Highlight: The Latest Architecture and News

During a live presentation for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, curator Carlo Ratti offered a glimpse into the programming of this year's edition. The 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale will include 66 National Pavilions, with 4 countries represented for the first time: the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, and Togo. The exhibition, divided between the Giardini (26), at the Arsenale (22) and in the city center of Venice (15), explores the theme of "Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective", gathering over 750 participants, including individuals and organizations forming interdisciplinary and multigenerational teams. According to the numbers released, this year's edition is shaping up to become the largest Architecture Biennale held in Venice.

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The second round of award winners of the 2024 World Architecture Festival have been announced, following Day Two of live presentations at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, in which hundreds of shortlisted projects were presented by practices from around the world. Amongst today's category award winners in the Completed Buildings section of the world's largest international live-judged architectural event are Warren and Mahoney, CONTEXTO, and fitzpatrick+partners.

Australia led the way with seven projects announced as winners and highly commended across the categories. The United Kingdom secured four wins and highly commended projects, following Australia.

The first award winners of the 2024 World Architecture Festival have been announced, following Day One of live presentations at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, in which hundreds of shortlisted projects were presented by practices from around the world. Amongst today's category award winners in the Completed Buildings section of the world's largest international live-judged architectural event are 5468796 Architecture, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Wallflower Architecture + Design.

The Japan Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd, centers on the theme "Between Lives," emphasizing cycles of transformation that shape life across plants, animals, and societies. It illustrates how, as entities approach the end of their roles, they transition into new forms, passing on elements of their existence. The Pavilion reflects this continuous cycle, demonstrating how the world operates through countless interconnected loops.

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Inside is the sister festival of the World Architecture Festival (WAF), the world's biggest live architectural awards programme, celebrating the very best in interior design. Both Inside and WAF finalists will present their projects to a panel of judges live at the international festival in Singapore.

The 2024 Inside Shortlist represents over 80 interior projects from across the globe, in cities including: New York City, Dubai, Beijing, Osaka, São Paolo, Phuket, Delhi, Auckland, Mexico City, Lisbon, and London. Leading design firms to feature in this year's shortlist include Foster + Partners, Broadway Malyan, Nikken Sekkei and Office AIO. Many emerging design firms will also be on stage, live pitching against the big names.

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The 17th edition of World Architecture Festival (WAF) will take place at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from the 6-8th November 2024. In addition to the unique live-judged awards programme and crit presentations, this year's event will include fringe events, an exhibition, and keynote talks from an international panel of speakers.

This week, the festival announced their short list of most innovative projects from around the globe, celebrating the best new completed buildings and landscapes as well as the most inspiring future architectural concepts, across 33 categories, ranging from residential, to transport, to retrofit. This year's finalists range from major world architects including Zaha Hadid Architects, WOHA, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, MVRDV, Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, Kohn Pederson Fox, and Nikken Sekkei, with many emerging practices also on stage competing against the big names.

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Lebanese French architect Lina Ghotmeh, leading the Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture, has revealed the first photographs of the National Pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the Expo Osaka 2025. The design draws inspiration from the traditional Bahraini dhow boats, employing the country's historical boat-building technologies to showcase Bahrain's craftsmanship and manufacturing heritage. The pavilion is also a nod to the hosts of the World Expo, drawing parallels with Japanese wood artistry. Commissioned and organized by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, this marks the country's fourth contribution to the World Expo. The pavilion is located in the "Empowering Lives" zone, spanning 995 square meters and inviting visitors to engage through a sensory exhibition experience.

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The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is thrilled to announce the first distinguished members of its 2024 judging panel. This esteemed group comprises some of the world's most respected architects, designers, and industry leaders.

The 17th edition of WAF is welcoming submissions from architects and designers worldwide until 19th April 2024. The festival will take place at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from the 6-8th November 2024. In addition to the unique live-judged awards programme and crit presentations, this year's event will include fringe events, an exhibition and keynote talks from an international panel of speakers.

All human activities affect the environment. Some are less impactful, some much, much more. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the construction sector is responsible for up to 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Activities such as mining, processing, transportation, industrial operations, and the combination of chemical products result in the release of gases such as CO2, CH4, N2O, O3, halocarbons, and water vapor. When these gases are released into the atmosphere, they absorb a portion of the sun's rays and redistribute them in the form of radiation in the atmosphere, warming our planet. With a rampant amount of gas released daily, this layer thickens, which causes solar radiation to enter and and stay in the planet. Today, this 'layer' has become so thick that mankind is beginning to experience severe consequence, such as desertification, ice melting, water scarcity, and the intensification of storms, hurricanes, and floods, which has modified ecosystems and reduced biodiversity.

As architects, one of our biggest concerns should be the reduction of carbon emissions from the buildings we construct. Being able to measure, quantify, and rate this quality is a good way to start.

We already know that the ramp, aside from its different design possibilities, allows—without forgetting the notion of promenade architecturale—its users to overcome physical barriers in the urban and architectural context.

Although it basically consists of a continuous surface with a particular angle of slope, it is necessary to point out the many constructive specifications, which of course may vary due based on the standards of different governing bodies. The following clarifications are intended to assist and determine the appropriate dimensions for comfortable and efficient ramps for all, based on the concept of universal accessibility.

To what extent can the slope of a ramp be modified? How can we determine its width and the space needed for maneuvering? What considerations exist regarding the handrails? Here we review some calculations and design examples for different ramps, below.