Suburbs are one of the favorite fields of action for people who deal with social architecture in “first world” contexts. In 2020, a group of students from the Architecture for Humanity course at YAcademy– the renowned international school of architecture located in Bologna, Italy – had the opportunity to work with Michele De Lucchi in order to bring arts, beauty and quality into the drab suburbs of Milan.
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Known as the “fifth wall,” a ceiling is the interior overhead surface that covers the upper limit of a room. Unlike decor, wallpaper, furniture and other pieces that define indoor ambiance, it is not usually emphasized as a crucial design component, often resulting in the classic plain white shade that continues to be the norm in many, if not most, interior spaces. Nonetheless, ceilings can serve multiple purposes in any architectural project. For example, they provide comfort, act as protective surfaces for other building systems, conceal structural elements, and add layers of texture, movement and color. They also allow the enclosure or separation of spaces and contribute to sound diffusion, hence reducing noise transfer between rooms.
Sustainability and comfort are top priorities in any new build or renovation project these days. Green construction means taking measures to reduce emissions and achieve a high degree of energy efficiency, both during construction and in terms of subsequent building use. And well-being is a key factor in any type of building, whether a home, a hotel or an office complex; after all, the right conditions have a beneficial effect on people’s health and productivity.
One way to integrate these aspects into daily life is by using radiant cooling during summer, as it can beexceptionally energy-efficient and can ensure pleasantly comfortable temperatures.
KME Germany has announced the 2022 TECU® ARCHITECTURE AWARD winners for the sixth time. The competition intends to enable, accompany and promote modern and forward-looking approaches to architecture based on copper as a material, in collaboration with architects.
In addition to three architecture prizes, two project prizes for students were also awarded. Furthermore, three Special Mentions were awarded.
Architecture is a privileged tool for brands that are characterized by a high-end positioning and that, beyond the quality of their own products, needs to feed an imaginary of prestige, style, and refinement. From the showrooms to the stores, fashion needs architects as much as stylists, photographers and modelers.
There are many myths and misunderstandings around sustainability in construction. First, the belief that what is sustainable must inherently be technological, complicated or out of reach. Or that the products will necessarily be more expensive, will be made of recycled materials or will not be so aesthetically pleasing. When it comes to material specification, there is often confusion. Is steel more sustainable than bamboo? Would it be better to use a material that is said to be sustainable, but which goes through numerous industrial processes, or one with a low level of processing? The answer is not so simple, and there are various comparison mechanisms to help guide us. But this is an important consideration to make, as one of the main ways the construction industry can help reduce its carbon footprint is to select materials with the lowest general contribution to emissions and environmental impact. Natural slate, which can be used for roofing and facades, is a great example of this.
The Making+Meaning summer studio program exposes participants to a wide range of techniques within a conceptual design framework, pitting the everyday against the unusual to create exploratory content and experiences.
Michele De Lucchi, Kengo Kuma, Eduardo Souto De Moura, and Stefano Boeri: these are just some of the names of the great Masters of Architecture whose interventions are juxtaposed to the installation of Anna Collatuzzo, Arezoo Mohebpour, and Paula Strieder, three Alumni of YACademy who designed The Journey in collaboration with the studio of Mario Cucinella.
The Brick Award recognises and celebrates exceptional brick architecture from around the world. It creates a platform for architects and planners to present their innovative and creative projects and designs to an international audience.
Architecture can achieve great things and unite cultures and nature, as demonstrated by the outstanding buildings that won the International Brick Award 22. For the tenth time, Wienerberger shone the spotlight on exceptional brick building projects from all over the world. The aim of the Brick Award is to act as a torch bearer and source of inspiration for architecture, planning, urban development and culture. The 50 nominated projects also demonstrate the aesthetic and functional potential of ceramic building materials.
Daylighting design is an essential aspect for creating brighter, healthier buildings for everyone. Considering that daylight has a unique ability to shape the experience of a space, it is important for architects and designers to take it into account in order to build healthier, more sustainable buildings. Good daylighting design can improve the health, mood, cognitive abilities and productivity of the occupants of homes, schools or workplaces, while reducing the energy consumption of the building.
