Like a beautiful painting, windows showcase interiors and frame landscapes that connect users to the outside world, directing our eyes to what really matters. But besides framing views and facilitating visual communication, windows serve multiple essential functions that make them vital components in any project. They illuminate homes with sunrays, provide natural ventilation, filter light, insulate from cold and heat, block water and ensure protection. As most design professionals would agree, glazing also plays a crucial aesthetic role; its materials, style and dimensions certainly make a significant difference in the appearance of facades and spaces.
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AXOR Starck. Image Cortesia de AXOR / Hansgrohe SE
The practice of frequenting public baths was common in civilizations such as the Greeks, Persians and Byzantines, but it was the Romans who popularized their use as places of socialization and purification. These bathrooms were communal and people sat side by side in a collective latrine. The modern bathroom, more similar to what we know today, began with Sir John Harington and his invention of the first flush toilet in 1596. Another crucial advance occurred with Alexander Cummings in 1775, which included a siphon within the toilet to retain gases and odors. But it was only when houses were equipped with running water and effective drainage in the second half of the nineteenth century that the modern private bathroom emerged: a bathroom, a sink and a bath place, which can be a shower or a bathtub. The basics have remained almost unchanged since then, with a few cultural variations in different parts of the world.
These days, the bathroom is a space that goes far beyond its function. With numerous options on the market, it can be designed with the most diverse aesthetics in mind, become a space for relaxation or a design statement in an interior design project.
After radically transforming the world of design and production in sectors such as automotive and aerospace, robotics is now entering the construction sector. That is why École des Ponts ParisTech, a leading French engineering school founded in 1747, preparing future leaders, civil engineers and researchers, has developed a new training curriculum.
Before the pandemic, there was a concerted effort from world leaders to curb the effects of global warming, with nations from around the world trying to unite in this endeavor. There was an increased emphasis on policies and action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through the rapid introduction of new energy saving technologies and innovative carbon dioxide removal techniques, with the purpose of meeting the Paris Agreement goal of carbon neutrality and limiting global warming to 1.5ºC.
The 10th International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR 2022) asks how architecture can respond to socioecological urgencies by considering time as a crucial factor in the design process. Time is an essential yet neglected parameter in designing sustainable futures.
The arrival of spring coincides once again withthe launch of in-person and online courses by YACademy, the school founded by YAC through the collaboration with some of the most prestigious names in contemporary architecture. Its fifth edition offers a unique experience to young designers that are looking for postgraduate international training.
Simply put, uplighting is any lighting that shines upward. Most commercial lighting pendants are designed with uplighting and downlighting capability. For interior applications, uplighting reduces ceiling dark spots and shadows while affording the user additional, glare-free indirect lighting.
Uplighting serves the architectural lighting design of the space by highlighting details such as beams, pipes and other distinctive ceiling traits.
https://www.archdaily.com/981413/an-interview-with-lighting-designers-on-the-role-of-uplightingDavid Hakimi
Years ago, architects made the move from hand-drawn plans to CAD. The time they saved and efficiencies they gained transformed the industry. Today, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an architect that solely works using the traditional pen-and-paper methods. That digital shift has continued to develop.
Although some may question it, architecture is essentially a service industry. And like in all services, the process itself (meetings, invoices, payments) can be just as important as the end result (the finished project). At the end of the day, if you offer a coherent, efficient and well-structured service that complements a good design, clients will be satisfied and are likely to return. They will also spread the word and recommend the office, which is ultimately the best way for design professionals to build a good reputation and attract new customers.
Many boxes must be checked to provide a good service. But perhaps one of the most crucial involves billing and payments, which are vital for cashflow and thus fundamental for businesses. In project-based industries like architecture and design, fees are usually paid out in various installments defined by specific time frames, from the initial design delivery to construction. Therefore, receiving a consistent, predictable income in all stages is indispensable; it avoids non-payments and delays that can hinder project delivery and cause complicated situations.
Without a doubt, pivot doors are more in style than ever. Rotating on a vertical axis with nearly invisible components, these swinging doors are characterized by their clean lines, contemporary aesthetic and endless design possibilities – features that make them ideal for a wide array of applications, especially as grand design statements. They particularly stand out, however, for their beautiful and elegant movement that allows smooth transitions between spaces, setting them apart from regular hinged doors. To ensure that this characteristic motion is achieved, two steps are indispensable: selecting high-quality hardware and installing it properly.
Textures can calm us, bring warmth or even guide us. They elicit our sense of touch and also affect us visually. This is because lights and shadows tend to form in relation to the irregularities and shapes that are present in some textures, which can in turn clearly differentiate these types of materials from other surfaces. For many, the idea of a space surrounded with white, smooth walls can be disturbing and monotonous. Embellishments such as paints, the inclusion of natural coatings or other elements can easily transform a space, emphasizing certain parts or creating new and attractive visuals. In interior design projects, textured walls have always been a popular way to add prominence to a space, either via the constructive system of building - such as brick or exposed concrete walls - or through different types of coatings that can be added later on.
Virtual reality has given architects alternative ways to work. Paired with real-time visualization software, it offers a robust tool with endless capabilities for your design workflow. It can help develop the design, address needs, and win over clients. Here are four key reasons why you need to implement VR into your design workflow.
Metal façades give buildings an air of sophistication and modernity. They also bring a cleanness to the façade, due to their precise fabrication and well-resolved connections between other materials and building elements. There are currently multiple product options available for coatings, offering extensive colour options, including metallics, with different levels of durability (natural aging and corrosion). One of the main issues when approaching metal façades is the risk of corrosion, which can create points of weakness in the material and interfere with the aesthetics of the building. So, with this in mind, what do architects need to focus on to ensure that building envelopes age gracefully, while maintaining aesthetics and performance over time?
Big data and hybrid working models are the future of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, according to Álvaro González. Álvaro is a Global Master in Real Estate Development student and cofounder of Infinity Dimensions, a startup looking to accelerate digitalization in the sector.
Embodying IE University’s learning by doing philosophy, we spoke to him about how running a startup while earning a graduate degree is possible—with the right amount of entrepreneurial spirit.
A couple of years ago, MVRDV pioneered a system to involve the residents of Hamburg in an urban rejuvenation plan. The Grasbrook Maker was envisioned as an interactive, multi-user platform to democratize design. Architects set up the design framework within which participants could place public buildings.
Collecting inputs from multiple stakeholders is fundamental to architecture. In fact, architecture is one of the most collaborative disciplines in the world. Every project, from a residence to an urban masterplan, involves a team of clients, architects, engineers, contractors, financiers, and many more.
Cladding systems have important functions in buildings. They can confer thermal insulation, protect internal spaces from the weather and–just as important–give the building a "face", improving its appearance and clearly identifying the element of design. "Cladding" refers to the components that are linked to the structure of a building to form non-structural external surfaces. While in the past wooden cladding was the only option, there are currently multiple possibilities of materials, colors, weights, textures, anchoring systems, and many other variables available. Below, we outline some of the main materials used for façade cladding, and the projects that use them in a remarkable way:
What are your plans for this summer? If you like to test your passion for environmental design, one of the top summer programs could just change your life.
The College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley is excited that its Summer Programs are back on campus this year. UC Berkeley faculty and leading innovators of the San Francisco Bay Area are looking forward to in-person and hands-on instruction.
