Designed by Luxembourg-based office STDM architectes urbanistes in collaboration with Japanese office MIKAN, the concept of "Doki-Doki –The Luxembourg Heartbeat" has won the competition for the design of the Luxembourg pavilion at the Osaka 2025 World Expo. The pavilion takes its name from the Japanese term for heartbeat, aiming to express joy and enthusiasm while strengthening the connection between the two countries. It also strives to offer visitors a chance to discover the cultural richness of Luxembourg and its multifaceted identity.
Architecture and design studio Beta Realities has unveiled a master plan to transform a former industrial area in Jinan, China, into a circular neighborhood and green energy campus. The new Cuizhai Hydrogen Park will embody circular construction principles, adapting the site’s structure to accommodate both social functions and sustainable production. Extensive green areas provide open space for the development of future technologies while ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all.
Architecture praxis has traditionally focused on customized, project-based services – a well-established model continually favored by industry professionals. While this approach yields remarkable built environments, it struggles to achieve scalability and longevity. The architectural industry has shown little interest in exploring alternative practices, processes and business models, considering that the traditional mode is equally vulnerable to market cycles as other industries are. Bespoke design solutions, the cornerstone of conventional practice, make standardizing processes and scaling services challenging. This focus also leads to fragmented workflows among firms and stakeholders. The stability and establishment of traditional practices can breed a risk-averse culture, hampering disruptive innovations within the industry.
Modular construction is a process in which a building is constructed away from its actual site, within controlled factory settings, using identical materials, and adhering to a set of codes and regulations. The methodology was first introduced as a solution in the search for efficient, quality-controlled, and cost-effective building systems. The industrialized building method evolved to meet historical demands and has recently been met with renewed interest. These “modules” are then transported to the construction site and assembled into the final structure, adhering to the same building standards as conventionally built facilities. With potential benefits in terms of waste reduction, energy efficiency, emergency responses, and fast-tracked development, the methodology is gaining traction worldwide.
In recent years, modular construction has emerged as a game-changer in the construction industry, particularly in the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. With a growing embrace of innovative solutions to address the region’s evolving needs, modular construction has emerged as a compelling alternative. As awareness increases and technological advancements increase, modular construction may offer a viable alternative to traditional building practices in the GCC region.
At the dawn of Modernism, in the fervent search for innovative, efficient, and cost-effective building systems, the idea of modular construction offered the promise of exactly that: an industrialized system comprised of ready-to-assemble elements, easily configured, cost-effective, and quality-controlled. While the idea did not gain as much traction as was initially expected, it has remained an attractive premise for architects and designers. Now, new developments in the field have led to a renewed interest in the matter, as modular housing emerges as an effective measure in various fields, from affordable housing to emergency shelters, or even as platforms for interdisciplinary collaboration, participation, and co-design. The following article explores this promise of accessibility, creativity, and affordability that has become an integral part of the debate around modular architecture.
In a constant search to find new ways to reduce costs and construction times, modular architecture emerges as an opportunity to implement various methods, technologies, and techniques to design livable spaces using separate repetitive elements such as modules. As Tom Hardiman, executive director of the Modular Building Institute (MBI), maintains, "Modular" is not about a construction product but rather a construction process.
Many ancient Egyptian, Greek and Islamic religious buildings share a common feature known as hypostyle. Defined as rows of columns that support a roof, this solution has developed in different cultures in different periods of time, which can explain the variety of materials, shapes, sizes and distances between the columns that can be found around the world. Famous examples of the use of this concept are Great Hypostyle Hall (c. 1290–1224 BC), part of the Karnak Temple Complex and one of the most visited monuments of Ancient Egypt, and the Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia (c. 13th and mid-14th centuries), World Heritage Site located in present-day Turkey.
In contemporary architecture, it is possible to see different kinds of examples of how this concept is revived. While some projects use the concept to refer to vernacular architectures that correspond to the same program and use as the proposed building, as is the case with some mosques, others rely on the abstraction of the term through an interpretation that highlights the pillars and their organization in the proposition of the space. In all of them, however, it is clear that the relationship between the hypostyle inspiration and modular architecture is very close, practically intrinsic.
Modular homes are houses either partially or fully constructed in a factory. This process involves creating a series of three-dimensional 'modules' delivered to a site in a predetermined spatial pattern and assembled into a complete product. These homes have become popular solutions to housing crises as they can be produced 50% faster and emit half as much pollution.
However, the locality of the materials used is a significant factor that gives homes their character. It conveys a sense of place, culture, construction history, and local craftsmanship. This raises questions about its role in modular housing: Can local materials be used in the factory production of homes? Can they be combined with a modular framework and temporary connections? What are the limitations of building modular homes in the local contexts of the Global South?
German-based architecture and design studio Beta Realities has developed the “Collective Parts” initiative, a design and technology platform for enabling the construction of affordable 3D printed housing. The project has been recognized as one of the winners of Inititative99by ICON, a global architecture competition aimed at reimagining affordable housing that can be built for under $99,000. The other winners of the open category are MTspace Studio from New Zealand and For Everyday Life from the United Kingdom. The competition also highlights contributions from students as a separate category, featuring Casa Fami by IAAC from Spain, Juan Felipe Molano from Colombia, and Victoria Roznowski from Germany.
