The architectural practice of reusing and refurbishing should be the first consideration when designing and reshaping our already overbuilt cities. Good architecture prioritizes this approach over demolition, as it can reduce costs, enhance environmental efficiency, and preserve functional structures that can continue serving their purpose for years.
The MICROHOME 2025 Competition by Buildner is back, offering a record-breaking 100,000 EUR prize fund to celebrate cutting-edge, sustainable solutions for compact housing. Sponsored by Kingspan, this global competition invites architects, designers, and creative thinkers to redefine the concept of microhomes.
Register before the deadline on 13 February 2025.
Construction has commenced on the Shenzhen Institute of Financial Technology tower, a 46-story building designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Its design, situated on a narrow site in Shenzhen's Futian district, aims to respond to its urban context. The building's form, measuring 199 meters in height, incorporates setbacks placed to maximize sunlight penetration to surrounding streets and public areas. This design decision is further reflected in the façade's varying transparency and color, created by vertical and angled glazing mullions in black and bronze. Recent construction photographs reveal the topped-out tower, waiting to receive its envelope while temporarily showcasing openly its structure and interior organization.
In a rapidly evolving urban landscape, the new residential building redefines the concept of community living. Gardea Residencial stands in one of the city of Zaragoza's 15 neighborhoods, Miralbueno, an area where residential developments have been built. The project exemplifies functional, sustainable design, realized through two linear blocks, each optimizing available space with a basement level, a ground floor, and additional two storeys—two in one block and three in the other. With its sleek design, this building brought to life by Tash&Partners features a ventilated façade made of extruded porcelain tiles by Faveker. These tiles, in addition to being recyclable, enhance sustainability and efficiency.
People frequently claim that finding smart solutions to problems requires a creative approach that involves thinking outside the box. This premise has become a widely accepted idea in the field of technology, where numerous historical breakthroughs have emerged from innovative methods. Prominent examples in power generation include the discovery of the photovoltaic effect by Edmund Becquerel in 1839 and the development of the first commercial solar panel by Charles Fritts later that century. These milestones have enabled the integration of solar panels as essential components of clean energy generation within architecture, driving a significant shift toward renewable energy.
This shift is currently manifesting as a tipping point between power generation and the built environment, driven by a transition that promotes creative thinking and encourages new perspectives. Today, sustainable energy production extends beyond merely installing solar panels on roofs; it aims to integrate various building elements into the energy system. ClearVue's Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) exemplifies this innovation by harnessing nearly all facade components as sources of power production. This vision opens new possibilities for the design of urban structures, promoting a more sustainable approach that aligns with contemporary needs.
In just one hour, more solar energy hits the Earth than the world uses in a year—and solar roofs are here to harness it. These sleek, high-tech panels are revolutionizing how we think about energy, generating clean electricity that can cut your carbon footprint by up to 80% and save thousands on energy bills. Not only are solar panels becoming more efficient and durable, but they also blend seamlessly into modern architecture, turning homes into power plants.
The relationship between architecture and naval design has been a fascinating interplay of form and function that has evolved significantly. Both disciplines have a shared history of innovation, aesthetics, and functionality that have informed and inspired each other. This "love affair" has seen architects drawing inspiration from boats, particularly in the modernist era when ships' streamlined, efficient designs influenced the aesthetic of buildings. Conversely, architectural principles have also been adapted to enhance the functionality and form of boats, demonstrating a reciprocal exchange that continues to shape both disciplines.
Space exploration isn’t merely a testament to human ambition or a quest for new territories and resources. Our ventures beyond Earth’s atmosphere are driven by a deeper purpose: to understand better our place in the cosmos and to pioneer innovations that can transform life on our home planet.
While venturing beyond our planet captures the imagination, the true impact of space exploration may be felt much closer to home. Public perception often frames space exploration as a distant endeavor with limited relevance to terrestrial challenges. However, this perspective overlooks the substantial contributions of space programs to our world. By driving technological innovation, expanding our scientific knowledge, and inspiring future generations, space exploration has proven to be an invaluable catalyst for addressing global issues.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands's pavilion, presented at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, features the theme, "Common Ground: Creating a New Dawn Together," emphasizing the Netherlands' dedication to fostering mutual understanding to address global challenges. Designed by RAU Architects, the pavilion's circular design features a prominent illuminated sphere at its center, symbolizing a new era of unlimited clean energy, akin to a "man-made sun" signaling a future powered by sustainable resources.
