The technology used in smartphone facial recognition or digital car keys has the potential to revolutionize the way people access and move through buildings. Many common aspects of building access systems today seem outdated in comparison to technological advances in other parts of our lives: PIN pads, security badges, key cards, even physical locks and keys. However, the technology already exists with the potential to make building access simultaneously more seamless and more secure.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront an acute awareness of infection control in building design, both in public spaces as well as our personal spaces like homes and offices. Infection prevention and control experts consistently advise that improved hand hygiene is critical in maintaining a safe and sanitary environment. However, handwashing is not as simple as it would seem at first blush. The faucet itself is a major infection vector unless careful precautions are taken. The obvious answer to increasing the effectiveness of hand washing is by reducing the danger of being re-contaminated by the faucet through hands-free operation.
The Bachelor in Architectural Studies thesis projects at the IE School of Architecture and Design are exciting displays following students' years of study, exploration and hard work. This year, the students produced creative, surprising and theoretically-sound solutions to architectural problems - primarily based in the Spanish city of Valencia.
In the world of architectural design and construction, Revit BIM has become key software that helps simplify building design and analysis processes. As a collaborative work methodology for project generation and management, it enables architects and engineers to design with modeling elements and parametric drawings by using smart 3D objects.
There's no shortage of architectural software these days and it can be challenging and overwhelming to know what tools will be the best fit for your work. Often the programs you learned in school or whatever your firm uses are what you stick with. However, it's often beneficial to step out of that comfort zone and investigate your options to see what else is out there. New software can present opportunities to simplify existing workflows or even bring new digital capabilities to you and your firm.
The A’ Design Award is an international award whose aim is to provide designers, architects, and innovators from all architecture and design fields with a competitive platform to showcase their work and products to a global audience. Among the design world's many awards, the A' Design Award stands out for its exceptional scale and breadth; over the eleven years the Award has been given, more than 12,000 awards have been bestowed across 110 categories and 180 nationalities. This year's edition is now open for entries; designers can register their submissions here.
Safety and design are not mutually exclusive - especially when you choose EGGER products with certified antibacterial surface property. The wood-based materials manufacturer makes it easy for architects and fabricators in their projects with high hygiene requirements: the antibacterial property is included in products with the proven EGGER decor and material combination.
Malibu Crest, a 2019 remodeling of a 1949 International Style home, was a vital undertaking by the architecture firm Studio Bracket that aimed to expand the structure’s square footage and panoramic views of Malibu while retaining over 50% of the home’s original walls. The project was ultimately successful, not only in its refurbishment of the interior rooms and reconfiguration of the space, but in its enlargement of the windows to truly capture views of the surrounding lagoon and mountains. This expansion of the view was done in part through an open corner window scheme and floor-to-ceiling glass, manufactured by Western Window Systems. The uninterrupted glass walls afforded by this open corner technology is one of the most effective ways that architects can open an interior space to the stunning vistas of a natural environment. Yet an even more striking configuration increasingly being employed by residential architects is that of the open corner sliding glass door – a system that can even more completely open an interior space to the unobstructed outdoors. Below, we discuss this technology in more detail, alongside several examples of projects using the open corner glass door.
How do we define “home”? Although ideas about our homes are constantly being rethought, the careful examination of “home” has recently come to the attention of architects and nonarchitects alike. We’ve all had to confront our perspective of “home” as we have adapted workplaces, social gatherings, fitness routines, and everyday life in recent months. Not only do we now internalize a home, but we now look at how our homes can connect to the rest of the outside world.
For the past three years, The HOME Competition has challenged architects to rethink the “home”. Through the ages, architects have continuously investigated the role that homes play in our lives, like Peter Eisenman’s House VI or Kurokawa’s Nagakin Capsule Tower. Today, it may be more important than ever to consider the modern role that a “home” must play and the inherent connection that exists between a “home” and its residents.
.jpg?1597098895&format=webp&width=640&height=580)
Saratov, a Russian city on the Volga River, has launched an International Competition to determine the Best Integrated Spatial Development Concepts for the Development of the City Centre. Saratov is a city located in the southeastern European portion of Russia, a major cultural and economic centre of the Volga region. This open international competition will determine the best concept for integrated development of 5 sites in the central part of the city: the former Saratov-Tsentralny (Saratov-Central) Airport, the Park Pobedy (Victory Park) Memorial Complex on Sokolovaya Gora, Zeleny Island, Glebuchev Ovrag (Glebuchev Ravine) and the Pokrovskie Peski (Pokrovsky Sands) Island.
Epic Games is excited to announce the launch of The Pulse—a new series of interviews and live Q&As exploring the latest thinking on interactive 3D technology. In this presentation, David Basulto, Founder and Director of ArchDaily, will be joined by speakers from KPF, Squint/Opera, and Epic Games to discuss the many new ways collaboration is enhanced by the shift to real-time techniques.
In the last few decades, architecture and interior design have experienced a dramatic shift in the workflows that professionals consider standard. Hand-drafting is long gone; for many it’s nostalgic, and many more embrace the power incumbent to digital drafting tools. Some take it even further with BIM, embracing the process to lead their businesses into lasting success.
Architectural visualization company Brick Visual has been loading its most complex scenes into Chaos Group’s real-time 3D ray-traced engine, Project Lavina, since the private beta first launched. With the first public beta now available, Attila Cselovszki, CDO at Brick Visual, shares how adding Project Lavina to the architectural visualization (arch-viz) pipeline has revolutionized the way they work.
It takes more than creativity to create exceptional designs. Effective collaboration is an essential element in any successful project, as well as in day-to-day business. Using the right tools can help architects and designers overcome project obstacles and elevate their designs. Real-time rendering tool Enscape has introduced a collaborative issue-tracking feature, aptly named Collaborative Annotation, in their latest software version 2.8. This new feature promises to provide architects and designers with a more collaborative workflow.
Hessenwald School in Weiterstadt, Germany, is an example of energy-efficient, contemporary architecture that offers a new teaching and pedagogical model. At the centre of both model and building stands a well-lit and well-ventilated three-storey atrium.
As ride-sharing services grow and personal ownership of automobiles declines, office building owners and developers are re-thinking the value of parking structures, and their capacity and ability to convert. As part of the total transformation of One Post Office Square (OPOS), located in the heart of Boston's financial district and designed by Gensler, a new automated parking garage will optimize the use of valuable leasable space, enhance the user experience and create long term flexibility.
The relationship between space and well-being has always been a key consideration at IE University’s School of Architecture & Design. As this concept becomes increasingly widespread, the boundaries of what’s possible are being pushed. By providing students with a global vision of architecture and design, they are able to create multipurpose spaces that boost well-being and remain flexible as needs evolve.
There’s a new kid on the block making noise in Brooklyn’s thriving Bushwick neighborhood. At 7-stories tall, 500 units, and occupying 489,000 square feet of real estate, The Rheingold is one of the most expansive multi-family developments in Brooklyn to date.
.jpg?1597281787 "Tangxing No. 5 Residential House / Saiwen Liu. Image Courtesy of A' Design Awards")
