Diamond Schmitt Architects, together with Associate Architect EXP, has unveiled the design for the New Brunswick Museum (NBM). Envisioned as an extension of Canada’s oldest museum, the new wing will expand the museum’s spaces for research and exhibitions while maintaining a minimum carbon footprint. The intervention is located on the historic Saint John site, taking advantage of the unique location by opening up views towards both the urban center and the Harbor of Saint John.
As construction materials costs increase, builders and developers are seeking alternatives to traditional home construction methods to address housing shortages. In response, an expanding construction technology field is the 3D printing sector. This technology promises quicker, cheaper construction and the potential to extrude local and recycled materials. However, due to the slow-changing nature of the construction industry, a radical shift involving large-scale 3D-printing machines on-site and a complete overhaul of the construction process seems unlikely shortly.
Prefabricated 3D printing modular housing offers a compelling solution, providing the benefits of 3D printing advancements while leveraging standard construction machinery and labor. In off-site 3D-printed construction, there is no need to transport massive 3D-printing machines on-site. Instead, components are printed in a controlled environment and then assembled on-site. These types of 3D-printed residential modular kits of parts are already being manufactured and are attracting significant investment.
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?
Located in the municipality of Leogang in the Salzburgerland province, Austria, the Priesteregg Premium Eco Resort resides on a plateau at a height of 1100 meters. Opened in 2009, the resort comprises 15 chalets and three villas, and is surrounded by lush mountain pines, Alpine roses, and bilberry bushes. This setting offers relaxation and breathtaking views of the Leogang Steinberg Mountains, the Steinernes Meer with the Hochkönig, and Kitzbühl Schieferalpen.
The resort's development has been influenced by traditional agricultural land use, leading to a conservationist approach. This includes sustainable energy concepts, support for regional producers, and the use of natural materials in the entire resort. In the three villas, the W2 Manufaktur studio and architect Ulrich Stöckl have curated interiors that blend rustic Alpine style with modern luxury, featuring products from Dornbracht. Each villa uniquely combines natural materials, natural features, and a variety of the brand's fittings and fixtures.
The satellite practice of Stefano Boeri Architetti in China has won the tender for the Culture CBD Modern Technology Experience Centre in Xi'an, the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. The new technology-focused museum is set to become a hub for scientific and cultural exchange. The winning project takes inspiration from the area's natural landscape, characterized by a tortuous system of rivers and mountains, as well as the culture of the ancient city of Xi’an.
Business as usual cannot continue if we are to strive towards a more sustainable building industry. Our methods and strategies must transform and adapt to an entirely new way of thinking.
This is why the Living Places concept was developed by the VELUX Group, in partnership with EFFEKT Architects and Artelia. It highlights how rethinking building principles can address global climate and health challenges. Powered by this idea, Living Places Copenhagen, the concept's first prototype, presents a physical example that shows how to build more sustainably while maximizing indoor comfort.
Bjarke Ingels Group and A+Architecture have revealed the design for the 12,000-square-meter Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub in Toulouse, France. The project will expand the functionality of the city’s central station, Gare Matabiau, strengthening the area’s public transport networks by creating a hub for bus, railway, and metro, all connected under one roof. The design of the new hub takes cues from the city’s distinctive roofscape and the traditional use of the rose-colored “foraine” brick, employing a mass timber structure and low-carbon concrete to ensure a sustainable intervention adapted to its environment. The Hub is set to begin construction in 2026.
On April 4 – 6, the international conference FABRICATE 2024 will be held at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. Since its inception in 2011, FABRICATE has established itself as a global forum for new radical possibilities for architecture and welcomed thousands of participants from practice, industry, and research.
In this third article we meet architect Zhu Pei who is the founding Director of Studio Zhu Pei and Dean of the School of Architecture at Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. The text is an excerpt from the upcoming FABRICATE 2024 book and is based on an interview conversation led by Co-chair Phil Ayres between Zhu Pei and architect Cristiano Ceccato, Director of Zaha Hadid Architects. The book will be published on the opening night of the FABRICATE 2024 conference.
