Sponsored Post: The Latest Architecture and News

Fueled by pressing issues such as the climate crisis, population density and rapid urbanization, the built environment has become increasingly complex. Architecture and design professionals are faced with a challenging, yet fundamental task: to translate society’s ever-evolving needs into tangible and future-oriented solutions. In pursuit of this goal, they must embrace the countless tools, materials and technologies emerging every day in the construction field –from AI to virtual reality software and smart home systems. After all, to remain at the forefront in an industry where change is the norm, the ability to adapt and evolve is crucial for success.

To live in a world surrounded by the constant rise of new challenges calls for adaptability, resilience and continuous learning. As a response, design competitions encourage architects to think outside the box to create innovative solutions. Both for theoretical and practical projects, these competitions provide a collaborative platform to promote innovation and creativity to solve contemporary challenges. Such is the case of Buildner, which develops a space for showcasing open architecture competitions to discover new architectural possibilities.

A tool for driving progress by fostering groundbreaking ideas that promote the discussion of critical topics such as affordable housing, sustainability and small-scale architecture, Buildner architecture competitions are key for addressing global challenges. These competitions aim to inspire the next generation of designers to challenge the status quo.

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For those considering a career in environmental design –as an architect, landscape architect, urban designer, or city planner–, an immersive summer program in architecture and sustainable design might be the way to go before making a more long term commitment. Intensive summer programs are a great way to explore a career interest in architecture and environmental design. The College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley offers a variety of immersive summer courses, emphasizing hands-on studio design and teaching a multitude of relevant foundational design skills. By attending these programs, students gain professional clarity, competency, an increased network of peers and experts, and an empowering experience.

Playing with the balance between form and function, laminates enable architecture to perform a variety of tasks at the same time, being robust, flame-retardant, stain-resistant and antibacterial. With a wide range of applications in architecture, Egger has developed a range of products that can be applied to many of the spaces we inhabit daily, such as kitchens, bathrooms, offices, hotels and shops. Diving into the specifics of laminates and how they can be applied in architecture, we showcase how these materials are an ideal coating material with extra-wide format alternatives.

Ascension Paysagère, designed by Dutch office MVRDV, is a mixed-use development that combines residential, commercial, and community spaces in the French city of Rennes. It stands out from its surroundings through a series of stepped terraces inspired by geological formations such as gorges and mountain ranges, with terraces designed to provide a variety of living and communal spaces, as well as tree-lined gardens and public squares. To amplify the effects desired by the designers, the chosen ceramic tile resembles the rock colors of the region, and changes its appearance with every change in climate, reflecting the environment and the light.

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The third and final part of "Stories of Lisbon's Light" focuses on a robust and daringly contrasting family home between the seven rolling hills of ‘the city of light’, Lisbon. Discover how architect Pedro Domingos designed a home where daylight and the river Tagus play the leading roles. With the residence facing the south, radical architectural choices had to be made to allow the light to flow through the entire residence.

Bathroom accessories serve various functions, especially when it comes to hygiene, organization and practicality. Previously thought of as purely functional components, designed only to perform their intended use, today they are seen as compositional tools that contribute to the overall aesthetics of a bathroom. Careful consideration in the choice of pieces makes it possible to create a functional and pleasant space. As bathroom accessories have become more advanced and complex, designers have begun to explore the potential of incorporating aesthetic elements into their design, resulting in creating smarter, safer, and more beautiful accessories.

Moving away from the decorative and ornate approaches of the past, contemporary designs now seek minimalism and more simplified aesthetics –clean lines, essential elements, with a focus on geometric shapes and a well thought out color palette. This approach has been particularly successful in creating sophisticated spaces, but also in providing a sense of space and openness in smaller bathrooms, where the absence of clutter and unnecessary decoration can make the room seem more spacious.

Besides providing external protection, natural ventilation, insulation and energy efficiency, the presence of façades enhances the building’s personality and character. Among the different types of façade systems, cladding strategies stand out for their variety of materials and textures –such as metal, glass, stone, wood and composite– all of which build durable, low-maintenance and visually appealing structures. Innovating with textures, forms and technologies, BŌK Modern has developed different metal panels for creating functional and aesthetic façade cladding systems. Showcasing six architectural projects, we delve into the practical and visual attributes of rainscreens and wallscreens.

Sustainability is much more than simply deciding for or against a specific product. It is a concept that must be integrated into the way we build and design architecture, as well as the intelligent use of existing buildings and their potential renovations. From a sustainability perspective, demolishing an old building is just as unsustainable as building a new one. Both use large amounts of embodied energy that can be avoided when all planning parties consider new ways of working and collaborate more closely.

In this sense, the efficient use of raw materials and the reduction of waste for reuse is essential. Polycarbonate in façades, for example, has a life cycle of at least 20 years on average and can be recycled and reused in many ways, thus doubling its useful life until it can no longer be usefully recycled.