Following an international competition, Caruso St John Architects has been appointed to renovate the iconic Kunsthalle Bielefeld in Northwest Germany. Designed by Philip Johnson and completed in 1968, the structure is Johnson’s only museum in Europe. Despite past maintenance efforts, the building remains largely unchanged from its original state. The renovation aims to modernize the museum’s services, exterior, and interior spaces.
Tencent is developing its new headquarters campus on five parcels spanning over 80 hectares east of Da Chan Bay Island in Qianhai, Bao'an District, Shenzhen. MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, has designed LOT 04 East of Tencent's new headquarters, envisioning two biomorphic office towers, three interconnected buildings, and a raindrop-shaped building. This project covers approximately 72,000 square meters with a Gross Floor Area of 412,000 square meters. Currently under construction, Lot 04 East of the headquarters is expected to be completed and open for users in 2025. Other projects announced for the campus include Büro Ole Scheeren’s swirling design for the Tencent Helix, and MVRDV’s residential complex named Tencent P5.
Throughout the history of architecture, energy efficiency, and CO2 emissions were considered marginal issues until the late 20th century. The low scores of some iconic modernist buildings in the Energy Star certification program illustrate this situation. The MetLife/PanAm Building (designed by Walter Gropius and Pietro Belluschi in 1963) received a dismal score of 39 (on a scale of 0 to 100), while the Lever House (designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1952) scored 20. The worst performance was by Mies Van der Rohe's iconic Seagram Building, constructed in 1958, which received only 3 points. On the other hand, two revered Art Deco buildings from the 1930s, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building achieved scores of 84 and 80, respectively, as a result of extensive upgrades to their mechanical and insulation systems.
Celebrating groundbreaking projects that showcase sustainable construction practices, this year’s winners of the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction 2023 highlight innovative approaches across various scales, forms, geographies, and forms. The Gold Prize for North America was awarded to Partisans Architects and Well-Grounded Real Estate with their high-tech, low-cost modular housing solution for urban living in Toronto. In a video interview for ArchDaily, Jonathan Diamond from Well-Grounded Real Estate discusses the development of the winning project and the forces that shaped it.
It seems like everyone is going solar these days. In the United States, the net solar power generation has increased by more than 113,000 million kilowatt hours in the last decade. Solar integration with residential projects saves homeowners money on energy bills and increases property value over time. As solar integration technology advances, the advantages span beyond financial and environmental; solar panels are assuming an aesthetic role in modern architecture, too.
Solar integration is becoming an expectation among new construction homebuyers. Architects and designers must adapt accordingly to increase the availability of photovoltaic integration in residential developments. However, with careful planning and execution, solar panels can be better incorporated during the design and construction phases. This article outlines how homebuilders can meet consumer demands for solar integration, creating an easy-to-follow pathway for accommodating changing home design trends.
Kéré Architecture has revealed the design for a vertical childcare center at Munich’s Technical University (TUM) in Germany. Named "Ingeborg Pohl Kinderoase an der TUM," the center will be built in wood to the extent allowed by local norms and regulations for energy efficiency, thermal comfort, fire protection, and acoustics. The new building, located between the TUM main campus and the university canteen, broke ground on April 18 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
ZEB Living Lab is a research building that stands out for its pioneering initiative among zero-emission buildings, seeking to have a significant impact on the future. Located in Trondheim, Norway, it is much more than just a building; it is a tangible manifestation of the global commitment to sustainability and innovation. Conceived as an advanced research laboratory and a practical example of sustainable construction practices, it represents the point of convergence between architecture, technology and environmental awareness. Managed in collaboration between NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) and SINTEF (Scandinavian Institute of Technology), this center of scientific excellence is a platform for living experimentation, where innovative materials and solutions are developed, tested and demonstrated in direct interaction with the building occupants.
Every year, Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, presents us with an opportunity to contemplate the conditions of our planet and our impact upon it. Generating around 37% of global carbon emissions, the construction industry has an important, often detrimental, role to play, thus placing an increasingly urgent responsibility on architects and builders to devise strategies for reducing this number. Still, the built environment represents the habitat for most of humanity, and so it has the potential to protect and shelter people from the risks posed by the changing climate. Read on to discover a collection of articles delving into the strategies available at urban and architectural scales for mitigating the effects of climate change and minimizing the industry’s impact upon it.
The Vitra Design Museum presents 'Transform! Designing the Future of Energy', an exhibition running from March 23rd to September 1st, 2024. As energy stands as the cornerstone of modern society, the subject encompasses political, social, and environmental dimensions. The exhibition aims to highlight design’s role in the effort to transform the energy sector into a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable one, relying more on renewable sources, smart mobility systems, and moving towards self-sufficient cities.