We explore a few key factors that can influence daylight availability in buildings and how to account for them in your next project.
For Milano Design Week 2022, UniFor, a company of the Molteni Group specialized in workplace furnishing solutions, will be presenting PRINCIPLES, a new collection developed in collaboration with the international architecture firm, OMA. The unveiling of PRINCIPLES will take place in a new location with a prestigious address, Viale Pasubio, which is also home to the headquarters of Fondazione Feltrinelli and soon to become UniFor’s permanent showroom.
The fundamental concept of PRINCIPLES is to provide furnishings that can be used by anyone, at any time, to best support the flow of operations and communications required by the contemporary workplace.
When development firm Blue Heron set out to create their one-of-kind residential showpiece, Vegas Modern 001, or VM001 for short, the goal was to stretch the boundaries of design and create an immersive experience that embraced both the natural and human-made worlds.
“We like to think about the home as being appropriate to our time and place, our culture and the technology that's available,” says Founder and CEO Tyler Jones. “And so there's an energy and spirit that comes from the city … so we're talking about digital media and this playful kind of vibe that we have in some big dramatic moments.”
Architects have always been asked to breathe new life into ancient architectures inherited from the past or into historical – often monumental – artifacts that no longer respond to the customs and needs of contemporary society.
Nevertheless, ancient architecture tells our stories and therefore deserves to be restored with interventions that bring along a hint of modernity and show the trace of the design activity. YACademy's course in “Architecture for Heritage” has been created on these premises. Its aim is to train designers who will be able to understand and enhance the memory of historical architectures and take inspiration from them to carry out new interventions that both meet new needs and are enriched by the link to the past. In a close dialogue between the ancient and the modern, between existing architectures and new interventions, it is possible to comprehend what has been and what is now, redesigning – through architecture – a historical line bound to be continued by future generations.
The huge strides that have been made in technological and digital innovation in recent years mean we are becoming increasingly familiar with home automation and other systems that have the ability to improve our quality of life and the comfort and efficiency of our homes. In a way that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago outside of old sci-fi films, everything in a smart home–from the curtains, windows, alarm systems and heating to the household appliances, TVs and vacuum cleaners–can now be “robotised” and controlled remotely to manage our living spaces.
Open BIM is an acronym referring to Open Building Information Modeling and is a universal approach to the collaborative design, realization, and operation of buildings based on open standards and workflows. It is an initiative of buildingSMART and is supported by many leading software vendors in the building industry.
It defines methods for the object-oriented description of buildings using open data formats that facilitate integrated project delivery. Open BIM provides a common language for the exchange of information within a multidisciplinary project team.
Throughout the years, bathrooms have been viewed as purely functional spaces strictly programmed for hygiene and privacy. Becoming smaller and more practical, the utilitarian, space-saving shower stall has often been considered the norm, pushing the bathtub into obsolescence or as an additional luxury for those with extra space (and money). Recently, however, as lifestyle changes driven by the pandemic have placed wellness as a top priority, the notion of the bathroom as a sanctuary has really taken hold. Contemporary bathrooms have thus been reimagined, shifting towards open spaces of relaxation, comfort and recuperation. And tubs – with their inherent meditative nature – have returned to the spotlight.
From Stonehenge to Greek temples, architecture is the signature of humankind on landscape, the artificial element that has always been connected to the natural environment. Architecture and landscape are linked by a fundamental continuity that is now starting to fade, damaging the quality of the space we dwell.
Today, more than ever, the landscape is a precious heritage that architecture can and must enhance, while protecting it to pass it on to future generations: architects shall not give up on working on landscape, instead they should be able to design architectures that respond to each landscape’s specific feature and generate wonderful and unique spaces.
Taking a good shower can be an extremely relaxing and pleasant experience. Far beyond the simple (and important) functions of removing dirt and sweat and balancing the bacteria present on the skin and body, the feeling of well-being that a bath provides can make us think better, come up with ideas to solve problems and relax our muscles. To make things even better, this experience can be enhanced through a well-designed space, with suitable materials, well thought out lighting, and components that provide a good waterflow.