Beyond light as a physical phenomenon perceptible by the human eye, daylight is an inexhaustible architectural resource that is sometimes taken for granted. Just like the air we breathe, we are all aware of the existence of light, but rarely do we seek to do anything else with it. It is essential to recognize its presence as an enabler of experiences in space, due to its intrinsic relationship with architecture and human beings.

The incidence of light in architecture directly influences the way we perceive the passage of time. Since ancient times, constructions such as ziggurats have integrated strategies to capture the changing daylight through their roofs, evolving and remaining present in modern constructions such as the Villa Savoye. More recently, the flatness of roofs in contemporary buildings has been a great resource for incorporating architectural elements that also allow them to be inhabited, such as roof access hatches, which serve as a link between natural light and roof terraces.

Below, we review some of the latest technologies in skylights and access hatches, such as those developed by LAMILUX.

Le Corbusier once described architecture as “a learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light.” Natural light –and its accompanying shadow– plays a crucial role in shaping our perception of architecture, serving a long list of functions that define how users experience, engage and interact with buildings. From illuminating and accentuating to enhancing views and evoking warmth, the presence of daylight has the power to set a room’s tone and aesthetic language. It even has a significant impact on human health and well-being, including boosting mood and productivity, regulating circadian rhythms and reducing eyestrain and headaches –it makes our lives brighter, literally.

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Appropriate fittings are as crucial to interior design as any other prominent feature, enhancing aesthetic appeal and providing the finishing touches to a space. Considered spaces where some of our most basic needs are met, kitchens are ideally designed to suit the lifestyles of its inhabitants, and can include customized fittings with diverse faucet systems, functions and finishes. Seeking style and functionality, we showcase a round-up of Dornbracht’s latest series of kitchen faucets, which seamlessly integrate cutting-edge refinements with timeless design to create versatile living spaces.

Higher noise emissions, higher wind loads and a desire for greater energy efficiency – the structural requirements for façades in multi-storey residential buildings and skyscrapers are becoming increasingly demanding, for both new builds and renovations. This is the result of the urban densification that is taking place in response to the acute lack of available housing and the more extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change. 

A home’s entry is often its first impression, and modern architects are using large scale glass to create impressions that are dramatic, surprising, and uniquely welcoming. See how six architects designed unique entries for homes, regardless of size and location. 

Two decades in the making, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo is one of the most anticipated cultural buildings, set to be an architectural marvel and a leading scientific, historical and archeological study center. The vast, billion-dollar mega-project occupies a site of around 500,000 square meters adjacent to the Pyramids UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Giza Plateau. Within its halls, what will soon be the world’s largest archeological museum will showcase 3,500 years of ancient Egyptian history, revealed through a collection of more than 100,000 artifacts –many of which will be displayed for the first time.

Identified as small rectangular blocks made of fired or sun-dried clay, bricks have traditionally been used for building pavements, walls and other elements of masonry construction. Laid in courses or rows and joined together with mortar, bricks are known for their strong structural strength and durability. But beyond their basic functional purposes, their multiple patterns, sizes and shapes allow for a distinctive aesthetic with an infinite design versatility, becoming a design feature themselves. Showcasing an example of aesthetic brickwork, we will take a closer look of Villa Peer, an architecture project in Belgium that uses Randers Tegl’s long format waterstruck bricks as the main design feature for the whole building’s facade.

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Hadi Teherani approaches his architecture and design projects holistically. Born in Teheran and raised in Hamburg, he is a prolific and versatile designer whose works can be found in Germany and all over the world. His projects have been recognized with internationally renowned awards for their ecologically-sound sustainability and holistic approach. Maybe that’s the reason for his constant stream of ideas: he sees the process of creation as a reaction to what he sees, senses and feels.

Designing from personal perception and inspiration, Teherani's bathroom concept for the AXOR DISTINCTIVE project was born. When asked by the brand how he would define his very personal “bathroom with personality”, the architect answered with a design that reflects an individual idea of this space, derived from this self-image — in its daily use, its design and its furnishing.

Sustainability needs to go further beyond inspiring speeches and promises, with visible, concrete actions. In order to see this change, it is essential for individuals, companies and governments to take responsibility and act in a sustainable manner in their daily lives and practices. By taking into account the environmental and social impacts of their decisions and seeking more conscious and responsible alternatives, they can take steps to ensure a sustainable future for the next generations. In the construction industry this is even more urgent. Responsible for a large amount of solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions, it is essential for this industry to adopt sustainable practices, such as recycling, to minimize environmental impacts.

However, even though product recycling processes have significantly advanced in recent years, there are still certain challenges associated with the use of recycled materials. This is due to a variety of factors, such as performance and durability, or even due to the difficulty of obtaining suitable raw materials. But there are also successful examples that show the possibilities of recycled materials.