war design priorities often leaned toward efficiency, simplicity, and an industrial minimalism aligned with reconstruction needs. The tools reinforced this: architectural work remained predominantly hand-drawn, where every line took time to lay down and even more time to erase. That labour sharpened the economy of drawing; each stroke had to earn its place.
Architecture is a discipline that evolves through progressive stages, with each phase building upon the previous one. Schematic design, for example, begins with broad concepts and initial explorations, followed by site analysis, sketches, and 3D models, with adjustments made along the way. The true challenge lies not just in following this sequence but in balancing speed, quality, and efficiency to navigate the trade-off between time and quality. In this context, the integration of generative artificial intelligence in the built environment reshapes architectural dynamics by assisting architects and creating space for more experimentation and exploration. Its impact is especially significant in rendering, which was previously a constraint at different project stages—particularly during concept development. Today, however, AI-powered architectural rendering operates smoothly, allowing more focus on creative problem-solving through innovative tools and strategies.
https://www.archdaily.com/1027260/how-ai-powered-rendering-crushes-bottlenecks-in-architecture-and-interior-designEnrique Tovar
Examining the houses that architects designed for themselves can provide insight into their design process, priorities, and philosophy. While often reduced in scale, these personal residences offer a peek into the architects' mindsets and the way in which they translate their ideas into lived spaces without having client-imposed restrictions on the end result. The structures also reflect their creators' personal values, lifestyles, and aesthetic preferences.
These projects are often experiments and testing grounds for their own design principles, pushing the boundaries of architectural expression. From Ray and Charles Eames, who ended up spending their lives in an experimental house created for prefabrication, to Frank Gehry, who used his Santa Monica Dutch colonial house to test out the ideas of deconstructivism that would later come to define his career, these projects represent showcase a different face of the design process of world-renowned architects.
In an era marked by rapid urbanization, climate emergencies, and evolving societal needs, architecture has a complex role to play and a responsibility to engage actively yet sensibly with cultural, political, and economic considerations. In this context, Níall McLaughlin stands out for his balanced approach rooted in historical contexts, yet aware and responsive to contemporary challenges. His studio, Niall McLaughlin Architects, embraces a dialogue-centric approach, fostering a collaborative environment. ArchDaily's senior editor Maria-Cristina Florian had the chance to sit down with Níall McLaughlin and discuss his perspective on the role of architecture in today's society and the emerging challenges of architectural education.
2 World Trade Center Video Clip / BIG, Squint/Opera. Image Courtesy of BIG
Architectural presentations to clients typically include renders, diagrams, and drawings. Interpreting these and envisioning the final product requires imagination and architectural insight to fill in the gaps and visualize a final product. BIG and Squint/Opera, a partnership between an architectural powerhouse and a creative digital studio, explore innovative methods to convey spatial and architectural design beyond traditional means. They reimagine architectural storytelling beyond static 2D visuals through cutting-edge video production and immersive technology, enabling clients and the general public to fully experience their futuristic visions of city planning and architectural design. Their notable collaborations include the video production for the Toyota Woven City Project and the creation of the VR collaborative design tool HyperForm.
In a conversation with ArchDaily, Daniel Sundlin, partner at BIG, and Matt Quinn, Commercial Director at Squint/Opera, discuss their insights on the future of architectural digital storytelling.
This article is the tenth in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints. In this feature, architect John Marx questions the limits and capabilities of AI in architecture and in creating buildings that resonate deeply with people and communities.
Gendo Design to Image Output. Image Courtesy of Gendo
The introduction of AI generative tools represents one of the most significant technological revolutions in the field of architecture and design. While there is concern about this changing the working landscape for professionals in the field, a significant number of practices are embracing the new technology. Architectural visualizations represent one of the main areas where these changes take effect. However, the array of AI tools accessible to non-specialist users rarely allows for true control over the design process, often offering general interpretations of scripts. This can be helpful during early conceptual design phases but loses its appeal soon after. Gendo, a new browser-based app, aims to change this, offering the possibility to not only generate visualizations in seconds but also to edit and customize them, even introducing real-life products in the design. Until August 3, readers of ArchDaily can register and use the code ARCHDAILY50 to get 50% off any plan.
Pallet Parliament / Alejandro Haiek, Rebecca Rudolph, and Raffaele Errichiello. Umeå, Sweden 2022 Photo: Kent Brodin. Image Courtesy of Alejandro Haiek Coll
Architecture practices usually start their design process with a client, who provides a program and a site. Alejandro Haiek, founder of The Public Machinery, approaches things differently. The Public Machinery describes itself as a network of architects and designers working collectively, actively observing, imagining, and proposing public urban interventions themselves. Their proposals are at the intersection of art, architecture, and engineering and weave community engagement, ecology, and new technologies into innovative forms of social infrastructure. They secure funding through research and public grants, enabling them to create public spaces that defy expectations in both their design process and in the form their projects take.