Dia Art Foundation announced a major landscape project to reimagine the land at Dia Beacon, New York. Commissioned landscape architect Sara Zewde of Studio Zewde aims to go beyond the simple arrangement of attractive plants and integrate ideas of ecology, culture, and people into the design. Taking over the museum’s 32-acre campus, the project will create an expanded outdoor park, free to access for visitors and locals alike, complete with native meadows, sculptural landforms, and winding pathways. The project, which has been recently extended to also include the museum’s eight back acres, is expected to open to the public in 2025.
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has just begun renovating the iconic Schuylkill Tower in Monaco. Originally built in 1963, the tower currently stands tall as Monaco’s first-ever high-rise. ZHA conducted a feasibility study evaluating its development prospects and the scope of necessary renovations. This led to ZHA’s collaboration with local firm Square Architecte to revitalize and expand the iconic structure, set to be completed in May 2027.
The principles of the circular economy have been most influential and applicable to the construction industry. Emphasizing the efficient use of resources, models around reuse and recycling of components and materials are increasingly being pioneered by global architecture practices. The concept of "design for disassembly" has emerged as an innovative approach especially in the case of building facades. Striking a balance between the demands for new infrastructure and the transition towards sustainability requires a review of traditional facade design throughout its lifecycle.
Oman has just announced plans for a $2.4 billion mixed-use project, the new Omani Mountain Destination on Jabal al Akhdar. Masterplanned by AtkinsRéalis, the scheme aims to attract sustainable development opportunities, hoping to "operate as Net Zero Carbon and striving to use 100% renewable energy." The project is in alignment with Oman Vision 2040, seeking a developed, diversified, and sustainable economy;, featuring residences, hotels, and a health village.
In recent years, India has seen a resurgence of interest in natural building materials, a movement driven by escalating environmental concerns and a growing desire to revive traditional lifestyles. From the busy streets of Mumbai to the serene villages of Kerala, architects, builders, and communities are coming together to experiment with the potential of earth, bamboo, lime, and other organic materials in shaping contextually relevant structures that also embody India's contemporary ideals. The shift towards using natural materials and other vernacular resources reflects a movement towards sustainability and a deeper connection with nature.
UNStudio, in collaboration with local partner HYP Architects, has won the competition for the design of the Kyklos building in Luxembourg. The project is part of Beval, a large-scale redevelopment initiative aiming to transform a former industrial site into an urban center complete with a university and technological center, in addition to residential, office, and retail spaces. When designing the Kyklos building, which will occupy a central position in the district's main square, the architects set out to find solutions to create the smallest carbon footprint for both operational and embedded metrics.
The urban heat island effect occurs when pavements, roads, and buildings absorb the sun's heat and radiate it back, causing the temperature to increase and preventing the city from cooling down. With the growing reliance on cars in cities, the number of urban car park spaces is also increasing to accommodate buildings. This has resulted in the conversion of large areas of pervious land covered with vegetation into impervious hard surfaces for more car parks. The use of materials like asphalt, combined with the lack of shade, reflective steel surfaces of parked cars, and loss of greenery in these extensive car parks, contributes to the amplification of high-temperature effects and extreme heat events, making urban spaces uncomfortable. This transformation is impacting the climate of car-dependent regions and calls for collaborative ideas and efforts to mitigate the negative effects of rising heat.
As the countdown to the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris ticks away, the city is making preparations that will completely shift its urban landscape and infrastructure. Set to be the largest event ever organized in France, the games will start on 26 July and continue till 11 August 2024. With only 200 days left, the Paris City Council has approved around 43 new initiatives acting as a catalyst for the city's transformation – aiming for a greener, healthier, and mobile Paris. From cleaning the Seine River to building a cycling lane, activating a transit line, and banning non-essential city traffic, the heart of the French capital is on a mission against time to revitalize its historic urban core.
To convey the might and prestige of their empire, the Romans constructed enduring architecture as symbols of their long-lasting reign. Emperors employed grand public works as assertions of their status and reputation. Conversely, Japanese architecture has long embraced ideas of change and renewal, evident in the ritualistic rebuilding of Shinto shrines. A practice, known as shikinen sengu, is observed at Ise Jingu, where the shrine is purposefully dismantled and reconstructed every twenty years. Across the world, philosophies around permanence and impermanence pervaded architectural traditions. Amidst the climate crisis, how do these tenets apply to modern architectural design?