Zaha Hadid Architects have released images of their design for the world’s first hydrogen refueling infrastructure for recreational boating. Continuing ZHA’s experience in maritime designs, the stations are to be installed in 25 Italian marinas and ports. Launched by NatPower H, the stations will begin to be implemented in the summer of 2024, with plans to expand to over 100 locations throughout the Mediterranean Sea in the next six years.
Nassau County International Cricket Stadium / Populous. Image Courtesy of Populous
Designed by the sports and entertainment-focused architecture office Populous, the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will be located in Eisenhower Park, 30 miles east of Manhattan, and is planned to host eight matches during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The stadium, having a capacity of 34,000 seats with additional VIP and hospitality units, is scheduled to be completed within 3 months. The accelerated process is made possible by the modular system, typically employed in other sports such as Formula 1, Golf, and the Olympic Games.
The ArchDaily projects library is managed by our curators who constantly seek to populate our stream with the most interesting global works, showcasing evolving focuses and criteria. While we usually share our reader’s top 100 favorites, this year, we also decided to initiate our editor’s picks on the ArchDaily Instagram account, where our curators highlight some projects that include interesting themes and unique traits.
RoarcRenew Architects has been selected for ArchDaily's 2023 New Practices. In two of Shanghai's busiest commercial districts, Anfu Road and Columbia Circle, stores designed by RoarcRenew Architects attract large crowds. Within spaces covering just a hundred square meters, they meticulously design every architectural element, continuously exploring and innovating. Their recent bamboo installation, done in collaboration with Taikoo Li, is a remarkable showcase of sustainable design in commercial spaces.
Roarc Renew consistently conveys a clear architectural concept in its projects. The construction logic mirrors the fundamental principles governing our world, involving substances and joints: joints can both represent the substances in the physical world and connect them all. In their projects, Roarc Renew has introduced the JointsPavilion (JP) series for the construction system and the SoftJoints (SJ) series for home furniture systems. This allows them to utilize their expertise in creating elegant connections that simplify and enhance the beauty of various elements.
https://www.archdaily.com/1007358/designing-with-a-sustainable-and-product-oriented-approach-an-interview-with-roarcrenew-architects韩双羽 - HAN Shuangyu
Sustainability has taken center stage in the broad world of architecture and design, inspiring and directing the construction of new structures towards environmental harmony. The use of wood, a classic material with enormous potential to lessen our ecological impact while providing limitless design possibilities, is a notable example of this movement's implementation. In the fight for sustainability in the field of architecture, wood has become an ally. Its distinctive qualities, such as renewability and carbon neutrality, have inspired creative methods among architects worldwide.
A wide range of architectural projects, from vital healthcare facilities to exciting mixed-use buildings, cultural hubs, and welcoming residential spaces, benefit from wood's extraordinary versatility as a building material. In fact, wood's natural warmth and biophilic qualities can create spaces that reduce stress and promote well-being. Furthermore, the carbon-neutral nature of wood aligns perfectly with the design industry's commitment to environmental responsibility.
Courtesy of interplay+komy | Polish Pavilion Expo 2025
Interplay has just revealed the design for Poland’s Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Kansai. Commissioned by the Polish Investment and Trading Agency, the project is responding to the theme of the upcoming Expo, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” The Polish Pavilion was born from the studio’s fascination with spirals, specifically the shape’s use in different scales, from “protein molecules to the structure of galaxies.” Serving as a symbol of Polish ingenuity, the geometric-patterned pavilion aims to extend its influence beyond national boundaries.
Amidst the current wave of architectural globalization, the art of crafting designs attuned to specific contexts is fading. This concern is especially significant in countries in crisis, such as Ukraine, where the built environment's history is being eroded by war. In these conditions, the contribution of local architects with an innate grasp of the country's cultural nuances becomes imperative. Leading the charge in the rebuilding of Ukraine is prototype, a pioneering practice that challenges architectural conventions to push the country towards a promising future.
Recognizing their forward-looking vision, ArchDaily has featured prototype as part of the 2023 New Practices, a global annual survey. prototype's outlook on the future of architecture aligns with responsible design that addresses the environmental impact of construction and marries contextual and specific considerations for each project. Their recent accomplishments include the bookstore Readellion, and Ukrainian-Danish Youth House, epitomizing prototype's recurring design principles of mobility, adaptability, dynamic levels, and change of scenarios.
There are many building materials that have experienced minimal changes since their initial inception in the field of architecture. However, this does not imply that they are outdated, but rather that their qualities and simplicity make them highly versatile materials also demonstrate the resilience and durability of materials that withstand the test of time. An example of this is brick, a timeless material that has been able to adapt over the years, serving functions such as walls, cladding, and flooring, among others. Under this premise, Louis Khan referred to the expressive possibilities of brick, stating, "Even a brick wants to be something. It aspires."
Thanks to the progress of new technologies applied to materials, disruptive proposals have arisen that converge in new construction systems. On many occasions, these new technologies are combined with materials considered "traditional," generating new concepts in which materials such as brick find new applications and possibilities. One of these new concepts is Flexbrick, a ceramic textile with an industrialized system that combines flexible sheets to wrap architectural spaces. This opens up new possibilities for applications at the forefront of the parametric architecture revolution, using a flexible, adaptable, and sustainable material.
https://www.archdaily.com/1003807/algorithm-based-architecture-flexible-bricks-to-wrap-architectural-spacesEnrique Tovar