Just as fashion designers use pins, needles and textiles to bring their creations to life, architects rely on materials to shape our built environment. From steel and glass to wood and concrete, these form the artistic palette that transforms blueprints into tangible structures, bridging the gap between imagination and reality. It's as simple, yet as complex as that. But with so many materials –and countless shapes, finishes, textures and colors– available in this day and age, making the correct choices for a particular project can be quite challenging. Several questions naturally arise: How do architects navigate the endless possibilities to handpick the elements that will breathe life into their designs? What does the material specification process entail? Where does one begin?
Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores started their Barcelona-based practice, Flores & Prats Arquitectes in 1998 after both worked at the office of Enric Miralles. They overlapped for about one year there, from 1993 to 1994. After her nine-year stint with Miralles, Eva won the EUROPAN III International Housing Competition with a friend. The success that led to a real commission and was going to be built, served as the springboard for starting their independent practice. Shortly thereafter they won another competition. Ricardo joined Eva after working for five years with Miralles. By then they were a couple for three years and decided to start working together. Today they practice out of the same sprawling apartment where Eva’s original studio rented a room along with several other young architects and designers. Even though the office now occupies the entire space—the architects told me they typically employ ten, no more than twelve people—they keep traces and memories of the former “dwellers” alive. Curiously, Eva and Ricardo implement the same strategy in their architectural projects as well.
In the realm of architectural design and interior furnishings, achieving a balance between form and function is a daily challenge that designers encounter. This interplay between utility and aesthetics has not only evolved over time but also involves a constant exchange of styles and production methods. Frequently, this interchange leads to standardization and generic designs, potentially causing a depletion of authenticity in the design process.
For this reason, in the contemporary era, designers are revisiting the fundamentals, rediscovering manual design processes that range from sketching to model making, all while embracing pure forms. Designers and manufacturers alike are embracing conscientious approaches to develop proposals that maintain simplicity in design while retaining a distinctive identity. In response to this, Bette, in collaboration with the British design studio Barber Osgerby, proposes the creation of minimalist-style bathrooms through the BetteSuno bathroom collection, stripping away complex shapes and seeking a light visual design.
https://www.archdaily.com/1005100/handcrafted-design-for-minimalist-washbasins-and-bathsEnrique Tovar
Photo set. Ensemble of doormen. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Image via Stefan Dechant
"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," Dorothy says to her dog in 1939's 'The Wizard of Oz' as she walks around, discovering a fantasy set in which, without realizing it, we find ourselves immersed. From the initial sketch to the construction of the sets, production design for film requires careful detail to truly bring visions to life and transport viewers.
In this combination of creativity, research, and collaboration, various production designers have approached us to share their adventures and design processes. The importance of creating a cohesive visual aspect, understanding language and styles, and translating all of this to the screen come together in the following series of 8 interviews we conducted with Annie Beauchamp, Luca Tranchino, Felicity Abbott, Jacinta Leong, Alexandra Schaller, Ina Mayhew, Amy Lee Wheeler, and Stefan Dechant.
In architecture, drawing is a technical and artistic expression that involves creating visual representations using various analog instruments. While drawing remains relevant and current in practice today, efforts have been made to carry out architectural tasks and studies more efficiently. The drafting machine, a significant development in this regard, enabled precise strokes using fewer instruments. However, the emergence of computational tools, such as computer-aided drafting (CAD), has revolutionized the workflow by leveraging the advantages offered by computers. Architects can now play a more direct and creative role in the design process, reducing their reliance on time-consuming drawing and repetitive tasks. Moreover, workflow enhancements have fostered more effective collaboration among different stakeholders in the architectural process.
https://www.archdaily.com/1001757/generative-space-design-exploring-8-transformative-tools-in-architectureEnrique Tovar
Water scarcity is one of the most stressful situations that one could ever endure. And yet, in India, a country that holds 18% of the total world population with only 4% of its water resources, this is a recurring struggle with notable numbers of Indian households having to manage water scarcity on a daily basis.
The yearly water cycle is a tough one, ranging from one extreme to another. Harsh monsoons and flood seasons turn into insufferable droughts, making it increasingly difficult to control and retain water resources. While most large-scale actions focus on consequences to agricultural and production sectors, the result is also recognizable at an individual household level. Therefore cumulative small-scale actions are relevant gateways for citizens (? people, designers) to mitigate the issue.
