Materials & ProductsExclusive Articles, from ArchDaily

The architecture profession is increasingly facing the pressures of a rapidly changing era marked by urbanization, population growth, and climate change. To effectively navigate the complexities surrounding architectural and urban projects, there has been an acceleration in the adoption and integration of data-driven technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. However, valid concerns have risen regarding the potential loss of the designer's creative control, with fears that their role may be reduced to a mere "parameter adjuster." Is this a genuine possibility or merely a reflection of resistance to change?

Concrete, second only to water, is the most consumed material worldwide due to its structural strength, ease of handling, and versatility. Comprised of cement, sand, gravel, and water, it is extensively used in construction projects of various scales. However, even this resilient material can deteriorate over time, necessitating maintenance or, in severe cases, demolition. Abrasion and erosion are factors that can adversely affect the appearance of concrete, remove its protective layer, create a rough surface, and potentially lead to structural issues. These challenges are particularly critical in large and complex construction sites, where any irregularities or unevenness can result in significant losses and complications for architects, engineers, and contractors.

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Enhancing the energy performance of existing buildings through refurbishment processes provides the opportunity to create more comfortable and sustainable environments, while also improving their functionality, aesthetics, and safety. Architectural approaches to these renovations encompass various aspects of a building, including interior spaces, structure, internal systems, and facades.

As awareness of water scarcity, water stress and environmental sustainability grows around the world, the concept of "water footprint" is becoming increasingly relevant. Unlike its more popular cousin, "carbon footprint", which focuses on greenhouse gas emissions, the water footprint (WF) provides a holistic view of water used throughout the life cycle of a product, process, or activity. It measures the amount of water consumed (directly and indirectly) and polluted –taking into account different types of water resources– and serves as a valuable tool for companies, policymakers, and individuals to understand and address their water-related impacts. There are even online calculators that measure our individual footprints through simple questions about our homes, appliances and even eating habits.

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Composed of very fine mineral particles and formed through the weathering and erosion of rocks over long periods of time, clay has properties that make it useful for a wide range of applications. When wet, it becomes extremely malleable and plastic, and can be molded into different shapes. When dry, it is hard and rigid, and is widely used for construction and ceramics. Clay pavers are quite common for outdoor use due to their durability, resistance to weather and traffic, their natural hues and ease of installation.

In medieval cities, walls played a crucial function, acting both as a defense against external threats and as a symbol of power and control, while also regulating local trade. The access to the interior of these cities was strictly controlled by guarded gates, drawbridges, and portcullises, ensuring the free flow of local residents and simultaneously obstructing travelers and potential invaders. While fortified towers and armed guards are now primarily associated with prisons, creating access conditions that promote security, reliability, and practicality remains a challenge for architects and designers, especially in complex infrastructure projects such as airports, hospitals, and educational centers. 

Ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans understood long ago the importance of sanitation and wastewater management, building elaborate sewage systems by using underground drainage channels to carry wastewater away from their cities. These systems relied on gravity to transport wastewater to nearby bodies of water, since water cannot flow upward without being pumped. Today, many sewage systems continue using gravity in a similar way, with a suitable slope that facilitates the flow of wastewater downhill to treatment facilities or other infrastructure. This also occurs inside private lots, where a height difference is needed between the building's piping and the urban drainage or sewage system. But there are times when the available height difference is not sufficient, or when the system is lower than necessary, causing gravity to get in the way, and making the system impossible to function in turn.

As societies evolve, educational facilities also undergo continuous transformation processes to keep up. In terms of their design strategies, they must embrace modern approaches that respond to the changing needs of students and teachers. Including flexible, inclusive, and engaging spaces that seamlessly integrate technological advances, contemporary educational design aims to enhance learning and collaborative work, as well as comfort and wellbeing.

Contemporary bamboo buildings may initially appear overwhelming to the novice observer. Yet, as you learn more about the structural logic of these inspiring edifices, you'll quickly realize that most employ one or a blend of the structural systems we're about to explore. The mystery unravels, transforming what once seemed complex into a clear composition of simple concepts. This article shines a light on four commonly employed structural systems in bamboo construction:

While the kitchen is a ubiquitous part of almost every home—and, in many cases, is considered symbolic of domestic living entirely—it can also take up precious space, produce visual clutter, and detract from the minimalist aesthetic of an otherwise sleek, modern home. For some homeowners, the solution is simply to keep the kitchen clean and organized at all times. But for some innovative contemporary architects and their clients, the solution is to design a compact, concealable kitchen that can quickly and easily be shuttered out of view. Below, we discuss several examples of hidden kitchens, as well as some common techniques and strategies for designing them.

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Can current design and manufacturing technologies be incorporated into vernacular and traditional construction techniques? On the IE University campus in Segovia, a group of researchers from IE University, Princeton University, and the University of Bergamo built an unreinforced masonry structure called innixAR that demonstrates how digital technologies can enhance craftsmanship. This pavilion explores the intersection between the latest augmented reality (AR) innovations and 4D funicular design to allow vault craftsmen to build masonry structures without the need for physical guides and costly temporary molds.

Climate issues have been the main topic of discussions about the future of cities, but they are certainly not new. The warning about human irreversibility on the planet has been part of scientific discourse since the 1980s. Faced with increasingly frequent environmental urgencies, Donna Haraway, in her book Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene, suggests a change in attitude on the part of humans to ensure not only partial environmental recovery but the species' survival.

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When it comes to buildings, there are several factors that contribute to creating something truly luxurious: attention to detail, use of premium, high-quality materials, and unique designs. Lately, the environmental impact of building decisions has also entered heavily into this equation, and the development of a luxury project requires all steps and products to take sustainability into account. At One Za'abeel, the new addition to the Dubai skyline, the careful choice of all solutions, manufacturers and surfaces had a direct influence on the final look and atmosphere of the building, which aims to be an urban landmark and raise the standard of buildings in the UAE.

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Finding effective and valuable solutions for agricultural waste management has been an inspiring challenge for researchers. By-products from monocultures, such as residues from soybean production, corn cobs, straw, sunflower seeds, and cellulose, are often destined for soil composting, used as animal feed, or even converted into energy in order to reduce waste and mitigate the environmental impacts associated with agricultural activities. Sugarcane production, for example, generates a significant amount of by-products, totaling about 600 million tons of bagasse fiber waste from an annual production of two billion tons of sugarcane. This by-product has a promising potential to replace energy-intensive building systems, such as concrete and brick, by providing building materials that combine sustainability and structural efficiency.

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Harnessing the power of moldless manufacturing through large-scale robotic 3D printing, research at ETH Zürich in collaboration with FenX AG delves into the use of cement-free mineral foam made from recycled waste. The objective is to build wall systems that are monolithic, lightweight, and immediately insulated, minimizing material use, labor requirements, and associated costs.

Wood is the concrete of the future. As timber construction becomes increasingly popular, you have probably heard this phrase. However, we are not talking about traditional construction techniques using timber, but rather about this well-known material combined with cutting-edge technology.